WVU Basketball Teams Ball Out in First ‘Ballin’ at Woodburn’ Event

Both WVU basketball teams took to the court for the first time ahead of their respective seasons at the first ever Ballin’ at Woodburn event in front of over 500 fans.

The event, announced on Oct. 8, was in Woodburn Circle on the downtown campus. Admission was free.

Senior guards Sydney Shaw and Honor Huff squared off in the championship of the three-point contest, where Huff won with 16 made threes. In the first two rounds, Huff drilled 22 three-pointers.

Honor Huff tops Sydney Shaw in the three-point championship! https://t.co/ur5Zz23SUB pic.twitter.com/CpVcGXhvCR

— Luke Blain (@LukeDBlain) October 25, 2025

The other two competitions were a game of knockout, which Shaw won, and a skills competition that saw a fan join the combination of freshman guards Maddie Parrish and Amir Jenkins.

Members of both teams had a short question and answer session in between the final two contests. Men’s basketball head coach Ross Hodge could not attend the event, as he was at his daughter’s final high school volleyball match.

A heartfelt message from Ross Hodge to the fans tonight on his absence from the event. pic.twitter.com/Rx4CH4PupS

— Luke Blain (@LukeDBlain) October 25, 2025

In Hodge’s place, assistant coach Phil Forte spoke on what the men’s team’s culture will be like this season.

“The team the culture is gonna represent this state, hard nose, blue collar, grit, togetherness, family, commitment, just winning,” Forte said. “It’s all about this state, it’s all about us, it’s all about West Virginia.”

When asked if any players could surprise fans this season, WVU women’s basketball head coach Mark Kellogg said he hopes the team collectively catches the eyes of fans.

“I hope we do it collectively as a group. And a lot of kids who were here a year ago I think will look different, and they’ll take a step in the right direction and they’ll showcase a bigger skill set than what you saw a year ago. And we’ve infused a bunch of new talent through the portal and one freshman. So I think ultimately, collectively it looks a little bit different, but certainly we’ll be surprised by a lot of players,” Kellogg said.

Both teams will play exhibition games on Sunday, with the men’s team facing Wheeling University at 4 p.m. and the women’s team taking on Fairmont State at 6:30 p.m.

Find more coverage of WVU basketball at WV Sports Now.