Ross Hodge Radio Show summary 11-25
West Virginia head coach Ross Hodge held his weekly radio show Tuesday night and here is a summary of what was said.
Hodge said the weekend in Charleston was disappointing but not something that’s going to stop the team’s progression. He feels the issues that cost them both games were simple, correctable things and not signs of a bigger problem.
He liked long stretches of the Clemson game, especially how they matched Clemson’s physicality, rebounded, and controlled the game for most of the night. He said they just didn’t finish it. With Xavier, he admitted their offense is a tough matchup for a new group and WVU didn’t impact the ball enough, which let Xavier move it around and hit a bunch of threes.
A big topic was consistency. He said it isn’t just the five spot, everyone is still learning roles, and some nights one guy looks great and the next night someone else does. He expects that to level out as they get the full roster back and are able to actually practice without worrying about losing bodies. Getting Chance Moore back helped, and Jackson Fields is expected to return Sunday.
He praised Amir Jenkins for not turning the ball over all weekend and controlling games with a veteran-type presence. He also pointed out Treysen Eaglestaff’s work ethic, saying he was the first one in the gym when they landed after the trip.
Defensive rebounding has quietly become a strength, and he credited guards for helping there. Two-point defense is strong as well, even with Xavier’s three-point shooting skewing the numbers.
On referees, he said he just wanted consistency and wasn’t he wasn’t any more animated than he usually is. On the new continuation rule, he said it’s basically the NBA-style gather rule and still a work in progress for officials.
Recruiting came up late in the show. He talked about Miles Sadler’s maturity and competitiveness, Aliou Dioum’s motor and athleticism, and Kingston Whitty being one of the more underrated guards in the class. He also told the story from Whitty’s visit where his mom saved a man who was choking in a restaurant.
Overall vibe from Hodge was that he was disappointed in the results but nowhere near discouraged. He feels like they’re trending the right way, they just need more reps, more bodies, and more time together.
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