Huff

The NIL (name, image, likeness) money, along with the opportunity for extensive playing time. First-year coach Ross Hodge came in from the University of North Texas and literally found a clean house awaiting his arrival. His predecessor had left to coach at Indiana University, nearer to where he had cut his eye teeth in the midwest.

Hodge had no other choice but to jump headlong into the murky waters of the transfer portal. So jump he did.

In his first 10 games as the Mountaineer coach, Hodge has had a savory win over Pitt and losses to Clemson, Xavier and Wake Forest. The less-than-challenging wins over Mt. St. Mary’s, Campbell, Lehigh, Lafayette, Mercyhurst and Coppin State (prior to this week’s game against Little Rock) sailed on by without much notice.

There will not be much attention paid to Mississippi Valley State, a school that has not won a non-conference game in 18 years, but gets paid between $80,000 and $100,000 per game to travel the country and lose.

Obioha

Every Division I college player at one time or another believed he was going to the NBA to become rich and famous. Some have come to the realization the NBA won’t be crooking its finger in their direction — and now will settle for a paid career in Slovenia or Montenegro.

Coaches don’t salivate at the thought of an individual player’s scoring average. They want somebody who cares about the team, the cameraderie the team has and winning games with hustle and grit.

Hodge has made his reputation as a “defensive coach”. He wants players to earn playing time by influencing games with their defense, with rebounding and by making as many steals and deflecting as many opponent passes as he can.

Hodge’s first year roster is built with players who were mainly dissatisfied with their situations where they came from. Most are getting paid through the NIL largesse as mandated by the NCAA. None are getting rich, And none may go on to the NBA.

The transfers include Honor Huff and Brenen Lorient. Huff averages 16.6 points a game, and Lorient has played the second-most minutes of all the players.

Lorient

The two freshmen that are in the nine-man player rotation are Jayden Forsythe and DJ Thomas.

Fifth-year player Chance Moore has been eligible for five games and has scored 12 points per game.

If defense is going to be the primary factor in the Mountaineers winning in conference games, then they must do well from the free throw line where Amir Jenkins is shooting 56.7% and seven-foot Harlan Obioha is making 57.1% of his tries.

Treysen Eaglestaff and Jasper Floyd are also in the regular playing rotation.

The Big 12 Conference has few if any soft touches. Houston, Kansas, Cincinnati, Arizona and Iowa State don’t go away easily. Which team does? None.

Jenkins

A whole pantheon of conference games is coming. West Virginia’s room for error doesn’t exist.

Players better bring sweat and effort every time they see the defensive end . . . or even Slovenia and Montenegro will only be spots on some travel agency’s map and not a playing destination for them.

Moore