Latest news with #RossHodge
Dominion Post
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
Hodge, WVU land SEC transfer Ugusuk from South Carolina
Ross Hodge at his introductory press conference. MORGANTOWN – The WVU men's basketball program has added another piece to the roster with a commitment from South Carolina transfer guard Morris Ugusuk. Ugusuk, 6-foot-4, 170-pounds, spent two seasons with the Gamecocks where he appeared in 62 games and started six. This past season, Ugusuk averaged 5.9 points and 1.4 rebounds, while shooting 38.4% from the floor and 40.7% from 3-point range. The transfer guard committed to the Mountaineers following an official visit to campus. The Helsinki, Finland native entered the transfer portal April 4, and now gives the Mountaineers a large guard that has had success at the high major level. Over the course of this past season, Ugusuk scored 20 points against Vanderbilt, 18 points against Indiana and 15 against Oklahoma. Ugusuk has two years of eligibility remaining. Ugusuk reclassified and signed with South Carolina in the 2023 class out of the Drive Basketball Academy in Finland. As a senior, Ugusuk averaged 17.2 points, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game at the Drive Basketball Academy. Ugusuk also represented Finland at the 2022 FIBA under-18 European Championship. Ugusuk becomes the first commitment for the Mountaineers since April 20 and now gives the program a total of nine roster spots for the 2025-26 season. Ugusuk becomes the eighth transfer addition for West Virginia this offseason along with one from the high school level in forward D.J. Thomas. BY KEENAN CUMMINGS
Dominion Post
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
Ross Hodge lands commitment from North Dakota State transfer Treysen Eaglestaff
MORGANTOWN — Ross Hodge added another critical piece to the West Virginia men's basketball roster with a commitment from highly sought after North Dakota transfer guard Treysen Eaglestaff. Eaglestaff, 6-foot-6, 190-pounds, originally committed to South Carolina March 30 but backed off that pledge and drew interest from a long list of schools including Kentucky, Gonzaga, Iowa, BYU and others once he opened things up April 16. The Mountaineers then were able to get Eaglestaff on campus for an official visit April 18-19 and were able to close the door on his recruitment by securing his commitment. Eaglestaff was one of the most prolific scorers in college basketball last season averaging 18.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 41.6% from the floor and 35.9% from three. That included 40 points in a losing effort against Alabama and a 51-point outburst to help lead his team to a win against South Dakota State in the Summit League tournament. The North Dakota native started a total of 75 games of the 87 games he appeared in during his three years at the college level including starting every game in the past two seasons. Eaglestaff showed significant improvement in each year at the college level including averaging 9.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists as a true freshman where he shot 39.8% from the floor and 34.5% from three. As a sophomore, Eaglestaff was elevated to a starting role and averaged 14.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 43.4% and 38.3% from deep prior to last season. A highly skilled guard that can score in bunches. He is a long, athletic guard that can put the ball in the basket from all three levels of the floor. He can score off the bounce to the rim and can use his size and length to finish in a crowd. Displays the ability to get the ball into the paint where he can finish or distribute the basketball when drawing an extra defender. Eaglestaff is a skilled passer and also is an effective three-point shooter either off the catch or in spot up situations or even creating his own shot. Overall, Eagelstaff is the eighth transfer addition for Hodge since he took over the program joining UNC Wilmington center Harlan Obioha, North Texas forward Brenen Lorient, Chattanooga guard Honor Huff, Troy forward Jackson Fields, North Texas guard Jasper Floyd and St. Bonaventure wing Chance Moore. Allen (Tx.) 2025 forward Deandre Thomas also has signed. Eaglestaff has one year of eligibility remaining in his college career. — Story by Keenan Cummings
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WVU's Hodge would pay hefty buyout if he leaves after 1 season, in a nod to predecessor DeVries
WVU's Hodge would pay hefty buyout if he leaves after 1 season, in a nod to predecessor DeVries FILE - North Texas head coach Ross Hodge instructs his team as they play Minnesota in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn, File) FILE - North Texas head coach Ross Hodge, center, instructs his team as they play against Memphis during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman, File) Ross Hodge, West Virginia's new men's basketball coach, smiles during a press conference, Thursday, April 3, 2025, in in Morgantown, (Ron Rittenhouse/The Dominion-Post via AP) Ross Hodge, West Virginia's new men's basketball coach, speaks during a press conference, Thursday, April 3, 2025, in in Morgantown, (Ron Rittenhouse/The Dominion-Post via AP) Ross Hodge, West Virginia's new men's basketball coach, speaks during a press conference, Thursday, April 3, 2025, in in Morgantown, (Ron Rittenhouse/The Dominion-Post via AP) FILE - North Texas head coach Ross Hodge instructs his team as they play Minnesota in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn, File) FILE - North Texas head coach Ross Hodge, center, instructs his team as they play against Memphis during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman, File) Ross Hodge, West Virginia's new men's basketball coach, smiles during a press conference, Thursday, April 3, 2025, in in Morgantown, (Ron Rittenhouse/The Dominion-Post via AP) Ross Hodge, West Virginia's new men's basketball coach, speaks during a press conference, Thursday, April 3, 2025, in in Morgantown, (Ron Rittenhouse/The Dominion-Post via AP) New West Virginia coach Ross Hodge's five-year agreement will pay him $15 million and includes a hefty buyout if he leaves within a year — a nod to predecessor Darian DeVries, according to a document released by the school Friday. After Hodge signed the document on March 26, he remained as head coach at North Texas for another week. The Mean Green lost in the NIT semifinals on Tuesday. Hodge was introduced as West Virginia's coach on Thursday. Advertisement Hodge is West Virginia's fourth coach in as many years. He was hired a week after DeVries left after one season to become the coach at Indiana. Hodge's $250,000 base salary and total compensation are similar to what DeVries agreed to a year ago. But Devries' buyout was considerably lower. He had to pay West Virginia 37.5% of the remaining total compensation from his five-year deal. Hodge will have to pay 75% if he leaves after one year, 56.25% after the second year and 37.5% after that. Hodge will receive a one-year extension and a $100,000 raise for a sixth contract year if West Virginia advances to the NCAA Tournament or finishes in the top six of the Big 12 standings in either of his first two seasons. DeVries had that incentive only for a sixth-place or better finish. Advertisement If Hodge leaves before his first season is up on April 30, 2026, his buyout would be $11.6 million if the raise incentive is included and $9.2 million if it isn't. One twist: if athletic director Wren Baker is no longer in his role, Hodge's buyout would drop significantly in the first two years. Hodge has myriad performance incentives based on academics, season ticket sales, coaches' awards, conference standings and how far West Virginia advances in the NCAA Tournament. As part of the agreement, West Virginia will pay $1.2 million to North Texas. Baker was the AD from 2016 to 2022 at North Texas, where Hodge was an assistant for six seasons under Grant McCasland, now at Texas Tech. Hodge went 46-24 in two seasons as the Mean Green's head coach. Hodge's annual average salary of $3 million would have ranked 10th among the 16 coaches in the Big 12 last season, according to a USA Today database that was updated last month. Advertisement Baker said a formal contract with Hodge is expected to be completed within 60 days. ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.
NBC Sports
04-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Ross Hodge finally takes over at West Virginia after leading North Texas into NIT semifinals
For a week after he was hired at West Virginia, new men's basketball coach Ross Hodge wore two hats. Hodge stayed on as the coach at North Texas to get the Mean Green prepared to play in the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament, where they lost to UC Irvine in Indianapolis. With the transfer portal already open, Hodge also spent considerable time since his March 26 hiring getting familiar with the Mountaineers while working the phones to contact potential recruits. And while campus visits by prospective players along with in-person contact with them stops during the NCAA's one-week 'dead period,' Hodge said he will 'hit the ground running' after April 10. 'This is a blessing and this is an opportunity that I certainly don't take lightly,' Hodge said during his introduction at West Virginia. It was a more intimate welcome held in a small auditorium compared to predecessor Darian DeVries, who walked out to a much larger crowd at the team's basketball arena that included the school's pep band and cheerleaders when he arrived from Drake a year ago for his only season. DeVries was hired at Indiana. Hodge did attend West Virginia's home baseball game against archrival Pittsburgh. He got to see firsthand West Virginia's PG-rated rendition of Neil Diamond's 'Sweet Caroline,' which involves a not-so-nice chant aimed at the Panthers. Hodge mentioned his no-cursing rule in practice because there are other ways to motivate people and said he enforces five pushups upon anyone who does. 'The Hodge household was doing about 500 pushups when we were listening to the Mountaineer version of 'Sweet Caroline,'' he said. Then, less than six hours before the news conference, tornado warning sirens blared around Morgantown. Hodge said it reminded him of an analogy from his wife, Shelly, that he borrows as an approach to coaching. Shelly Hodge is a Maryland native and an instructor in yoga and Pilates, a series of exercises that in part helps improve flexibility. 'It's the flexible trees that survive storms,' Hodge said. 'The stiff, rigid trees, they break under storms. So you've got to have some flexibility. You've got to be able to evolve. And you can't be so stubborn in a certain way that 'this is how we're going to do things' outside of you are going to play extremely hard, we are going to play together. We're going to play for each other, and there's going to be a connectivity amongst the group.' Hodge went 46-24 in two seasons as coach of the Mean Green, including 27-9 this season. While Hodge has no NCAA Tournament experience as a head coach, he's been part of staffs that went to three of them, including an upset of Purdue as a No. 13 seed in 2021. Hodge is credited as the architect of the North Texas defense, which had the nation's No. 1 scoring defense in 2021-22 and 2022-23. This wasn't the first time Hodge had stepped on West Virginia's campus. He was with North Texas when it played at West Virginia's home opener in the 2020-21 season. The Mean Green couldn't hold onto an eight-point halftime lead. On the day he took the West Virginia job, North Texas barely beat Oklahoma State in the NIT quarterfinals. There was an angst from West Virginia fans who had to wait another week for Hodge to arrive on campus, while also narrowly avoiding the disappointment from Mean Green supporters to the end of a season. 'I thought there for a second I was going to be the only coach in the country to get simultaneously crushed by two fanbases at the same time,' Hodge said. West Virginia athletic director Wren Baker was the AD from 2016 to 2022 at North Texas, where Hodge was an assistant for six seasons under Grant McCasland, now at Texas Tech. Baker said he was given rave reviews about Hodge both from McCasland and Michigan coach Dusty May, and that Hodge was clear in his desire to 'plant roots and embrace West Virginia.' Now, he'll guide the Mountaineers through its third straight season of roster makeovers. 'He has great experience in rebuilding, retooling and reloading rosters,' Baker said. 'I'm pleased we found a coach that checked all of our boxes.'
Fox Sports
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Hodge finally takes over at West Virginia after leading North Texas into NIT semifinals
Associated Press For a week after he was hired at West Virginia, new men's basketball coach Ross Hodge wore two hats. Hodge stayed on as the coach at North Texas to get the Mean Green prepared to play in the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament, where they lost on Tuesday night to UC Irvine in Indianapolis. With the transfer portal already open, Hodge also spent considerable time since his March 26 hiring getting familiar with the Mountaineers while working the phones to contact potential recruits. And while campus visits by prospective players along with in-person contact with them stops on Friday during the NCAA's one-week 'dead period,' Hodge said he will 'hit the ground running' after April 10. 'This is a blessing and this is an opportunity that I certainly don't take lightly,' Hodge said during his introduction at West Virginia on Thursday. It was a more intimate welcome held in a small auditorium compared to predecessor Darian DeVries, who walked out to a much larger crowd at the team's basketball arena that included the school's pep band and cheerleaders when he arrived from Drake a year ago for his only season. DeVries was hired at Indiana last month. Hodge did attend West Virginia's home baseball game against archrival Pittsburgh on Wednesday night. He got to see firsthand West Virginia's PG-rated rendition of Neil Diamond's 'Sweet Caroline," which involves a not-so-nice chant aimed at the Panthers. Hodge mentioned his no-cursing rule in practice because there are other ways to motivate people and said he enforces five pushups upon anyone who does. "The Hodge household was doing about 500 pushups when we were listening to the Mountaineer version of 'Sweet Caroline,'' he said. Then, less than six hours before Thursday's news conference, tornado warning sirens blared around Morgantown. Hodge said it reminded him of an analogy from his wife, Shelly, that he borrows as an approach to coaching. Shelly Hodge is a Maryland native and an instructor in yoga and Pilates, a series of exercises that in part helps improve flexibility. 'It's the flexible trees that survive storms,' Hodge said. 'The stiff, rigid trees, they break under storms. So you've got to have some flexibility. You've got to be able to evolve. And you can't be so stubborn in a certain way that 'this is how we're going to do things' outside of you are going to play extremely hard, we are going to play together. We're going to play for each other, and there's going to be a connectivity amongst the group.' Hodge went 46-24 in two seasons as coach of the Mean Green, including 27-9 this season. While Hodge has no NCAA Tournament experience as a head coach, he's been part of staffs that went to three of them, including an upset of Purdue as a No. 13 seed in 2021. Hodge is credited as the architect of the North Texas defense, which had the nation's No. 1 scoring defense in 2021-22 and 2022-23. This wasn't the first time Hodge had stepped on West Virginia's campus. He was with North Texas when it played at West Virginia's home opener in the 2020-21 season. The Mean Green couldn't hold onto an eight-point halftime lead. On the day he took the West Virginia job, North Texas barely beat Oklahoma State in the NIT quarterfinals. There was an angst from West Virginia fans who had to wait another week for Hodge to arrive on campus, while also narrowly avoiding the disappointment from Mean Green supporters to the end of a season. 'I thought there for a second I was going to be the only coach in the country to get simultaneously crushed by two fanbases at the same time," Hodge said. West Virginia athletic director Wren Baker was the AD from 2016 to 2022 at North Texas, where Hodge was an assistant for six seasons under Grant McCasland, now at Texas Tech. Baker said he was given rave reviews about Hodge both from McCasland and Michigan coach Dusty May, and that Hodge was clear in his desire to 'plant roots and embrace West Virginia.' Now, he'll guide the Mountaineers through its third straight season of roster makeovers. 'He has great experience in rebuilding, retooling and reloading rosters,' Baker said. 'I'm pleased we found a coach that checked all of our boxes.' ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. recommended
