MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — West Virginia basketball just got a major boost for the 2026-27 season.
Forward Brenen Lorient is returning to West Virginia for a fifth year of eligibility following the recent Colorado court ruling, according to On3’s Joe Tipton. The ruling opened the door for Lorient to play another season after his eligibility had previously been in question.
For Ross Hodge and the Mountaineers, this is a big one.
The 6-foot-9 Lorient was one of West Virginia’s most consistent players last season, starting all 34 games and averaging 11.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. He shot an impressive 54.1 percent from the field and led the Mountaineers with 45 blocked shots.
NEWS: West Virginia forward Brenen Lorient is returning to West Virginia for a fifth year of eligibility following the Colorado court ruling, source told @On3.
The 6-9 senior averaged 11.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game this past season. https://t.co/zVzFTNzAYt pic.twitter.com/DXSBIMO4WT
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) August 12, 2026
Lorient also played some of his best basketball down the stretch. He scored 14 points with seven rebounds against Stanford in the College Basketball Crown, followed that with 15 points and six rebounds against Creighton and then finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and three blocks against Oklahoma. He was named to the College Basketball Crown All-Tournament Team for his performance.
His return is even more important because of the familiarity he brings to Hodge’s system. Lorient followed Hodge from North Texas to Morgantown last offseason after earning First-Team All-AAC honors and being named the AAC Sixth Man of the Year in 2024-25. Instead of West Virginia having to replace another proven contributor, Hodge now gets one of his most productive players back for another season.
Lorient and Javan Buchanan had recently filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in federal court seeking a path to a fifth season of eligibility. The situation changed following the Colorado ruling, and Lorient will now take advantage of the opportunity to return to Morgantown.
This is about as good of news as West Virginia could have received this late in the offseason. Lorient gives the Mountaineers an experienced 6-foot-9 forward who can score around the basket, rebound, protect the rim and has already proven he can produce in the Big 12.
More importantly, West Virginia knows exactly what it is getting.
Lorient was already one of the most important pieces on Hodge’s roster last season. Now, instead of saying goodbye after one year in Morgantown, he’ll get another opportunity to put on the Old Gold and Blue.
And West Virginia’s 2026-27 roster just got a whole lot better.
