MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — Brenen Lorient is back for West Virginia, and at this point I think it’s fair to ask the question: Are we ready to call this a Top-20 roster?
Because on paper, I’m not sure what else Ross Hodge and his staff could have done.
Lorient announced Wednesday that he will return to West Virginia for a fifth and final season of eligibility following the recent Colorado court ruling. The 6-foot-9 forward started all 34 games for WVU last season and averaged 11.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while shooting an impressive 54.1% from the field. He also led the Mountaineers with 45 blocked shots.
His return changes everything for a West Virginia roster that already looked really good.
Just look at a potential starting five.
PG Miles Sadler
G Finley Bizjack
SG Joson Sanon
PF Brenen Lorient
C Mo Sylla
That’s a starting lineup with talent, experience, size, scoring and legitimate NBA upside.
With Brenen Lorient's return to WVU, I assume their starting lineup will be:
PG: Miles Sadler
SG: Finley Bizjack
SF: Joson Sanon
PF: Brenen Lorient
C: Mo SyllaThat group's offensive potency is legit; they have a lofty ceiling. Not to mention, their bench is solid too.
— Ethan Alexander (@HoopsSicko) August 12, 2026
Sadler is the headliner of Hodge’s recruiting class and one of the highest-rated prospects West Virginia has signed in years. ESPN ranks him as the No. 4 point guard in the 2026 class, while other recruiting services have placed him among the top 20 overall players in the country. He’s already being mentioned as a potential 2027 NBA Draft prospect before playing his first college game.
And here’s the thing: West Virginia doesn’t need Sadler to walk into Morgantown and immediately carry the entire offense.
That’s because Hodge went out and landed Finley Bizjack.
Bizjack was one of the best guards in the Big East last season at Butler, averaging 17.1 points, 2.5 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game. He earned Third Team All-Big East honors and surpassed 1,000 career points. This isn’t some transfer you’re hoping can make the jump to a bigger role. Bizjack has already proven he can score at a high level against major-conference competition.
Then there’s Joson Sanon.
Sanon’s numbers at St. John’s last season — 7.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game — don’t jump off the page, but the talent absolutely does. He was a consensus top-25 prospect coming out of high school and started 14 games for St. John’s last season. He’s a 6-foot-5 guard with the type of natural ability that gives Hodge another potential difference-maker on the perimeter.
Now put Lorient back into that group.
That’s where this roster goes from interesting to potentially special.
Lorient already knows Hodge’s system. He followed Hodge from North Texas to West Virginia, started every game last season and became one of WVU’s most dependable players. There isn’t an adjustment period here. Hodge knows exactly what Lorient can do, and Lorient knows exactly what Hodge expects from him.
And he’s not just another scorer. Lorient gives West Virginia versatility defensively, rebounding, rim protection and a player who can finish around the basket. He was already good last season. With another offseason in Hodge’s system and a much more talented roster around him, there’s every reason to believe he could be even better in 2026-27.
Then you get to Mo Sylla at center, and that’s where this starting five gets really interesting.
The 6-foot-10, 240-pound Georgia Tech transfer averaged 9.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 16 games as a freshman before a leg injury derailed his season. He started 15 games and became just the third ACC freshman in the last 30 years to begin his college career with three consecutive double-doubles. This is a former four-star, top-25 caliber prospect who has already shown he can produce at the high-major level.
So you’re potentially talking about Bizjack coming off a 17.1-point season, Lorient coming off an 11.9-point season, Sylla putting up nearly a double-double when healthy, a former five-star talent in Sanon and one of the best incoming point guards in America in Sadler.
But what really has me excited about this team is what happens when Hodge goes to his bench.
Martin Somerville gives WVU another guard. Amadou Seini and Aliou Dioum give the Mountaineers two highly regarded young big men. Keonte Greybear is another talented freshman guard. Evans Barning gives Hodge more length on the wing.
And then you have Seydou Traore.
Traore started 31 games at Utah last season and averaged 9.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He scored as many as 23 points in a game and, ironically enough, had one of his better performances against West Virginia. Now a player with that kind of Big 12 experience could be coming off Hodge’s bench.
And we haven’t even gotten to Javan Buchanan, who will likely be eligible under the new rules.
Buchanan was one of West Virginia’s better players last season, and if he is available, you’re talking about another experienced, physical 6-foot-7 forward potentially coming off the bench behind Lorient. That’s the kind of depth West Virginia simply hasn’t had very often in recent years.
The roster right now includes Sadler, Bizjack, Sanon, Lorient, Sylla, Somerville, Seini, Traore, Greybear, Barning, Dioum and Buchanan among its primary pieces. WVU’s recruiting class was already nationally regarded before Lorient’s return, and the roster features multiple former top-100 recruits.
But there’s another reason expectations should be significantly higher this season.
Last season, Hodge was trying to install his system, establish his culture and put together a roster essentially from scratch. West Virginia still finished 21-14 overall and 9-9 in the Big 12. Now he gets Year Two.
His returning players understand what he wants. He was able to attack the transfer portal and recruiting trail looking for specific pieces rather than simply trying to build an entire team. There should be more familiarity with his defensive system, more depth to play the way he wants to play and significantly more offensive firepower.
Most importantly, this roster doesn’t appear to have to depend on one player every night.
If Bizjack isn’t scoring, Sadler can create. If Sadler has a freshman night, you’ve got veteran guards around him. Sanon has the talent to explode offensively. Lorient can score inside. Sylla can control the paint. Traore can give you points off the bench. Buchanan gives you another proven option in the frontcourt.
That’s what good teams look like.
So, Mountaineer fans, I’m going to ask it again.
Are we ready to call this a Top-20 roster?
Because with Brenen Lorient officially back in Morgantown, I think the expectations have changed.
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
Making the NCAA Tournament should be the expectation for this team. Competing near the top of the Big 12 shouldn’t sound crazy. And if Sadler is as good as advertised, Sanon takes a step forward, Sylla stays healthy and Lorient and Bizjack continue producing at the level they already have, West Virginia could be much more than simply a tournament team.
Ross Hodge has himself a roster.
Now it’s time to see what he can do with it.
