COLUMN: In NIT defeat, Ross Hodge’s words showed a level of passion that will be appreciated at WVU

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MORGANTOWN — TV sets throughout West Virginia were tuned in to ESPN’s coverage of the NIT semifinals Tuesday night for a glimpse of the future.

What we saw of, now, WVU men’s basketball coach Ross Hodge was a swarming defense that guided North Texas to a 15-4 lead over the first nine minutes against UC Irvine.

We saw help defense that led to traps in the half-court. We saw a team that thrived on creating steals and turnovers, while being overly protective of its own offensive possessions.

In the end, yes, we saw that UC Irvine came back for a 69-67 victory, sending the Anteaters — the absolute best nickname in college athletics — to the NIT finals against Chattanooga on Thursday.

In the minutes that followed the game, back in the media room inside Hinkle Fieldhouse, it turns out we learned so much more about who Hodge is as a person than we ever could by watching a 40-minute basketball game.

Normally, postgame interviews are filled with talk of Xs and Os, missed free throws, rebounds or taking advantage of opportunities.

Rest assured, there was plenty of that, and Hodge can talk the game of basketball with the best of them.

But there was also talk of family, of heart and devotion. Not just from Hodge, who arrived in Morgantown on Wednesday to begin his tenure with the Mountaineers, but also from his players.

“You literally do life with these guys and you help them navigate losses with their families,” Hodge began. “You know, we’ve had losses. We’ve had people lose family members this year. We’ve had staff members have kids this year.

“And like, you’re going through all those life experiences with these players, and that’s a big part of our messaging. It’s more important than the basketball part. And what you see on the floor is just, in my opinion, kind of a reflection of how much these guys care about each other, and I would be the biggest hypocrite in the world if I changed.” 

That was a…

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Source link : https://www.dominionpost.com/2025/04/02/column-in-nit-defeat-ross-hodges-words-showed-a-level-of-passion-that-will-be-appreciated-at-wvu/

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Publish date : 2025-04-03 02:41:00

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