Will WVU Use Final Roster Spot on a Center? Ross Hodge Explains the Plan

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated Jul 25, 2025 10:30 AM ET

By a quick glance at the West Virginia basketball roster, any casual fan can make the assumption that the final open spot needs to go to a center.

If you have an understanding of the past production of the two centers on WVU's roster, you'd probably still say another center is needed. UNC-Wilmington transfer Harlan Obioha has averaged 23 minutes per game over his last two seasons, and given his size (7'0", 280 lbs), he's probably not going to be able to give you much more than that.

His backup, Abraham Oyeadier, redshirted last season and is the only returning piece from last year's roster. If Obioha gets in foul trouble or happens to suffer an injury, the Mountaineers are going to be in a tough spot. At least, that's what you'd assume, right?

Head coach Ross Hodge doesn't appear to be all that concerned with the frontcourt depth, and believes they can play "small ball" with an undersized center, be it Jackson Fields or Brenen Lorient, if needed.

Hodge was asked during his press conference on Thursday if they would fill that final roster spot and if there's a certain position they are targeting for it.

“We still have one scholarship, and we’re working on that daily, and we do plan on using it with this class. At this point in time, best available more than anything. I think, commonly, most basketball fans look at rosters, and they always want you to add another big guy, which I get. But I always have to remind people, there’s usually only one big guy on the floor at a time, and there’s usually three little guys. We have pretty good balance on our roster as it is, so just trying to add the right person as much as anything.”

With the transfer portal pretty picked over at this point, Hodge can't be hell-bent on bringing in another center. It would be ideal if there were a big man out there who could give you six and four in 15 minutes per night, but that may not be considered reality this deep into the offseason. As long as guys like Honor Huff and Treysen Eaglestaff can shoot the ball well consistently, which Hodge believes they can/will, the lack of depth at center won't be as big of an issue as it appears to be on the surface.