It wasn't pretty in the beginning, falling behind by as much as 10 points to Niagara, but West Virginia locked things down defensively and started putting pressure on the rim, blowing the Purple Eagles out of the water, 91-46 in the season opener on Monday night.
There is still a lot we have to learn about this team, and the same goes for head coach Ross Hodge. This starting lineup and rotation, for that matter, is not set in stone. Things can change as we move deeper into non-conference play, and while we had a pretty good idea as to what things would look like because of the three exhibitions, we now have a real game in the books to go off of.
So, what did we learn about the starting five and rotation last night?
Nov 2, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Finley Bizjack (11) shoots a three pointer during the second half against the Niagara Purple Eagles at Hope Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
G Miles Sadler
G Finley Bizjack
F Seydou Traore
F Brenen Lorient
C Mouhamed Sylla
Sanon started the first exhibition against Maryland, but Hodge went with Seydou Traore at the three-spot over Sanon for the third straight game, dating back to the exhibitions. Traore only played 15 minutes, while Sanon played just a bit longer, logging 20 minutes.
I know Hodge likes to run out the same five every single game if things are going well, but I wouldn't be surprised to see those two flip-flop throughout the year, based on the opponent. Again, starting the game doesn't really mean much, especially since they are both going to see heavy minutes, but if they feel like they need more of a defensive punch to open the game, Traore will get the nod.
We already knew this, but this was the first time you saw all five guys do it in the same game. Miles Sadler was an assist away from a double-double; Finley Bizjack didn't have a great shooting night but did a good job of getting to the foul line; Seydou Traore played well defensively, as usual; Brenen Lorient knocked down shots; and Mo Sylla was a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor and added seven rebounds to his ledger.
West Virginia University guard Martin Somerville | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI
G Martin Somerville
G Joson SanonF Javan Buchanan
C Amadou Seini
It's Niagara, I know, so I don't want to overreact too much to what we saw last night. However, the talent and history are there for the first three guys listed above. Somerville is not a household name by any means, but man, he can really make an impact on the game. Joson Sanon can get scorching hot from the perimeter and score double figures on any given night. And Buchanan... Whoa, I just flinched just thinking about that pump fake. That's going to be a signature move of his that we're going to see and hear about all year long.
I figured the rotation would stop at nine, but was unsure of where Keonte Greybear would fall. He is definitely the 10th man, but is he part of the rotation or not? That was the question I had following the exhibition against Wheeling. The freshman showed some spurts of really good basketball, and there's no question he will have a good career here, but barring injury issues, he will likely use this year to sit, learn, and develop.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/westvirginia as What WVU's Opener Revealed About Its Starting Lineup and Rotation .
