The West Virginia University men’s basketball team will conclude its 2025-26 season this weekend at the College Basketball Crown tournament in Las Vegas, according to an April 1 announcement. The Mountaineers, holding an 18-14 record, are set to face Stanford in a quarterfinal matchup Thursday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The College Basketball Crown features eight teams and uses a single-elimination format. A $500,000 prize pool is available for participating players, with $300,000 awarded to the winning team and $150,000 going to the runner-up. All seven games of the tournament will be nationally televised on FOX Network.
Coach Ross Hodge said this event gives his team one last opportunity to play together. “Any time you get a chance to put on a college uniform, represent a University and in our case a state, you’ve got to take advantage of those opportunities,” Hodge said. He explained that participation in this event is due to contractual obligations between the Big 12 Conference and FOX Network: “With the Big 12’s partnership with FOX, if anyone is wondering why the Crown and not the NIT, (the Crown) is what is contractually obligated with the Big 12. The two top teams that don’t play in the NCAA Tournament go to the Crown.” Hodge added that his players enjoy playing together and want another chance on court.
Hodge also discussed how changes in recruiting calendars affect coaching duties during postseason tournaments. “They’ve made some adjustments (to the recruiting calendar) because coaches complained about that a little bit… now that’s why the portal officially opens Tuesday,” he said regarding transfer portal timing.
Stanford enters Thursday’s game with a 20-12 record after finishing tied for ninth place in ACC standings. The Cardinal are led by freshman guard Ebuka Okorie who averages 22.8 points per game; Hodge described Okorie as “a tough cover” after reviewing Stanford’s recent games.
West Virginia traveled Tuesday for pre-game workouts but will be without freshman Amir Jenkins due to scheduled shoulder surgery. Looking ahead, Hodge acknowledged ongoing discussions with returning players about next season while also noting plans for new recruits—including five-star point guard Miles Sadler—and potential transfers following roster departures of seven seniors.
Reflecting on his first year as head coach at WVU amid these transitions, Hodge said: “This year has gone fast… As soon as your season is over now you are right into transfer portal… so you really don’t have time to reflect on good or bad.” The Mountaineers’ quarterfinal against Stanford tips off Thursday at 8 p.m., airing nationally on FS1.
