Jon Rothstein picks West Virginia as sleeper in loaded Big 12 race

West Virginia is replacing virtually its entire roster heading into the 2026-27 season, but at least one national analyst believes the Mountaineers have the pieces in place to make a significant jump. CBS Sports college basketball reporter Jon Rothstein has named West Virginia his preseason sleeper in the Big 12, pointing to the talent assembled by Ross Hodge and his staff entering their second year in Morgantown. “I think year two for Ross Hodge at West Virginia is going to be a really, really big year,” Rothstein said. “I love what this program has done from a perimeter perspective.” After returning only limited production from last season, Hodge attacked both the transfer portal and the high school ranks, adding six transfers and one of the nation’s top recruiting classes to reshape the roster. Sadler expected to lead from the start Much of Rothstein’s optimism centers around freshman point guard Miles Sadler, who arrives in Morgantown after establishing himself as one of the top players in the 2026 recruiting cycle. The Canadian product climbed to No. 19 nationally after a standout senior season at Bella Vista Prep, where he displayed the ability to score at all three levels while also serving as a high-level playmaker. Sadler averaged 18.5 points, 5.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game and is expected to assume a major role immediately. Rothstein believes Sadler has a chance to be one of the most productive freshmen in the country, and West Virginia shares that confidence. The talented guard has long been projected as the starting point guard and should become one of the focal points of the offense from day one. While Sadler stands just 5-foot-11, his size has done little to slow him down to this point in his career, and the Mountaineers expect his competitiveness and pace to translate quickly to the college game. Transfers add proven scoring punch Rothstein also highlighted a pair of wing additions in Butler transfer Finley Bizjack and St. John’s transfer Joson Sanon. Bizjack is coming off the best season of his career after averaging 17.1 points, 2.5 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game while earning all-Big East third-team honors. The 6-foot-4 guard can play on or off the ball and is expected to provide West Virginia with a dependable scoring option. Sanon, meanwhile, brings both size and Big 12 experience after beginning his career at Arizona State before spending last season at St. John’s. The 6-foot-5 wing averaged 11.9 points per game as a freshman in the conference and gives the Mountaineers another player capable of creating his own shot. Florida State transfer Martin Somerville should add depth and versatility in the backcourt after averaging 8.0 points and 2.4 assists last season, while freshman Keonte Greybear provides another athletic option as he develops into a college role. Size and athleticism in the frontcourt The Mountaineers also made it a priority to get bigger and more athletic in the frontcourt, and that effort starts with Georgia Tech transfer Mouhamed Sylla. Rothstein called Sylla a player who could become one of the better post players in the Big 12 after the Senegal native averaged 9.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game as a freshman before injuries limited him to 16 contests. Behind him, West Virginia added even more size with freshmen Amadou Seini and Aliou Dioum, teammates of Sadler at Bella Vista. Seini stands 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan and is regarded as one of the top rebounders in his class, while the 6-foot-10 Dioum brings rim protection and versatility as he continues to develop offensively. Rothstein also pointed to Boise State transfer Javan Buchanan, whose availability still hinges on an NCAA waiver. Buchanan averaged 12.6 points and 5.0 rebounds last season and would add another experienced piece to the rotation if cleared. There are still questions to answer for a team replacing almost all of its production from a season ago, but Rothstein believes the combination of experienced transfers, frontcourt size and one of the nation’s top freshman point guards gives West Virginia a chance to surprise people in one of college basketball’s toughest conferences. Talk about it with West Virginia fans on The Blue Lot SUBSCRIBE today to stay up on the latest on Mountaineer sports and recruiting Get all of our WVU videos on YouTube by subscribing to the WVSports.com Channel Follow us on Twitter: @WVSportsDotCom, @rivalskeenan Like us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok