Why Miles Sadler believes West Virginia can be “really good”

West Virginia true freshman point guard Miles Sadler has only been in Morgantown for a little more than a month, but the five-star prospect already likes what he sees from Ross Hodge’s second roster. Sadler, the highest-rated recruit in program history, joined MetroNews Sportsline this week and made it clear that expectations inside the basketball facility are simple. “I think we’re going to be really good,” Sadler said. “That’s really all I can say. That’s the only expectation I have is to win. So as long as our team is ready to win, then I think we’ll be really good. We’ll be in a good spot.” While Sadler arrived in Morgantown with lofty expectations after starring at Bella Vista Prep and on the EYBL circuit, he said his early focus has been on learning the players around him and understanding exactly what the coaching staff expects. “I feel like it’s been great. I feel like just learning what tendencies my teammates have and how the coaching staff wants me to play is just all, all that I’m looking forward to,” he said. “It’s been good throughout the month I’ve been there so far. So I’m just looking to continue that.” Locked in on basketball After a busy spring and summer schedule that included Chipotle Nationals, all-star events and his invitation to Chris Paul’s point guard academy, Sadler hasn’t had much time to slow down. But the freshman believes Morgantown has provided the perfect environment to focus entirely on preparing for his first college season. “It’s been very beneficial. I feel like Morgantown, especially right now is a time where I could just go to the gym, lock in on my game, get ready for the season. And just prepare. That’s really it,” Sadler said. That transition has included adjusting to a new defensive system under Hodge, one that Sadler admitted contains both similarities and differences from what he experienced in high school basketball. Still, he believes the personnel assembled in Morgantown gives West Virginia a chance to excel on that end of the floor. “I’m used to adapting and I feel like our defense is going to be there, especially with the amount of length that we have on this team,” he said. “Shot blockers and just bigger guys. I feel like we’ll be a good, good defensive team and a good defensive group this year as well.” Sadler described himself as a “pesky” defender who thrives on the ball, while acknowledging there are still areas of his game that need work as he adjusts to the college level. Plenty of weapons around him One thing that has stood out to Sadler is the overall athleticism and versatility of the roster. He pointed to the pace with which the team practices and believes that won’t be an issue once games begin because many of the newcomers came from programs that emphasized playing fast. “Yeah. I feel like everyone who’s at West Virginia now, like, comes from schools and places where they’re used to playing fast,” he said. “So I don’t think playing fast is going to be a problem for us.” That speed extends to players throughout the roster, including 7-foot-3 center Amadou Seini, whose mobility has caught plenty of attention during summer workouts. “With Seini, it’s like, he’s really made in a lab. I don’t understand how someone at that size can move the way that he does and run the way that he does and really he doesn’t get tired,” he said. “I knew it from about for about a year now. So I’m glad that you guys are just now seeing it.” As a point guard, Sadler believes he will have no shortage of options once the season begins. “I mean, of course, we have Finley, Martin and Joson. Like those guys really, really can shoot. Keonte as well,” he said. “But those are also guys that can create their own shot.” Sadler added that the talent on the roster should create opportunities not only for his teammates but for himself as well. “I feel like I’ll have more opportunities to be one of the guys watching one of them break someone down and be in the corner and get a catch-and-shoot three,” Sadler said. “So I feel like it just goes both ways. And we have so many options on this team that can really create.” Chemistry still developing Even with summer workouts underway, Sadler acknowledged that building chemistry remains a work in progress. The freshman said exhibition games and other live-action opportunities will be critical as the Mountaineers continue to learn one another’s tendencies. “I mean, as of right now, I feel like we’re just in the in the midst of learning everything and everyone,” he said. “So I feel like once we start, like the exhibition games start and all those types of games, I feel like getting those live game reps in place where we’re playing someone else that we don’t know. I feel like once those start happening, it’ll be easier and it won’t take me long.” For now, though, Sadler’s early impressions have only strengthened his confidence in the group that Hodge assembled. And while the freshman guard stopped short of making bold predictions in mid-July, he left little doubt about how he views West Virginia’s potential entering the season. 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