WVU’s Defense Could Become Elite Thanks to These Two Additions

Ross Hodge was able to work wonders with his first squad at West Virginia in terms of the production he was able to get out of them defensively.

Aside from Jasper Floyd, there were no shutdown defenders on the roster, and yet he still turned them into the 11th-best scoring defense and a group that ranked 47th in opponent field goal percentage.

While they were one of the best defenses in the Big 12, they definitely had their flaws. One of which was the interior defense. As a team, they did a pretty good job of squeezing the opponent out of the paint, but when it came to one-on-one post-up defense, rim protection, and defensive rebounding, they had some trouble.

Those areas shouldn't be much of an issue during the 2026-27 season and beyond, thanks to the additions of Georgia Tech center transfer Mouhamed Sylla (6'10", 240 lbs) and four-star freshman Amadou Seini (7'1", 230 lbs).

Both players have the skillset to be high-level defenders in the Big 12, but will impact the game in different ways.

Sylla is an athletic, quick-footed, smooth runner who is able to cover a lot of ground quickly and use his length to challenge shots at the last second. I wouldn't classify him as a speed demon by any means, but he's easily one of the best moving bigs West Virginia has had in recent memory. Last year, Sylla averaged 7.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game as a true freshman.

As for Seini, he is more refined as a rim protector and rebounder, but his offensive game isn't nearly as developed as Sylla's. In year one, Seini will be relied on heavily for his defense and rebounding ability — both things he's already elite at. He has a 7'5" wingspan and a 9'3" standing reach, meaning he doesn't have to be in a perfect position in order to turn someone away at the rim. His length and presence alone will have players second-guessing and turning down drives to the basket, knowing he'll be there to erase the shot.

Just think about it, Hodge was able to generate a top-tier defense in the Big 12 without adequate length, depth, athleticism, and a true defensive anchor under the basket.

Most of WVU's options at the 2-4 spots have length and are able to switch 1-4, creating headaches for opponents. Having Sylla, Seini, and even Aliou Dioum as an option at the five will be the difference in what turns WVU's defense from good to great.

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