The West Virginia basketball roster build has been quite the journey this off-season, but it took an interesting turn with the most recent addition to the program.
The program has gotten to this point with an aggressive push to attack the traditional transfer portal window that netted the Mountaineers one of the best classes nationally headlined by Arizona point guard Kerr Kriisa, Syracuse Center Jesse Edwards and Montana State guard RaeQuan Battle.
Related: West Virginia adds commitment from transfer guard Farrakhan
Then was dealt an unexpected blow with the resignation of legendary head coach Bob Huggins due to off-the-field issues which opened a 30-day transfer portal window for players to exit. That led to the departures of forward Tre Mitchell, point guard Joe Toussaint, forward Mohamed Wague and forward James Okonkwo and plenty of questions as to what would come next.
Those were answered when former assistant Josh Eilert was promoted to interim head coach and he and the staff worked to successfully hold the rest of the roster together as well as start the process of adding new pieces to it. And add, they certainly have.
West Virginia added valuable pieces to the roster such as Georgetown forward Akok Akok, Florida State point guard Jeremiah Bembry, St. John’s forward Quinn Slazinski and Israel forward Ofri Naveh. Each of those are expected to play a major role, albeit some more than others, this coming season.
However, the latest addition is one that is a little different in Eastern Michigan guard Noah Farrakhan. The 6-foot-2, 162-pound, guard had been in the transfer portal since April, but West Virginia was able to secure his services prior to the deadline for enrollment Aug. 22.
Farrakhan spent two seasons with the Eagles where he averaged 12.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists and 29 of 32 games this past season. During his first season with the program, he averaged 16.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 42.6-percent from the field.
With that type of production, what’s the catch? Well, it’s the fact that Farrakhan spent his first year at East Carolina meaning that he would be a two-time transfer coming into the Mountaineers basketball program and would require a waiver in order to be immediately eligible this season.
That’s where things get interesting. Each of the previous additions by the coaching staff have been solely dedicated to this coming season in order to round out the roster and put themselves in a better spot. This is adding a player that likely won’t suit up this year, with an eye to the future.
No, that isn’t an indication on the future of the coaching staff, but it certainly is an indication that the coaching staff is looking toward the future. Farrakhan and West Virginia both will benefit from the arrangement in the sense that it’s a low-risk, high-reward addition that if he doesn’t receive a waiver is going to likely step into a major role the following season.
By having Farrakhan on campus, he will be able to get acclimated with the basketball program and learn the ins and outs of what’s expected. He also is going to be primed to step into a larger role when that time comes and have the confidence of others on the team as well.
This likely isn’t it for the program either as there are still needs to fill but it’s just another plus addition for the Mountaineers as they look to put the finishing touches on the roster as a whole.
West Virginia is looking to address the roster in all angles and Farrakhan is just the latest example of a coaching staff that has continued to look for ways to improve the roster both this year and next.
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The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), recently announced a $60 million investment in 125 HRSA-funded community health centers that serve nearly 4.2 million people to expand their hours of operation to improve access to health care services.
Community Care of West Virginia received $500,000 in funding.
Health centers receiving this new funding will add an additional 20 hours of operation a week on average to support the critical clinical and administrative staff necessary to add early morning (before work), night and weekend hours.
Since health centers see patients regardless of their ability to pay, this expansion of operating hours will be particularly critical for people who are uninsured, underinsured, or have Medicaid coverage and struggle to find affordable care outside of traditional business hours and cannot afford expensive visits to urgent care, retail clinics or emergency departments. This funding will also help health center patients with common challenges in accessing health care such as taking a child to the doctor after work or getting a timely appointment when not feeling well on the weekend. It will help connect patients to preventive services and resources for health-related social needs to improve health outcomes. Many patients currently forgo care altogether in these circumstances, putting their health at greater risk and leading to more expensive visits to emergency departments when conditions get more serious.
“No one should have to delay or skip a trip to the doctor because of work or school. The millions of Americans who can’t miss their daytime work shift, whose kids are in school, who have limited child care, or who face transportation challenges deserve the same access to quality care,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “These investments will help to extend operating hours, especially for patients in rural or underserved communities nationwide. I’m proud to be part of an Administration that leaves nobody behind.”
“Today’s action is another example of the Biden-Harris Administration taking action to address the challenges families face in getting health care services,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. “Having the option to get to the doctor before or after work or on the weekend not only helps families get the care they need, but it also helps relieve some of the stress and burden on families trying to arrange care. HRSA’s investment is expanding access to care in a way that recognizes the day-to-day realities of working families across the country.”
HRSA-supported health centers provide access to primary care services — regardless of an individual’s ability to pay — for over 31 million patients at more than 15,000 service sites in high need communities. More than 90 percent of health center patients have incomes below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.
For a list of the awardees, visit: https://bphc.hrsa.gov/funding/funding-opportunities/expanded-hours/fy-25-awards
To find a health center, visit: https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov
The West Virginia Mountaineers (13-3, 3-2) host the Colorado Buffaloes (12-4, 3-2) for game two of the season series and the second ever meeting between the two schools.
West Virginia vs. Colorado Series History
Colorado leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Colorado 65, West Virginia 60 (Dec. 21, 2024, Boulder, CO)
Last Meeting: OSU 68, No. 24 WVU 61 (Feb. 27, 2024, Stillwater, OK)
When: Wednesday, January 15
Location: Morgantown, West Virginia, WVU Coliseum (14,000)
Tip-off: 7:00 p.m. EST
Stream: ESPN+
Announcers: Nick Farrell and Meg Bulger
Radio: Andrew Caridi (PBP) Mountaineer Sports Network from Learfield IMG College(Radio affiliates)
– Frida Forman paces Colorado’s scoring production, averaging 13.9 points per game, while two more Buffs average double figures in Lior Garzon (11.5) and Jade Masogayo (12.6). Sara Smith leads with 6.3 rebounds per game and Kindyll Wetta leads the team with 6.1 assists and 1.9 steals.
– Colorado’s two losses in league play come on the road to then No. 11 TCU and RV Baylor and both came by double digits. CU adds two more league wins, defeating UCF and Kansas at home in their last two contests.
– Senior guard JJ Quinerly (18.3), junior guard Jordan Harrison (14.2) and junior guard Sydney Shaw (12.5) pace the Mountaineers scoring production this season. Harrison’s 5.1 assists per game leads WVU and ranks 8th in the Big 12. Senior guard Kyah Watson has grabbed 7.6 rebounds per game which ranks sixth in the Big 12 while her 3.1 steals per game ranks second and Quinerly’s 3.2 steals per game is first.
– The Big 12’s leaders in steals last season, Watson (50), Quinerly (38) and Harrison (31), are at it again this season averaging over two steals per contest. Junior guard Sydney Shaw and Senior guard Sydney Woodley have also gotten in on the action with 32 and 29 steals this season, giving WVU five players with 29+ steals through 16 games.
– The Mountaineers have forced 15+ turnovers in every game this season, including 20+ in 13 games to average 25.7 per game. The mark ranks fifth in the nation. The Mountaineers have forced 30-plus turnovers in five games, including a season-high 44. WVU ranks second in the nation with 14.8 steals per game and holds a +9.5 turnover margin.
– West Virginia is averaging 80.3 points per game while outscoring their opponents by an average of 28.4 points.
– Quinerly currently sits 11th in points at 1,638, and behind WVU Hall of Famer Liz Repella (2008-11) with 1,641. She also ranks 4th in steals with 279 and is just another Hall of Famer in Rosemary Kosiorek (1989-92) with 293.
West Virginia still has some work to do in terms of replenishing the offensive line room, and over the weekend, they hosted former Princeton offensive tackle Will Reed for an official visit.
“Coach Bicknell and Coach Dressler were awesome,” Reed told West Virginia On SI. “Coach Bicknell’s experience in the NFL is really impressive, not to mention his college experience. The facilities were some of the best I have seen on any visit. Probably the best. It seems like they are bringing in a lot of talent and want to turn things around quickly. It has given me a lot to think about over the next week or two.”
Reed is also considering Georgia Tech, Nebraska, and Virginia but has also received interest from Arizona, Arizona State, Memphis, Pitt, Stanford, UNLV, and Wake Forest.
Coming out of Eastside Catholic High School as a highly-rated three-star prospect in Sammamish, Washington, Reed originally committed to Cal. He decided to flip his commitment to Princeton, choosing the Ivy League route over offers from Air Force, Army, Colorado, Duke, Hawai’i, Kansas, Michigan, Michigan State, San Diego State, Tennessee, UNLV, Utah, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Washington State, and a few others.
He will have one year of eligibility remaining. A decision is expected to be made within the next two weeks.
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