When Ross Hodge talks about the challenges of facing West Virginia, he doesn’t sugarcoat it. The North Texas head coach made it clear—there’s a noticeable gap in the style, speed, and physicality when comparing his program to the Mountaineers.
“It’s a whole different ball game,” Hodge said during a recent media session. “You feel it immediately—the way they pressure, the way they rebound, and the way they control the tempo. You don’t see that every night in our league.”
Hodge’s North Texas squad, known for its methodical pace and stout defense in the American Athletic Conference, was pushed to its limits when squaring off with West Virginia. The Mountaineers, long known for their rugged, high-energy play, brought a level of physicality that disrupted the Mean Green’s usual rhythm.
“Their defensive length and aggression are something you can prepare for on film, but you don’t fully understand it until you’re in it,” Hodge explained. “They don’t give you many clean looks, and they turn mistakes into points in a hurry.”
Hodge also emphasized how depth and athleticism factor into the matchup. “They can go nine or ten deep without a drop-off. We’ve got tough kids, but when you’re dealing with that kind of size and explosiveness at every position, it forces you to adjust constantly.”
Still, Hodge isn’t deterred. If anything, he views these kinds of games as valuable benchmarks for where his program needs to go. “You want your guys to feel that pressure, that speed. It exposes areas where we need to grow.”
While North Texas continues to build its reputation as a tough, well-coached squad in the AAC, the contrast with a power-conference team like West Virginia offers a reality check—and a challenge Hodge welcomes.
“Games like this show you the standard,” he said. “Now it’s on us to rise to it.”