On Saturday evening in Las Vegas, West Virginia’s Honor Huff spoke glowingly about the culture Mountaineers coach Ross Hodge had created, as the two celebrated ending the season by winning the Crown Invitational.
A few hours later in Indianapolis, Auburn coach Steven Pearl praised the Tigers for fighting through adversity, as the confetti fell on them for winning the NIT championship.
But an hour south in Bloomington, Indiana never competed in the postseason. While the Mountaineers and Tigers played for championships under their first-year coaches, the Hoosiers stayed home after coach Darian DeVries declined all non-NCAA tournament bids.
That contrast says a lot about where each program, and each coach, is heading.
Hodge enters the offseason with a happy fan base and real momentum heading into year two. Pearl’s group hasn’t fully won over its fans, but there’s clear progress. And DeVries? He’s already facing questions about his job security at Indiana.
The biggest difference appears to be how each coach has constructed his roster. And based on the results, long-term development still matters.
Here’s a closer look.
Long-Term Vision vs. Short-Term Fix
DeVries’ goal in Bloomington was to replicate what Indiana’s football program accomplished under Curt Cignetti. In just two years, Cignetti transformed the Hoosiers from an afterthought into a national champion, leaning heavily on the transfer portal while also building a foundation through high school recruiting.
Football allows for that balance. With 105 scholarships, coaches can cycle in large recruiting classes while supplementing with transfers. Basketball doesn’t offer that same margin for error.
With only 15 scholarships available, the temptation is to prioritize immediate impact. DeVries took that route, aggressively attacking the portal. But the pieces never came together, and the approach backfired.
Indiana now heads into the offseason with very little continuity in place. The freshmen didn’t play significant roles, and DeVries is effectively starting over.
Hodge also utilized the portal at West Virginia, but paired it with a solid freshman class. The Mountaineers have a foundation to build on, even with key departures.
Pearl, meanwhile, inherited a more balanced roster at Auburn. With contributors across multiple classes, the Tigers are positioned for sustained success if they can maintain continuity.
Extra Games Matter
In the NIL era, tournaments like the NIT and Crown can feel unnecessary. Nebraska suggests otherwise.
The Cornhuskers won the Crown last year and returned much of that roster. The result was a more cohesive team this season, one that understood its identity and executed at a higher level. That growth translated into a No. 4 seed and a Sweet 16 appearance.
There’s no substitute for shared experience. Extra games provide opportunities to develop chemistry, refine roles, and build trust.
Mid-major programs have understood this for years. Mercer’s 2014 upset of Duke didn’t happen overnight. The Bears built toward that moment by winning the CIT in 2012 and adding postseason experience the following year. By the time they faced Duke, they were prepared for the moment.
Auburn and West Virginia gained that experience this season. Indiana did not. Now the Tigers and Mountaineers enter next year with a head start, while the Hoosiers are still searching for answers.
Scouting For Options
West Virginia’s most important addition came directly from postseason play.
While leading North Texas on a run to the NIT semifinals, Hodge had a front-row seat to watch Huff lead Chattanooga to the title. Knowing he would soon take over in Morgantown, Hodge identified the type of player he wanted and acted on it.
The result speaks for itself. Huff finished the season with the most made threes in West Virginia history.
Coaches are always evaluating talent, but that process becomes sharper during competition. In-game exposure provides a clearer picture of how players perform under pressure and whether their skill sets translate.
In the portal era, that kind of evaluation carries even more value.
Building a Culture
Even now, stability and relationships still matter.
College basketball is more transactional than ever, but these are still young players navigating high-pressure environments. When a player publicly supports a coach the way Huff did with Hodge, it reflects something deeper than talent.
At Auburn, that culture showed in how the Tigers approached the NIT. They didn’t opt out, they competed, and they were rewarded with a championship.
Indiana’s season ended differently, with a quiet exit in the Big Ten tournament and no postseason response.
Momentum, positive or negative, tends to carry forward. Hodge and Pearl created environments their teams could build on.
And by passing on that opportunity, DeVries may have made the rebuild even more difficult.
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