Hansberry, Powell and Thomas to Face West Virginia This Season

The transfer portal era has reshaped college basketball rosters nationwide, but few programs have experienced the sheer volume of personnel movement seen in Morgantown over the last four years.

Amani Hansberry and Virginia Tech Visit Morgantown in December

The schedule kicks off with a familiar face when Virginia Tech visits Hope Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia, on Saturday, Dec. 5, at 4:30 p.m. ET. Amani Hansberry appeared positioned to anchor the Mountaineers’ frontcourt as a foundational piece of the program.

That trajectory shifted when Darian DeVries left the program for Indiana. With assistant coach Chester Frazier heading to Blacksburg, Hansberry opted to follow the coach who originally recruited him to Illinois and later brought him to West Virginia. Now wearing a Hokies uniform, Hansberry returns to Hope Coliseum for an early-December showdown.

Jonathan Powell and the Trip to Pittsburgh

Days later, West Virginia travels to face its biggest rival, Pittsburgh, on Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 6 p.m. ET at the PPG Paints Arena. Jonathan Powell started 23 games for the Mountaineers as a true freshman before entering the transfer portal amid the coaching transition.

Powell landed at North Carolina, where his playing time decreased significantly. Despite seeing his minutes cut in half, he maintained an efficient perimeter shooting touch, connecting on 36% of his attempts from beyond the arc. He has since moved on to Pitt. While he shares no direct roster or staff connections with West Virginia’s current personnel, the matchup against the Mountaineers stands out as a heavily anticipated fixture on the calendar.

DJ Thomas and TCU Head to Hope Coliseum

The final former Mountaineer reunion on the regular-season slate arrives on Wednesday, March 3, at 5 p.m. ET, when TCU visits Hope Coliseum. DJ Thomas departure caught many fans by surprise following a productive true freshman campaign in Morgantown.

Hansberry, Powell and Thomas to Face West Virginia This Season

West Virginia adapted to the departure by securing depth at the forward position, welcoming back Brenen Lorient for a fifth year alongside Boise State transfer Javan Buchanan. Because TCU and West Virginia do not play a home-and-home series this season, Thomas will not host his former team in his hometown, making the trip to Morgantown the lone meeting between the sides.