Mountaineer Makeover: Ross Hodge Gambles on Journeyman Guard Chance Moore in High-Stakes Transfer Bet
When Ross Hodge took the reins of West Virginia basketball, he promised transformation. On Wednesday, that promise took a sharp, polarizing turn as the Mountaineers announced the signing of St. Bonaventure transfer guard Chance Moore — a 6’6”, 210-pound journeyman whose collegiate career has become a microcosm of the chaotic transfer portal era.
Moore’s path to Morgantown is far from linear. Once a coveted four-star recruit, he began at Arkansas, barely saw the floor, and quietly exited stage left. Missouri State was next, where his scoring flashes (including a 28-point outburst against Evansville) turned heads but couldn’t mask inconsistency and questions about focus. Then came a stint at St. Bonaventure, where Moore finally seemed to stabilize, averaging 13 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season. Still, skeptics argue his numbers came in a weaker Atlantic 10 Conference and question his ability to perform against Big 12 competition.
Coach Hodge, however, sees something different: versatility, experience, and a fiery chip on the shoulder that could ignite a roster in need of identity.
“Chance has the size, the IQ, and frankly, the hunger that we want in this locker room,” Hodge said. “He’s battle-tested. He’s been humbled. He knows what it takes now — and he knows this is his last shot.”
That “last shot” is where the gamble comes in. Moore is now on his fourth program in five years. For traditionalists, this smacks of disloyalty or worse — an inability to commit. For others, it’s the evolution of the modern college athlete: mobile, empowered, strategic. Either way, Hodge is betting that Moore can adapt to the physicality and pace of Big 12 basketball, where the lights are brighter and the leash shorter.
Fans are split. Social media lit up within minutes of the announcement. One user posted, “Can we trust a guy who’s worn more jerseys than an NBA journeyman?” Another replied, “The kid can hoop. All we need is one season of focus — this is low risk, high reward.”
Behind the scenes, Moore’s work ethic has reportedly improved. Sources close to the team say he’s already reached out to younger teammates, leading informal practices and studying film of Big 12 opponents. Still, whispers linger about maturity and locker room chemistry.
The stakes for Hodge are high. After a rocky transitional year and pressure to bring WVU back to national relevance, this signing feels less like roster building and more like rolling dice in the desert.
If Moore thrives, he could be the redemption story of the season — the once-wandering talent who found home and helped reignite a program. But if he stumbles, it could reflect poorly on Hodge’s ability to assess character over stats.
One thing is certain: the Mountaineers are changing — and the rest of the Big 12 just got another unpredictable variable to consider.
