WVU forwards face uncertain eligibility amid NCAA appeal

West Virginia University head coach Ross Hodge stated that the program has contingency plans in place regarding the eligibility status of forwards Javan Buchanan and Brenen Lorient. Both players are currently eligible to practice and play following a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge John Preston Bailey on September 30, which granted relief against an NCAA rule preventing the 2022 high school graduating class from seeking a fifth year of college eligibility.

While the players are expected to participate in the Mountaineers' upcoming exhibition game against Maryland, their status remains uncertain. The NCAA filed a Notice of Appeal on October 2, and the case is scheduled to be heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Virginia. No hearing date has been set.

In addition to the fifth-year eligibility dispute, Buchanan is arguing that his two seasons played at the NAIA level with Indiana Wesleyan should not count toward his Division I eligibility.