West Virginia won’t be going to Italy after all this off-season.

The decision was made in light of Bob Huggins’ resignation in June and the fallout from that with the current roster to postpone the trip until next summer.

The original plan was to begin practice later this month before embarking on a 10-day, three game trip beginning July 31. It was a golden opportunity for the team with so many new pieces to get some experience playing together on the court to see how they respond to in-game situations, but now other priorities have moved to the front of the line when it comes to the basketball program.

“For the trip to be most beneficial to our program, it made more sense to defer the Italy summer trip to next year," interim head coach Josh Eilert said. "A lot of factors went into the decision, but it became clear that getting our roster finalized and continuing our workout schedule here in Morgantown was the best course of action.”

The primary focus for now becomes the roster and what the program can be able to not only hold together but add in the coming weeks leading up to the start of the school year. A 30-day transfer portal window was triggered when Huggins resigned which allowed players to explore their options.

The Mountaineers have already lost four players to other programs since Eilert was tabbed to lead the program following what unfolded with Huggins.

Forward Tre Mitchell started things by committing to Kentucky and was followed by point guard Joe Toussaint (Texas Tech), forward Mohamed Wague (Alabama) and forward James Okonkwo (North Carolina) all electing to exit in the past couple weeks.

Another player in guard Jose Perez is currently in the portal but has been open to the idea of returning to the basketball program. Perez spent all of last season with the Mountaineers although he did not suit up due to not being able to secure a waiver. However, in 2021 during his time at Manhattan, Perez averaged 18.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists showcasing his abilities.

Without Perez, West Virginia would be down to eight scholarship players on the roster after entering the month of June with 13. The good news is several of the key parts to the team have already affirmed their commitment to suit up for the Mountaineers this season such as center Jesse Edwards, guard RaeQuan Battle and point guard Kerr Kriisa. The rest of the roster also could end up staying put as well.

Now that number will be fluid as the coaching staff is doing their due diligence when it comes to finding replacements such as Florida State guard Jeremiah Bembry. The coaching staff can now use the extra time afforded to identify replacements to the roster to fill those holes and Bembry is the first to visit.

The 6-foot-6 guard is visiting West Virginia this weekend and could be an interesting option given his size and the fact he would have all four years left. Bembry did not suit up this past season due to injuries.

That won’t be the last either as the program should be able to sort through an intriguing list of late summer graduate options in the near future as well as they look to rebuild the roster. It's certainly a tighter timeline than what unfolded in the spring and there aren't as many options out there, but the Mountaineers are certainly going to have ways to improve things between now and when they take the court in October.

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