West Virginia University basketball fans received some great news recently: forward Brenen Lorient is expected to withdraw from the NBA Draft process and return to college basketball.
The update was reported by Jon Rothstein of CBS.
Lorient, a 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward, played last season for North Texas under coach Ross Hodge. He had an outstanding year, earning first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors and being named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year.
During his season with the Mean Green, Lorient averaged 11.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and over 1.1 blocks per game while playing nearly 25 minutes each game. He was highly efficient, shooting 57% from the field and an impressive 47.8% from three-point range on 23 attempts.
Coach Ross Hodge expressed excitement about Lorient joining West Virginia. “We are thrilled to have Brenen Lorient at West Virginia University,” Hodge said. “Brenen has won at every level of basketball and brings with him Final Four experience. He has improved every year and has an incredibly high basketball ceiling.”
Lorient, originally from Ocala, Florida, began his college career at Florida Atlantic University. He spent two seasons there, appearing in 21 games during the 2022-23 season mostly as a reserve. In the following season, he played in all 31 games, averaging 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds per game before transferring to North Texas.
With Lorient’s decision to return to college and suit up for the Mountaineers, West Virginia gains a talented and experienced forward who can make a big impact this season.
