The Shotgun/Throwdown: April Fool's Day (4/1/10) Edition

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's nationally recognized best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor and daily distractions.  We're being brought to you today by Crown Brewing, in honor of our host state of Indiana.

West Bound and Down...We gonna do what they say can't be done.  We got a long way to go and a short time to get there.  Short time equals 80 more minutes.  80 more minutes to climb the highest peak WVU has ever climbed.  The Mountaineers have fallen just short before, in what seems a lifetime ago, before many of us were born.  The waiting is starting to get a bit agonizing for me, but I'm trying...trying to still enjoy this.  Keep the tips, suggestions and requests coming.  There's still time to vote in the Hump Day Bracket semis.  Finals will be revealed sometime after 8 EDT tonight.  Here we go...

What You May Have Missed:

View from West Virginia campus - ESPN

Fans send off Mountaineers - Charleston Daily Mail

Sights And Sounds: A Mountaineer Sendoff - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Video link

Final Four Stadium Set-Up - WVIllustrated.com
slide show

WVU Alumni at NCAA - You Tube
Video (der)

Player Video Interviews - WVIllustrated.com

WVU Final Four balls to benefit Make-A-Wish - Charleston Gazette

Will the Final Four help WVU gain students? - Charleston Gazette

West Virginia 77, Morgan State 50, First Round - Road to the Final Four - Photos - SI.com
4 picture gallery

Bob Huggins Interview - WVIllustrated.com
Video

Jarrett Brown Video - MSNsportsNET.Com

News of Note:

A tempo-free take on the Final Four - ESPN

Final Four matchup: No. 2 West Virginia (31-6) vs. No. 1 Duke (33-5) - Sporting News

Loading Up On Laundry - WVIllustrated.com

Cherish The Moment - MSNsportsNET.Com

Great moments have defined WVU season - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

Final Four fever - Times West Virginian

Living, dying with the Mountaineers - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Tony Says WWHIS - MSNsportsNET.Com

Rebounding key to West Virginia-Duke matchup - PPG

West Virginia's strengths: rebounding and defense - SanLuisObispo.com

WVU gear a hot item - Charleston Gazette

Da'Sean: West Virginia Picks Us - Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

Butler: Bring it, doubters - Charleston Gazette

Meaning of game not lost on Butler - Charleston Daily Mail

Ebanks key to WVU’s defense - Register-Herald (AP)

WVU's Ebanks surprises with tough defense - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Kevin Jones West Virginia Final Four Diary: Getting ready for the Duke Blue Devils - Dime Magazine

WVU’s Mitchell made right call - Parkersburg News and Sentinel

Pennsbury Product Pepper Excited For Final Four - KYW Newsradio 1060 Philadelphia

Starting Five: Huggins should want title the most - Sporting News

You have to embrace old Bob Huggins - Courier-Journal
Article and video

West Virginia alum Huggins returns Mountaineers to high places - JSOnline

Abnormal times call for normal behavior - Charleston Gazette

Huggins trying to keep things normal - Charleston Daily Mail

Huggins' tracksuit garners attention - Charleston Daily Mail

Don't Sweat Huggins' Look -- NCAABB FanHouse
FINALLY, somebody gets it.

Bigger, More Physical Duke Presents a New Mountain to Climb - EerSports

Can WVU realistically win it all? - GrafWV.com

Bars, restaurants gear up for big sports weekend - Charleston Daily Mail

Jerry West just can't watch - JSOnline

A trip back to last time WVU made Final Four - Times West Virginian

News of the Enemy:

Emergence of Brian Zoubek, Lance Thomas keyed Duke's NCAA run - SI.com

Coach K: Duke kids deserving of some credit - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Freshman Dawkins: Duke’s X-factor? - Bluefield Daily Telegraph (AP)

Where are all the Duke haters? - Frumpzilla
Article and video. Thanks to Amelia, to whom I'll gladly cede a Hump Day post in exchange for 2 more victories by Huggs and Co.

Around the League (and Beyond):

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany: NCAA tournament expansion 'probable' - ESPN

Hollywood meets heartland at Hinkle - ESPN

Butler Bulldogs coach Brad Stevens turns coaching dream into reality - ESPN

Steve Lavin may be new coach of St. John's, but wife Mary Ann Jarou set to take city by Storm - NY Daily News

Seton Hall officially introduces Kevin Willard as new men's basketball head coach - Star Ledger

U of L approves Pitino deal - Courier-Journal

Pitt's Dixon get's two-year extension - PPG

USF's Pierre-Paul waiting for invitation to NFL Draft - Tampa Tribune

Jones: “I view us as one of the nation’s biggest programs” - Cincinnati Enquirer

Syracuse University spring football Day 6: Coaches turn up the volume - Post Standard

Rutgers QB Tom Savage taking precautions to stay healthy - Star Ledger

Video of Interest:

Keep on doubting...who is this next guy anyway?

Video of (Dis)Interest:

Indy, here we come...

I put "sophomoric humor" at the top for occasions exactly like this:

 Gallery of the Week:

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is a former Playboy Playmate who gained further notoriety as Jason Kidd's girlfriend.  Here's Hope Dworaczyk.

Crown Brewing image via www.brewersofindianaguild.com