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 Goddards Ale of Wight, in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.
While the men sort of found out their fate on Sunday, the women were left waiting until last night. They will be on their way to Texas to take on Houston this Sunday in the opening round of their NCAA Tournament. The men are busy preparing, healing and several are trying to recover from illness (but you know this already if you follow @JFlow41 on Twitter). Lot's of articles breaking down the Mountaineers' East Region are inside. WVU will learn it's opening opponent sometime later this evening. The "First Four" kicks everything off tonight. We will have an open thread during the UAB/Clemson game, so make sure to join us tonight. Ready or not....the NCAA Tournament is here.
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What You May Have Missed:
NCAA College Basketball Polls - ESPN
#22 in the final AP poll before the Tournament
Mountaineers earn a 9-seed, will face Houston in NCAA Tournament - Daily Athenaeum
Mountaineer Women Draw Houston - WVMETRONEWS.COM
WVU women get No. 9 seed, face Houston - Charleston Daily Mail
Mountaineer women draw Houston - Times West Virginian
Earn No. 9 seed; to play in Texas Sunday
WVU Women's Basketball Gets 9 Seed, Will Face Houston - WVillustrated.com
Third Time's a Charm - MSNsportsNET.Com
The ninth-seeded West Virginia women’s basketball team will be making its seventh NCAA tournament appearance this Sunday at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas, against eighth-seeded Houston with tipoff set for 5 p.m. ET.
NCAA Selection Reaction - Mountaineer TV
Coach Mike Carey and player reaction to West Virginia's No. 9 seed in this year's NCAA women's tournament.
Oliver Luck: 'Our goal should be winning the national championship' - Sporting News
Decision Makers | Oliver Luck Interview - WVillustrated.com
Two part video
2011 Hoops & Helmets Rankings - College Football News
#14
College football: Big East spring priorities - Sporting News
West Virginia, Connecticut top Big East spring football preview - SI.com
New coaches heat up Big East CFB - Video - SI.com
Campriani Student-Athlete of the Week - MSNsportsNET.Com
Varsity Sports Report
One of the world’s best ends historical collegiate career - Daily Athenaeum
Nicco Campriani has accomplished it all in his two-year tenure at West Virginia.
News of Note:
West Virginia Men's Basketball Team Report 3/14 - WVillustrated.com
Scouting Tournament Opponents a Full Time Job for Video Staff - WVillustrated.com
NCAA tournament: East Region breakdown - ESPN
Kentucky to win NCAA Tournament Bracket East Regional - SI.com
Breaking Down The NCAA Bracket: East Regional - Rock Chalk Talk
NCAA Game Notes - MSNsportsNET.Com
Return to St. Pete for some seniors - Charleston Gazette
Ailing WVU aims to get better - Charleston Gazette
Can another so-so offense go oh, so far? - WVU Sports with Mike Casazza
Getting to know your first, er, second-round opponent - WVU Sports with Mike Casazza
Mountaineers face unknown in opener - Inter-Mountain
'First Four' needs some tweaking by NCAA committee - Charleston Daily Mail
Play-in game hurts WVU - Daily Athenaeum
WVU hopes for fun March run - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column
WVU got a rugged bracket - Parkersburg News and Sentinel
West Virginia University focused on itself - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
WVU's plans are in place for tournament - Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Last year’s Final Four experience should help Mountaineers in ‘11 - Daily Athenaeum
PREVIEW: Bob Huggins Show Tournament Special - WVillustrated.com
A Look Back At Andy Katz's 68 Interviews - ESPN Video - ESPN
What future holds for East region teams - ESPN
Here's a look at what each team in the East region is losing after this year, what kind of recruiting class they're bringing in and what it means to their hopes of making future NCAA tournaments.
Recruiting:
Ohio Update: New Offers - Scout.com
Around the League (and Beyond):
NCAA Tournament notebook: Big East bids, snubs, the First Four - Post Standard
NCAA Tournament Bracket 2011: Inveterate Hoops Junkie Rules For Filling Yours Out - Voodoo Five
Everything I know about picking brackets I learned from UConn - The UConn Blog
Easiest Path to the Final Four? The Case For the Pittsburgh Panthers - South Orange Juice
This is from a Seton Hall blog, mind you
Gibbs delivers calculated message to teammates about postseason - PPG
Louisville-Morehead State matchup will be a battle of the glass - Courier-Journal
Mick Cronin rebuilt Cincinnati with patience, perseverance - Cincinnati Enquirer
What Will It Take? - The Nova Blog
A First Look At The Akron Zips, Notre Dame's First Round Opponent - Rakes Of Mallow
Fox and Big 12 near deal worth more than $60 million a year - Sports Business Journal
What's On Tap:
(16) North Carolina-Asheville Bulldogs vs. (16) Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans - Preview - ESPN
6:30 tonight from Dayton on truTV
(12) Clemson Tigers vs. (12) UAB Blazers - Preview - ESPN
9:00 tonight from Dayton on truTV
Video of Interest:
Video of (Dis)Interest:
Warning: STRONG LANGUAGE
Miss Throwdown:
Today's Miss Throwdown is a UK model whose billboard caused several traffic accidents (easy to see why). Here's today's gallery of Natalie Suliman (click on the picture).
Goddards Ale of Wight image via www.thecastleinn-lulworthcove.co.uk
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