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 Genesee Cream Ale, as suggested by AH.
The news today is kind of a random smattering. There's basketball news (men regrouping, yet improving and the women winning, if not all that pretty), some football news (Holgorsen and staff changes, plus some weird bowl fallout) and some football recruiting news (a couple commits are solid, others, not so much). Anywho...it's all inside and welcome to 2011.
If you have any tips, suggestions or requests for content that you think is worth sharing, you can send them to me by email or Twitter and don't forget to "LIKE" the Smoking Musket MAIN PAGE on Facebook (follow this link, then hit "LIKE"). If any of you didn't realize, clicking on "LIKE" on the individual articles just likes that particular article, but doesn't "LIKE" our main page. Many thanks to those who "LIKE" us already. We now stand at 575. We're still a long way from the 17000+ for our old page, but we're working on it. Our next goal is 600. Please, spread the word!! Your daily dose is after the jump.
What You May Have Missed:
Bob Huggins' MSN Postgame Interview - WVMetroNews.com
Bob Huggins Show Preview - WVillustrated.com
Bob Huggins' New Year's Resolutions - WVillustrated.com
Top Moments of 2010 - MSNsportsNET.Com
Great Mountaineer Defenses - MSNsportsNET.Com
WVU NT Neild Receives NFL Combine Invitation - WVillustrated.com
NFL Invites J.T. Thomas to Scouting Combine - WVillustrated.com
Holgorsen's up-tempo 'O' mash-up of many styles - Charleston Daily Mail
WVU football: Sources say Holgorsen adds Bedenbaugh to staff - Charleston Daily Mail
@Hoppy Kercheval - Twitter
South Carolina assistant Robert Gillespie expected to be hired by Dana Holgorsen for WVU offensive staff.
WVU football: After bowl loss, more issues have developed - Charleston Daily Mail
Making Sense of the WVU Grid Situation - Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register
Blame game at WVU - Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Luck’s firing of McMichael surprising - Times West Virginian
Mickey's Column - and sorry, Mickey, with all due respect.....no, it wasn't
Musings of a Mountain Man: 1/3 - WVillustrated.com
Another year for the history books - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column
Men's Basketball: Purdue Tip Time Changed - MSNsportsNET.Com
CBS Sports and the BIG EAST have announced that the starting time for the WVU-Purdue men's basketball game on Sunday, Jan. 16, has been moved from 4:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
News of Note:
Women's BB
Central Connecticut State 37, (7) West Virginia 63 - ESPN
WVU Women Roll - MSNsportsNET.Com
Winning ugly - Times West Virginian
WVU Women's Basketball Game Recap: WVU 63 CCSU 37 - WVillustrated.com
Postgame Reaction - Mountaineer TV
Postgame player and Mike Carey reaction following West Virginia's 63-37 victory over Central Connecticut State on Sunday at the WVU Coliseum.
Men's BB
WVU basketball: At DePaul, Mountaineers hope to get on track - Charleston Daily Mail
Marquette 79, West Virginia 74 - ESPN
Recap, stats, etc
Marquette Outlasts WVU - MSNsportsNET.Com
Marquette downs WVU 79-74 - Charleston Gazette
Marquette gets best of WVU, 79-74 - Charleston Daily Mail
WVU Falls at Marquette 79-74 - WVillustrated.com
WVU Battles Back, But Falls Short At Marquette - WVMETRONEWS.COM
WVU can’t make time stand still - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column
PoG; West Virginia vs Marquette - BGN
Another loss but a small step forward - Charleston Gazette
WVU Basketball Behind, But No Need to Panic - WVillustrated.com
Mountaineers in the zone - Charleston Gazette
WVU Basketball Photos: WVU vs. Marquette - WVillustrated.com
Recruiting:
Clay Ready For Morgantown - WVMETRONEWS.COM
No Beatty, No Commitment For Now - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Welcome To WVU Roberts Twins - WVMETRONEWS.COM
It won't be official until next week, because...(see next link)
Roberts Brothers Still Committed, but Keep Options - WVillustrated.com
Around the League (and Beyond):
Randy Edsall officially Maryland's football coach - The UConn Blog
Maryland Minute 1.2.11 - Randy Edsall Hiring Fallout, Don Brown's Status - Testudo Times
Losing Edsall a worrisome sign for UConn - ESPN
Connecticut's Jordan Todman Will Declare for NFL Draft - NCAAFB FanHouse
Sooners Too Much For Huskies In Fiesta Bowl - Hartford Courant
48 - 20
Paterno pushes Bradley for Pitt job - PPG
Time for Pitt to think bold - ESPN
Something Changes on New Year's Day: Marquette 79, West Virginia 74 - Anonymous Eagle
Pinstripe Bowl, Syracuse Defeats Kansas State: The GIFs - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician
Syracuse 70 - Notre Dame 58: Lack Of The Irish - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician
Think I'll Get It Done Yesterday: USF 31, Clemson 26 - Voodoo Five
Loss to Kentucky exposes Louisville's weaknesses - Courier-Journal
78-63
The Bearcats Batter The Good Ship Seton Hall - Down The Drive
70-53
postGame: Villanova 81, Rutgers 65 - The Nova Blog
Rutgers Basketball falls to Villanova 81-65 - On the Banks
Bulls fall to No. 4 UConn in OT - Tampa Tribune
66-61
New Year's Day Hangover: Georgetown Sluggish In 86-75 Victory Over Depaul - Casual Hoya
Ron Franklin, ESPN Announcer, Yanked From Broadcast for Sexist Remarks - NCAAFB FanHouse
Didn't he get canned for this before?
Jim Delany: 'It was a very long day' - ESPN
What's On Tap:
(9) Georgetown Hoyas vs. St. John's Red Storm - ESPN
7:00 tonight from Carnesecca Arena on ESPN 2
Videos of Interest:
Video of (Dis)Interest:
Here's Harry Potter getting beheaded.
Miss Throwdown:
Today's Miss Throwdown is one of the newest VS Angels. Here's two pages worth of Belorussian Katsia Damankova.