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 Woodchuck Draft Cider, in honor of Punxsutawney Phil, who did not see his shadow today.
National Signing Day is finally here (if you haven't noticed by all of the activity this morning). As I type this, WVU has 12 of the expected 17 LOI's in hand so far, plus one surprise. Any more surprises? Keep checking back for updated coverage and be sure to follow @SmokingMusket on Twitter (or at least check the Twitter time-line page that I linked) for tidbits between postings.
It is still basketball season and the men have an important game tonight against a dangerous Seton Hall team that has been playing quite well of late. Also, the women picked up a much needed win last night against Providence.
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What You May Have Missed:
Football: Gillespie to Remain at WVU - MSNsportsNET.Com
Whew!!!
Head Coach Bob Huggins - Mountaineer TV
West Virginia coach Bob Huggins talks about Wednesday night's game against Seton Hall.
Bob Huggins: Pre-Seton Hall Presser - WVMetroNews.com
Huggins talks about what to expect from Jeremy Hazell and Herb Pope and if Dan Jennings is back on the basketball team.
Written and visual proof of how balanced the Big East this season - WVU Sports with Mike Casazza
Neat visual
Mike's Mailbox: How does the Big East schedule its officials? - Post Standard
WVU Football Team Looking Forward to Spring Practice - WVillustrated.com
Champs Sports Bowl bust - Martinsburg Journal
MIckey's Column
News of Note:
Women's
Women's Basketball: WVU Women Earn 20th Win - MSNsportsNET.Com
Mountaineers extend school record of consecutive home wins to 31 - ESPN
Recap, final statistics, etc
WVU Women's Basketball Game Recap: WVU 59 Providence 45 - WVillustrated.com
Repella’s game-high 16 points ends Mountaineers’ two-game skid - Daily Athenaeum
Providence victory will help WVU get back to winning ways - Daily Athenaeum
WVU women top Providence - Times West Virginian
Providence Recap - Mountaineer TV
WVPBS recap of West Virginia's 59-45 victory over Providence Tuesday night at the WVU Coliseum.
VIDEO: WVU Women's Basketball Postgame Interviews - WVillustrated.com
Coach C, Repella, Ali and Bussie
FanHouse Terrific 12: Here's to Offense - NCAABB FanHouse
Clinging to the last slot after the 2 straight losses
WVU isn’t elite, yet - Daily Athenaeum
Men's
Seton Hall Scouting Report - MSNsportsNET.Com
from Jay Jacobs
WVU Men's Basketball Game Preview: #25 WVU vs. Seton Hall - WVillustrated.com
Seton Hall Preview - MSNsportsNET.Com
WVU Hosts Red Hot Seton Hall - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Pirates are no patsy - Charleston Gazette
Sharp-shooting Hazell big scorer for Seton Hall
WVU basketball: Seton Hall's Hazell, Pope quite a duo - Charleston Daily Mail
No. 25 WVU hosts Seton Hall - Times West Virginian
Hazell’s return from gunshot wound, injury sparks Pirates - Daily Athenaeum
Jones enjoys being under the radar - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column
Bob Huggins: Salesman - MSNsportsNET.Com
Tony's Take - and a good take it is
VIDEO: WVU Men's Basketball Interviews - WVillustrated.com
Huggs, KJ and Mazz
Cam Thoroughman: Together As A Team - WVMetroNews.com
Thoroughman talks about the way the team has worked together on the court in the past two games and defending Herb Pope.
Kevin Jones: Facing The Pope - WVMetroNews.com
Jones talks about defending Seton Hall forward Herb Pope and playing in his first home game in over a week.
Joe Mazzulla: Finding Our Identity - WVMetroNews.com
Mazzulla talks about the way the team has bonded in the past two games and talks about the competition in the Big East conference.
JP's Scouting Report: West Virginia Mountaineers - South Orange Juice
The enemy's perspective
Recruiting:
Recruiting Insider - Osbourn's Dominique Terrell Ponders Miami, U.Va., WVU - Washington Post
Looking Towards Next Year - WVMETRONEWS.COM
2012 recruit Zeke Pike is profiled
WVU signees include two receivers and LBs - Charleston Gazette
Mountaineers hope for good surprises on signing day - Charleston Gazette
GW's Clay (WVU) and Workman (Army) ready to sign - Charleston Gazette
Tight end spot at risk, but Clay a WVU man - Charleston Daily Mail
WVU football: Katrina changed Garrison - Charleston Daily Mail
WVU expected to have 17 recruits today - Times West Virginian
Signing day has arrived - Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Signing Day Q. and A. With Tom Lemming - Quad Blog/NY Times
Singees
Paul Millard - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Vernard Roberts - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Vance Roberts - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Josh Francis - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Avery Williams - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Kenneth Myers - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Russell Haughton-James - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Dante Campbell - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Nick Kwiatkoski - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Isaiah Bruce - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Dustin Garrison - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Jared Barber - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Brandon Jackson - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Marquis Lucas - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Shawntel Rowell - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Terrell Chestnut - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Shaquille Petteway - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Justin Johnson - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Around the League (and Beyond):
Big East Midseason Awards - Card Chronicle
Reviewing the Big East '07 classes, Part II - Big East Blog - ESPN
ESPN Is Launching 9 New University Channels, Here Are The Official Logos - COED Magazine
The ones involved are kinda mind boggling.
USF men's basketball needs to win on the road - Tampa Tribune
USF's Holtz is looking for right guys for system - Tampa Tribune
Bulls Recon: Friar Basketball Talks Providence Basketball - Voodoo Five
A glance at UC's verbal commitments - Cincinnati Enquirer
It's Just Louisville Basketball, Charlie Brown. - Card Chronicle
Syracuse vs. UConn: The Essentials - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician
I wonder if we can get these guys (Campus Socialite) to do this for us. The next mission is in the queue.
Orange Scouting Report: Syracuse at Connecticut - Post Standard
UConn Faces Syracuse At XL Center On Wednesday Night - Hartford Courant
An in-depth look into Rutgers' 2011 recruiting class - Star Ledger
Previewing St. John's: Rutgers Basketball Game 22 - On the Banks
Preview, Game 21: vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights - Rumble In The Garden
Point Shaving Scandal At Syracuse? Say It Ain't So! - Casual Hoya
I trust this rumor about as much as the people of Egypt trust Mubarak at the moment
The Inquisition: On 'Nova With The Nova Blog - Anonymous Eagle
Problems Abound For Villanova Basketball - The Nova Blog
Irish set up for Big East run - South Bend Tribune
Pitt expected to land 18 recruits - PPG
College Football Recruiting: About Those Rankings - Cardiac Hill
Let the spin begin
What's On Tap:
Seton Hall Pirates vs. West Virginia Mountaineers - Preview - ESPN
7:00 tonight from the Coliseum on the MASN and ESPN3
Marquette Golden Eagles vs. (12) Villanova Wildcats - Preview - ESPN
7:00 tonight from the Pavilion on ESPNU
(17) Syracuse Orange vs. (7) Connecticut Huskies - ESPN
7:00 tonight from the XL Center on ESPN
Video of Interest:
Video of (Dis)Interest:
Miss Throwdown:
Today's Miss Throwdown is model Christine Marie LeMaster. Click on her picture for today's lovely gallery.
Woodchuck Draft Cider image via upload.wikimedia.org
