Mountaineer Morning Links: Tuesday (12/18/12) 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 Troeg's Mad Elf Ale, in honor of the headache it gave me last night.

What You May Have Missed:

Women’s Basketball Up One in Poll - WVU Athletics
No. 24 in the Associated Press poll

Homestand gives Mountaineers a ‘positive’ break - Charleston Daily Mail
"I can't make them stay. We have a time limit during school, so I can't make them stay, but our other guys stayed. I am talking about the Joe Alexanders, the Da'Sean Butlers, the Kevin Joneses. They stayed every day. Every single day. We have guys who stay one day and think it's fixed, two days and think it's fixed. It doesn't work like that."

Can WVU build on strong showing? - Register-Herald
“I’m not so much worried about our shooting,” Huggins reasoned, “as I am about us playing (well). We start the game and for the first minutes, we don’t get one rebound.

News of Note:

WVU football rearranges defensive coaches - Charleston Gazette
Holgorsen indicated Monday that Patterson's elevation to the coordinator position makes him the sole coordinator. DeForest will continue his work as the safeties coach and work with special teams and as the associate head coach, but he won't be the defensive co-coordinator.

Bailey to Forgo Senior Season - WVU Athletics
Stedman Bailey's final game will be in NYC on Dec. 29.

Bailey bound for next level - Charleston Daily Mail
An offense that was already set to lose its starting quarterback, running back, receiver, center and left and right guard will now be without a second receiver next season.

Few cons to Bailey turning pro - WV MetroNews
“He came to talk to me about it a couple days ago, and I didn’t discourage him,” said Holgorsen. “It’s on his mind. I don’t think it would have been fair for me to try to talk him out of it.

WVU's Bailey explains decision to go pro - Charleston Gazette
Holgorsen confirms DeForest demoted

Coordinated effort now Patterson’s baby - WV MetroNews
Holgorsen clarifies the new chain-of-command on WVU's defense.

WVU receiver Stedman Bailey will declare for NFL - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Notebook

Bailey Declares For The NFL Draft - WVillustrated
Bailey will forego his senior year to try and begin his NFL career

Bailey Firm In Decision To Leave WVU Early - WVillustrated
Bailey holds the school record for receiving touchdowns in a career with 39.

West Virginia playmaker Bailey declares for draft - Pittsburgh Tribune Review
“The year I had this year, the numbers I put up, it couldn‘t get much better,” said Bailey, who indicated scouts project him as a third-round pick.

Mountaineers’ Bailey to go pro - Times West Virginian
Star receiver to forgo senior year for NFL

Bailey to make the jump - Register-Herald
Mountaineers’ record-setting receiver will declare for April’s NFL draft

Best and worst of 2012: West Virginia - Big 12 Blog - ESPN
We'll start a new series today breaking down the best and worst moments of the season for each team in the Big 12.

Video: Football Interviews 12/17 - BGN
HCDH, Stedman, Coach Patterson, Geno & Coach Dawson

VIDEO: WVU Offensive Video Interviews - WVillustrated
Geno, Stedman, Tavon & Spain

VIDEO: WVU Defensive Video Interviews - WVillustrated
Jenkins, Clarke & Rigg

Recruiting:

West Virginia Mountaineers - ESPN
Find what players have committed to your favorite school. Videos, analysis and more on ESPN.com

Around the League (and Beyond):

Big 12 To Begin Men's Basketball PSA Campaign - Big 12 Conference
With the conference season just around the corner, the Big 12 Conference has debuted its basketball-themed public service announcements that will be broadcast during the league portion of the 2012-13 campaign.

First Look: Baylor Bears vs. UCLA Bruins - Our Daily Bears

Notebook: Shontrelle Johnson will miss Liberty Bowl - Cyclone Fanatic (autoplay video)

As Elijah Johnson gets better, so do Jayhawks - Lawrence Journal World

Homegrown talent vital for K-State - Topeka Capital Journal

Trey Metoyer battled the urge to quit, listened to advice from Justin Brown - Oklahoman (autoplay video)

OSU only needs to look at Texas Tech to see how a good thing was messed up - Oklahoman

Alamo Bowl: David Ash named Texas starting quarterback - Burnt Orange Nation

Season recap: TCU freshmen come to forefront in first Big 12 season - Dallas Morning News

As Kliff Kingsbury settles in, Texas Tech staff needs to be addressed - Dallas Morning News

What's On Tap:

Richmond Spiders vs. (9) Kansas Jayhawks - Preview - ESPN
7 pm tonight from Phog Allen on ESPN2/ESPNU

Video of Interest:

West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen's Monday afternoon remarks previewing the 2012 Pinstripe Bowl against Syracuse to be played Dec. 29, 2012 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. December 17, 2012.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

Thanks to JPFanshawe for finding this one:

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is one of the newer VS Angels. CLICK HERE for today's gallery of Australian beauty, Elyse Taylor.