Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor and daily distractions. We're being brought to you today by Kern River Brewing Company's Holiday Ale.
What You May Have Missed:
Gold & Blue Now: Tuesday, Dec. 16 - WV MetroNews
Allan Taylor talks about whether the Capital Classic should continue to being played, and if so where at.
Women’s Hoops Climbs to No. 22 in AP Poll - WVU Athletics
The Mountaineers (8-1) are in the midst of a six-game winning streak.
The Captain's Fuel - WVU Athletics
Imagine being the captain of an NCAA Champion team. It’s what every collegiate student-athlete dreams about. Now imagine being fueled with the passion to reach that dream just after a loss.
Fields Named Athlete of the Week - WVU Athletics
VSR
FURFARI COLUMN: Jerry West proud his Golden State team is off to a great start - Times West Virginian
The last time I looked, the Golden State Warriors were 21-2 and held the No. 1 spot in the National Basketball Association’s standings.
Furfari: Maphis was a high school coach after great WVU basketball career - Register Herald
Bill Maphis was an outstanding basketball player for West Virginia University as a 6-foot-5, 175-pound forward in the 1960s.
News of Note:
Gibson’s new WVU contract worth $2.1 million - Charleston Gazette
Tony Gibson won’t be the richest assistant football coach in the country, but he’s a lot closer to the top than the bottom now.
Gibson’s new 3-year deal averages $700K annually - WV MetroNews
Defensive coordinator becomes the highest-paid assistant in program history.
White Named to Senior Bowl Roster - WVU Athletics
A dozen more talented seniors from across the nation have accepted invitations to next month’s Reese’s Senior Bowl.
Henry Named ESPN True Freshman All-American - WVU Athletics
Henry joined freshman running back Samaje Perine of Oklahoma and freshman wide receiver KD Cannon of Baylor as Big 12 Conference student-athletes recognized.
WVU Attendance Rises As National Average Plummets - EerSports
West Virginia saw a seven-percent increase over last year to 56,686 per home contest.
Tallahassee Nights: Which quarterbacks have the best NASCAR names? - SI.com
1) Clint Trickett, West Virginia
Hoops
Staten’s stint on bench says a lot about progress - Charleston Gazette
Yet there was Juwan Staten, healthy and relatively void of foul trouble — he had three, but with under 10 minutes to play so did almost everyone else on both rosters — sitting idle.
WVU winning in spite of shooting woes - Exponent Telegram
West Virginia is playing winning basketball without playing winning basketball.
WVU-Marshall battle likely won't change - Times West Virginian
Some people were saying it probably should end and there was even one line of discussion aimed at increasing the WVU-Marshall battles to two each year.
Recruiting:
Big 12 recruiting scorecard - Big 12 Blog - ESPN
Here's what's been cooking on the recruiting trail in the past week around the Big 12:
Pro News:
Charles Sims is "going to give the NFC South headaches for years to come" - WVUPros
In a game where little offense was produced for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Charles Sims showed Carolina Panthers' radio play-by-play man Mick Mixon what he could do.
WVUPros NFl Week 15 Recap: Mountaineers Finishing Strong - WVUPros
For a full rundown on how some of your favorite Mountaineers fared in NFL Week 15 action, keep reading.
J.T. Thomas having a career year at the right time - WVUPros
The 6-foot-1 linebacker has 66 total tackles (39 solo) with two interceptions. five passes defended, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery for a score.
Around the League (and Beyond):
Men's Basketball Leads The Nation - Big 12 Conference
Big 12 men's basketball has a 17-game win streak, is rated as the No. 1 conference in the RPI and eight teams have winning percentages of .875 or better.
Baylor WR K.D. Cannon named a Freshman All-American by ESPN - Our Daily Bears
Iowa State Football Player Arrested on Domestic Abuse Charge - whotv.com
Self: Kansas grades out OK so far - Lawrence Journal World
K-State notes: Walk-on Brian Rohleder has big game for Wildcats - Kansas City Star
Lon Kruger not worried about Buddy Hield's struggles - Oklahoman (autoplay)
What to make of the Tyreek Hill saga and Mike Gundy’s decision - Oklahoman
By the Numbers - Season in Review - Frogs O' War
What's On Tap:
Special Offer for Liberty Bowl Attendees - WVU Athletics
A special offer from the Memphis Grizzlies for Liberty Bowl attendees.
Video of Interest:
Video of (Dis)Interest:
Miss Throwdown:
Today's Miss Throwdown is lovely Ukrainian. CLICK HERE for today's gallery of Lera Koryts'ka.