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 Mustang Brewing Company's Winter Lager.
What You May Have Missed:
Gold and Blue Now: Tuesday, Feb. 4 - WV MetroNews
Terry Henderson says the team is really starting to come together and Jon Martin of BlueGoldNews.com discusses WVU’s 2014 recruiting class.
Quarterback Millard giving baseball a try - Dominion Post
WVU baseball coach Randy Mazey confirmed Saturday, Feb. 1, that Millard is working out with his squad as it prepares for its Feb. 14 opener, against Louisville, in Charleston, S.C.
Hampton comfortable with backup role on Carey’s squad - Daily Athenaeum
West Virginia women’s basketball senior guard Brooke Hampton has always had a love for basketball, and it all started with a supportive family back in her hometown of Colts Neck, N.J.
WVU women move up in AP poll; UConn still No. 1 - Charleston Daily Mail
The West Virginia University women's basketball team moved up three spots -- from No. 20 to No. 17 -- in The Associated Press top 25 poll.
Parsons will receive remainder of salary, one-time payment as part of settlement - Charleston Daily Mail
Mike Parsons can buy a lot of gold watches with the lump sum payment he'll receive from West Virginia University at the end of his 35 years with the university.
WVU reaches $325K settlement with outgoing deputy AD - WV MetroNews
Parsons will continue to receive his current salary and benefits through June 30, at which point he will receive the lump-sum payout.
News of Note:
Bob Huggins Big 12 Teleconference - WVU Athletics
Listen to Huggs talk about his team's two-game win streak.
Hickman: Still trying to figure this team - Charleston Gazette
Cleaning out a crowded notebook and a cluttered mind
Huggins: WVU Understanding What it Takes to Win - WVillustrated
The West Virginia Mountaineers have won two games in a row after defeating Kansas State. The Mountaineers improved their overall record to 13-9 while having a 5-4 record in Big 12 play.
Staten a rare mix of high minutes, low fouls - Charleston Daily Mail
Juwan Staten leads the Big 12 in three categories and is in the top three in two others, but everything the point guard does for West Virginia goes back to one thing he doesn't do.
Staten, Mountaineers understanding ‘what it takes to win’ - Times West Virginian
In so many ways it came out of nowhere, this resurgence in West Virginia basketball.
West Virginia win is very timely - Register-Herald
The West Virginia University men’s basketball team couldn’t have picked a better time for its biggest bounce-back of this season.
Defense paving the way for West Virginia in recent games - Daily Athenaeum
Throughout this season, the West Virginia men’s basketball team had to rely heavily on its offensive ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter for success.
Huggins Talks Staten, Improvement - EerSports
Earlier Monday, West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins fielded multiple questions from the national media. Naturally, the first topic of conversation was junior point guard Juwan Staten, who scored 35 points against Kansas State and was named the Big12 Player of the Week.
Staten named Big 12 player of week - WV MetroNews
The point guard's last-second heroics at Baylor and career-high 35 points against Kansas State lifted WVU above .500 at league's midpoint.
First Timer - BGN
It took a season and a half, but West Virginia finally earned its first Big 12 men's basketball Player of the Week award.
Underrated Staten should receive country’s attention - Daily Athenaeum
We anticipated his arrival. We waited for his debut. We dealt with his struggle. Now, we celebrate his success. The secret is out in Morgantown. It’s time for the rest of the country to learn about Juwan Staten.
Assessing the Progress - BGN
As West Virginia gets ready to enter the second half of the Big 12 Conference schedule, it finds itself in a much different place than it was in a year ago.
OKahoma Coach Kruger on Playing in Morgantown - WVillustrated
The Oklahoma Sooners will travel to Morgantown to face the West Virginia Mountaineers in another Big 12 match-up Wednesday night.
HERTZEL COLUMN: Seahawks win gives hope to WVU QBs - Times West Virginian
Seattle’s Super Bowl victory over Denver on Sunday may have a huge impact upon West Virginia’s 2014 football season and Bruce Irvin won’t have anything to do with it.
Recruiting:
West Virginia recruits beef up depleted QB corps - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The good news is that some help is coming with dual-threat quarterbacks Skyler Howard, a junior-college transfer who enrolled in January, and William Crest, a highly touted prospect from Baltimore.
Been through it before - WVSports.com
Signing day is a day of both many joys and stresses as high school seniors across the country fax their letters of intent to their respective schools. But don't just take it from me, how about from someone that's been through the experience of being recruited?
Pro News:
Big Bruce! - WVU Athletics
Seattle's Bruce Irvin gets his ring.
Irvin the latest in WVU Super Bowl lore - WVSports.com
It was a heartwarming moment for Mountaineers fans, broadcasted on the biggest stage of them all.
Super Bowl XLVIII: Looking at Bruce Irvin, Former Mountaineers to win Super Bowl - WVU Pros
With Seattle’s 48-3 Super Bowl victory over Denver, linebacker Bruce Irvin added his name to the list of former West Virginia Mountaineers to raise the Lombardi Trophy at the end of an NFL season.
Around the League (and Beyond):
The 2-3 Zone: A Reintroduction of Sorts - Our Daily Bears
The Recap: ISU 98 - OSU 97 - Wide Right & Natty Lite
KU’s Naadir Tharpe stews over loss on bench - Lawrence Journal World
K-State basketball giving away points at free-throw line - Topeka Capital Journal
Oklahoma Sooners Change Road Dates On 2014 Football Schedule - Crimson And Cream Machine
OSU basketball notebook: Eddie Sutton celebrated on his night - Oklahoman (autoplay)
2014 Texas Longhorns Basketball - Everybody love everybody! - Barking Carnival
TCU again hosts Big 12’s hottest team, it’s Texas this time - Dallas-Fort Worth Star-Telegram
OL Davis pledges to Red Raiders - Lubbock Avalanche Journal
What's On Tap:
(8) Kansas Jayhawks vs. Baylor Bears - ESPN
7 pm tonight from the Ferrell Center on ESPN2/3
(15) Texas Longhorns vs. TCU Horned Frogs - Preview - ESPN
8 pm tonight from the DMC on MSG+, MASN, Altitude alternate & ESPN3
Video of Interest:
Be sure to stay with us (too) all day tomorrow as we keep you up to speed with all of the National Signing Day developments
Video of (Dis)Interest:
This is...um, interesting
Miss Throwdown:
Today's Miss Throwdown is a gorgeous model from Australia. CLICK HERE for today's gallery of Camille Piazza.