Mountaineer Morning Links: Wednesday (5/20/14) Edition

Football & hoops reports, baseball opens up Big 12 tournament play tonight, recruiting, WVUPros updates, Big 12 roundup & more.

By WVUIE97@WVUIE97 May 20, 2015, 8:46am EDT

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What You May Have Missed:

It’s West Virginia: Coaches Caravan stops in Princeton - Bluefield Daily Telegraph
The WVU Coaches Caravan took over the Chuck Mathena Center in Princeton, with the Morgantown contingent greeted by the smiling faces of hundreds wearing their treasured gold and blue.

Rifle Earns Top Results at Fort Benning World Cup - WVU Athletics
The WVU rifle team was well represented at the Fort Benning World Cup.

Celebrating heroes of today and yesterday - Times West Virginian
Today’s West Virginia University heroes … and yesterday’s …

WVU Hall of Famer Darryl Talley taking life 'day by day,' but the pain is still there - Beckley Register-Herald
Darryl Talley, as great a linebacker who ever performed for West Virginia University, was kind enough to permit this journalist to chat with him on the phone last Friday.

News of Note:

Football

Dana Holgorsen hits the under - WVU Sports with Mike Casazza
the difference between the present number, whatever it is, and the maximum is negligible and not necessarily a hindrance for the Mountaineers, who will take this scholarship situation over the one they were used to.

Successful spring a result of improved WVU depth - Bluefield Daily Telegraph
While Holgorsen is pleased with the team’s depth, there are still concerns including how that depth with performers capable backups to the starters.

Orlosky Named to Watch List - WVU Athletics
The Rimington Trophy Committee has released its 2015 Spring Watch List, which includes 52 of the best centers in Division I football.

Clay's role looks to grow for WVU in 2015 - BGN
To say that Cody Clay didn’t have many expectations for himself heading into the start of his West Virginia career would be quite the understatement.

Tezeno transfers to FCS program to ‘get more playing time’ - WV MetroNews
Former three-star prospect reportedly headed to Sam Houston State and closer to his Texas hometown.

Secondary reserves Myers, Greaves latest Mountaineers to transfer - WV MetroNews
With attrition becoming a rite of spring, that makes at least seven departures from the WVU football program since last season.

Ranking the Big 12's Running Backs for 2015 - AthlonSports.com
6. Rushel Shell & 7. Wendell Smallwood

Baseball

Baseball Opens Big 12 Tournament Play - WVU Athletics
The Mountaineers (27-25, 9-13 Big 12) enter the tournament as the No. 7 seed and are coming off a series win last weekend at home against Texas Tech.

Big 12 Championship Update No. 1 - WVU Athletics
The Mountaineers have arrived in Tulsa, Oklahoma for the Big 12 Championship. Round one takes place tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. ET.

WVU opens Big 12 baseball tourney today vs. Oklahoma State - Charleston Daily Mail
The last time West Virginia’s baseball team played Oklahoma State, the Mountaineers left uncertain about where they were going.

Mazey likes WVU baseball team’s chances - Charleston Gazette
It was only a week ago that West Virginia’s hopes of even extending its baseball season beyond the regular season seemed bleak.

WVU opens Big 12 tournament against Cowboys - Exponent Telegram
In a strange twist of fate, West Virginia, owning the No. 7 seed in the Big 12 baseball tournament, has drawn as a first-round opponent a team that did not beat it in the regular season, even though it holds the No. 2 seed in the field and is ranked No. 11 in the nation.

Eight Earn All-Big 12 Honors - WVU Athletics
Sophomore first baseman Jackson Cramer, freshman designated hitter Kyle Davis and senior shortstop Taylor Munden were each named to the All-Big 12 Second Team.

Basketball

Brutality - WVU Sports with Mike Casazza
I’d heard a little or a lot about the schedule and wondered 1) if what I’d heard was true and 2) is reality actually brutal?

Two WVU hoops games scheduled in Charleston - Charleston Gazette
West Virginia’ non-conference basketball schedule for next season features a handful of marquee games, but fans wanting to see one at the Coliseum will have to wait for Big 12 play.

Digging into West Virginia’s nonconference hoops schedule - WV MetroNews
The Mountaineers have a few big-name opponents lined up, though they may or may not be big-time next season.

NBA interest in Staten spikes with workouts - Charleston Daily Mail
“This is something I’ve always wanted,” Staten said. “This is the dream, so I’m going to go for it with everything I got.”

Recruiting:

WVU Offers Big Ten Commit - EerSports
West Virginia has offered Cass Tech (MI) athlete Demetric Vance, the 2016 prospect said this morning via Twitter.

Three More WVU Offers Out This Evening - EerSports
West Virginia's offer streak continued this evening, as three more prospects claimed Mountaineer offers

Progress, thy name is West - WVU Sports with Mike Casazza
West Virginia officially announced the signing of the 6-foot-7 Lamont West Monday, which puts a lid on the 2015 recruiting class.

Gold and Blue Now: Tuesday, May 19 - WV MetroNews
Sharman White Miller Grove High School basketball coach, breaks down Lamont Wests’ game. West is the final signee of the WVU basketball class.

Commit Analysis: Lamont West - EerSports
EerSports gets some help from Lamont West's head coach to breakdown what the Mountaineers are getting in their most recent signing.

Pro News:

Kevin White impresses at Bears mini-camp - College to Pro Sports
At this time three years ago, Kevin White was playing football for Lackawanna Junior College. Fast forward to today, and he is being hailed as one of the most impressive rookies to ever through the doors of the historic Halas Hall.

Three Bolts RBs rose up depth chart last year - UTSanDiego.com
The Chargers signed undrafted rookie running backs Jahwan Edwards and Dreamius Smith.

Quick Hit: Bruce Irvin drama reflects silliness of NFL news cycle - College To Pro Sports
So now Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has said Bruce Irvin didn’t say that thing about playing in Atlanta in 2016 that a sports blog said Irvin said.

Shaq Riddick tweaks hamstring, misses start of Cardinals OTA's - College To Pro Sports
Last week, the Cardinals fifth round pick got off to a good start at rookie camp. On Tuesday, Riddick was forced to watch from the sidelines.