Huggins Not Ready To Crown The Kansas Jayhawks Just Yet

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor and daily distractions.

Basketball:

Huggins not ready to crown Jayhawks | Beckley Register-Herald
Kansas may have won a share of 11 straight Big 12 championships. The Jayhawks may be coming off a 75-65 win over West Virginia Tuesday. But West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins isn’t ready to anoint KU as the king of the Big 12 mountain once again.

Big 12 title still there for WVU’s taking | Charleston Gazette-Mail
Without context, the headline ought to be exciting: "West Virginia leaves Kansas tied for first place in the Big 12."

KU used physical play to avenge earlier loss to WVU | The Exponent Telegram
That red glow coming out of the Kansas locker room back in the second week of January after West Virginia had its way with them in the Coliseum was not so much a glow of anger over losing but instead of embarrassment over the way they lost.

WVU’s Huggins visits Charleston to see signee Bender | Charleston Gazette-Mail
The Mountain Mission Challengers of Grundy, Virginia, played with a little extra pep Wednesday in the Charleston Civic Center’s Little General Shootout in the Big House. And maybe, just maybe, it had something to do with the figure watching from the scorer’s table: WVU coach Bob Huggins.

West Virginia Tops Iowa State Women in Ugly, Defensive Battle | Wide Right & Natty Lite
Poor shooting doomed the Cyclones all night in Morgantown.

Rebounding domination, defense lift West Virginia past Cyclones | WV MetroNews
Bria Holmes scored a game-high 23 points and center Lanay Montgomery scored five unanswered to snap a fourth-quarter tie as No. 24 West Virginia downed Iowa State 57-47 on Wednesday night in women’s basketball action.

WVU finishes strong to take out Iowa State | The Daily Athenaeum
The No. 24 ranked West Virginia University women’s basketball team squeaked out a 57-47 win over the Iowa State Cyclones in a night where both teams struggled early on but ended strong.

Veterans Lead No. 24 WVU Past Iowa State | WVU Athletics
Veteran leadership helped the No. 24-ranked West Virginia University women’s basketball team overcome a slow start and collect a 57-47 victory over Iowa State on Wednesday evening at the WVU Coliseum.

No. 24 WVU women beat visiting Iowa State | Charleston Gazette-Mail
Bria Holmes scored 23 points and Lanay Montgomery had 15 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks to help No. 24 West Virginia close out Iowa State 57-47 Wednesday night.

West Virginia Athletics:

No. 1 WVU Shoots for GARC Regular-Season Title | WVU Athletics
The No. 1-ranked West Virginia University rifle team travels to Annapolis, Maryland, for its last Great American Rifle Conference (GARC) matchup of the season against No. 14 Navy on Thursday, Feb. 11. The match is set to begin at 1:30 p.m., inside the Bancroft Hall Rifle Range.

No. 1 West Virginia looks to finish undefeated regular season | The Daily Athenaeum
The West Virginia University rifle team will conclude the 2015-16 slate on Thursday as they travel to Annapolis, Maryland to take on No. 14 Navy.

Continuity is key for Mountaineers heading into 2016 season | The Daily Athenaeum
Last season was one of transition for the West Virginia University baseball team: an inexperienced squad inhabiting a brand-new ballpark in a Big 12 campaign that never quite got off the ground.

Around The Big XII:

Never mind the record, Smart’s Texas is a major threat | The Daily Athenaeum
Shaka Smart’s one of the best minds in college basketball for a reason. Now, he’s at Texas, and the team is looking better than ever. They jumped into the top 25 and nearly defeated Oklahoma on the road before Buddy Hield hit a game-winning three in the final seconds.

LUBBOCK NASTY - TEXAS TECH 85, IOWA STATE 82 | Wide Right & Natty Lite
Another frustrating loss in Lubbock for the Cyclones

Around The NCAA:

Ohio State outrecruited the entire Big Ten West all by itself, and so did Michigan | SBNation
Plus other takeaways from a divisional look at 2016's recruiting class.

Bracketology 2016: Xavier ascends to top line after chaotic weekend | SBNation
Our resident bracketologist looks at an historic Saturday that pushed the Muskateers to the top, and examines how Louisville's self-imposed postseason ban will affect the chase for selection and seeding.

This is North Carolina's worst shooting team ever. It could still win the national title | SBNation
The Tar Heels can't buy a bucket from three-point range this season. Will it matter?

Virginia basketball is taking annoying to a new level this season | SBNation
The Cavaliers are playing their best offense under Tony Bennett.

This is the year seniors took back college basketball | SBNation
Great seniors are everywhere this year. It's time to take notice.

Today's Miss Throwdown is another one of the rookies that will appear in the 2016 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. CLICK HERE for Sofia Resing's Instagram.