West Virginia Has A Lot On The Line With Kansas Matchup Looming

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

Football:

White adds depth to WVU secondary | The Exponent Telegram
Newly signed safety Kyzir White will immediately compete for playing time and adds depth to West Virginia’s secondary heading into 2016.

Biggest shoes to fill: West Virginia Mountaineers | ESPN
Our series on the toughest players to replace in the Big 12 concludes with a look at what West Virginia will do at linebacker without Nick Kwiatkoski.

Basketball:

WVU has a lot on the line at KU | The Exponent Telegram
Perhaps this might be a bit dramatic, but on Sunday morning, West Virginia’s basketball team woke up alone in first place in the Big 12.

Miles finally breaks through in win over Baylor | The Daily Athenaeum
Nothing was stopping Daxter Miles from having a long-awaited big night from the 3-point line. Miles hit four-of-five from long range, finishing with a team-high 20 points in Saturday’s 80-69 victory over No. 15 Baylor. It was the outing he and all the Mountaineers were waiting for, the breakout performance he desperately needed.

Huggins helped Miles escape slump | Charleston Gazette-Mail
Daxter Miles’ breakout performance Saturday from a slump that had bound him the entire Big 12 season was not about relief for No. 14 West Virginia. It was about time.

Huggins likes how his team attacked Baylor’s zone | WV MetroNews
West Virginia continued executing its halfcourt offense, carving up Baylor’s zone and curbing its own proclivities for turnovers. The resulting 80-69 win on Saturday night made West Virginia the Big 12’s stand-alone leader and gave coach Bob Huggins positive vibes about 20 assists and 50-percent 3-point shooting.

Mountaineers turn Baylor’s stars into onlookers | WV MetroNews
After West Virginia's 80-69 victory, the next time it meets Baylor—in the regular-season finale—could be for the Big 12 title.

Eight teams that look like Final Four sleepers | USA Today
3. West Virginia (19-4, 8-2): Here's another one that shouldn't really count as surprising, but nonetheless the Mountaineers, all by themselves atop the Big 12 standings thanks to a shellacking of Baylor, are making the cut.

West Virginia Athletics:

WVU Upsets No. 17 Pitt in Backyard Brawl | WVU Athletics
For the second straight season, the West Virginia University wrestling team picked up a victory in the Backyard Brawl, pulling off an 18-12 upset of the No. 17 Pitt Panthers on Sunday afternoon at the WVU Coliseum.

WVU soccer standout Buchanan wins Hardman Award | Charleston Gazette-Mail
Kadeisha Buchanan frequently gazes at the statue of West Virginia University basketball legend Jerry West as she walks into the Coliseum in Morgantown. The WVU women’s soccer star is now joining West in an exclusive club as the winner of the 2015 Hardman Award, given to the state of West Virginia’s amateur athlete of the year.

Around The Big XII:

Big 12 stresses one public voice, but battle in boardroom is ahead | ESPN
The Big 12 wants to keep its family arguments out of the public's eye, but the battle for its future has played out for everyone to see.

Around The NCAA:

Alabama, LSU and Clemson lead the way in 1-128 projected 2016 rankings | SBNation
Also, you should hop onto the Washington bandwagon now.

Of course Alabama's No. 1 in 5-year recruiting rankings, but Baylor's the most improved power | SBNation
Which teams are rising and falling in two- and five-year recruiting rankings?

WVU recruiting: Strong finish to recruiting season could mean fast start next cycle | Charleston Gazette-Mail
Just as it can be a major factor in the heat of the game, momentum can play a huge role in recruiting. One commit can lead to another, which leads to another, and the snowball effect begins. Good players want to play with good players, so recruits pay attention to how teams perform on the recruiting trail.

Larry David is the best, Jerry. THE BEST!

Today's Miss Throwdown is a smoking hot model, photographer and blogger. CLICK HERE for Alysha Nett's Instagram.