West Virginia Has Chance To Establish Itself Among The Best

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

Basketball:

WVU has chance to establish itself among best | Exponent Telegram
The time has come for West Virginia to put up or shut up. Until the Mountaineers accomplish something concrete they won’t get the respect that comes with the established teams like Kansas and Oklahoma in basketball and Oklahoma and Texas in football.

WVU looks to end conference tournament skid | Beckley Register-Herald
The last time West Virginia University won a conference tournament game, it was a huge one, wrapping up a Big East tournament title with a victory over Georgetown in Madison Square Garden. The problem for the Mountaineers is that Sunday will mark six years since that dramatic win, and WVU hasn’t found success in a conference tournament since.

No. 2 seed WVU begins Big 12 Tournament tonight | The Daily Athenaeum
Riding a four-game winning streak into the postseason, the No. 9 West Virginia Mountaineers are poised to advance past the first round since joining the Big 12 in 2012.

Carter confident as WVU enters Big 12 tournament | Charleston Gazette-Mail
West Virginia is in prime time Thursday night, playing a quarterfinal game in an event that crowns a champion in the toughest college basketball league in the country.

Holton ready to roll for Big 12 tournament | Charleston Gazette-Mail
Jon Holton gave his coach a scare by leaving the past two games with injuries, but the West Virginia forward declared himself fit to play in Thursday night’s Big 12 quarterfinal at the Sprint Center.

‘Full-go’ Holton looked nimble, playful at Big 12 practice | WV MetroNews
Press Virginia's front man seems completely recovered from a sprained ankle as Thursday's quarterfinal approaches.

Veteran Broadcaster Jacobs Informs, Entertains | WVU Athletics
Jay Jacobs may be turning 78 later this year, but he has always been a kid at heart.

Baseball:

WVU starting to find its formula before home opener | The Daily Athenaeum
With the West Virginia University baseball team’s home opener just days away, West Virginia head coach Randy Mazey believes his team has only reached "the tip of the iceberg" of its potential.

Davis looks to keep up stellar play as sophomore | Exponent Telegram
Kyle Davis came out of Cincinnati last year, as new to West Virginia baseball as the ball park in which he would play, but just like Monongahlia County Ball Park he was a hit right off the bat ... so to speak.

West Virginia Athletics:

No. 1 WVU can make history with 18th national title | The Daily Athenaeum
While college rifle doesn’t receive as much attention as major sports such as football and basketball, it is necessary to acknowledge the quiet but overwhelming success of the West Virginia University rifle team.

Marsh Qualifies for Second NCAA Championships | WVU Athletics
Senior Andrew Marsh of the West Virginia University men’s swimming team qualified for the 2016 NCAA Division I Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships for the second-consecutive year.

NCAA Wrestling Brackets Released | WVU Athletics
Seeds and brackets for the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships were released by the NCAA Wednesday evening. West Virginia has three wrestlers competing in the tournament.

Around The Big XII:

PODCAST AIN'T PLAYED NOBODY: Would Texas actually give up LHN for the good of the Big 12? | SBNation
In a mailbag edition of PAPN, Bill and Godfrey bring in Matt Brown to answer reader questions about Illinois' Lovie Smith hire, Sun Belt expansion and what the heck the Big 12 does next. And hangovers.

Toads trip Texas Tech in Big 12’s first-night stunner | WV MetroNews
From Tubby Smith’s coach of the year coronation to Texas Tech (presumably) locking up its first NCAA bid in nine seasons, Wednesday’s opening-round Big 12 tournament game against undermanned TCU felt like a formality. Consider us formally stunned.

3-point follow: K-State 75, Oklahoma State 71 | WV MetroNews
A three-point followup to Kansas State’s 75-71 win over Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament’s opening round Wednesday night.

NOT DEAD YET: Frogs Beat Texas Tech 67-62 | Frogs O' War
TCU becomes the first 10-seed to win a game in the Big 12 Tournament tonight with a 67-62 win over #7 Texas Tech.

Texas Tech Knocked Out of The Big 12 Tournament By TCU, 67-62 | Viva The Matadors
Texas Tech is upset in the first round of the Big 12 tourney and now has to wait and see of they have done enough to make the NCAA Tournament.

Oklahoma State Vs. Kansas State Recap: Ford's Swan Song? | Cowboys Ride For Free
Not the first time, but may be the last

K-State Hoops Recap Big 12 Tourney: K-State 75,Oklahoma State 71 | Bring On The Cats
The Cats open the Big 12 tourney with only their second win in the 8-9 game.

Around The NCAA:

Celebrating the 50 best college football teams since World War II | SBNation
The numbers used to make the rankings below don't remember these teams the same ways we do, but let's use them as a starting point to appreciate the greatest squads ever.

Gonzaga's inevitable NCAA Tournament berth should scare the rest of college basketball | SBNation
It took more effort than usual to get there, but now that they're officially in the NCAA Tournament, Gonzaga is a team that no one wants to dance with.

Bracketology: Saint Mary's joins a crowded bubble | SBNation
On Saturday, it was Wichita State, Monmouth and Valparaiso on Monday. And the Gaels' Tuesday loss to a Gonzaga team that had to have the WCC crown to dance again left yet another regular season champ with a long, anxious wait.

Why South Dakota State should be your NCAA Tournament upset pick | SBNation
Looking for an NCAA Tournament upset pick? We're going to tell you everything you need to know about the teams you may not have heard of, the schools they come from and why they could win. Next up: SDSU, which will control the scoreboard.

2016 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri

FULL BRACKET HERE

#10 TCU Horned Frogs vs #2 West Virginia Mountaineers
7PM ET tonight on ESPNU. The Mountaineers are 14 point favorites.

#5 Baylor Bears vs #4 Texas Longhorns
12:30 ET today on ESPN2. The Bears are 1 point favorites.

#8 Kansas State Wildcats vs #1 Kansas Jayhawks
2:30 ET today on ESPN2. The Wildcats are 7.5 point underdogs vs. the Big 12 regular season champs.

#6 Iowa State Cyclones vs. #3 Oklahoma Sooners
9PM ET tonight on ESPNU. The Cyclones are getting 3.

Today's Miss Throwdown is an American model and actress. CLICK HERE for today's gallery of Charlotte McKinney and CLICK HERE for Charlotte's Instagram.