Does West Virginia Have Clint Trickett To Thank For Landing Will Grier?

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

Football:

Trickett talked to Grier about time at WVU | Exponent Telegram
Clint Trickett may be long gone from West Virginia as a quarterback, but his influence may be felt around these parts over the next few years.

Once a QB prodigy, David Sills has taken a wild ride to role at WVU | The Daily Athenaeum
The story that flung Sills from unknown youth football player, to child prodigy, to Mountaineer wide receiver is one of the oddest in recent memory.

Veterans look to lead rebuild in secondary | Exponent Telegram
West Virginia’s rebuilt defensive secondary will look to anchor itself around a pair of veterans who must step into leadership roles during the 2016 season.

Spring practice topics: Tuxedos, roommates and rec hoops | WV MetroNews
Dana Holgorsen keeps his promises when it comes to proms.

Carrier among best receivers Holgorsen has coached | Beckley Register-Herald
When Lonnie Galloway left Morgantown to join the football program as a co-offensive coordinator at the University of Louisville a couple weeks ago, West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen received plenty of resumés from coaching candidates interested in filling the position. Coaching receivers at a school that has produced the likes of Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Mario Alford and Kevin White in recent years is a career move that draws plenty of attention.

Holgorsen: ‘Lot of interest’ in WRs job but Carrier’s familiarity prevailed | WV MetroNews
West Virginia's 28-year-old assistant likely will recruit the Houston area where he grew up and starred for the Cougars.

Seider handles new reality at running back | Charleston Gazette-Mail
For years now, the conversations one could have with Ja’Juan Seider at this time of the season were about what the West Virginia running backs coach would do with all the players under his watch. He had the embarrassment of riches on the roster, if not in numbers then in talent.

WVU’s Arndt providing quite a narrative | Charleston Gazette-Mail
Some folks think WVU’s football team is in line to do some nice things in 2016. Some think the Mountaineers aren’t. Name aside, linebacker Justin Arndt believes they are. And defensive coordinator Tony Gibson concurs because Arndt, well, is.

Carrier brings expertise not like many WR coaches | Exponent Telegram
West Virginia won’t throw a pass to its best receiver this year, but it is going to catch a whole lot of them because of him.

Photo gallery: West Virginia forced indoors by April snow | WV MetroNews
Photo coverage as the West Virginia football team avoided the snow and convened in the Caperton Indoor Facility for its ninth practice of the spring.

Baseball:

Bats carry WVU to doubleheader split but can’t win series against Furman | The Daily Athenaeum
After dropping consecutive contests to begin the nonconference series against Furman, the Mountaineers’ offense came through to avoid its first three-game sweep since falling at TCU three weeks ago.

Mazey after Furman takes series: ‘I really thought we’d be better than this’ | WV MetroNews
After Furman rallied in the ninth inning to win Sunday’s opener 8-6 and clinch the weekend series, West Virginia coach Randy Mazey benched his veterans.

Mountaineers gains DH split with Furman | Exponent Telegram
After blowing a lead late in game 1, West Virginia’s offense left no doubt in the second of the twin billing, pushing across eight runs on the strength of 16 hits to avoid a sweep with an 8-5 win over Furman in the series finale.

West Virginia Athletics:

Kaleiohi scores twice, lifts WVU to first spring win over Georgetown | The Daily Athenaeum
The West Virginia women’s soccer team notched the first win of its spring exhibition slate on Sunday afternoon, dropping perennial soccer powerhouse Georgetown by a 2-0 score.

Around The Big XII:

Oklahoma's Buddy Hield named 2016 Wooden Award winner | SBNation
The Oklahoma senior has been named college basketball's most outstanding player.

Buddy Hield Nabs Wooden Award | Crimson And Cream Machine
While some argued Buddy Hield should have been given the title, the senior picked up the Naismith Trophy a day after being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament. Splitting the share of major honors 5-4 in favor of Valentine heading into Friday, only the Wooden Award remained unclaimed.

Hunter Haley Helps Oklahoma Baseball Walk Off With Series Win Over Baylor | Crimson And Cream Machine
Sports are so much more fun when there's drama involved and that's what Oklahoma's weekend baseball series against the Baylor Bears provided.

Oklahoma State's Dylan Harding retires from football after spinal stenosis diagnosis | Cowboys Ride For Free
The junior safety is hanging up his cleats.

Around The NCAA:

The NCAA just banned college football's controversial satellite camps | SBNation
This should make for an interesting change in the national recruiting picture.

Football players aren't happy at all about the NCAA's satellite camps ban | SBNation
The new NCAA policy isn't a hit with the people it stands to impact most.

The SEC and schools in talented recruiting areas win with satellite camp ban | SBNation
Nick Saban's recent comments on satellite recruiting camps shed some light on the SEC's perspective.

Former 5-star recruit Derryck Thornton is transferring from Duke, according to report | SBNation
Frank Jackson is now expected to be Duke's starter at point guard next year.

ESPN's College Basketball Awards honor this year's best, and the game is only getting better | SBNation
Before next year's freshmen class reinvigorates college basketball, ESPN gives us one more chance to honor Buddy Hield, Denzel Valentine and the rest of this season's stars.

Spring Saturdays especially important during recruiting season | Charleston Gazette-Mai
As the timeline for recruits making college decisions has expedited over the years, the impact of Saturday spring practice visits has grown immensely.

Today's Miss Throwdown is a pro surfer from Hawaii whose unbelievable body landed her in SURFING Magazine's swimsuit issue. CLICK HERE for Malia Manuel's Instagram.