The Shotgun/Throwdown (12/18/18): The Curious Case of Sagaba Konate

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

Football

Anonymous former player: 'You are just flat-out wrong' | EerSports
An anonymous former player talks about difficult decisions.

Basketball

HERTZEL COLUMN: Only Konate knows whether he is hurting | Times West Virginian
Something of a Category 1 hurricane is beginning to brew over a comment Bob Huggins made following Sunday’s shabby performance in a loss to Rhode Island in Connecticut.

WVU basketball: Mountaineer guards struggling to start season | Charleston Gazette-Mail
Following the West Virginia University men’s basketball team’s loss Sunday to Rhode Island, it was obvious that head coach Bob Huggins was a frustrated man. The Mountaineers had fallen to 6-4, the first time since the 2013-14 campaign the team had lost four regular-season non-conference games.

Huggins on the misgivings of his guards: 'I can't explain it' | EerSports
The spotlight is on Sagaba Konate. At least some of the leadership is supposed to fall to Esa Ahmad and Lamont West. The young guards have been derided for their errors driven by inexperience.

Two Possessions Highlight WVU Hoops Woes | WV News
It was a sequence of just 21 seconds. That short span, however, defined not only West Virginia’s 83-70 loss to Rhode Island on Sunday, but also served as a marker for many of the Mountaineers’ problems in its desultory 6-4 start to the season.

Mountaineer Backcourt Gets Lucky With the Addition of Rudd | West Virginia Athletics
As luck would have it, Mike Carey's already deep West Virginia backcourt just got a little bit deeper.

West Virginia to Host Morgan State | West Virginia Athletics
Kicking off a three-game homestand, the West Virginia women's basketball team will host Morgan State on Tuesday evening in a 7 p.m. tipoff inside the WVU Coliseum.

West Virginia Athletics

Piatczyc Earns Another National Accolade | West Virginia Athletics
Another postseason award has come in for West Virginia University men's soccer senior midfielder Joey Piatczyc, as he has been recognized on the TopDrawerSoccer Best XI Third Team.

Around the NCAA

Justin Fields leaving Georgia would have every team in college football lining up | SBNation
Many analysts thought Fields was the best recruit in the class of 2018. He might be available again shortly.

7 lessons from the first Early Signing Period, just in time for the second | SBNation
With one ESP down, we have a better idea of how the new recruiting Super Bowl will work going forward.

History shows every Playoff expansion plan will still make people furious | SBNation
We’ll probably add more games and rounds soon, but college football will always find ways to infuriate people.

5 dudes’ quest to see 18 bowls in 24 days, explained by the guy organizing it | SBNation
Some previously disappointed USC fans are trying to make bowl attendance history, and they’re making up lots of it as they go.

UCF’s scheduling plan ignores history, but maybe it’s the right idea? | SBNation
The Knights want to be treated like a sudden power, but college football’s never worked like that. Yet.

Jose Mourinho fired, but Manchester United is still far from being fixed | SBNation
Firing Jose Mourinho gives Manchester United a chance to chase its lofty ambitions again, but there’s A LOT of work left to do.

How Anthony Bourdain Became the Food TV Star of a Generation | The Ringer
The crack creative team behind the beloved late chef, author, and host helped turn him into a star, and then came together to finish his story after his death

Facebook Escaped 2018 Largely Unscathed. Can It Ever Be Stopped? | The Ringer
While the past 12 months have proved tumultuous for the tech giant, Facebook is still growing. As the year winds to a close, it’s worth examining what the furor has actually accomplished—and what could happen next.

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