The Shotgun/Throwdown (5/16/18): West Virginia In The Mix For Another Grad Transfer

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

Football

Notre Dame grad transfer cornerback Nick Watkins considering West Virginia, TCU | Diehards
Two Big 12 schools are on the list for Notre Dame cornerback Nick Watkins, who announced his decision to seek a graduate transfer earlier this year.

Big 12 Football Mailbag: Can West Virginia Challenge Oklahoma This Fall? | Heartland College Sports
In this week's mailbag, HCS discusses whether or not the Mountaineers can challenge the Sooners in the Big 12.

Holgorsen Hopes Bigelow, Robinson Continue WVU's Grad Transfer Success | West Virginia Athletics
There are no trademarks on good ideas in college football. If somebody comes up with something good, you can bet others will soon copy it. A few years ago, West Virginia's Dana Holgorsen decided he was going to reclaim his sanity by not sweating out signing day anymore.

Basketball

Ex-West Virginia forward Bender signs with mid-major | WV MetroNews
Former West Virginia forward Maciej Bender will transfer to Mercer and reunite with his high school coach.

Baseball

Four Earn Academic All-Big 12 Accolades | West Virginia Athletics
Four members of the West Virginia University baseball team have been named to the 2018 Academic All-Big 12 Baseball Team.

West Virginia Athletics

Thrasher Leads Way at World Cup | West Virginia Athletics
Junior Ginny Thrasher earned a spot in two finals at the 2018 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Fort Benning World Cup for Rifle/Pistol, which concluded May 14 at the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit in Fort Benning, Georgia.

Around the Big 12

Big 12 roundtable: Which Pac-12 schools could find their fit in Big 12? | Diehards
It’s no secret that the Pac-12 Conference has seen better days. Only one of its member schools won a bowl game last December before the conference failed to win a basketball game in the 2018 NCAA Tournament in March. CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd chronicled the Pac-12’s struggles on Tuesday, which range from the playing field to the television screens.

Around the NCAA

Nick Saban takes his biggest shot yet at UCF’s national championship claim | SBNation
"Self-proclaimed is not the same as actually earning it," he says.

Why NFL rivals should only play once a season, like in college football | SBNation
The NFL would be more fun if division rivals met once a year.

Need dozens and dozens of vacation ideas? Just follow Mike Leach on Twitter. | SBNation
He’s even sent these out right before kickoff on game day.

The King Is Down—and Maybe Out | The Ringer
LeBron James is no stranger to playoff adversity, but after Cleveland’s collapse in Game 2, what exactly does he have left to counter the Celtics’ attack?

Celtics vs. Cavaliers: Boston flexes on Cleveland in Game 2 | SBNation
In Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Marcus Smart and Boston stood up to LeBron and Cleveland.

So, maybe the Capitals won’t just walk to the Stanley Cup Final after all | SBNation
The Lightning struck back in Game 3 after a gruesome start.

Robinson Cano’s suspension won’t stop performance-enhancing drugs | SBNation
The suspension hurts the Mariners. The revelation helps spread the gospel of PEDs.

What Our Experts Are Saying About the New Sports Gambling Reality | The Ringer
After the Supreme Court ruled Monday that states could legalize gambling, ‘The Bill Simmons Podcast,’ ‘The Press Box,’ ‘The Ringer NFL Show,’ and ‘ShackHouse’ dissected what that decision could mean for sports and media in the long term

The Empty Calories of Post Malone’s Beer Bro Rap | The Ringer
Just how did this goofy, amiable, slightly deluded white dude reach the height of hip-hop stardom?

---

Have any tips, suggestions or requests for what you want to see in The Shotgun/Throwdown? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment below or contact us on social media.

Follow us!
Twitter: @smokingmusket
Facebook:The Smoking Musket