The Shotgun/Throwdown (3/12/19): Young Mountaineer Team Prepares for Big 12 Tournament

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

Basketball

WVU basketball: Young Mountaineers prepare for first taste of Big 12 tournament | WVU Gameday | wvgazettemail.com
The West Virginia men’s basketball team was going to trend on the young side this season even before injuries and dismissals knocked four of the Mountaineers top players off the roster this season, but once the absence of Sagaba Konate, Beetle Bolden, Esa Ahmad and Wesley Harris became a permanent reality, WVU’s young players have had no choice but to be thrust into more meaningful roles.

A New Season Begins Wednesday Night for the Mountaineers - West Virginia University Athletics
It's time for the postseason to begin for the WVU men's basketball team. The youthful Mountaineers will take on Oklahoma Wednesday night in a Big 12 tournament opening round game at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.

WV MetroNews AD backs Huggins on CBI contingency: 'Would be good for our young guys' - WV MetroNews
The College Basketball Invitational, a 16-team event that ranks below the NCAA and NIT in prestige, could allow West Virginia to play several postseason home games.

The case for WVU women's hoops in the NCAA tournament
After losing to Kansas State 72-59 in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 tournament, the postseason fate of the West Virginia women's basketball team now lies in the hands of the NCAA selection committee. The latest projections list the Mountaineers as a bubble team, with some experts claiming WVU will miss the NCAA tournament entirely.

Big 12 tourney unique this year | WVU SPORTS | wvnews.com
This Big 12 men’s basketball championship, that begins today with West Virginia as the 10th and bottom seed, is unlike any other in recent memory.

WV MetroNews Three Guys Before The Game - Let Them Eat Cake (Episode 100) - WV MetroNews
The 100th show features a review of the Mountaineers regular season finale, a preview of the Big 12 Championship, and a debate on the league’s postseason awards.

West Virginia Athletics

Four Qualify for Finals to Open Zones - West Virginia University Athletics
Seniors Averly Hobbs and Julia Calcut of the West Virginia women’s swimming and diving team and freshman PJ Lenz and redshirt freshman Jacob Cardinal Tremblay of the men’s team qualified for event finals at the 2019 NCAA Zone A Diving Championships.

Mountaineers, Hammond Earn Honors - West Virginia University Athletics
Five from the West Virginia rifle team earned a combined 11 All-America honors following the 2019 NCAA National Championships.

Mountaineers Retain Vault, Floor Rankings - West Virginia University Athletics
The West Virginia gymnastics team enters a two-meet week nationally ranked #13 on floor exercise and #23 on vault in the Road to Nationals Rankings.

WVU Travels to Morehead State for Midweek Pair - West Virginia University Athletics
Winners of four in a row, the West Virginia baseball team travels to Morehead State for a two-game midweek series in Morehead, Kentucky.

Mountaineers Complete Sweep of Kent State Behind Strong Offensive Showing - The Smoking Musket
Tyler Doanes and Kevin Brophy each had brilliant games at the plate, as they led WVU to a 3-game sweep of Kent State.

Meet the Mountaineers: Kristina Jordan - West Virginia University Athletics
Throughout the spring semester, Mountaineer fans will have the unique opportunity to get to know the members of the West Virginia volleyball team. Next up is Kristina Jordan.

Around the Big 12

Baylor beats Iowa State with big fourth quarter to win Big 12
From start to finish, Baylor once again dominated the Big 12. Now the Lady Bears set their sights on Tampa and their first Final Four since 2012.

Oklahoma St. wins 7th straight Big 12 Championship, 6 Cowboys claim titles - Cowboys Ride For Free
Six Oklahoma State wrestlers won Big 12 Championship titles, as the Cowboys rode away with their seventh consecutive team title.

Big 12 Individual Medalist to Earn Greenbrier Exemption - West Virginia University Athletics
The individual medalist of next month's Big 12 Men's Golf Championship will be granted an exemption into the 2019 edition of A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier.

Bracket set for Big 12 Tournament
Check out the matchups and schedule for the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Lagerald Vick’s bizarre Kansas basketball career ends before Big 12 tournament - SBNation.com
One of Kansas’ top scorers will not rejoin the team. Lagerald Vick will not return to Kansas basketball, head coach Bill Self announced on Monday. The scoring guard has been on personal leave since a February.

Big 12 basketball: Kansas City bar recreates Ames' Welch Ave.
One Kansas City, Missouri, businessman is making a strong case for Iowa State fans to visit his sports bars during this week's Big 12 men's basketball tournament.

Notes from the start of Texas spring practice - Burnt Orange Nation
With practice open to the media for three periods, there was an opportunity for a few takeaways, though Texas was limited in the type of work it could get in due to NCAA rules mandating that the first two practices are without pads.

Around the NCAA

NCAA conference tournaments 2019: Odds, favorites, sleepers - SBNation.com
March Madness is upon us! Four conference champions secured their berth over the weekend, and the rest will take care of business this week. 19 conference tournaments, including all of the power conferences will kick off this week. Bubble teams are praying favorites take home conference titles, but we all know upsets will happen.

College Basketball Bracketology 2019: The biggest coming attractions for the final week before Selection Sunday - SBNation.com
With 2018-19’s regular season in the history books, it’s all elimination basketball from now until someone cuts the nets down in Minneapolis.

NCAA conference tournament odds: ACC, Big Ten, SEC, Big 12 lines | SI.com
Who is favored to win the ACC tournament? Looking for potential sleepers in the Big 12? All your major conference tournament odds here.

Despite upset loss, Loyola University Chicago is creating the blueprint for similar mid-majors - Mid-Major Madness
Last year, it was the Loyola - Chicago Ramblers. Can somebody else follow their blueprint to March success?

Kentucky rising in new top 25 rankings, NET & bracketology - A Sea Of Blue
The Kentucky Wildcats had a strong finish to the regular season, winning at Ole Miss on Tuesday and holding off Florida on Saturday for Senior Day.

Conor McGregor arrested for allegedly smashing, stealing cell phone - MMA Fighting
UFC superstar Conor McGregor was arrested Monday in Miami Beach. The former UFC two-division champion is being charged on two counts for allegedly smashing a fan’s phone.

NFL free agency grades 2019: How the latest signings and trades rate - SBNation.com
We’ve already seen a few blockbuster moves unfold to kick off the new league year. Antonio Brown was traded, not to the Bills, but to the Raiders. The Ravens sent Joe Flacco to the Broncos, which gave the latter the space to trade Case Keenum to Washington.

5 winners, 4 losers in Antonio Brown trade between Steelers and Raiders - SBNation.com
Antonio Brown is a member of the Oakland Raiders after an ugly falling out with the Steelers. Pittsburgh sent Oakland/Soon To Be Las Vegas the superstar receiver in exchange for third- and fifth-round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft.

76ers vs. Pacers: Joel Embiid is back and suddenly Philly looks scary again - SBNation.com
After wobbling with their star dealing with nagging knee pain, the Philadelphia 76ers made a statement on Sunday.

Ranking the Top 103 NFL Free Agents of 2019 | NFL Offseason Guide 2019
Of the 700 NFL free agents available, SB Nation ranked 104 of them, and will update as teams sign players when free agency officially opens.

---

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