The Shotgun/Throwdown (3/28/19): T.J. Simmons is Ready to Lead the West Virginia Receivers

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

Football

Former Alabama Transfer Simmons Now One of WVU’s Most Experienced WRs - West Virginia University Athletics
T.J. Simmons has played for Nick Saban at Alabama. He has played for Dana Holgorsen at West Virginia, and now he is on his third coach, Neal Brown.

Despite The Changes, It’s Still Football To Washington Jr. - West Virginia University Athletics
A new coaching staff means a new scheme for the West Virginia football players, and while many of the offensive concepts the Mountaineers were taught under former coach Dana Holgorsen are still applicable in Neal Brown's system, on the defensive side of the ball it's a different story.

WV MetroNews Brown says West Virginia will be great — it's just a matter of when - WV MetroNews
Neal Brown sees great things ahead for his West Virginia team, just not at this stage of spring practice.

WVU football notebook: Neal Brown sees improvement from Mountaineers at Tuesday's spring practice | WVU Gameday | wvgazettemail.com
West Virginia football coach Neal Brown did not dance around how he felt about the Mountaineers performance last week on Saturday in the team’s third practice of the spring.

Linebacker Brendan Ferns Hangs Up Cleats - The Smoking Musket
West Virginia linebacker Brendan Ferns announced yesterday that he is retiring from football after accepting a medical scholarship. Ferns, who was one of the top recruits for former head coach Dana Holgorsen, only appeared in eight games after suffering a multitude of injuries.

Basketball

Northwestern eliminates WVU from WNIT
The West Virginia women’s basketball team led by as many as 18 points in the first half, but it couldn’t hold on in a 56-54 loss to Northwestern in the third round of the 2019 Postseason WNIT last night at the WVU Coliseum.

WV MetroNews Three Guys Before The Game - It Is Over (Episode 104) - WV MetroNews
Brad Howe, Nathan Adrian, and Tony Caridi discuss the final game of the season and an off-season that is expected to include major roster moves.

WV MetroNews The wrongs and a few rights of West Virginia's basketball season - WV MetroNews
A season that began with so much promise ended with West Virginia’s defense giving up an unfortunate record-breaking performance.

Tom Bragg: CBI beatdown leaves WVU basketball with more questions this offseason | Tom Bragg | wvgazettemail.com
Two weeks ago, the West Virginia men’s basketball team was riding high in the court of public opinion. Fast forward to today, and, well, WVU’s not riding so high.

West Virginia Athletics

Armstrong, Dixon Begin NCAA Men’s Championships - West Virginia University Athletics
Senior Jake Armstrong and sophomore David Dixon of the West Virginia men's swimming and diving team are ready for the 2019 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships.

Koshinski Named All-America First Team - West Virginia University Athletics
For the first time in 13 years, a West Virginia gymnast has earned All-America First Team accolades, as senior Kirah Koshinski has been named to the Regular-Season All-America Vault First Team.

WV MetroNews Mountaineers trounce Thundering Herd in Charleston - WV MetroNews
The game got out of hand quickly as the Mountaineers scored nine runs on five hits in the third inning. The Thundering Herd committed two errors in the inning. Eight of West Virginia’s runs scored with one out as the Mountaineers sent 12 men to the plate in the inning.

West Virginia Takes Ninth at The Hootie - West Virginia University Athletics
A pair of Mountaineer sophomores came away with top-20 finishes as the West Virginia golf team finished ninth at The Hootie Intercollegiate, hosted at Bull's Bay Golf Club in Awendaw, South Carolina.

WVU Competes Coast-to-Coast This Weekend - West Virginia University Athletics
The West Virginia track and field team splits to compete in four meets, as the Mountaineers will be represented at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic, in Hayward, California, the Stanford Invitational, in Stanford, California, the 92nd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, in Austin, Texas, and the Raleigh Relays, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

WVU baseball cruises past Marshall 15-3 in Charleston | WVU Gameday | wvgazettemail.com
The Mountaineers destroyed their in-state rival 15-3 yesterday in Charleston. West Virginia will return to Morgantown this weekend to face Oklahoma.

Trio Set for Selection Match - West Virginia University Athletics
Three from the West Virginia rifle team are set to compete at the USA Shooting Rifle/Pistol Spring Selection Match.

Around the Big 12

The Preview: Texas Tech looks for second straight Elite 8 appearance - Viva The Matadors
The Red Raiders will have to go past the Wolverines of Michigan to reach the Elite 8.

Big 12 spring focus on Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma, Tom Herman and Texas
The next Oklahoma quarterback to make a run at the Heisman Trophy is Jalen Hurts. He tops the Big 12's spring football story lines along with Texas.

David Beaty, suing Kansas over his buyout, says KU’s response is false - SBNation.com
David Beaty has accused Kansas of trying to drum up reasons for not paying his $3 million buyout.

Around the NCAA

Sweet 16 of March Madness: 16 things you should know in 2019 - SBNation.com
The Sweet 16 returns on Thursday and Friday, and the 2019 installment should be fantastic.

The 7 best moments of the NCAA women’s tournament so far - SBNation.com
Between tight games, triple-doubles, and upsets, there’s been plenty of drama and excitement to go around.

Building a college football team using 2019 NCAA Tournament players - SBNation.com
We’ve seen these guys dominate on the court, but what if they suited up on the gridiron?

Zion Williamson’s shoe explosion, as explained by a biomechanics expert - SBNation.com
A failed shoe became a talking point. Let's take a look at why it happened.

Trae Young highlights: Every savage pass in the Hawks rookie’s bag of tricks - SBNation.com
The Atlanta Hawks’ rookie is already one of the NBA’s best passers. Here are all the ways he slices up defenses.

Why the NFL’s new pass interference rule is a win for everyone - SBNation.com
Retired NFL lineman Geoff Schwartz weighs in on why this should be seen as a welcome change for both the league and the fans.

Will the AAF really shut down if NFL players don’t step in? - SBNation.com
The Alliance of American Football is only seven weeks into its inaugural season, but its future may be in danger. The AAF’s lead investor says it might shut down without NFL players.

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