The Shotgun/Throwdown (3/6/19): West Virginia’s basketball attrition may not be done yet

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

FOOTBALL

Will Grier confident as ever at NFL Combine | Charleston Gazette-Mail
Will Grier might not be the first quarterback selected in this year’s NFL Draft, but could he end up being the best from this class of signal callers?

BASKETBALL

Huggins on possibility of backups transferring: 'Why not leave?' | WV MetroNews
In addressing the future of the program Tuesday, coach Bob Huggins said it was fair to believe that his team next season will have a different look than what takes the floor against Iowa State on Wednesday night.

WVU Closes Out Home Slate With An Eye Toward The Future | West Virginia University Athletics
When was the last time a Bob Huggins-coached basketball team gave up 78.7 points per game, if ever? That's what his Mountaineers are surrendering this season heading into Wednesday night's regular-season finale against Iowa State at the WVU Coliseum.

Reeling Iowa State visits Morgantown aiming to avoid upset | Charleston Gazette-Mail
The last time Iowa State and West Virginia University played basketball, the Cyclones were playing like a team that could win the Big 12 and flexed their muscles in a 25-point win against the visiting Mountaineers.

Can West Virginia slow down Cyclones the second time around? | WV MetroNews
The Mountaineers may need all the trick shots they can muster when they host the Big 12’s highest-scoring team, Iowa State (20-9, 9-7), on Wednesday night.

Control the key for Culver as WVU readies for Iowa State | WV News
In Culver’s case, speed really does kill and as he takes the Coliseum floor at 7 p.m. tonight against a deep, talented Iowa State that is 20-9 and ranked No. 25 in the nation, he’ll take another step in trying to slow his game down.

Bracket Set for Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship | West Virginia University Athletics
The bracket has been decided for the 2019 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship which will be played at Oklahoma City's Chesapeake Energy Arena from March 8-11.

WEST VIRGINIA ATHLETICS

WVU Eyeing Attendance Mark for 2019 Rifle Championships | West Virginia University Athletics
West Virginia will be eyeing an NCAA championship attendance record later this week when the WVU Coliseum becomes the venue to crown this year's NCAA rifle champion. The two-day extravaganza begins on Friday morning with the smallbore event and concludes on Saturday with the air rifle competition.

AROUND THE NCAA

A love letter to March Madness, the greatest postseason in American sports | SBNation
The college basketball postseason has arrived. Let the madness take you away.

Well, Trump serving fast food to college champions is now a White House tradition | SBNation
North Dakota State became the second national champion to be served fast food in 2019.

TODAY’S FBS TEAM PREVIEWS BY BILL C

As always, SB Nation’s Bill Connelly is working his way through every Division I FBS football team, from Bowling Green to Alabama. Check out the teams Bill has already previewed by clicking HERE.

Southern Miss might be C-USA’s best team (on the field, at least) | SBNation
Jay Hopson showed panicked decision-making by pursuing Art Briles. Going forward, he’s got an experienced roster.

When will C-USA’s most consistent program win the conference? | SBNation
The Bulldogs should improve offensively, but can they overcome the loss of an all-time great pass rusher?

Butch Davis’ FIU tenure is coming together exactly as we expected | SBNation
Davis’ experienced Panthers have overachieved a bit in his first two years, and now recent stellar recruiting could kick in.

WKU’s re-rebuild has a pretty good chance ... eventually | SBNation
The Mike Sanford era in Bowling Green ended as soon as it began, but Tyson Helton doesn’t inherit a destitute two-deep.

We’ll Know Which NFL Teams Are Paying Attention at the Draft | The Ringer
Kyler Murray’s measurements are all the rage right now, but NFL teams need to be smarter about much more than short quarterbacks. There were lessons to be learned from the combine about which players are most desirable in the modern NFL.

Nick Foles isn’t nearly enough to fix the Jaguars | SBNation
Blake Bortles was just one of many problems for the Jaguars’ offense in 2018.

An Exhaustive Breakdown of the Season 8 ‘Game of Thrones’ Trailer | The Ringer
What is Arya running from? Why is Cersei drinking? And where is the Night King? It’s time to pick apart every frame of new footage.

King Kong Bundy Was Larger Than Life | The Ringer
Remembering the elephantine, menacing, and thoroughly compelling monster

---

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