The Shotgun/Throwdown (4/2/19): Spring Practice Continues for Neal Brown and the Mountaineers

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Football

Mountaineers Get Some Good Scrimmage Work In Saturday - West Virginia University Athletics
There were a lot of positives during West Virginia’s first controlled scrimmage of the spring, according to coach Neal Brown. He said the defense had the upper hand during the early portion of the scrimmage while the offense performed better during situational work, specifically third down, red zone, and goal line situations.

WVU football: Mountaineers' defense ahead of offense in first scrimmage | WVU Gameday | wvgazettemail.com
In WVU’s first scrimmage of spring football practice, head coach Neal Brown has an early idea of which side of the ball his team’s strengths are on.

WVU football notebook: Expect defense to look different in 2019 | WVU Gameday | wvgazettemail.com
With a new defensive coordinator comes new defensive schemes for the West Virginia football team. The 3-3-5 set that Mountaineers fans have known for years is now gone, as new defensive coordinator Vic Koenning is switching things up.

Leddie Brown Could Be a Key Part of WVU’s Ground Game - West Virginia University Athletics
After checking out last year's tape of the West Virginia's running backs, new co-offensive coordinator Chad Scott came to one big conclusion. He realized that these Mountaineer running back were too good to be getting tackled so frequently in the open field.

WV MetroNews Campbell: Scheme change will be key to replacing David Long - WV MetroNews
West Virginia will be hard-pressed to replace linebacker David Long, but defensive coordinator Vic Koenning's scheme may offer a blueprint.

WVU football: Tonkery overcomes injury to get back on the field for Mountaineers | WVU Gameday | wvgazettemail.com
Mountaineer linebacker Dylan Tonkery is glad to be back on the football field again. Tonkery is working to overcome prior injuries, as he returns for WVU.

WV MetroNews JoVanni Stewart better suited for Spear position - WV MetroNews
Senior JoVanni Stewart is in a more natural position after necessity forced him to play linebacker last season. Last season, a wave of injuries forced defensive coaches to make the safety one of the nation’s most undersized linebackers.

Assistant Coaches Media Session - West Virginia University Athletics
WVU defensive assistant coaches met with the media last week at the Milan Puskar Center Team Room. Check out what the coaches had to say about their strategic plans.

WV MetroNews Practice notes: West Virginia 'dodges big bullet' with Josh Sills leg injury - WV MetroNews
One of West Virginia's top offensive linemen is out with an injury, but the Mountaineers are thankful it wasn't worse. Right guard Josh Sills is out after having his left leg rolled up by a teammate last week.

WVU football: Recruiting remains productive with spring halfway complete | WVU Gameday | wvgazettemail.com
Saturday marked the halfway point of spring football at West Virginia. It was also a big weekend for recruiting for head coach Neal Brown.

WVU’s Pogue Works Hard at Having Fun - West Virginia University Athletics
WVU assistant coach Al Pogue was mic'd up for practice last week, and his enthusiasm during practice could not be matched.

What are you hoping to see when the Mountaineers unveil their new uniforms?

Basketball

WV MetroNews 5 questions facing the basketball offseason for West Virginia - WV MetroNews
The loss against Coastal Carolina in the second round of the CBI was not an ending to months of confusion and drama for the Mountaineers. As WVU looks to make changes on the roster, here are five questions heading into next season.

Martin to Return for 2019-20 Campaign - West Virginia University Athletics
Following the team's season-ending loss to Northwestern, West Virginia guard Tynice Martin announced that she will return for the 2019-20 season.

Derek Redd: With so many WVU basketball scholarship openings, needs are plenty | Derek Redd | wvgazettemail.com
The exit door for the WVU men’s basketball locker room needs its hinges reinforced. It has been getting plenty of work. Forwards Lamont West and Andrew Gordon will be joining guards Beetle Bolden and Trey Doomes in the transfer portal.

West Virginia Athletics

Dixon Concludes NCAAs with 200 Fly - West Virginia University Athletics
Sophomore David Dixon of the West Virginia men's swimming and diving team finished competition at the 2019 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships. Dixon earned a 20th-place finish in the 200 butterfly.

WVU Sweeps Two as Lisac Earns 100th Career Win - West Virginia University Athletics
The West Virginia tennis team improved to 10-7 and dominated a nonconference doubleheader, as the Mountaineers defeated California University of Pennsylvania, 7-0, and Towson, 7-0, on Saturday. The win over California (PA) marked coach Miha Lisac's 100th career win.

Mountaineers Earn Series Win Over No. 19 Oklahoma - The Smoking Musket
Strong pitching and timely offense propelled West Virginia to two wins over #19 Oklahoma this weekend. The Mountaineers claimed a series victory and momentum going into this week with a matchup against Pitt.

Trio Place in Top-11 at Spring Selection - West Virginia University Athletics
Three from the Mountaineer rifle team finished in the top 11 of the two day women's 50m 3 positions competition at the USA Shooting Rifle/Pistol Spring Selection Match. Senior Ginny Thrasher finished second overall.

WVU Closes Busy, Cross-Country Weekend - West Virginia University Athletics
The WVU track and field team concluded its four-meet weekend at the Raleigh Relays and the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.

Two Mountaineers Compete at Fanelli Classic - West Virginia University Athletics
Redshirt freshman Katherine Dowie and freshman Mikenna Vanderheyden of the West Virginia track and field team competed at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic. Dowie earned a fifth place finish and Vanderheyden took 23rd place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Meet the Mountaineers: Briana Lynch - West Virginia University Athletics
Throughout the spring semester, Mountaineer fans will have the unique opportunity to get acquainted with the WVU volleyball team. Next up is Briana Lynch.

Hugo Ellouk Joins Mountaineers - West Virginia University Athletics
West Virginia men's soccer coach Marlon LeBlanc has announced that Hugo Ellouk has transferred to WVU and will join the program for the 2019 season. A defender from Paris, France, Ellouk comes to WVU after he played his freshman season at Omaha. He will be a sophomore next year for the Mountaineers.

Sunahara Adds de Souza to Coaching Staff - West Virginia University Athletics
The West Virginia volleyball program added a new member to its coaching staff last week, as head coach Reed Sunahara announced the hiring of assistant coach Adriano de Souza. De Souza joins the Mountaineer staff after spending seven seasons as the head volleyball coach at Louisiana Tech.

Around the Big 12

RECAP: No. 3 Red Raiders 75, No. 1 Gonzaga 69 - Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech is going to the Final Four for the first time in program history after earning a 75-69 win over Gonzaga with Jarrett Culver going for 19 points and six rebounds.

Baylor women’s basketball is ready for the big time - SBNation.com
Powered by a suffocating defense, the Lady Bears are ready to take it all.

Around the NCAA

Final Four teams, ranked by their chances of winning the national championship - SBNation.com
Let’s rank the last four teams standing in the NCAA tournament.

Mike Krzyzewski failed Zion Williamson at Duke in 4 major ways - SBNation.com
Somehow, Duke couldn’t make the Final Four with Zion Williamson. Michigan State shocked the world in the Elite Eight, ending the career of the one of the best college players in recent memory, just one game before the sport’s biggest stage.

NFL fans voted, and the Browns are one of 8 division favorites in 2019 - SBNation.com
Optimism for the team is so sky high that even fans of other AFC North teams can’t help but admit that the Browns look formidable.

2019 NFL mock draft: April is here, and every pick is wide open - SBNation.com
The 2019 NFL Draft is now just a few short weeks away, and there is still plenty of uncertainty about how things will play out.

Is the NFL in danger of making its games last too long? - SBNation.com
Now that NFL coaches can challenge pass interference, you can probably expect to see more replay reviews.

Zion Williamson mania: How NBA Draft policy changes affected his stock - SBNation.com
Zion Williamson’s extraordinary and brief college career could be over now that the star’s Blue Devils lost in the Elite Eight on Sunday. Williamson is overwhelmingly favored to go first in June’s 2019 NBA Draft, so many believe he will soon declare the end of his days in Durham.

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