Jerry West was one of the greatest basketball players in Mountaineer history, then the West Virginia native put together a legendary NBA career to become “The Logo” for the league, and now he is showing that he is still “Mr. Clutch” as a front office executive. West’s ability to bring in superstar players for his organizations throughout the years has made him one of the best front office executives in NBA, and professional sports, history. His most recent achievement was landing the highly coveted 2019 NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard for the Los Angeles Clippers. West has continued to work with NBA teams over the years by collaborating with organizations that want him in their front office and allow him to be an integral factor in the decision making processes for the teams. Some of West’s notable free agency deals over the years include getting Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant to team up as Los Angeles Lakers, bringing Kevin Durant to the Golden State Warriors, and the addition of Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers roster with Kawhi Leonard this offseason.

Jerry West’s prestige was also seen at the NBA Summer League this past weekend. As all eyes were on Lebron James as he entered the arena, James made his way over to greet the real king of the NBA.

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Without star power at the quarterback and wide receiver positions, the West Virginia offense will rely on veteran running backs and an experienced offensive line this season. Seniors Kennedy McKoy and Martell Pettaway will lead the way at the running back position. McKoy recently sat down with members of the media to discuss this year’s Mountaineer offense and how the running backs are looking to be a crucial part of the team.

McKoy and Pettaway won’t be the only running backs carrying the workload for the Mountaineer offense. Sophomores Leddie Brown and Alek Sinkfield will also be taking reps in the backfield, giving WVU comfortable depth at the running back position.

Significant progress is being made on the new court inside the WVU Coliseum. The new court features including the state of West Virginia behind the Flying WV and the mountain silhouettes on the near sideline can already be seen.

Meanwhile, across the parking lot in the West Virginia basketball practice facility, the Mountaineers are putting in work in the weight room and on the court in offseason conditioning.

The West Virginia defense will also be looking for new leaders this season and sophomore Josh Chandler is one of the Mountaineers who will have opportunities to make a name for himself. Chandler will be taking the place of the 2018 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, former WVU linebacker David Long, who was drafted by the Tennessee Titans. Chandler believes that being a younger player will help him, as he and his fellow Mountaineer defenders adjust to the new coaching regime and strategy changes.

This week’s Workout Warriors and Academic Student of the Week have been announced for the WVU football team. Three redshirt seniors took the Workout Warrior awards last week. Linebacker and Morgantown native Shea Campbell, offensive lineman Colton McKivitz, and cornerback Keith Washington, Jr. were the three Warriors. Redshirt freshman quarterback Trent Jackson was last week’s Academic Student of the Week.

If you enjoyed hearing from Kennedy McKoy in the video above, check out these recent interviews with defensive lineman and Mountain State native Reese Donahue, wide receiver T.J. Simmons, and sophomore linebacker Josh Chandler.

That’s it for today. Have any tips, suggestions or requests for what you want to see in Mountaineer Links? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment below or contact us on social media.

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