Best Virginia to Host Regional in TBT

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

Football

Dontae Wright hired as WVU outside linebackers coach

Dontae Wright has been hired as the new outside linebackers coach for the West Virginia football team. Wright will fill the hole left by the departure of Al Pogue, who joined Auburn’s coaching staff earlier this month.

Basketball

Best Virginia to host TBT regional in Charleston

The Basketball Tournament (TBT) will make its return this summer, and the West Virginia men’s basketball alumni team, Best Virginia, is also returning. In its second year of playing in the competition, Best Virginia will be a host for the first two rounds of the tournament in Charleston on July 24-26.

Derek Culver responds to benching with energetic performance

Bob Huggins pulled sophomore forward Derek Culver out of the starting lineup for #17 West Virginia’s matchup with Oklahoma State on Tuesday. Culver responded well by coming in to give WVU a boost defensively, and he added six points and 10 rebounds.

#17 West Virginia Struggles Early, Surges Late In 65-47 Win

#17 West Virginia struggled early, but a strong finish to the first half sparked an onslaught that ultimately finished in a 65-47 victory over Oklahoma State. WVU head coach Bob Huggins now has 879 wins, tying Dean Smith as the sixth winningest coach of all-time.

Mountaineer women fall at Texas

The West Virginia women’s basketball team suffered a 50-44 loss to Texas on Monday. WVU sophomore Kari Niblack led the Mountaineers with 16 points and seven rebounds.

Martin Named to Wade Trophy Midseason Watch List

Redshirt senior Tynice Martin of the West Virginia women’s basketball team has been named to the Wade Torphy Midseason Watch List. The Mountaineer guard is averaging almost 15 points per game for WVU.

West Virginia Athletics

Offense comes alive for WVU baseball in home-opening win

The West Virginia baseball team collected 15 runs on 17 hits in a 15-8 win over Canisius in the team’s 2020 home opener. Seven Mountaineers registered an RBI, while five recorded multiple hits.

WVU’s Stratford Supports Proposal to Alter NCAA Men’s Soccer Season

The NCAA is preparing to vote on a proposal to change Division I men’s soccer from a three-month season in the fall to one that spans the fall and spring semesters of an academic year. West Virginia men’s soccer coach Dan Stratford is in favor of this change because it could benefit the players.

Three Mountaineers named to Canadian U-20 squad

Three members of the West Virginia women’s soccer team have been named to the Canadian Women’s Soccer U-20 National Team for the upcoming CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship. The three Mountaineers include sophomore goalkeeper Kayza Massey, freshman midfielder Maya Ladhani, and freshman forward Leonie Portelance.

Around the Big 12

Baylor’s Kim Mulkey Becomes Fastest Coach Ever to Win 600 Games

#2 Baylor’s head coach Kim Mulkey made history with the Lady Bears’ 77-62 victory over Texas Tech on Tuesday. Mulkey won her 600th game in the 700th game of her career, making her the fastest Division I coach ever to reach that benchmark.

Devon Dotson is the catalyst Kansas basketball needs for a title run

Devon Dotson is a skilled scorer and an intense defender for the #3 Kansas Jayhawks. These attributes could make the KU guard the leader of a championship run for the team.

Tech Baseball Reaches No. 1, Rombach Earns National Awards

Texas Tech baseball is the new #1 team in the country in two major polls, as Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association each have the Red Raiders slotted in the top spot. TTU freshman catcher Nate Rombach was also named the National Player of the Week by D1Baseball/AstroTurf.

Five on Wade Trophy Watch List

#2 Baylor’s Te’a Cooper and Lauren Cox along with Kansas State’s Peyton Williams, Oklahoma State’s Vivian Gray, and West Virginia’s Tynice Martin remain on the midseason watch list for the 2020 Wade Trophy.

Around the NCAA

Bracketology 2020: The NCAA tournament field is suspiciously boring

For the fifth week in a row, the same four teams hold down the regional anchor spots. Where does West Virginia land in this Bracketology?

John Beilein coaching the Cavaliers was a mistake from the start

John Beilein is suddenly out as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers just 54 games into a five-year contract. Beilein is one of the older rookie NBA head coaches in the modern era, having spent 40 years coaching college basketball.

The case for the Boston Celtics as an NBA championship contender

Boston is much more dangerous than last year and should be taken more seriously alongside the other clear championship contenders. The Celtics should be mentioned with the Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks as a legitimate threat to win the NBA championship.

How John Beilein and the Cavaliers fell apart so quickly

Hiring 67-year-old John Beilein with no NBA coaching experience to rebuild the Cleveland Cavaliers was always a bizarre choice. But few head coaching experiences in league history have ever gone this poorly, this quickly.

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