Could Bob Huggins Leave a Roster Spot Open?

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

Football

West Virginia off to good start in 2021 recruiting, but uncertainty looms

Now that he is settled in at West Virginia, Neal Brown does not have to play catch-up as he builds the Mountaineers’ 2021 recruiting class. But with campuses across the country currently closed to visitors, the next phase of the recruiting game is full of uncertainty.

Goose is served: WVU QB commit Crowder prefers colorful nickname

West Virginia’s newest quarterback commit, Will “Goose” Crowder, will bring a colorful nickname with him when he arrives on campus in 2021. The Alabama native has also said that when he was younger he imagined playing like Mountaineer greats, such as Geno Smith.

Neal Brown Picks Up a 4-Star RB

West Virginia has picked up a four-star running back, Jaylen Anderson, from Perry, Ohio. Anderson chose the Mountaineers over Pitt, Maryland, Kentucky, Florida, and Nebraska.

Travis Trickett adapting to new coaching challenges, excited about tight end prospects

Over the past month and a half, working remotely has become a new business practice for millions across the world. West Virginia tight ends and inside receivers coach Travis Trickett has his mobile office in his basement.

Basketball

Huggins willing to leave last WVU scholarship spot vacant if necessary

One of West Virginia’s 13 scholarships is open now that guard Brandon Knapper transferred to Eastern Kentucky. Despite that departure, Bob Huggins likes what WVU has coming back next year — so much so that he does not plan to fill the final scholarship spot on the Mountaineers’ roster unless the perfect candidate comes along.

Huggins excited for potential of 2020-21 men’s basketball team

West Virginia men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins thinks next season could be a successful one with the amount of returning players combined with the quality of recruiting class coming to WVU. Next year’s Mountaineer team looks like it will be deep, talented, and experienced.

WVU’s Thorn Best Known for Drafting Chicago’s Michael Jordan

The Michael Jordan documentary, “The Last Dance,” was the best two hours of sports since the U.S. went into lockdown a month ago. West Virginia’s Rod Thorn was the man responsible for drafting Michael Jordan to the Bulls in 1984.

Three Guys Before The Game – Frank Young (Episode 199)

Former West Virginia standout Frank Young joins Tony Caridi and Brad Howe on this episode of “Three Guys Before The Game.” Young is still a Mountaineer, despite not being at WVU anymore, as he is now an assistant coach at Appalachian State.

WVU women’s basketball team adds four players

West Virginia women’s basketball coach Mike Carey announced that the team has added four players in the 2020 recruiting class on Wednesday. The newcomers consist of three guards and one forward. All four of them have previous experience at the collegiate level.

Carey, women’s hoops adjusting to life online

West Virginia women’s basketball coach Mike Carey is not alone when it comes to holding team meetings and recruiting online. Everyone in the country has been grounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, and in-person recruiting visits or team meetings are not allowed.

West Virginia Athletics

Noah Adams named NWCA First Team All-American

The honors are still rolling in for West Virginia wrestler Noah Adams. Adams, who finished the season with a perfect 32-0 record, has been named to the 2020 National Wrestling Coaches Association All-America First Team.

Freshman Impact Can’t Be Overlooked for Mountaineers

College baseball has been focusing on seniors, with the 2020 season being canceled and eligibility being given back to spring athletes. For the West Virginia baseball team, another class on the team worth talking about are the freshmen .

Mazey wins Furfari Award as state’s top college coach

West Virginia baseball coach Randy Mazey has been named the 2019-2020 Furfari Award winner. The award is give to the state of West Virginia’s College Coach of the Year.

Izzo-Brown, WVU women’s soccer team add two players

West Virginia women’s soccer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown announced the addition of two student-athletes to the team’s roster on Wednesday. The newcomers include goalkeeper Jessica Kasacek and forward Emilie Charles, who was a two-time West Virginia Girls Soccer Player of the Year at Cabell Midland.

Three Guys Before The Game – It’s A Great Day To Be A Mountaineer (Episode 198)

On this episode the “Guys” talk with producer Dan Lohmann about his latest project; the story behind “It’s a great a day to be a Mountaineer.”

Tynice Martin Selected by Los Angeles Sparks at No. 34 in 2020 WNBA Draft

West Virginia women’s basketball standout Tynice Martin was selected by the Lost Angeles Sparks as the 34th selection in the 2020 WNBA Draft. Martin is the ninth WVU women’s basketball player to be drafted.

Around the Big 12

Seven Big 12 Standouts Selected in 2020 WNBA Draft

Seven Big 12 women’s basketball players were selected in the 2020 WNBA Draft held virtually on Friday evening. The seven picks were the most since 2013 and marked the seventh time the conference had seven or more selected in a draft.

Around the NCAA

Virginia up, Kentucky down in college basketball’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2020-21

Since the first version of these rankings that ran on March 21, there have been a multitude of changes. Virginia and Kansas have moved up, while Creighton and Kentucky have dropped down. Where does West Virginia sit now?

Ohio State basketball transfer Luther Muhammad announces he’s headed to Arizona State

Nine days after Ohio State announced that sophomore guard Luther Muhammad was planning to transfer, the former top-100 national recruit revealed that he will play next at Arizona State. Muhammad averaged 25 minutes and seven points per game for the Buckeyes.

Imagine the Playoff arguments if college football had no non-conference games

Non-conference games have a big impact on college football. Check out what the College Football Playoffs might have been like over the years if teams did not play games outside of their league.

PGA Tour, A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier cancel remaining years of contract

The PGA Tour’s West Virginia stop, A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier, is not just skipping this season because of COVID-19 rescheduling. Tournament organizers have canceled the remaining six years of its contract, which was to have run through 2026.

Tell us the best team to never win an NBA title

Many NBA teams were close to championships, but couldn’t reach the top. Which of those teams is the best? SB Nation needs your help in picking one NBA non-champion to rule them all.

TITLELESS: 16 overachieving NBA teams who ultimately fell short of a championship

Some great non-champion NBA teams were not supposed to be great teams until they showed off in the playoffs. Here are 16 near-miss playoff runs defined by outperforming their talent, seed, or both.

TITLELESS: 16 NBA championship contenders who weren’t good enough

The cold, hard reality of the NBA Playoffs is that only one team can be champion. These 16 teams just weren’t quite good enough.

TITLELESS: 16 NBA teams who were robbed of a championship

So many potential great teams were cut short due to injury, mismanagement, or forces beyond their control. Check out this list of NBA teams that could have been champions.

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