THE SHOTGUN THROWDOWN: Oliver Luck and Ken Kendrick found Country Roads Trust

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

COUNTRY ROADS TRUST

Oliver Luck, former West Virginia quarterback and Director of Athletics, and Ken Kendrick, WVU alumnus and managing general partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, have launched the Country Roads Trust. The trust was created to assist WVU athletes with receiving name, image, and likeness opportunities.

The organization also has an amazing Athlete Advisory Team with many notable former Mountaineers. The committee includes former WVU and NBA basketball star Jerry West, former football coach Don Nehlen, former WVU and Indianapolis Colts kicker Pat McAfee, legendary quarterback Pat White, beloved basketball star Da’Sean Butler, Olympic Gold Medalist Ginny Thrasher, All-American football player Darryl Talley, gymnastics standout Jaida Lawrence Hart, basketball player Mike Gansey, and WVU and MLB infielder Jedd Gyorko.

CLOSE TO VICTORY

The West Virginia men’s basketball team could have made its game against #5 Baylor even more interesting if the Mountaineers had finished close shots at the rim. WVU fell to the Bears, 77-68, and what stood out to head coach Bob Huggins was the Mountaineers’ inability to score when they were within inches of the basket. Huggins has seen this as an ongoing problem for WVU and he would like to see his players take the time to improve that aspect of their games.

WEST VIRGINIA ROUNDUP

• The spring portion of the rifle season starts for West Virginia this weekend. The Mountaineers, who are ranked third in the nation, will be traveling to the U.S. Naval Academy to face the #10 Midshipmen.
• The West Virginia gymnastics team is ranked in the top 25 of two different events in the Road to Nationals Rankings. The Mountaineers checked in at #4 in the country in the floor exercise, which has been one of WVU’s stronger lineups, and #18 on beam.

AROUND THE BIG 12

• #18 Texas Tech defeated the #15 Iowa State men’s basketball team on Tuesday, 72-60. Senior forward Bryson Williams led the Red Raiders with 16 points.
• Kansas State upset another Big 12 basketball team with its 66-65 win over #23 Texas on Tuesday.

AROUND THE NCAA

• Florida State upset the #6 Duke men’s basketball team in overtime on Tuesday, 79-78. Sophomore guard Caleb Mills led the Seminoles with 18 points and two blocks.

ODDS AND ENDS

• A Dallas defender and the Patriots new quarterback were the NFL’s top rookies this season.

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