THE SHOTGUN THROWDOWN: West Virginia to play Xavier in Big East-Big 12 Battle

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

BIG EAST-BIG 12 BATTLE

Bob Huggins and the West Virginia men’s basketball team will be traveling to Cincinnati, Ohio, to face Xavier in December for the 2022 Big East-Big 12 Battle. Like the Mountaineers, the Musketeers also missed the NCAA Tournament this season, but XU went on to win the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). WVU is 2-1 in the Big East-Big 12 Battle after last year’s win at home over Connecticut. Xavier is one of two schools that are 3-0 in the annual event. The Mountaineers and Musketeers are 1-1 against each other. WVU defeated Xavier in 1979, and the Musketeers won the last matchup, which went into overtime in the Sweet Sixteen in 2008.

REGULAR SEASON FINALE

The West Virginia baseball team will wrap up the regular season with a Big 12 Conference series against Kansas State at home. All three games will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, and the first will start tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET. Last year, the Wildcats won the series, 2-1, but the Mountaineers lead the all-time series, 13-11.

TRANSFER PORTAL ACTION

Even the West Virginia rifle team is getting in on the transfer portal action. The Mountaineers have added Mary Tucker, who won back-to-back NCAA National Championships with Kentucky.

WEST VIRGINIA ROUNDUP

• West Virginia women’s basketball team adds Western Illinois transfer.
• Two members of the West Virginia rifle team medaled at the National Rifle Junior Olympic Championships.

AROUND THE BIG 12

• TCU’s Luke Boyers and Oklahoma’s Brett Squires were named the Big 12 Conference’s Co-Players of the Week.

AROUND THE NCAA

• The Pac-12 Conference will no longer have divisions after the NCAA Division I Council announced rule changes relating to college football’s conference championship games.

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