The Shotgun/Throwdown: What’s the next chip to fall in conference realignment and what’s next for Best Virginia?

Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown.

It’s a light news day. Let’s have a great Friday, shall we?

REALIGNMENT IS BACK ON THE MENU... With Colorado officially announcing they’ll be returning to the Big 12 Conference in 2024, the wheels of realignment are beginning to churn. Brett McMurphy reported yesterday evening that the Big 12 is actively seeking more Pac-12 programs to join in time for the 2024 season.

So where does that leave the Pac-12? Nowhere good, that’s for sure. If any more Pac-12 teams exit, the conference as you know it is effectively dead. They may try to backfill with Group of 5 programs, but the perception of the conference will be no better than the much more entertaining, in my opinion, Sun Belt Conference. The list of candidates that have allegedly already applied to join the Pac-12 is about what you’d expect, although I was slightly surprised to see USF on the list.

WHERE DOES BEST VIRGINIA GO FROM HERE?... Best Virginia’s journey in The Basketball Tournament took an unexpected turn Thursday night, as they faced an early exit from the competition. Falling to Herd That in the West Virginia Regional semifinals, the WVU alumni squad struggled to maintain their early lead and faltered in the second half. While the loss stings for fans and players alike, it also brings to light a critical challenge the team seems to be grappling with.

The primary issue plaguing Best Virginia appears to be the difficulty in finding more recent Mountaineer alumni that can step up and fill crucial spots on the roster. The reliance on the more seasoned alumni has been evident in the team’s performance, but the need for young, talent has become increasingly pressing. Best Virginia has had to add players with no WVU connection to the team as a response. As the core members of the squad age, there should be a growing concern about the team’s sustainability moving forward.

Does Best Virginia have another run in them? Who would you like to see join the team?

MUSKET MIXTAPE... 6’7” Israeli forward Ofri Naveh committed to WVU this morning... Josh Eilert hired former Texas Tech and Houston head coach James Dickey as Senior Advisor for the men’s basketball program... The ACC is “absolutely” open to expanding the conference...


SONG(S) OF THE DAY... “Highwayman” by The Highwaymen
I will be sharing a variety of genres here. If you don’t like today’s song, there’s always tomorrow. Don’t ruin the vibe.