John Antonik: Fans entertained at The Greenbrier

[43rd Parallel]

AN EXCERPT:



"The thing about (Jordan Thompson) is he has made himself into a good receiver," said wide receivers coach Lonnie Galloway. "He understands how to work over the middle and being here with Tavon (Austin) has helped him. He got to play a year with Tavon and it was one of those things where he has developed and made himself into a good player. He understands where we want him to be and I wish I had two or three more of him."

Freshman running back Wendell Smallwood, ripped off a 56-yard touchdown run and finished the afternoon with a scrimmage-best 89 yards on only eight carries working with both the first and second groups.

Thomas-Williams was helped off the field later in the scrimmage and he spent the rest of the afternoon standing on the sidelines with his helmet off.

WVUsports.com

 

[43rd Parallel]

Cam Huffman: Players, coaches thrilled with Greenbrier experience

AN EXCERPT:


"The thing that's so awesome is all that space out there," said Holgorsen, who has been pushing WVU to build a better practice facility in Morgantown. "Two fields to practice is a tremendous idea. I didn't know how to set up our schedule and where to put everybody, because we've never had all this space."
"You have two full grass fields, and they're both functional," added defensive coordinator Tony Gibson who, along with Holgorsen, was at the facility in July to check out the Saints. "You get so much more done. We're on our game field a lot, because our practice field isn't good at this point. It's kind of crammed, because everybody is in one spot. Here you have the luxury of spreading out and getting a lot more work done."

Beckley Register-Herald

 

[43rd Parallel]

Bob Hertzel: Holgorsen names 'clear-cut No. 1' at quarterback

AN EXCERPT:


He is a clear-cut No. 1. It's not even close," said Holgorsen prior to his Mountaineers' practice at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, held in conjunction with a fundraiser for the cancer hospital there.

"He's a different kid. He's operating well. I sure hope I'm not jinxing him," Holgorsen continued. "He looks great. His teammates believe in him; his coaches believe in him."

Fairmont Times/West Virginian

 

[43rd Parallel]

Grant Dovey: Cramer's homer lifts Mountaineers to victory

AN EXCERPT:


West Virginia and Oklahoma return for the rubber match on Sunday at 11 a.m. The game has been designated as Kid's Day, where kids 12 and under can run the bases and receive autographs following the game.

West Virginia will send sophomore right-hander Chad Donato (5-3) to the mound, and he will face Oklahoma right-hander Robert Tasin (6-1).


WVUsports.com

 

[43rd Parallel]

Max Olson: Texas spring game: What we learned

AN EXCERPT:

1. Quarterback battle gets some clarity: [/B]Charlie Strong didn't definitively name his starting quarterback after the scrimmage, but he did give a rather honest assessment of where Jerrod Heard stand. Simply put: "Ty is still the No. 1 guy at this point," Strong said. Swoopes threw for 159 yards on 17-of-31 passing and Heard hit 20-of-29 for 177 yards. Both QBs rushed for one touchdown and threw one interception, though Swoopes' was called back on a penalty. "Tyrone came into the spring as the starter. I don't know that Heard has done anything yet to unseat him as the starter," Strong said. But the redshirt freshman passer has closed the gap in recent weeks in a competition that'll continue throughout the summer and into fall camp.

ESPN

 

[43rd Parallel]

Brandon Chatmon: Mountaineers searching for stars up front

AN EXCERPT:

Redshirt freshman Yodny Cajuste, who looks poised to earn a starting spot at left tackle, could be the Mountaineers' best chance to have a star on the offensive line in the future, even as early as this fall. The Florida native was impressive during his redshirt season in 2014, sparking a move to guard by last season's starting left tackle Adam Pankey and making him a guy to keep an eye on in 2015.

ESPN

 

[43rd Parallel]

Brandon Chatmon: Oklahoma State spring game: What we learned

AN EXCERPT:

Up and down day for the Cowboys quarterbacks:[/B] The Cowboys offense began with a whimper after back-to-back interceptions to start the game. Projected starting quarterback Zac Veatch. Walsh used his legs on a touchdown run once he settled in.

Early enrollee quarterback John Kolar was a pleasant surprise in his first public action in an OSU uniform, making plays with his legs and arm while displaying an uncanny calm that is not often seen in true freshman signal callers during their first collegiate action in front of a crowd.

ESPN

 

[43rd Parallel]

Jake Trotter: Big 12 mailbag

QUESTION:
How does OSU's secondary rank amongst the Big12?

ANSWER:
West Virginia has the No. 1 secondary in the Big 12 going into the season. Michael Hunter. Oklahoma State should be feisty defending the pass.


ESPN

 

[43rd Parallel]

Mitch Vingle: Cody Clay shines for Mountaineers

AN EXCERPT:

Yet on the field, in the middle of the action, was Cody Clay, a 6-foot-4, 265-pound redshirt senior plugger from Alum Creek and George Washington High. Clay is easy to miss, especially surrounded by running back Rushel Shell and wideout Daikiel Shorts and the rest of the skill players.

But in that carnival atmosphere, Clay is a prize. He's a trend-setter for WVU, and he's a key to the Mountaineer offense this coming season. Just ask him.

"I've felt like that for the last two years," Clay said after almost two hours of scrimmaging Saturday. "It's cool because I'm from West Virginia.

"When I got here, I thought I'd maybe play some special teams. You can ask my dad. He thought so too. Then to get significant time has been special."

On Saturday one got a glimpse of what Clay can mean. Redshirt freshman Donte Thomas-Williams took a handoff, went right and received a seal block from the GW grad. Thomas-Williams, aka DTW, knew what to do the rest of the way. Touchdown.



This post was edited on 4/19 8:15 AM by 43rd Parallel

Charleston Gazette

 

[43rd Parallel]

Dave Hickman: Cleaning out a crowded notebook

AN EXCERPT:

The departure of BillyDee Williams from West Virginia's basketball team earlier this week should have come as absolutely no surprise.

I kind of liked Williams and his game, actually. He could play inside and out, shoot 3s and mix it up a little bit. But at 6-foot-6 he was a classic tweener, a guy who had pretty good ball skills for a big and decent ability around the basket for a wing. But he wasn't big enough to play inside and those pretty good ball skills for a big weren't good enough outside.

The bigger issue, though, was that Williams was pretty much the only guy who didn't fully buy into Bob Huggins' all-effort, all-the-time dictum. It's why he played in just 18 of the team's 35 games and finished with one more point (22) than he had fouls.

His departure, of course, opens a scholarship. Whether Huggins uses it or not likely depends on who he can find to fill the spot. Unless it's the right guy, it might not be worth filling given that Huggins would be committing to a four-year (high school) or two-year (junior college) scholarship that would have come open next year anyway.

Charleston Gazette

 

[43rd Parallel]

Jeff Dickerson: McShay says Bears should draft White or trade pick

AN EXCERPT:


"I'd much rather if I'm Chicago try and move back. It sounds nice and everybody says it, but you just never know what offer you are going to get. But I think they're at a position at No. 7 where they can gauge any good, viable options to move back, and if not, and Kevin White from West Virginia is sitting there, I think he'd be a great fit."
The addition of White would give the Bears a formidable group of wide receivers, even after the club traded five-time Pro Bowler New York Jets in the offseason.
"Now you look at what you have in terms of playmakers, and with Eddie Royal] down to the No. 3 role, and now you have a dangerous wide receiver core.

ESPN

 

[43rd Parallel]

Geoff Coyle: Huggins returns to roots, gets back to who he is

AN EXCERPT:

There is a reason the man ranks 12th all-time in Division-I victories with 765 under his belt.

"I'm not changing anymore," he said. "I'm going to be Bob Huggins. I'm going to be the guy I was when I started in this business, and I'm going to be that guy until I quit. This is what I am, and if you can't deal with that, don't come."

West Virginia Illustrated

 

[43rd Parallel]

Jon Rothstein: 5 impact transfers for 2015-16 college hoops

EXCERPTS:


NC State: Coach Mark Gottfried only loses Ralston Turner from this season's group that reached the Sweet 16 and Henderson looks primed to take his place at small forward. The 6-4 sniper made 47 three-point shots two years ago and shot 37.6 percent from downtown. Henderson averaged 11.7 points for the Mountaineers in 2013-14.
Michigan State: A sniper with unbelievable confidence, Harris drilled 89 three-point shots two years ago at West Virginia while shooting over 40 percent from long distance. Look for his presence to take pressure off both Tum Tum Nairn and Denzel Valentine on the Spartans' perimeter.

CBS Sports

 

[43rd Parallel]

Joe Rexrode: Harris will help Michigan State at point

(Story is a couple of months old. Just noticed it while surfing.)

AN EXCERPT:

"Eron Harris is the one thing we are missing right now in maybe a guy that can get a shot for himself, totally," Izzo said of the 6-foot-3 West Virginia transfer who had to sit out this season under NCAA transfer rules. "He can get one for you and me. He brings a different dimension."


The sleek, athletic Harris scored 17.2 points a game last season and terrorizes MSU's regulars as a member of the scout team this season. He is emulating Illinois guard Malcolm Hill in advance of Saturday's game at the Breslin Center (noon, ESPN). And much of this season has also been about expanding his own game.
"He came in a complete scorer and now we've played him at nothing but the point the whole season," Izzo said. "He is a much better passer and much better recognition guy. I think if there's ever a guy that has used his redshirt year to his advantage, I think of a few guys I've had, nobody has done what he's done with his."
Harris would like to help on the court now, of course. But he should be stronger and prepared to help at the point and wing as a junior in 2015-16.
"I'm transforming myself into the player I need to be," Harris said. "I'm here, and it's all or nothing for me."


Detroit Free Press

 

[Original Mountaineer1]

I'll have to wait and see here. The guy had no handles at WVU

I mean none. No ability to get to the rim or create. Maybe he worked hard in that piece of his game. We shall see

 

[43rd Parallel]

Re: I'll have to wait and see here. The guy had no handles at WVU

Originally posted by Original Mountaineer1:
I mean none. No ability to get to the rim or create. Maybe he worked hard in that piece of his game. We shall see

I was very surprised to read that Coach Izzo was using him exclusively at point. Ball-handling, penetration and getting back on defense (especially) were not his trademarks. I share your skepticism, but Izzo has forgotten more basketball than I'll ever know.

 

[VaultHunter]

Guarantee Harris and Henderson are both big time players for Michigan State and NC State next season.

 

[WVmtnBikEER]

AN EXCERPT:





Freshman running back Wendell Smallwood, ripped off a 56-yard touchdown run and finished the afternoon with a scrimmage-best 89 yards on only eight carries working with both the first and second groups.

Thomas-Williams was helped off the field later in the scrimmage and he spent the rest of the afternoon standing on the sidelines with his helmet off.

WVUsports.com

This is WRONG. It actually said, "With Wendell Smallwood sitting out due to an undisclosed injury, the 6’1″ 225 lb running back from Durham, NC ripped off a 56-yard touchdown run. He finished the afternoon with a scrimmage best 89 yards on only eight carries." Referring to DTW.

http://www.bluegoldsports.com/rb-donte-thomas-williams-asserting-himself-at-wvu-spring-practice/