Tag: Mountaineers

West Virginia President Pushes for College Football this Fall

West Virginia president Gordon Gee spoke about college football being played in 2020 and is willing to suit up to make sure it happens

Do you remember the name Gordon Gee?

Years ago while the president at Ohio State, Gee was pressured away from his post for making slanderous comments about Catholics, Notre Dame and the Polish.

Gee is drawing the headlines again, but at least this time it’s not another act of bigotry.  No, now working as the president at West Virginia University, Gee is offering to suit up in order to make sure college football is played this fall.

“We are going to play football in the fall, I really do believe that,”  Gee said to WOWK-TV.  “Even if I have to suit up!”

For the record, Gee is 76 years old.  He went on to say that they’ll play football, based on it being safe and healthy for fans and student-athletes.

“But I do believe that we will play football” Gee added.

Alright, sign me up for college football being played this fall and Gee suiting up.

And then please get Jack Swarbrick to get West Virginia on the schedule immediately.

Baylor at West Virginia college basketball odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Baylor Bears at West Virginia Mountaineers sports betting odds and lines, with college basketball betting picks and tips.

The Baylor Bears (26-3, 15-2 Big 12) visit the West Virginia Mountaineers (20-10, 8-9) Saturday at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, W.Va., for a 1 p.m. ET tip-off. We analyze the Baylor-West Virginia odds and betting lines, with college basketball betting advice and tips around this matchup.

Baylor at West Virginia: Three things you need to know

  1. After sitting atop the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll for several weeks, Baylor has gone 2-2 and dropped to No. 4. The Bears needed overtime to get past the unranked Texas Tech Red Raiders 71-68 Monday at home in their last game.
  2. The Mountaineers recently snapped a three-game skid with a 77-71 win Tuesday at an under-.500 Iowa State Cyclones squad. West Virginia is 2-6 straight up and against the spread in its last 8 games.
  3. Baylor took the first regular-season matchup 70-59 at home Feb. 15, led by G Jared Butler’s 21 points. The Bears covered as a 5-point favorite, and the game finished Under the projected total of 130. G Taz Sherman scored a season-high 20 points off the bench to lead the Mountaineers.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Baylor at West Virginia: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:25 a.m. ET.

Prediction

West Virginia 64, Baylor 59

Moneyline (ML)

AVOID. West Virginia (-110) is 13-2 at home. Baylor (-110) is 8-1 on the road with the one setback occurring to unranked TCU – the Bears were 9.5-point favorites. I’m going to PASS and focus on the spread.

Against the Spread (ATS)

WEST VIRGINIA -1 (-106) is the STRONGEST PLAY. The Mountaineers’ two home losses were to top-ranked Kansas, which was No. 3 at the time, and to unranked Oklahoma as an 8-point favorite last Saturday. Granted, Baylor +1 (-115) has only one loss on the road – to unranked TCU as a 9.5-point favorite Feb. 29 – but I expect West Virginia coach Bob Huggins to have his team ready in front of a raucous home crowd.

New to sports betting? Every $1.06 wagered on the Mountaineers’ spread will profit $1 if they win by 2 or more points. A 1-point WVU win is a push and you get your money back.

Over/Under (O/U)

UNDER 129 (-106) is the way to go. Baylor’s defense ranks sixth in the country, allowing just 59.6 points per game, while West Virginia yields just 62.4 PPG to rank 16th. The Mountaineers are one of the best Under teams in the country, posting an 8-21-1 O/U record this season. They’re also 1-8-1 O/U in their last 10 games.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Johnny’s record since Feb. 1: 16-7. Strongest plays: 9-3.

Johnny’s record since Dec. 1: 53-32-2. Strongest plays: 30-12.

Follow @JohnnyParlay11 and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Notre Dame Suffers Rare Recruiting Loss to West Virginia

That streak ended Friday evening as West Virginia got a big win over Notre Dame. At least in terms of recruiting.

Perhaps the West Virginia Mountaineers football program was just due to get a victory over Notre Dame. Since the teams first met in the 1989 Fiesta Bowl, the Fighting Irish have won all four contests the teams have played on the field.

That streak ended Friday evening as West Virginia got a big win over Notre Dame. At least in terms of recruiting.

Wyatt Milum, an offensive tackle rated as a top 25 player in the entire 2021 recruiting class by 247Sports announced Friday that’d he be taking his talents to West Virginia next year.

Notre Dame has a strong start in recruiting for 2021 but this one no-doubt stings. It’s one thing to lose out on prospects to Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson or LSU. It’s another when West Virginia wins the services of players you so badly want.

It may seem odd but it’s hard to knock a young man for staying home. I can relate as I always thought I wanted to go a huge school far from home…and then I wound up at a tiny one an hour away.

Either way the push for a second offensive tackle in this class now becomes a bigger concern. Landon Tengwell of Maryland and Nolan Rucci of Pennsylvania are just two of several possibilities there.

If there is a silver lining in this it’s that at least it happened now and not down the road when Notre Dame’s staff was thinking a commitment was certainly coming and time was instead wasted.

Either way, Jeff Quinn (OL Coach) will need to do his best Mariano Rivera impression soon and close another one of these tackles commitments out to join Avon, Indiana’s four star Blake Fisher.

What Oklahoma’s 73-62 win over No. 19 West Virginia means for the Sooners NCAA Tournament hopes

Did you hear that? It was the sound of Oklahoma squeezing their way out of the bubble.

Did you hear that?

It was the sound of Oklahoma squeezing its way out of the bubble.

Typically a bad thing to those outside the bubble, the Sooners picked up a win against a ranked opponent on the road, giving Oklahoma a bit of breathing room as they head into the final week of regular-season Big 12 play.

With a win against the Mountaineers in Morgantown, West Virginia, Oklahoma secures a spot in the NCAA Tournament barring an absolutely chaotic meltdown over the final week of regular-season play. The Sooners now have back-to-back wins against top-25 opponents after dropping three-straight games to then-ranked No. 3 Kansas, then-ranked No. 1 Baylor and unranked Oklahoma State.

A projected 11-seed on Bracket Matrix prior to the win over West Virginia, the Sooners should move up thanks to a few teams immediately ahead of them losing at least one game this week.

With Texas coming to Norman, Oklahoma, on Tuesday, the Sooners have an opportunity to keep the Longhorns on the bubble while sending off their lone senior, Kristian Doolittle, with one final home win over a bitter rival.

Oklahoma and Texas tipoff at 8p.m. CT on ESPN2 on Tuesday.

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Three takeaways from Oklahoma’s win over No. 19 West Virginia 73-62

Oklahoma (18-11, 8-8) fought their way off the bubble this week with a huge road win against No. 19 West Virginia (19-10, 7-9) 73-62.

Oklahoma (18-11, 8-8) fought their way off the bubble this week with a huge road win against No. 19 West Virginia (19-10, 7-9) 73-62.

The Sooners needed one more win against a quadrant one team to feel really good about their chances on ‘Selection Sunday’ in two weeks and boy did they deliver. Once up 21 points, Oklahoma escaped Morgantown with an 11-point win.

BIENIEMY IS MUI BIEN

Jamal Bieniemy is heating up at the most opportune time for the Sooners.

Coming off of Tuesday’s game against No. 22 Texas Tech, Bienimey looked like he was trying to generate offense on his own. Today, he did just that. Scoring 12 points while hauling in 6 rebounds and dishing 3 assists, Bieniemy looked to be playing with as much swagger as his Super Bowl-winning uncle, Eric, has while calling Patrick Mahomes’ plays.

BRING IN THE CLOSER

Just as they did in the first matchup in Norman, Oklahoma struggled to put the Mountaineers away. After going up 21 points, the Sooners allowed West Virginia to chip away and pull within eight with less than three minutes to play. Although leaving with a win, Oklahoma showed they need to work on closing out ball games.

DOO YOU HAVE WILLPOWER?

Kristian Doolittle is the personification of toughness and grit. Playing through a broken nose for a game and a half, Doolittle had a procedure on his nose on Thursday to straighten it out. Over the past week, Doolittle has shown how much it means to him to get back to the NCAA Tournament as the Sooners’ lone senior. His 19 points, seven rebounds, and three assists were all either team-highs or tied for team-highs.

Oklahoma and Texas face off on Tuesday for the Sooners’ senior night. The matchup is set for 8p.m. CT on ESPN2.

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Three reasons why Oklahoma beat No. 19 West Virginia 73-62

Oklahoma (18-11, 8-8) finishes the regular-season sweep of No. 19 West Virginia (19-10, 7-9), beating the Mountaineers…

Oklahoma (18-11, 8-8) finishes the regular-season sweep of No. 19 West Virginia (19-10, 7-9), nearly securing the Sooners’ chances of making the NCAA Tournament.

Here is what went right for Oklahoma in their road upset.

DOO YOU DUDE

Kristian Doolittle is an absolute monster. After playing a game and a half with a broken nose, Doolittle had a procedure to realign his nose on Thursday. Without skipping a beat, Doolittle put up 19 points while hauling in 7 rebounds and dishing out 3 assists.

It will take much more than a facial fracture to stop the Sooners’ lone senior from getting his team to ‘The Big Dance’.

ONE HOT BIRD

Brady Manek looked like the guy that earned the moniker ‘Larry on the Prarie’, shooting lights out while putting the Mountaineers to sleep.

Manek was on fire from deep, scoring 15 points on 6 of 11 shooting (3-7 from three) while grabbing seven boards of his own and chaulking up an assist.

GREENLIGHT CITY

Jamal Bieniemy played with tremendous confidence against West Virginia. Usually, a guy that stays quiet and does not make mistakes, Bieniemy opened up the flood gates against the Mountaineers.

Leading all scorers at the half, Bieniemy kept it rolling in the second as the Sooners built a 21 point lead in the final period of play. With 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, Bieniemy is heating up just at the right time.

Oklahoma is back in action against Texas on Tuesday, their final home game of the season. The Sooners and Longhorns can be seen on ESPN2 at 8p.m. CT.

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Three keys for Oklahoma basketball against No. 19 West Virginia

With ‘Selection Sunday’ quickly approaching, today’s game against No. 19 West Virginia (19-9, 7-8) is Oklahoma’s (17-11, 7-8)…

With ‘Selection Sunday’ quickly approaching, today’s game against No. 19 West Virginia (19-9, 7-8) is Oklahoma’s (17-11, 7-8) final shot at a quality road win.

The Sooners did beat the Mountaineers three Saturday’s ago in a 69-59 rout at home. However, West Virginia is a completely different team in Morgantown. With Oklahoma succumbing to a hostile environment at Oklahoma State last Saturday, the Sooners need to block out the noise, put their heads down, and ball out.

BRINGING BRADY BACK

Two points. That is all Brady Manek scored against Oklahoma State last Saturday. With Kristian Doolittle coming off of a nose procedure on Thursday, Manek needs to be the rock of the Sooners offense. Look for the sharpshooting center get shots up early to find his rhythm.

EVERYBODY SHOOTS, EVERYBODY SCORES, EVERYBODY WINS

Against Texas Tech, Oklahoma had a slurry of guys take shots that do not normally take shots. Jamal Bieniemy, De’Vion Harmon, Kur Kuath, and Alondes Williams were all taking jumpers in the early parts of their matchup against the Red Raiders. Despite not knocking most of them down, it seemed as though the Sooners were trying to find who they could rely on outside of the ‘Big Three’ of Doolittle, Manek, and Reaves for Tournament time.

STAY HEALTHY

No one has missed a game for Oklahoma so far this season. Doolittle played through a broken nose against Oklahoma State and Texas Tech while being the only major injury suffered by Lon Kruger’s team. With the final stretch before them, the Sooners cannot afford any injuries on the final day before the month of March.

Oklahoma and West Virginia are set to tip-off at 3p.m. CT on ESPN2. For more broadcast details, click here.

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When, where, how to watch Oklahoma – No. 19 West Virginia

Two weeks. That’s what separates Oklahoma and selection Sunday.

Two weeks. That’s what separates Oklahoma and selection Sunday.

The Sooners (17-11, 7-8) can make their final statement with a quadrant one win over No. 19 West Virginia (19-9,7-8).

Coming off a dominant mid-week win over Texas Tech on Tuesday, Oklahoma looks to continue their defensive efforts in Morgantown.

The Sooners beat the Mountaineers just three weeks ago in a 69-59 win at home. Oklahoma dominated the paint on both ends of the court, forcing West Virginia to miss over 20 shots inside of two feet.

It will take a similar performance today as the Mountaineers are a much better home team than when they are on the road.

Here is where you can find the crucial Big 12 matchup.

WHERE: WVU Coliseum (Morgantown, West Virginia)

WHEN: 3:00 p.m. CT

HOW TO WATCH: ESPN2

HOW TO LISTEN: Sooner Sports Radio Network—KOKC AM 1520 and KRXO 107.7 FM in OKC, KMOD FM 97.5 and KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa (click here for more options if not in either of those markets)

HOW TO STREAM: WATCH ESPN

Texas Basketball: Three Takeaways From Winning Streak

The Texas Longhorns men’s basketball team suddenly has life as they chase an opportunity to return to the NCAA Tournament.

The Texas Longhorns men’s basketball team has been on a roll as of late. The team led by Shaka Smart was coming off four-straight losses including a 29-point embarrassing blowout from Iowa State. It was looking like they might not win another game this season with out how the team was playing. Smart needed a spark to save the season and his job, what was once hopeless suddenly has life.

Unlikely Heroes

Will Baker. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see Baker step up against the TCU Horned Frogs, after all he was a top five recruit in the state and a four-star prospect. After averaging just two points a game this year, Baker exploded for 20 points. He was the second-leading scorer in that game nailing four of six three pointers. After the game it felt like Smart was trolling the faithful dropping a John Beilein reference about Baker’s play.

“A shooting five man changes the world”- Shaka Smart on Will Baker’s performance

Backcourt Help

Baker isn’t the only one that has stepped up, Andrew Jones has really made his presence felt on the offensive side of the ball. Jones has absolute caught fire from behind the arc shooting 57.8 percent. It certainly feels like he is becoming the old Andrew Jones once again after a fight with Leukemia. Averaging 18.3 points per game during the streak has been a huge lift for this team.

In the team’s last two wins, Courtney Ramey has really stepped up his game to help Texas win three in a row. Scoring a combined 47 points over the last two wins, he led the team in scoring against Kansas State and second to Jones against West Virginia. His performances have breathed life into a team that was appearing to just be going through the motions.

Big 12 Teams Around Them

Texas was sitting at 4-8 in the conference before jumping up into a tie with the Mountaineers for that fourth spot in the conference. The Longhorns are looking more like they could squeak into the big dance. It wasn’t all the Longhorns play, teams who were above them have started to falter.

TCU who started out 3-0 in conference play, has fallen flat on their face as the season has gone on. Since that point they are 3-8, up until this week the Frogs had been projected over Texas in most major Bracketology projections. The Longhorns also getting some help from their bitter rivals.

The Oklahoma Sooners were also a team that many felt that would be a lock for the tournament, but they have fallen on hard times as of late. Losers of their last three games has put Texas ahead of them in the standings and has given the Longhorns hope once again.

 

Texas Picks Up Huge Win At Home Against West Virginia

UT’s tournament hopes are still alive after a massive win against WVU. With the third win in a row, UT is now tied for fourth in the Big 12.

Even though it has been a brutal season for Texas, their tournament hopes are still alive after a massive win against West Virginia, 67-57. It is the third win in a row for the Longhorns, making them 7-8 and tied for fourth place in the Big 12.

Once again, guard play is the reason Texas got the victory. This time, the main man was Andrew Jones, dropping a career-high 22 points. Jones was a threat from behind the three-point line, going 5-9 from deep. His right-hand man was Courtney Ramey, who had 21 points on 9-14 shooting from the field.

Texas has struggled to get to the free-throw line all season, ranking dead last in the country. Against the Mountaineers, the Longhorns attempted 20 shots from the charity strike, making 14 of them. Those numbers are huge improvements for Shaka Smart’s team and must continue in the final three games of the season.

The downfall of West Virginia was their poor three-point and free-throw shooting. Sean McNeil was the only player to hit a shot from deep, going 3-3. Everyone else was 0-8, shooting 27.3%. From the foul line, Derek Culver really struggled, going 2-8. As a whole, the Mountaineers were 10-21, well below their season average of 64.2%.

Now for Texas, comes an even bigger set of games coming on the road. They will now travel to Lubbock and Norman to face off against Texas Tech and Oklahoma, two teams considered in the picture of the NCAA Tournament. Even if they go 1-1 in those two games, their resume is boosted and they a firmly on the bubble.

To get those wins, Andrew Jones, Courtney Ramey, and Matt Coleman must continue to play at the elite level they have been. They have been scoring at a level that makes the Longhorns worthy of an NCAA Tournament bid.

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