Oh No!

Incoming WVU freshman quarterback Eugene Smith has suffered a broken bone in his left foot that’s going to keep him out of action for up to two months.

Smith, who is expected to compete for the back-up quarterback position this season, suffered the injury away from the football field.

His recovery may stretch into the start of fall practice.

“To allow the bone to heal could take six to eight weeks,” WVU trainer Dave Kerns told the Dominion Post.

Meanwhile, Smith is on crutches.

The injury is a blow to the Mountaineers who are unsettled at the number two position behind starting quarterback Jarrett Brown.

Smith is a 6-3, 190 pound High School All-American from Miramar, Florida.

Jumpin’ Joe Leaps Into The Starting Lineup

Former Mountaineer forward Joe Alexander is most likely going to go into the NBA season as the starter at small forward for the Milwaukee Bucks. The front office for the Bucks announced Monday afternoon they are not going to resign forward Charlie Villanueva and he will become a free agent.

Milwaukee also traded forward Richard Jefferson to the San Antonio Spurs this offseason. Jefferson was the starter at small forward for the Bucks last year.

In Alexander’s rookie season, he averaged 4.7 points per game, 1.9 rebounds per game and played in 59 contests. Alexander was the eighth overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Alexander is currently making $4.15 million in the first two years of his contract.

Ruoff signs With Wizards

The lone senior on the Mountaineer basketball team signs with the Washington Wizards. Guard Alex Ruoff will report to the NBA summer league in the second week of July.

The Wizards had one draft pick in the NBA draft, but traded him to the Houston Rockets. Washington currently has two shooting guards on their roster in Nick Young and Juan Dixon.

Ruoff holds WVU’s school record for three pointers made in a career and ranks 18th in school history with 1,420 career points. Ruoff lead the Mountaineers to an NIT Championship and a NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2008.

A Veteran Approach

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Heavily-recruited wide receiver Logan Heastie might show up as a freshman on the incoming fall roster, but his actions and intentions make him look like a veteran both on and off the field.

Ranked as one of the country’s best wide receiver prospects, the 6-foot-2, 192 pound newcomer wanted to take advantage of his widely-acclaimed reputation for catching balls. His commitment to the Mountaineer program was shown when he enrolled early at West Virginia and loaded up with 15 credit hours in the spring.

Simply put, the talented route runner knows that if you want to get a head start and climb up the depth chart at a nationally-renowned program, you have to do whatever it takes. Even if that means leaving behind the customs and traditions of high school graduation.

via MSNsportsNET.Com

Three WVU Football Newcomers Delayed

Three incoming members of the West Virginia University football recruiting class have been delayed in their arrival on campus.

Tevita Finau

Junior college standout Tevita Finau was expected to arrive in Morgantown this weekend, however he’s awaiting the final posting of his transcripts before he’ll formally be accepted at WVU. Finau completed his coursework at the Phoenix City College last week.

Deon Long

Freshman wide receiver Deon Long’s arrival has been delayed as he awaits the result of his standardized test score. Long, a product of Dunbar High School in Washington, chose WVU over Maryland, Michigan State and Illinois.

Curtis Feight

Freshman lineman Curtis Feight continues to wait the renewal of his student visa. Feight, a native of Germany played at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania last season, but can’t return to the United States until his visa is renewed.

Fourteen other first year players did report Monday morning to begin off-season conditioning.

Here’s a list of the newcomers:

Tyler Anderson – Walk-on

Shawne Alston

Stedman Bailey

Will Clarke

Darwin Cook

Dominik Davenport

Pat Eger

Terence Garvin

Daquan Hargett

Nick Kindler

Josh Lider

Taige Redman

Chris Snook

Ryan Spiker

Serbia too much for United States, Mountaineers’ Butler

BELGRADE, Serbia. – Despite receiving double-digit scoring efforts from four players, the United States’ World University Games team suffered a 98-82 setback against host Serbia in the Serbia International Invitational on Sunday night.

Ohio State’s Evan Turner scored a team-high 16 points for the United States. Villanova’s Corey Fisher followed with 12 points. Penn State’s Talor Battle and West Virginia’s Da’Sean Butler added 10 points apiece.

The round-robin tournament concludes today, with the United States (1-1) facing Russia (1-1) at 12:30 p.m. and Serbia (2-0) facing Canada (0-2) at 3 p.m.

Local team wins state rugby tournament

The River Valley Vipers won the Almost Heaven 7’s Tournament over the weekend in Fairmont.

The rugby team has players from the Charleston and Huntington areas, including Zach Goad, Scott Izat, Cody Tominak, and Eric Gerencir. It beat Fairmont State 29-0, West Virginia University 24-22 and Weirton 19-12 in the championship game.

The tournament featured a seven-on-seven format rather than the normal 11-on-11 format.

Mountaineers get 11th football commitment

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Birmingham (Ala.) News has reported that linebacker John Propst of Hoover (Ala.) High has given a verbal commitment to West Virginia University.

He is WVU’s 11th football commitment for the 2010 signing class.

Propst, a 6-foot-1, 205-pounder, took an unofficial visit to Morgantown on the June 20-21 weekend. His interest also was piqued, he told the News, by the fact that the Mountaineers lose six linebackers in the next two years.

via Charleston Daily Mail

Da’Sean Is Da’Bomb

Belgrade, Serbia – Da’Sean Butler (West Virginia / Newark, N.J.) scored a team-high 20 points to lead the 2009 USA Men’s World University Games Team (1-0) to a come-from-behind victory over Canada (0-1) 85-81 in the 2009 Serbia International Invitational on Saturday night in Belgrade. The U.S., which trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half and utilized a 28-14 fourth-quarter surge to clinch the win, was aided in the victory by Corey Fisher (Villanova / Bronx, N.Y.) with 11 points, while Lazar Hayward (Marquette / Buffalo, N.Y.) and Deon Thompson (North Carolina / Torrance, Calif.) tossed in 10 points apiece.

via wvmetrosports.com

Urban planning to build on ‘08 success

OK, SO West Virginia’s Tyler Urban isn’t exactly a legend yet – although, last season, he was the first Mountaineer tight end to catch a touchdown since 2005.

Like so many other highly regarded recruits, however, Urban didn’t prove to be a myth, either. As a true freshman, Urban played well, competing in all 13 games with four catches for 79 yards and two scores.

And this coming season, the North Huntington, Pa., product is looking for bigger things. Literally. He says he grew an inch since hitting Morgantown and now stands at 6-41/2, “almost 6-5.”

He’s also trying to gain weight – while maintaining his impressive speed.

“I’m trying to get up over 250 because during [fall] camp I’ll lose at least five pounds,” Urban said. “Last year I dropped down to 230 to 235. I need the extra muscle to block the defensive ends or get the linebackers.”

via The Charleston Gazette

Slaton Changes Agents

Former Mountaineer running back Steve Slaton could be looking for a new contract sometime in the near future. Slaton recently changed agents from Ethan Lock and Eric Metz to Harold Lewis of the National Sports Agency in St. Louis, according to league sources.

Slaton is currently under a four-year 2.37 million dollar contract which he signed last year. This past season Slaton ran for 1,282 yards and nine touchdowns for the Houston Texans.

The National Sports Agency represents just NFL players. The agency is known to have some of the most expensive contracts in the NFL.

Slaton’s new agent Harold Lewis is the President of the company and has been registered with the NFL Players Association since 1982.

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