MORGANTOWN — West Virginia University men’s basketball team will be a participant in the 12-game Puerto Rico Tip-Off next year, a tournament that will feature eight schools, including five-time NCAA champion North Carolina.
The games will be played the week before Thanksgiving weekend at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico on Nov. 18-20, 2010.
Joining West Virginia and North Carolina will be Davidson, Hofstra, Minnesota, Nebraska, Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky as eight different conferences will be represented.
The field combined for a 189-80 record in 2008-09 and had six post-season teams.
There will be four games each day, with the two undefeated teams competing in the championship game on one of the ESPN “family” of network outlets on the final day.
This year West Virginia is taking part in the exempt 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif., over Thanksgiving weekend.
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There was no change in star forward Devin Ebanks’ status with the Mountaineer basketball team as of Friday. Coach Bob Huggins offered no explanation for his absence, still calling it a personal issue, and said he was unsure when he might return.
Ebanks missed the opening game of the season.
WVU plays The Citadel at Charleston on Tuesday night.
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West Virginia middle blocker Lauren Evans has been named to the All-Big East volleyball second team.
“We are happy for Lauren and that she was chosen,” said coach Veronica Hammersmith. “She had an impact on our team and was a major part of why we had the success we did this year.”
Evans led the Mountaineers in kills with 270, service aces with 37 and blocks with 171.
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The WVU wrestling team will split its squad this week as half the team travels to Annapolis, Md., for the Navy Classic while the other half goes to Vestal, N.Y., to take part in the Sprawl and Brawl dual meet at Binghamton University.
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Part of West Virginia’s No. 7 ranked cross-country team will compete in the 2009 ECAC championships this weekend in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y., on Saturday. The Mountaineers finished seventh at the event last year.
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West Virginia’s defending national champion and No. 1-ranked rifle team hosts the No. 2 University of Kentucky Wildcats today in an 8 a.m. battle at the Rifle Range. The match is expected to carry over into the afternoon and is open to the public.
“This is definitely the big match we’ve looking for,” said WVU coach Jonathan Hammond. “Kentucky is a tough team and matches up well against us.”
