What’s going on in the Big 12 and beyond? I expand and explain every Sunday in Postscripts at Heartland College Sports, your home for independent Big 12 coverage.
This week, West Virginia is set to honor one of its legends, a gold medalist with his dog and we have a new Big 12 legend to honor.
HONORING WEST
When Jerry West passed away earlier this year, my thought was that the West Virginia basketball team would honor him in some way. It seemed only fitting. He was, after all, their G.O.A.T.
Turns out it won’t just be the men’s basketball team. It will be every team at WVU.
WVU athletics announced that every Mountaineers team would honor West with a commemorative logo of his No. 44. The logo can be found on the uniform, a warm-up or a helmet, depending on the sport.
Given the reference to the helmet, I have every expectation that West’s No. 44 will be on a decal on the back of the football team’s helmet when they hit the field for the opener against Penn State.
Honoring West will reach a crescendo when he’s honored at a Mountaineers men’s basketball game this season. As WVU has not set a date, it’s likely waiting for the Big 12 schedule to be finalized.
During that game WVU will sell several commemorative items, including a mini-replica of the Jerry West statue at the Blue Gate of the WVU Coliseum. That game will also feature throwback uniforms to West’s era of WVU basketball. The athletic department said they’ll be similar to the throwbacks the Mountaineers wore in 2004 to celebrate the program’s 100th season.
It’s a fitting tribute to a basketball player that put his university on the map and transcended not just college basketball, but also the NBA.
TYRESE ONE-UPS HIS OWN TWEET
After winning a gold medal for the U.S. in the Olympics, former Iowa State star Tyrese Haliburton made a joke about not playing much for the team.
Well, this week he one-upped it. How many Olympic champions do you know that take the time to do a photo shoot with their dog?
Yeah, that’s pretty cool.
HOUSTON HAS A NEW AD
The Houston Cougars hired a new athletic director over the weekend. Houston Chronicle beat writer Joseph Duarte posted this on X and for those that haven’t followed the Cougars pre-Big 12, well those two crooked numbers in the middle are a little out of the norm.
Here’s hoping Eddie Nunez sticks around a while.
HE’S A BIG 12 LEGEND NOW
Those are the rules. We just play by them. Congrats to the latest U.S. Amateur champion from Arizona State, a Big 12 member since … checks notes … Aug. 2.
RED ROCKS AND NUGGETS
As someone who has attended several concerts at the iconic Red Rocks in Morrison, Colo., I can tell you that walking up and down the steps after a show demands some energy. And, frankly, I’m in OK shape for a man of my considerable age.
So, imagine training there with former Kansas star Christian Braun and the Denver Nuggets?
Yeah, you can have that, dude.
PRIDE OF WVU JUST GETTING STARTED
I think the St. Louis Cardinals got a great pick in West Virginia star J.J. Wetherholt, who they picked in the first round. He’s already reached a professional milestone in just a couple of weeks in the minors.
I’m not sure why the Cardinals have him in Class-A Palm Beach. But he’s not likely to be there long.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
