A plentiful Sunday buffet for your consumption:
n One of WVU's most interesting spring football positions is receiver. As I've mentioned before, we'll see if Ka'Raun White can fully recover from his leg injury. Meanwhile, Gary Jennings and David Sills have earned raves from coach Dana Holgorsen.
And then there are the wild cards. Like Marcus Simms. Like junior college transfer Dominique Maiden. Like Steven Smothers. And, oh yeah. Like Jovon Durante.
Remember that guy's first catch as a college player? Remember that 41-yard vapor trail for a score in 2015 against Georgia Southern?
"It was one like no other," Durante said this week. "It was a great feeling getting my first college catch in Morgantown to go for a touchdown. It's like it was yesterday in my mind. I just have to move on, though, and make more big plays like that."
It would certainly help quarterback Will Grier and the Mountaineers this coming season.
"I was a freshman when that happened," Durante said. "Last year I was a sophomore and made a couple plays, but it wasn't enough. This year I'm going all out."
Indeed, Durante went from 24 catches and 378 yards in 2015 to 35 and 331 last season. Not exactly the numbers folks expected after that first catch. Yet Durante feels improvement.
"I think I've gotten way better," said the true junior. "Coach [Tyron] Carrier actually taught me how to run routes. He critiques me, how I use my hands, how I get out of my breaks. He's really made me better."
Durante already has the 4.49 40-yard speed. And what of the rest of the receiving corps?
"David Sills has been a big attention grabber," Durante said. [Junior college transfer] Alex Marenco is a real attention grabber. Ricky Rogers has been doing things the right way. Marcus Simms has made a couple plays. Even [freshman running back] Tevin Bush, when he lines up at receiver, he looks great. I feel we're going to have a nice little squad."
n Apparently home was sweet for WVU receiver Shelton Gibson this past Friday in Morgantown.
At the Mountaineers' NFL Pro Day, Gibson ran a blistering 4.39 40-yard dash. At the NFL Combine, he ran a 4.5.
The Friday time would have been No. 8 among all players at the Combine and No. 3 among wideouts.
n An obvious strength of WVU's 2017 football team is the running back position. Justin Crawford, Kennedy McKoy, Martell Pettaway and, now Bush, combine for one of the nation's strongest groups. And that's before Alec Sinkfield of Delray Beach, Florida, even joins the mix. Sinkfield, 5-10, 173 pounds, turned down 12 schools, including Miami, Kentucky, North Carolina, Louisville and Pitt, to join the Mountaineers.
Anyway, I asked new West Virginia running backs coach Tony Dews exactly how many of those he can utilize.
"As many of them that can play," he said. "The big thing is trying to get all to the point where they can play and contribute. It's a long season. Things happen. Injuries happen. If you get them all prepared, when the time comes, they can take advantage. It provides depth."
n A glaring concern this season for WVU is the defensive front, which will have entirely new starters. Expect opponents to test that front early and often next season. One ray of sunshine so far, though, has been Xavier Pegues, who is back from a shoulder injury. He's listed on the spring depth chart as a defensive end, but line coach Bruce Tall confirmed he's been playing nose tackle as well. The hunch from here is he'll start inside.
"Pegues is doing really well," Tall said. "He's doing a nice job. Real happy to have him back. Very powerful young man. Focused and doing a great job."
n Sometimes, when coaches' sons join teams, they're overlooked a bit. One that should not, however, is redshirt sophomore Kelby Wickline, son of WVU offensive line coach Joe Wickline. At 6-4, 281 pounds, he's listed as a backup center on the spring depth chart, but has been playing left tackle.
Check out his bio. Wickline, a transfer from Jones County (Mississippi) Junior College, also had offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Cal, Iowa State, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma State and TCU. He's certainly one of WVU's top three or four recruits.
"He's doing good," said the father. "We've been back and forth. He's gone center and left tackle. He's still learning the offense and it's a process. But he's battling. It's a Power 5 school. We've got good players. All you can ask is to get better every day and he's getting better every day."
n You may remember WVU finished No. 13 in the final Associated Press men's basketball poll. And considering the NCAA tournament results, hey, that turned out about right. The Mountaineers were listed 13th, while Notre Dame was No. 14.
A quick scan showed Gonzaga No. 2, North Carolina No. 5 and Oregon No. 9 in the final poll. Not bad.
The biggest whiff? Xavier, which didn't garner a single vote after stumbling down the regular season conclusion. Something to keep in mind when you fill out next season's bracket.
n In case you wondered, yes, WVU's Bob Huggins was recruiting the night after his team's NCAA tournament victory over Notre Dame. "Caught [an airplane] ride with a buddy," Huggins said.
n Apparently there were whispers ultra-successful Division II hoops coach Jim Crutchfield left West Liberty for Nova Northeastern in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, because he wasn't named the Hilltoppers athletic director. Assistant hoops coach and ex-AD Aaron Huffman, however, debunked that. Strongly.
"It's comical," Huffman said. "We talked all the time. He didn't want that."
Apparently, Nova Northeastern wasn't in Crutchfield's plans either - at first. Huffman said Crutchfield and his team had played at the school, but the veteran coach was simply trying to help former Hilltopper player Jordan Fee land the Sharks' head coaching position. Nova officials, though, informed Crutchfield that Fee was too inexperienced and wouldn't get the job, but, um, hey, Coach, how about you? Crutchfield eventually visited and accepted.
n You may remember I recently pointed out Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Deron Williams can be claimed as a West Virginia native. He was born in Parkersburg before moving to Texas and playing college ball at Illinois.
Well, I reached out to Jeff Schaefer of the Cavs to ask Williams about the Mountain State connection.
"Hey Mitch," came the reply. "Deron says he moved from Parkersburg when he was 4, but continued to visit in the summers until the eighth grade because his grandparents still lived there."
So there ya go.
n And finally ...
Condolences to WVU voice Tony Caridi, whose father recently passed away - just six weeks to the day his mother died in upstate New York.
Caridi, however, was thankful for one thing.
"The Lord blessed me by giving me the last week with him while [WVU] played [in the NCAA basketball tournament] in Buffalo," Caridi said.
God bless, my friend.
Contact Mitch Vingle at 304-348-4827 or mitchvingle@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @MitchVingle.