Remember yesterday when we discussed Tavon Austin and his respect for Rhodes scholars? Of course you do.

thacker said:

A kid who gets publicity because of his athleticism and wants an education and to play ball. Damn refreshing.

Well, it was treated differently elsewhere. Not disdainfully, but dismissively. (I wonder if that really is a word. Does someone want to check?)

Update: Shame on me for poking fun at Tavon Austin alluding to West Virginia’s proliferation of Rhodes Scholars being a reason for his college choice. Reader John Cormack with the research:

From the WVU web site (hard research) Twenty-five WVU students have received Rhodes Scholarships for study at Oxford; few public universities have produced more Rhodes Scholars than WVU.WVU has had 30 Goldwater Scholars (America’s premier science scholarship).

There have been 19 Truman Scholars from WVU, two Udall Scholarship winners (for undergraduates in areas related to the environment and Native American studies), and two British Marshall Scholars (for understanding of British culture).

WVU recently became the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s lead academic partner in biometrics research. The FBI’s Biometric Center of Excellence will rely on biometrics research being conducted at WVU, providing students with an academic opportunity that they will not find at any other institution in the United States.

WVU has been ranked among the most secure campuses in the United States by Reader’s Digest. WVU was ranked 18th among 135 U.S. colleges and universities that participated in the 2008 survey, and earned an A for its strong commitment to safety, including the addition of a new Web-based text message alert system, improved lighting, student walking patrols, additional first responder training, and more.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has honored 16 WVU faculty as West Virginia Professors of the Year.

In 2006, the only student in America to win both a Truman and a Goldwater Scholarship was WVU student Rebecca McCauley.

WVU has contributed five members of USA Today’s All-USA College Academic First Team.

It never ceases to surprise me what WVU fans/graduates will do with a slight, be it perceived or real. I highly doubt he was going for shock or insult, but the subsequent reader comments have some fun with Mr. Barr, who doesn’t have it in for WVU and is not to be confused with ESPN’s John Barr, who doesn’t have it in for WVU, either, but does have it in for WVU’s Pacman.

Oh, and it’d be irresponsible not to mention we nailed the Rhodes scholar thing right away and without solicitation in our reader comments yesterday.

Erinn said:

I have to point out here the last Rhodes Scholar from WVU was Carolyn Conner in 1995. I also have to point out here that she hails from beautiful Clay County, WV! Woo!

WVU has 25 Rhodes Scholars. According to the alumni web site, “WVU now ranks sixth among public state institutions in the number of Rhodes Scholar recipients. “