Wyoming Cowboys Basketball

After losing the first game of the 2017 CBI Championship best-of-three series, Wyoming made an emphatic statement with two blowout wins, including Friday's 83-59 victory, to defeat Coastal Carolina for the title. 

This looked like it would be a competitive game early. Coastal Carolina was trailing 20-19 nine minutes into the first half, which turned out to be Wyoming's wake-up call. The Cowboys went on a 22-4 run to take a 19-point lead into halftime. 

Even though there was still 20 minutes to play, Wyoming was operating at another level than Coastal Carolina, similar to what happened in Wednesday's 81-57 rout. 

Hayden Dalton and Justin James led the scoring barrage for the Cowboys. Dalton had a game-high 19 points and 11 rebounds along with three assists. 

Brandon Foster of the Casper Star Tribune noted Dalton had his best shooting performance since February 28:

Hayden Dalton's four 3-pointers are his most since the game at CSU, when he had five #GoWyo #CBI

— Brandon Foster (@BFoster91) April 1, 2017

James followed up his 21-point outburst in the second game of the series with 17 points Friday. He also led Wyoming with four assists. 

Wyoming didn't have a great shooting night overall, hitting just 42.6 percent of its attempts. The Cowboys made up for it by hitting 13 three-pointers and limiting Coastal Carolina to just 33.9 percent shooting. 

Demario Beck was the best and most consistent player for the Chanticleers. He led the team with 17 points and seven rebounds. Jaylen Shaw was the only one of his teammates to reach double figures in scoring with 10 points. 

Wyoming has been a power in the mid-majors in the past, most recently making the NCAA tournament in 2015, losing its first game to Northern Iowa.

This was the Cowboys' first postseason appearance of any kind since that defeat two years ago. This win also marks their first basketball championship since winning the national championship in 1943. 

Wyoming reinstated all-conference forward Leonard Washington on Tuesday, according to a report from Ben Frederickson of the Casper Star-Tribune.

Coach Larry Shyatt said, "Leonard has met our criteria for earning his way back onto this team and has done everything athletics director Tom Burman and I have asked of him. We are pleased that he will have the opportunity to earn his degree this spring and look forward to him continuing to help this team.”

Shyatt suspended Washington in April for the always ominous "conduct detrimental to the team." Washington then compounded the problem by being arrested for battery and criminal entry after sparking a fight at a house in Laramie. He received a one-month suspended sentence and one year's probation.

The 6'7" Washington led the Cowboys with 12.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while also leading the Mountain West in blocked shots at 1.1 per game. His 56 percent field-goal shooting placed third in the league.

Wyoming lost three starters from last season's team, including MWC Defensive Player of the Year JayDee Luster. Washington, forward Larry Nance Jr. and guard Luke Martinez are the only returnees averaging more than four points per game.

Washington's return may help the Cowboys avoid last place in the Mountain West. However, in a league featuring potential top-10 teams in UNLV and San Diego State and strong returning squads at Colorado State and New Mexico, the Pokes still face an uphill struggle to reach the top half of the standings.

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It looks like the "The High-Ayatolla of Slamola" and first winner of the Slam Dunk contest at an All-Star Game, Larry Nance, has passed on some of his skills to his son, Larry Nance Jr.

The 6’7” freshman small forward from the University of Wyoming has been playing well over his first season with the Cowboys. While the school brought him in as a scorer who can do whatever the team needs, Junior has showed the team that he is a natural talent just like his dad.

While I have to admit that I never saw the kid play before this video, his numbers were outstanding in high school and the Cowboys are excited to have him in their program. He hasn’t started much this season and his opportunities have been limited, but with plays like the dunk above, it won’t be long before he is never off the court.

The best part of this play from Nance Jr. is that it’s coming from a game against a nationally ranked No. 12 San Diego State team. That means it’s a big-time play on a big-time stage. NBA scouts like that.

First, give Nance credit for playing solid defense and staying in position. That’s not easy when you are a freshman. With the ball stolen and going the other way, Nance runs the floor and is rewarded for his hard work with a pass that he catches at the top of the key.

He takes two steps, leaving him just a foot past the free-throw line and jumps in the same fashion that Michael Jordan has on so many occasions.

While this budding star may not be playing many minutes as of yet, with flashes of brilliance like this, he will be a staple of the Wyoming Cowboys' starting five for the next few years.

Check back for more on the NCAA Basketball as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s College Basketball Page to get your fill of college basketball.

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Wyoming men's basketball has undoubtedly suffered the past two seasons, with a total record of 20-42 and settling at the bottom of conference play.  The program's last road win came in the 2008-09 season.

Larry Shyatt and his quickly-improved team broke that sad statistic Friday night after a second-half shootout against the Colorado Buffaloes.

While Wyoming has not played any remarkably good teams thus far (pre-conference season scheduling often involves lower-tier schools), the win against a team who was expected to land a spot in the NCAA tournament should be all the reason to reverse any doubts about a repeat losing season.

Now 9-1, the Cowboys were led by Wyoming native Adam Wadell who took advantage of the charity stripe, knocking down seven free throws and amassing a total of 17 points.  Leonard Washington, who is proving to be a dominating threat on both ends of the floor, had 16 points and seven rebounds and Luke Martinez came out with 15 in the win. 

Wyoming is already one win away from tying for its win total from last season.

The Cowboys have been a strong-finishing, second-half team all year.  Many a game they fallen behind early, only to come back and keep it close at the half (the match against the Bradley Braves was also tied at half), and shot lights out in the second, not to mention coming up with extremely strong defensive pressure.  In fact, the Cowboys held the Buffs to only 33 percent shooting in the second half. 

Is it an intentional scheme on Shyatt, who is no stranger to successful college basketball strategy?  In feature news articles and reviews, Shyatt claims that creating chaos is the key as a way to throw off the opposition.

Whatever the case, the Cowboys are winning and the hype over Shyatt's return is well deserved.   They are rapidly shaking off the adversity of previous losing seasons and finding ways to dominate on the court, but they need support from the fan base. 

The Arena Auditorium in Laramie has a capacity of 15,000 and maintains a reputation of one of the toughest places to play in the Mountain West thanks to its 7,220-foot elevation.  However, the once intimidating and sellout crowds have dropped to eerily quiet numbers struggling to exceed 4,000.  With a tough stretch starting in January against a tough conference, including nationally recognized New Mexico and UNLV,  it is time for Poke Pride to come out in full force and keep the win streak alive.

Marcus Bailey should be hired as the next head basketball coach of the Wyoming Cowboys, and this change needs to happen soon.

With the exception of the ceremony honoring him as one of Wyoming's 10 best players of all time, Bailey hasn't graced the hardwood in Laramie Wyoming's Arena Auditorium since the 2002-03 season.

Even though he hasn't played in almost a decade, ask anyone around the state of Wyoming who their favorite Cowboy basketball player is, and they'll likely tell you it's Marcus Bailey.

The program has had a few decent players since the Bailey era, but none of them have generated anywhere near as much excitement as Marcus did.

He was a Wyoming kid who played the game the right way.  He was unselfish, poised and worked as hard as anyone in the country. 

Since he went down with an injury in 2002, no one in the brown and gold has been able to offer even a glimpse of the the kind of good times Pokes fans enjoyed during the first few seasons of the 21st century.

The Cowboys were 21-11 during Bailey's injury-shortened senior campaign.  Since then, they've gone 106-130, and they're 49-67 under fourth-year head coach Heath Schroyer.

The program is in disarray, and there seems to be little light at the end of the tunnel.

Wyoming is ranked 255th in the nation in points per game, 293rd in rebounds per game, 323rd in assists per game and 176th in field goal percentage. 

Last night, the Cowboys played some of their best basketball of the year against the BYU Cougars (who had their worst game of the year). 

They lost the game despite BYU's lone offensive threat, Jimmer Fredette, being as cold as any of us have seen him all year.

Following yet another conference loss (they're 1-7 so far), a man named Michael Welper started a group on Facebook called "Marcus Bailey for Coach".

In less than a day following the formation of the group, hundreds have already shown their support (a lot of people for the smallest state in the union).

On the group's wall, several people have said they'd buy or renew season tickets if the program hires Bailey.  Others have responded with simple statements like, "If he wants it, give it to him!!" or, "I will never miss a game!"

The Facebook page alone has generated a lot of buzz, but Mr. Welper isn't stopping there.  He also composed a letter that he plans to send to various Wyoming newspapers.  It reads:

"Cowboy Basketball Fans,

Many people consider me to be the biggest and most optimistic Wyoming fan there is. Therefore, writing this letter has been extremely difficult. After much consideration, the results from the past few seasons coupled with how poorly the team is performing this year requires some action to be taken. The Heath Schroyer experiment needs to stop. It is time for the University of Wyoming and him to part ways. The wins are few and far between, we are setting the wrong kind of records, and attendance at home games keep getting worse. Plus I believe fans are having a hard time relating to this team.

Therefore, the question arises, who should be the next coach? If all the information that I am hearing is correct, we have some limitations in who we can hire. 1) We don’t have the funds to go after a big name coach. 2) If we try hiring an assistant coach from somewhere, fans will not buy into the program right away. And what is to say that the new coach will have the same results like Schroyer 3) The program needs to make an instant splash so it can bring fans to the games and start generating excitement back to the program throughout the state.

If fans can think of one name that stands out in Cowboy Basketball history over the last ten years, what would that name be? MARCUS BAILEY!!! I see Marcus Bailey as a low risk, high reward coaching candidate. He doesn’t have any experience but he has played for UW and understands the program. He also went on to play for the Everton Tigers in England and did well. He fits a lot of the qualifications that we need 1) Without any experience, he wouldn’t require a huge sum of money, 2) Marcus Bailey would bring excitement back to the program and fans would come out to support him because he is a Wyomingite and fans would like to see him succeed. 3) If he is successful, chances are very good that he’ll stay here instead of looking for a job at a bigger school. 4) He understands the pride and history of Cowboy basketball and will work to restore it. 5) If Marcus Bailey doesn’t fair well after a few years, then let him go. What do we have to lose?!

Steve Alford wasn’t an assistant anywhere before he became head coach and look at how successful he has been. What do you think?


Michael Welper
Laramie, WY"

Welper does a great job of laying out some of the reasons Bailey should be hired.  I'll take this time to try to elaborate on a few of them.

He first mentions something that everyone is thinking about these days... money.  The Cowboys will have to work some kind of buyout if they fire Heath Schroyer and there won't be a ton of money left after that.  

They won't be able to bring in anyone who will have the same effect on the fans that Bailey will, at the price he could be had for.

He also discusses the connection Bailey has with Wyoming and the Cowboys' fans.  These people love being able to cheer for home-grown talent.  That love has been heightened over the last couple decades as coaches always seem to pass on some of Wyoming's best high school players.

Instead, they recruit players from the eastern United States, overseas, and basically anywhere outside of the state.

Every once in a while, they'll bring in a token Wyoming kid to try to justify themselves.

All that said, the Cowboys do have some decent players this season.

One of the biggest things they're lacking is leadership.  They have a little bit of talent, but they need a natural leader that can motivate and inspire players.

Speaking from personal experience, I can say that Marcus Bailey is just that kind of leader.  It's that leadership ability that will help him make an impact on the players.

On top of that, he'll instantly excite Wyoming's dwindling fan base.

The University needs to rejuvenate its fans as quickly as possible.  There is no doubt that the hiring of Marcus Bailey would do just that.

If you are from Wyoming, or are a fan of Cowboy basketball, search for "Marcus Bailey for Coach" on Facebook.  Post the link for this article on your walls.  E-mail the link for this article and the group to your friends.

We live in a day and age where the fan's voice can be heard more than ever before.  Let's take full advantage of this opportunity to tell the world, and more importantly, the brass at the University of Wyoming, what we want.

When my friend Danielle asked me to tag along with her to check out the University of Wyoming men’s basketball team in their matchup against Kennesaw State, I jumped at the opportunity. I hadn’t seen the team play all year, and only briefly skimmed over a few stories about them in the local paper. I was eager to see what this year’s squad was made of.

The talk around my hometown of Cheyenne was bleak. The public assessment seemed to be a resounding, “We’re just not that good.” Even head coach Heath Schroyer echoed these sentiments to the local media.

A quick scan of the team’s results through their first 13 games painted a clear picture of inconsistency. Set back by injuries to some key players, the pokes have yet to post a win against a Division I opponent with a winning record and remain winless on the road this season.

Close losses to 12th-ranked Missouri (10-point loss) and Big East contender Providence (seven-point loss) are perhaps indicators that this year’s pokes have the heart and talent to compete with top-level programs.

The Kennesaw State Owls visited the Cowboys hoping to improve upon a meager 2-9 start. The speedy, athletic lineup, lead by point guard Spencer Dixon (15.2 ppg), looked determined to push the ball up the floor and increase the tempo.

The similarly athletic Cowboys, lead by dynamic sophomore guard Desmar Jackson, were happy to run with the Owls, which lead to a sloppy, but hard-fought and fast-paced opening to the contest.

Junior college-transfer guard Francisco Cruz shined in the first half for the Cowboys, forcing the action from the wing and making some very impressive passes, along with a couple threes.

Both teams played scrappy defense throughout the first half, but it was the Cowboys abysmal rebounding on both sides of the floor that allowed the Owls to get multiple second-chance opportunities and head into the half with momentum on their side.

UW’s rebounding should improve when 6’10” center Adam Waddell works his way back into the lineup after recovering from an injury.

Coach Schroyer deserves serious props for his halftime adjustments. The Cowboys came out of the locker room in a flurry, quickly snatching momentum away from the Owls with a tenacious 2-3 trapping zone that effectively neutralized Dixon for the remainder of the game. Desmar Jackson’s lightning-quick hands and feet were on display as he recorded six steals and 21 points, largely off second-half transition buckets.

Forwards Amath M’Baye and Djibril Thiam also went to work in the second half, each finishing the game in double figures in points and with six and seven boards, respectively—a trend that will have to continue if UW wants to rise up in the conference this season.

UW came out with excellent energy in the second half. The Pokes are a very quick, athletic team and should look to up the tempo and energy whenever possible.  

The Cowboys’ second-half effort and some timely shooting late in the game allowed them to come away with the 68-55 victory.

This was by no means a marquee win for the Cowboys, but in the opinion of this first-time observer, I’d say they certainly exceeded my expectations.

Desmar Jackson is a primetime guard with exceptional speed, hands and finishing ability. I was also very impressed with Fransisco Cruz’s floor leadership, as well as point guard Jaydee Luster’s ability to manage the game late and make big-time passes.

Adam Waddell’s return should remedy some of the rebounding woes, but until the forwards can get tougher and more fundamentally sound on the glass, UW will surely struggle to defend and rebound against quality opponents.

UW will be putting a lot of teams on their heels with excellent backcourt athleticism and ball pressure. Our talent at guard should get us some wins against the lower rungs of the Mountain West. Against the elite teams like BYU and San Diego State, we should be expected to struggle, not for lack of heart and will, but simply for lack of size, strength and skill in the paint.

If Wyoming native Adam Waddell can emerge as a top-tier rebounder and scoring threat in the post, the Cowboys might be surprising a lot of critics this season with a winning conference record.   

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2009

Wyoming Cowboys (5-4) v #9 Tennessee Volunteers (7-1)

The No.9 Tennessee Volunteers will tip off at Thompson-Boling Arena against the Wyoming Cowboys on Tuesday night. The game will be televised on ESPN U.

These two teams have met just two times, both in 1958 with Tennessee winning both games. The first on Dec. 2, 1958 and then again four days later in the Midwestern Invitational. The Vols won that meeting 90-69.

The Eastern Division title champion Vols are coming off their third consecutive win 75-54 over Middle Tennessee State, on Friday. Senior guard J.P Prince led Tennessee with a season-high 17 points, while Bobby Maze added 12 points in the win. The Vols shot 50 percent (27-of-54) for the game. The teams leading scorer Scotty Hopson was held to just a single point, well under his 15.7 average coming in. The Volunteers is eighth in the nation in scoring and is the highest-scoring team in the SEC at 85 points per game.

Afam Muojeke scored 15 points leading Wyoming to a 76-70 win over Northern Colorado on Saturday. The win extended the Cowboys current win streak to three. Muojeke is averaging a team-high 16.7 points per game. Adam Waddell contributed 13 points in the win. Wyoming has not faced a SEC opponent since beating South Carolina 77-63 on Dec. 19, 2002. The Cowboys haven’t faced a Top 10 team since losing 83-69 to No. 10 Wichita State on Dec. 10, 2006. The Cowboys rank 31^st in the nation in scoring and second in the Mountain West with 80.3 points per game.

The odds makers have Tennessee at –22 ½ -point favorites with a game total of 155.

Tennessee will need to keep fouls to a minimum avoiding sending the Cowboys to the charity stripe as much as possible. Wyoming currently leads the nation in made free throws (234) and rank third in attempted free throws (316).

Look for Tennessee to pull off a win here by 11.

Wyoming Cowboys Basketball Betting Trends

• Wyoming is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games on the road
• Wyoming is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road

Tennessee Volunteers Basketball Betting Trends

• Tennessee is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
• Tennessee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

I can sit here and go on and on about the big guards from Northeastern, Chaisson Allen and Matt Janning, or the two senior guards from Wyoming, Brandon Ewing and Sean Ogirri. The fact is that on paper this is a contest between two evenly matched teams. But that is ON PAPER; the intangibles will swing this game to the home team.    

This contest will come down to THREE simple factors.

Factor No. 1

The Huskies from Northeastern will be traveling 1,977 miles from the Boston area to Laramie, Wyo. The “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” travel schedule is coupled with one of the choppiest ends to the season of any NCAA team.

The Huskies ended their regular season on Feb. 28; they then sat for an entire week before losing in the first round of the CAA Tournament on March 7. Now 10 days later the Huskies travel almost 2,000 miles to the middle of nowhere to play in what they view as a meaningless CBI game. 

Factor No. 2

Unlike the Northeastern Huskies, Wyoming is EXCITED to be in this game. They are a tough team at home and really do cherish the opportunity to play in a postseason game.  They are not depressed about spending spring break in Laramie like the Huskies of Northeastern are.

Wyoming is rebuilding its program and was very competitive against its conference opponents this year. Look for the team to prove a point to its fans and competition tonight.

Factor No. 3

A little bit of pure basketball insight for you: If the first two factors still have you unconvinced of a Wyoming cover, just look at the depth. Northeastern does not have the depth to compete in a tough road environment.

In the Huskies’ opening round loss to Towson in the CAA Tournament, only one player scored in double digits. The next highest scoring player put up a total of eight points.  The Huskies’ bench contributed 36 total minutes and a measly three points.

TRANSLATION...Wyoming to cover up to five points at HOME.

The way to beat the UNLV Runnin' Rebels, whether it's on the road or at the Thomas and Mack, seems to be pretty simple. Hold the Rebels to under 20 percent from the three-point line and outrebound them by 15, and your team, even if it has 23 turnovers, is most likely going to walk away with a win.

That's exactly what happened tonight as the Wyoming Cowboys avenged an earlier loss to the Rebels at the Thomas and Mack in January and came away with a nine-point win, 77-68, on its home floor in front of 4,703 fans. I think I heard late in the game three fans yelling "REBELS" from the crowd. They were roped.

The Rebels held an early 2-0 lead, and that was the last time they had the lead for the remainder of the game. The only reason that the final score was as close as it was is because the Cowboys had real trouble holding on to and passing the ball.

Twenty-three turnovers in all usually would mean at least 25 to 30 points from the sure-handed Rebel team. Not tonight. UNLV scored a total of 10 points off those turnovers—one of the indicators that this was going to be a long night.

The Rebs shot 0-12 in the first half from the three-point line, and it certainly seemed like their record for a "three" in every single game since the three-point line came into the NCAA in 1986 could possibly be in jeopardy. However, they did make five in the second half, but the total of 5-26 (19.2 percent) certainly did them in.

The Cowboys' defensive effort needs to go noticed as well. They outrebounded the Runnin' (very slowly) Rebels 38-25, but clearly one man, senior Brandon Ewing, was the difference maker tonight. I heard Lon Kruger on the pregame radio show say that in order for his club to win, they would have to contain Ewing. They didn't.

Brandon was on fire for the 39 minutes he was on the floor. He led all scorers with 29 points, and no matter who Kruger put on him, Ewing simply blew them away with long range threes and penetrating drives into the lane.

The Rebels put three players in double figures tonight after placing six in the win Saturday at home against Colorado State. Wink Adams and Tre'Von Willis both had 18, and Rene Rougeau chipped in with 16. Normally if those three guys score 52 points, it would probably result in a Rebels win. Not tonight. The rest of the team shot 6-28 (21 percent) as the Rebels dropped to 19-7, and 7-5 in the Mountain West.

Simply stated, the Rebels will have to win out their remaining five games and get to the finals of the Tournament to get an NCAA bid. After tonight, that uphill battle just got that much more steep.