Before the season started, if I would have told you we would be 9-1 going into a 10 day break before Stanford...

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Old-Bull
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How would you have responded?

It seems like we've exceeded expectations so far. Currently we sit with a Net rating of 21, which would get us in the dance as an at large if the tournament started today.

I'm really happy with certain things we're doing:

1. We're rebounding. This is a team effort but I've been really impressed with Drake Jeffries. He might be the best rebounding 6'5" guy to wear brown and gold since Reggie Slater or Fennis Dembo. He's keeping some crazy good company to be mentioned with those 2 guys.

2. I have to say it, but Ike is a damn beast. He does everything I thought he would and he continues to improve every day. Those early morning work-outs are going to make him a lot of money one day. You can see his improvement since the start of the season. He started the season shooting free throws at a Shaq-like clip. That's jumped up dramatically in the last 4 games. He was taking too long to pass out of the double team against Arizona. One game later, he was making quick passes or moves as soon as he sensed the double was coming. The kids a sponge and the way he's improving every day, it would be a travesty if he doesn't end up on the first team all-conference team.

3. We're winning games in different ways. We're winning games while getting dominated in certain aspects of the game. One night we'll get crushed on the boards: still a win. Another night we'll shoot terrible from deep: still a win. One night we'll have an abnormally large amount of turnovers: we win anyways. We've blown leads and came back consistently. We've won games on the road. This team is mature beyond their years. We sure don't look like the tenth youngest team in the country but we are.

4. Our ability to win road games will keep us in the hunt for the conference title and a dance bid. We desperately need to protect the home court and our fans aren't exactly jumping on board. We really need to turn the AA into the Dome of Doom again because if we do, we can cut down nets this year and go dancing.

5. J.O. could win MWC most improved player this season. He reminds me of another Chicago guy: Scottie Pippen. His length makes him a very good defender. He's not been trying to do too much. He's a great cutter, very good rebounder, and I'm pretty sure he leads the team in blocks. His outside shooting has improved a ton since last year. J.O. will only continue to improve.

6. Brendan Wenzel is our 6th man. He's making winning plays like the charge he drew last night to start our run. He's a good rebounder, a great shooter, he has a quick first step to the rim, and his defense gets better every game. If he keeps his attitude right, it won't be long until he's challenging for starts against some opponents.

My concerns:

1. Our depth hasn't really developed yet. Thankfully the ten day break came when it did. We needed it. Wenzel has a solid grasp on the 6th man spot. Thompson looks much better this year playing mostly at the four. We need Kenny Foster to knock the rust off and play his way back into shape. We really need another ball handler to step up. That brings me to my next point.

2. Quick guards are our weakness. Aside from Dusell we don't have many guys that can cover a small guard with quick moves. That Utah Valley guy was getting to the rack at will when Xavier was on the bench. That isn't the first time that's happened this season. I don't think we currently have the answer on the roster right now. Maybe Reynolds can grow into that guy, but I don't think this will get fixed this year. We miss Marcus Williams.

3. Ike has been pretty good at staying out of foul trouble with the usage he gets. We saw what happens when he's on the bench for long periods of time. We get exposed in the post. Thompson is playing better at the four. We're in trouble if he has to defend athletic bigs at the five(although he's improved that too). I don't think the Big Shamrock is the answer or he would be playing more. Caden Powell can't get here soon enough. We need another athletic post defender to give Ike breaks.

Sorry for the long post but this ten day break is going to feel like an eternity for basketball junkies. I just thought I would try and start a conversation to keep us all from going Holiday crazy with the break. For me, if you would have told me we would be 9-1 right now with a Net ranking of 21, I would have bit your hand off for that opportunity. Linder and company is a year ahead of where I thought we would be at. This team has a few weaknesses due to the fact that our staff has only been on the job for 21 months, but it's crazy to think that one year and a half after the Edwards disaster we're in the hunt for the title and an NCAA bid.

What do you think Cowboy fans? What have you been pleased with? What are your concerns? Are they exceeding your expectations? What do we need to do to turn the AA into the Dome of Doom again? Am I crazy to think we have a chance to cut down nets this year and go dancing?
Last edited by Old-Bull on Mon Dec 13, 2021 11:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
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I'm super excited...My expectations have been blown away. All the things you pointed out are strengths that I either did not think we would have, or at least not to the level we have had them. I can't imagine them competing for the conference championship but at some point I have to compare their resume to the rest of the MW and ... they look great!

I was a huge Shyatt fan...loved the way his teams played with such poise and discipline. Linder seems like the evolution of that. I really don't see them as a supremely talented team, but the way they play...they just don't make a ton of mistakes. I love that!
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Last year, I told a friend they could be winning conference championship in a year or two. Then Williams left and with him a pretty big gap. That team still has a chance. I just wonder if we have enough with him leaving.
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I don't think you're crazy to say we're contenders this year. I think we have a shot at the conference title (although I think there are 2 other teams in the conference that have a better shot). Linder is easily on the radar for not only MW coach of the year, but national coach of the year. This is the same team we had last year, minus our leading scorer from last season. It's remarkable to see what Linder is doing with this roster. SUPER excited for the tournament in Vegas this year!
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Nice write up. Major kudos to the Cowboys this year. 9-1 is very solid. Best case scenario to be honest.

The MWC is going to be a dog fight this year. The bottom half is hugely improved so there are no gimme games, but the top 2-3 are not as strong as in years past. More decent-good teams than you can shake a stick at. I have no idea what's going to happen, but if you held a gun to my head I'd say we finish in 6th. I really want to pick us higer, but I just can't. The lack of depth might bite us.

Here's my predicted order of finish:
1. CSU
2. SDSU
3. Fresno
4. Boise
5. Nevada
6. Wyoming
7. utah state
8. UNLV
9. New Mexico
10. San Jose
11. Air Force
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LanderPoke wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 8:53 am Nice write up. Major kudos to the Cowboys this year. 9-1 is very solid. Best case scenario to be honest.

The MWC is going to be a dog fight this year. The bottom half is hugely improved so there are no gimme games, but the top 2-3 are not as strong as in years past. More decent-good teams than you can shake a stick at. I have no idea what's going to happen, but if you held a gun to my head I'd say we finish in 6th. I really want to pick us higer, but I just can't. The lack of depth might bite us.

Here's my predicted order of finish:
1. CSU
2. SDSU
3. Fresno
4. Boise
5. Nevada
6. Wyoming
7. utah state
8. UNLV
9. New Mexico
10. San Jose
11. Air Force
Love the write-up, Old-Bull.

I think your list is pretty good, LanderPoke. In my mind injuries are the wild card. Outside of the top 2 teams, one injury could be a 4-5 win difference. For CSU and SDSU it's probably 2-3 wins. They seem to have more depth than the rest of the league.
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flyfishwyo wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:30 am
LanderPoke wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 8:53 am Nice write up. Major kudos to the Cowboys this year. 9-1 is very solid. Best case scenario to be honest.

The MWC is going to be a dog fight this year. The bottom half is hugely improved so there are no gimme games, but the top 2-3 are not as strong as in years past. More decent-good teams than you can shake a stick at. I have no idea what's going to happen, but if you held a gun to my head I'd say we finish in 6th. I really want to pick us higer, but I just can't. The lack of depth might bite us.

Here's my predicted order of finish:
1. CSU
2. SDSU
3. Fresno
4. Boise
5. Nevada
6. Wyoming
7. utah state
8. UNLV
9. New Mexico
10. San Jose
11. Air Force
Love the write-up, Old-Bull.

I think your list is pretty good, LanderPoke. In my mind injuries are the wild card. Outside of the top 2 teams, one injury could be a 4-5 win difference. For CSU and SDSU it's probably 2-3 wins. They seem to have more depth than the rest of the league.
Yup. If Maldo, Ike go down than it's going to be a disaster. If DuSell, Jeffries or Oden go down it's not quite as big a deal, but still going to majorly hurt.

I can see us as low as 8th or as high as dare I say... 1st? I don't think either are likely, but it is possible.
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LanderPoke wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:34 am I can see us as low as 8th or as high as dare I say... 1st? I don't think either are likely, but it is possible.
Agreed, if there was ever a year where a good coach has an opportunity to get his team all on the same page and over perform...it seems like this is the year. CSU and SDSU look good but they are not out of reach of anybody. There is going to be a lot of games won and lost in the MW this year due to the ability or inability of coaches to keep their teams focused.
Old-Bull
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I was looking at our roster and wondering: who's giving up their scholarship for Caden Powell? The Big Shamrock has played about 5 minutes this year, so I wonder if it's him. Hunter Thompson has graduated so maybe he decides it's time to call it quits on Wyoming. Maybe it's neither of them and someone else is leaving. It will be interesting to see. Hopefully, all of our key regulars stay because you know that Graham Ike, Xavier Dusell, and probably J.O.'s phones are going to be getting blown up by power schools that realize they're good enough to play for them. When does the NBA come for Graham? I don't think it's going to happen this year.

Going forward, I think the two biggest things that will help Wyoming this season is for Kenny Foster to get back to 100 percent. The other is for one of our 2 young guards to step up to the level of competition. I have faith that Foster will do it. I'm not sure if either of Reynolds or Dut can get it going this season. One of them needs to because Maldo looked exhausted since the Arizona game. Hopefully ten days of practice after getting a feel for division 1 basketball will give our coaches and those guards a little time to make some minor improvements.

Also, I hope Lander Pokes 6th place prediction is wrong. I'm probably wearing brown and gold glasses. With our start, it looks to me like we need to finish top 3. Right now the top 3 are projected dance teams by NET. That seems like a reasonable goal. Since SJSU improved and AFA started hot, we don't really have any ratings anchors this year. I think that's the secret to beatings the rankings metrics. The MWC could and should get 3 teams in the tournament this year.

Imagine how good the MWC would be right now if SDSU beat anyone of note in ooc, Nevada didn't crap their pants early in the season, Boise didn't act like a team that's never won an NCAA tournament game, and USU didn't open the season with a quad 4 loss at home. The teams the MWC media were expecting to carry the league this year have been the biggest disappointments so far, although Utah State fixed that by getting the only MWC win that still counts as quad 1.

We have nine days until we can go 2-1 against the Pac 12 and open the door to a tournament championship game against our old nemesis BYU. BYU is likely to finish the season ranked higher than any of our other ooc opponents not named Arizona. That's our best chance to pick up a quad 1 victory ooc. We need to beat Stanford to give ourselves a chance at BYU.

The nice thing about this coaching staff, I actually feel like we're going to get better over this break. Some of our recent coaches would have just took the ten days off to go eat crabs in Maryland while letting the team play pick up ball at Half Acre(looking at you Heath Schroyer). I really feel like we're going to work on our weaknesses and resolve some of those issues before the Christmas tournament.
Last edited by Old-Bull on Tue Dec 14, 2021 10:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
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It may be me but I haven’t seen anything in foster that makes me think he’s the piece that’s missing. He gets worked while he’s on D and he doesn’t hit shots in games. For being the “best shooter”, I still haven’t seen much. Granted, he got injured and who knows where he’s at in his recovery. Aside from a few games (I
think at the beginning of last year) I haven’t seen anything that makes me think he’s anything but a bubble D1 player just like Hunter T. Maybe my assessment is wrong and I hope he has lots of room to improve coming off his injury.
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I think Ike’s defense is supremely underrated. He’s not a jump out of the gym guy, but keeps his guy in front of him and plays very good interior D. The big man from Utah Valley is very good and outside of a few plays where Ike would have to have been 8 feet tall to defend, he played him very well in the post. Foster could very well be one of the X factors. He’s not the best shooter on the team, but Is a great slasher and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Jeffries is an elite rebounder for a guard, his weak side rebounding is exceptional. I love how we hit the glass, and not just shoot and run
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From the interviews where Linder talks about Foster, he seems to like that he plays the game with very few mistakes and is an excellent defender. Last year when Foster was shooting the right shots, he was making a high percentage of them. It's hard to tell how good he could be because he's had bad injury luck. Hopefully he's done with that now so he can fulfill his potential. He's really smart. I like how he seems to be in the right place at the right time.

I agree on Ike's defensive ability. He held the Utah Valley big to the worse game of his college career. He more than held his own against 2 seven footers in Arizona. He's a stud defensively.
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Old-Bull wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 12:25 pm I was looking at our roster and wondering: who's giving up their scholarship for Caden Powell? The Big Shamrock has played about 5 minutes this year, so I wonder if it's him. Hunter Thompson has graduated so maybe he decides it's time to call it quits on Wyoming. Maybe it's neither of them and someone else is leaving. It will be interesting to see. Hopefully, all of our key regulars stay because you know that Graham Ike, Xavier Dusell, and probably J.O.'s phones are going to be getting blown up by power schools that realize they're good enough to play for them. When does the NBA come for Graham? I don't think it's going to happen this year.

Going forward, I think the two biggest things that will help Wyoming this season is for Kenny Foster to get back to 100 percent. The other is for one of our 2 young guards to step up to the level of competition. I have faith that Foster will do it. I'm not sure if either of Reynolds or Dut can get it going this season. One of them needs to because Maldo looked exhausted since the Arizona game. Hopefully ten days of practice after getting a feel for division 1 basketball will give our coaches and those guards a little time to make some minor improvements.

In terms of Powell's scholarship, I expect Thompson and Maldo to close out their college careers this year. Both will have degrees and 5 years of college basketball under their belt.

I would expect some other attrition as well, just because it is College Basketball and that is how it goes. Might as well enjoy this group while we have it. It may be naive, but I do expect the core group of Ike/DuSell/Oden/Foster/Wenzel to stay and if we can keep that group together and develop the PG position, the future is incredibly bright.
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Old-Bull wrote: Sun Dec 12, 2021 2:46 pm How would you have responded?

It seems like we've exceeded expectations so far. Currently we sit with a Net rating of 21, which would get us in the dance as an at large if the tournament started today.

I'm really happy with certain things we're doing:

1. We're rebounding. This is a team effort but I've been really impressed with Drake Jeffries. He might be the best rebounding 6'5" guy to wear brown and gold since Reggie Slater or Fennis Dembo. He's keeping some crazy good company to be mentioned with those 2 guys.

2. I have to say it, but Ike is a damn beast. He does everything I thought he would and he continues to improve every day. Those early morning work-outs are going to make him a lot of money one day. You can see his improvement since the start of the season. He started the season shooting free throws at a Shaq-like clip. That's jumped up dramatically in the last 4 games. He was taking too long to pass out of the double team against Arizona. One game later, he was making quick passes or moves as soon as he sensed the double was coming. The kids a sponge and the way he's improving every day, it would be a travesty if he doesn't end up on the first team all-conference team.

3. We're winning games in different ways. We're winning games while getting dominated in certain aspects of the game. One night we'll get crushed on the boards: still a win. Another night we'll shoot terrible from deep: still a win. One night we'll have an abnormally large amount of turnovers: we win anyways. We've blown leads and came back consistently. We've won games on the road. This team is mature beyond their years. We sure don't look like the tenth youngest team in the country but we are.

4. Our ability to win road games will keep us in the hunt for the conference title and a dance bid. We desperately need to protect the home court and our fans aren't exactly jumping on board. We really need to turn the AA into the Dome of Doom again because if we do, we can cut down nets this year and go dancing.

5. J.O. could win MWC most improved player this season. He reminds me of another Chicago guy: Scottie Pippen. His length makes him a very good defender. He's not been trying to do too much. He's a great cutter, very good rebounder, and I'm pretty sure he leads the team in blocks. His outside shooting has improved a ton since last year. J.O. will only continue to improve.

6. Brendan Wenzel is our 6th man. He's making winning plays like the charge he drew last night to start our run. He's a good rebounder, a great shooter, he has a quick first step to the rim, and his defense gets better every game. If he keeps his attitude right, it won't be long until he's challenging for starts against some opponents.

My concerns:

1. Our depth hasn't really developed yet. Thankfully the ten day break came when it did. We needed it. Wenzel has a solid grasp on the 6th man spot. Thompson looks much better this year playing mostly at the four. We need Kenny Foster to knock the rust off and play his way back into shape. We really need another ball handler to step up. That brings me to my next point.

2. Quick guards are our weakness. Aside from Dusell we don't have many guys that can cover a small guard with quick moves. That Utah Valley guy was getting to the rack at will when Xavier was on the bench. That isn't the first time that's happened this season. I don't think we currently have the answer on the roster right now. Maybe Reynolds can grow into that guy, but I don't think this will get fixed this year. We miss Marcus Williams.

3. Ike has been pretty good at staying out of foul trouble with the usage he gets. We saw what happens when he's on the bench for long periods of time. We get exposed in the post. Thompson is playing better at the four. We're in trouble if he has to defend athletic bigs at the five(although he's improved that too). I don't think the Big Shamrock is the answer or he would be playing more. Caden Powell can't get here soon enough. We need another athletic post defender to give Ike breaks.

Sorry for the long post but this ten day break is going to feel like an eternity for basketball junkies. I just thought I would try and start a conversation to keep us all from going Holiday crazy with the break. For me, if you would have told me we would be 9-1 right now with a Net ranking of 21, I would have bit your hand off for that opportunity. Linder and company is a year ahead of where I thought we would be at. This team has a few weaknesses due to the fact that our staff has only been on the job for 21 months, but it's crazy to think that one year and a half after the Edwards disaster we're in the hunt for the title and an NCAA bid.

What do you think Cowboy fans? What have you been pleased with? What are your concerns? Are they exceeding your expectations? What do we need to do to turn the AA into the Dome of Doom again? Am I crazy to think we have a chance to cut down nets this year and go dancing?
Great post. To answer your question, I would have been thrilled and I am thrilled! I just can't express how happy it makes me to be enthusiastic about Cowboy Hoops again. This period of time when a program is an up and coming is the absolute best as a fan. Pokes are a good team and they are getting better.

Having said all of that, cutting to your last question, I don't really expect that level of finish to this season, but I hope to be wrong! The MWC is tough and while the Pokes have made tremendous strides since Linder rescued us from the depths of Allen Edwards hell, there is still a long ways to go. Pokes haven't played anyone that I expect to be even a NIT team yet other than Arizona (which could win it all). You have highlighted some of the weaknesses we have.

Overall, I think this year is another step in the right direction, but we may be a year away from really being a contender. Having said that, there isn't anyone in the MWC we can't compete with. I expect some big wins over the top teams and some losses to lower teams in the standings as the bottom of the MWC is DRAMATICALLY better. No easy wins this year.
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NowherePoke wrote: Tue Dec 14, 2021 3:22 pm
Old-Bull wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 12:25 pm I was looking at our roster and wondering: who's giving up their scholarship for Caden Powell? The Big Shamrock has played about 5 minutes this year, so I wonder if it's him. Hunter Thompson has graduated so maybe he decides it's time to call it quits on Wyoming. Maybe it's neither of them and someone else is leaving. It will be interesting to see. Hopefully, all of our key regulars stay because you know that Graham Ike, Xavier Dusell, and probably J.O.'s phones are going to be getting blown up by power schools that realize they're good enough to play for them. When does the NBA come for Graham? I don't think it's going to happen this year.

Going forward, I think the two biggest things that will help Wyoming this season is for Kenny Foster to get back to 100 percent. The other is for one of our 2 young guards to step up to the level of competition. I have faith that Foster will do it. I'm not sure if either of Reynolds or Dut can get it going this season. One of them needs to because Maldo looked exhausted since the Arizona game. Hopefully ten days of practice after getting a feel for division 1 basketball will give our coaches and those guards a little time to make some minor improvements.

In terms of Powell's scholarship, I expect Thompson and Maldo to close out their college careers this year. Both will have degrees and 5 years of college basketball under their belt.

I would expect some other attrition as well, just because it is College Basketball and that is how it goes. Might as well enjoy this group while we have it. It may be naive, but I do expect the core group of Ike/DuSell/Oden/Foster/Wenzel to stay and if we can keep that group together and develop the PG position, the future is incredibly bright.
I sure hope Maldo stays. His leadership and ability to do everything well is absolutely critical to the success of this team. I know he's probably already got a degree, but he might as well take some graduate classes and stay for the chance to cut down nets.

I know if I were in his shoes, I would want to play winning basketball as long as humanly possible since it's not likely he's going to the NBA. He might go overseas, but I think I would prefer to stay in country where my family could see me. He absolutely loves playing for the Cowboys.

I really want Thompson to stay as well just so he can say to people, "Look how much I've improved." He loves the state and bleeds the colors.

We'll see how we handle the new transfer rules. Last year Marcus got picked off although the rumor is that he was asked to leave.

If we can keep the core together they can achieve greatness.
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9-1 sure I'd take that and see a deep team that could be a factor in the MWC, now the season's true test begins and we shall see what happens and where we go from here!!! Game at a time
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