2025 Men's Basketball Media Day

[Bryoming]

I will once again be representing WyoNation at basketball media day. If there's something you want to know please post it here no later than October 7. Here are the interviews I've requested:

• Nic Reynolds - Assistant coach - worked with Sunny at Green Bay - older brother of Noah Reynolds
• Kiani Saxon - PF transfer from Missouri Western - came over with assistant coach Will Martin
• Leland Walker - PG transfer from FAU
• Abou Magassa

 

[McPeachy]

Nice! Will be interesting to see what you find. Ask the hard questions:

•What makes the 2025 - 2026 Cowboys better than the 2024 - 2025?
•We have heard UW may "run and gun" - any truth to that?
•What make this a successful season in your eyes coach?
•Why did "XXX" transfer from UW? - Take your pick on the player

 

[Bryoming]

Nice! Will be interesting to see what you find. Ask the hard questions:

•What makes the 2025 - 2026 Cowboys better than the 2024 - 2025?
•We have heard UW may "run and gun" - any truth to that?
•What make this a successful season in your eyes coach?
•Why did "XXX" transfer from UW? - Take your pick on the player

I'll do what I can on the players transferring. Coaches typically won't single players out, but I'll do my best.

 

[LanderPoke]

Will we actually play up tempo?

 

[Bear Claw]

What is the plan to defend the 5 position?

 

[LanderPoke]

Ask about getting a better home non conference schedule

 

[McPeachy]

Ask about getting a better home non conference schedule

That is a great one - and why aren't we included in the numerous early season tournaments?

 

[rocket city poke]

There is so little on men's basketball non-conference schedule it is embarassing. Montana is going to Louisville, Texas A & M, UNLV, Stanford, hosting Lamar, Cal-Poly, and Oakland. Montana State goes to Colorado, Boise State, Stanford, Long Beach, Oregon State hosts DU and St. Thomas, MN. Idaho goes to Washington State, San Diego, UC San Diego, Notre Dame, South Dakota State. All of those are better than anything on that non-conference schedule. Is he going to take less pay for playing such a watered down non-conference schedule. At this point the 3,000 people that are going to the games aren't being fooled by a 16-13 record against a bunch of tomato cans.

 

[TheRealUW]

There is so little on men's basketball non-conference schedule it is embarassing. Montana is going to Louisville, Texas A & M, UNLV, Stanford, hosting Lamar, Cal-Poly, and Oakland. Montana State goes to Colorado, Boise State, Stanford, Long Beach, Oregon State hosts DU and St. Thomas, MN. Idaho goes to Washington State, San Diego, UC San Diego, Notre Dame, South Dakota State. All of those are better than anything on that non-conference schedule. Is he going to take less pay for playing such a watered down non-conference schedule. At this point the 3,000 people that are going to the games aren't being fooled by a 16-13 record against a bunch of tomato cans.

It seems the general consensus is that because Wyoming basketball has been so bad, no decent teams want to play us because a win doesn't help their resume and a loss would be seen as a "bad loss" come post-season selection time.

I'm sure that plays some role, but I don't think it is the whole story. I looked to see what our non-conference schedule looked like in the seasons immediately following our last two NCAA Tournament trips, and they were still pretty bad. Our best competition, by far, has come in pre-season tournaments. But this year it does not appear we are playing in any. I would be very curious to know if that was a choice made by Sunny or if we have been so bad that we can't even get ourselves into a pre-season tournament now.

 

[Vapoke]

There is so little on men's basketball non-conference schedule it is embarassing. Montana is going to Louisville, Texas A & M, UNLV, Stanford, hosting Lamar, Cal-Poly, and Oakland. Montana State goes to Colorado, Boise State, Stanford, Long Beach, Oregon State hosts DU and St. Thomas, MN. Idaho goes to Washington State, San Diego, UC San Diego, Notre Dame, South Dakota State. All of those are better than anything on that non-conference schedule. Is he going to take less pay for playing such a watered down non-conference schedule. At this point the 3,000 people that are going to the games aren't being fooled by a 16-13 record against a bunch of tomato cans.

To be fair Idaho has to drive 10 minutes to play Wazzu

To be fair Wyoming Non-Con is pretty good. Norfolk State is a really good program to have come to Laramie

 

[rocket city poke]

In 1984 which was forever ago and yes college basketball is totally different, but Wyoming wasn't even any good and the non-conference schedule was below. That's a non-conference schedule that merits paying a coach $750k a year and an AD $551k a year. I know there are more programs, but they basically played anybody anywhere to just try and get their name out there. Brandenburg was the coach and i believe Gary Cunningham was the AD.

Tue, Dec 4, 1984	REG	@	Southern California	Pac-10	L 1	L.A. Sports Arena
Thu, Dec 6, 1984	REG	Long Beach State	PCAA	W 1	Arena-Auditorium
Mon, Dec 10, 1984	REG	@	Nebraska	Big 8	L 1	Bob Devaney Sports Center
Fri, Dec 14, 1984	REG	Colorado	Big 8	W 1	Arena-Auditorium
Sat, Dec 15, 1984	REG	Hardin-Simmons	TAAC	W 2	Arena-Auditorium
Fri, Dec 21, 1984	REG	Oregon	Pac-10	W 3	Arena-Auditorium
Sat, Dec 22, 1984	REG	Boise State	Big Sky	L 1	Arena-Auditorium
Fri, Dec 28, 1984	REG	N	Baylor	SWC	W 1
Sat, Dec 29, 1984	REG	N	Temple	A

Cunningham had a lot to do with it and he didn't lower the bar so Brandenburg could find easy success. Burman just keeps lowering the bar so everybody can keep making their outrageous salaries.

 

[Bryoming]

In 1984 which was forever ago and yes college basketball is totally different, but Wyoming wasn't even any good and the non-conference schedule was below. That's a non-conference schedule that merits paying a coach $750k a year and an AD $551k a year. I know there are more programs, but they basically played anybody anywhere to just try and get their name out there. Brandenburg was the coach and i believe Gary Cunningham was the AD.

Tue, Dec 4, 1984	REG	@	Southern California	Pac-10	L 1	L.A. Sports Arena
Thu, Dec 6, 1984	REG	Long Beach State	PCAA	W 1	Arena-Auditorium
Mon, Dec 10, 1984	REG	@	Nebraska	Big 8	L 1	Bob Devaney Sports Center
Fri, Dec 14, 1984	REG	Colorado	Big 8	W 1	Arena-Auditorium
Sat, Dec 15, 1984	REG	Hardin-Simmons	TAAC	W 2	Arena-Auditorium
Fri, Dec 21, 1984	REG	Oregon	Pac-10	W 3	Arena-Auditorium
Sat, Dec 22, 1984	REG	Boise State	Big Sky	L 1	Arena-Auditorium
Fri, Dec 28, 1984	REG	N	Baylor	SWC	W 1
Sat, Dec 29, 1984	REG	N	Temple	A

Cunningham had a lot to do with it and he didn't lower the bar so Brandenburg could find easy success. Burman just keeps lowering the bar so everybody can keep making their outrageous salaries.

There are a lot of problems with this analogy. First, this was 41 years ago. Cross country travel wasn't nearly as easy as it is now. Second, this looks like a good schedule through today's lens, but let's take a look at the teams through a 1984 lens:

Wyoming - 7th in WAC - 15-14 - Home Opponent record: 57-86 (0.398 win %)

• Southern California - 1st in PAC 10 - 19-10 - The PAC was weak this year. USC made the tournament and lost in the 1st round to Illinois State.
• Long Beach State - 10th in PCAA - 4-23 - Just a terrible team
• Nebraska - 7th in Big 8 - 16-14 - double digit loss for Wyoming
• Colorado - 6th in Big 8 - 11-17 - Wyoming won this by 4, which was the 3rd straight loss for CU
• Hardin-Simmons - 5th in TAAC - 11-17 - Only a 7 point win for the Pokes
• Oregon - 6th in PAC 10 - 15-16 - Did not make the postseason
• Boise State - 6th in Big Sky - 16-13 - We lost this one
• Baylor - 8th in SWC - 11-17 - We BARELY squeaked out a win
• Temple - 2nd in A10 - 25-6 - Easily the best team we played in non-con, and they lost in the 2nd round of the tournament

Now let's take a look at this years schedule (last year's results)

Wyoming - 9th in MW - 12-20 - Home Opponent record: 100-125 (0.444 win %)

• Northern Colorado - 1st in Big Sky - 25-10 - lost in the 1st round of the NIT
• College of Idaho - exhibition game
• Northern State - exhibition game
• Cal State Fullerton - 11th in Big Sky - 6-26
• Austin Peay - 7th in ASun - 14-19
• Portland - 8th in WCC - 12-20
• Sam Houston - 9th in CUSA - 13-19
• Norfolk State - 1st in MEAC - 24-11 - lost in 1st round of NCAA to Florida
• Denver - 6th in Summit - 11-21
• Texas Tech - 2nd in Big 12 - 28-9 - lost in Elite Eight to Florida
• Dartmouth - 3rd in Ivy - 14-14
• South Dakota - 5th in Summit - 19-14
• South Dakota State - 3rd in Summit - 20-12

I'll give you that the name recognition of the teams that came to Laramie in 1984 is better through a modern lens. However, when you look at how it stacks up on paper those are pretty damn similar schedules.