After BYU loss....

[7220Fan]

A couple of comments about the whole thing.

1). attendance number was 5,154??? no way! I don't know where they are counting but no way! Benifit of the doubt and give them that 5,154, when was the last time that BYU, one of our most hated and despised rivals drew barely 5,000 in Laramie?? Maybe back when we played in the fieldhouse?

2). I read both boards, only post on this one. After the game, I saw some threads on the other board about recruiting, some basketball recruiting. I have talked about apathy on this board but when I read that, I realized that apathy has taken me too. If we signed the top 5 recruits in the land, I am not sure that I would be excited about that. I am not sure that it would make a difference. We aren't going too but that is how I feel.... actually I don't feel anything.... except disappointment that we have fallen so far.

3). Folks, I have seen some of our fans try and make some excuses as to why we have fallen into this hole. I know that they are looking through brown and gold glasses when they say injuries etc... are the cause but I think that it goes alot deeper than that. With every loss, you can see the life being sucked out of this program more and more. If we don't win another game this year, which is highly likely, this will be the first time since the 1973-74 season that we won't win at least 10 games in one year. That is 37 years!! That is absolutely brutal!!! Rock bottom is here! Our pride isn't!!

 

[McPeachy]

Rock bottom is indeed here.

On the attendance...the number announced / reported was quite wrong. There will always be 4800 +/- season ticket holders "counted" whether they show or not. I estimated the crowd at about 3,000...so that means roughly 2000 season ticket holders didn't show up.

I don't know what is more depressing, knowing we have at least another year of this stuff OR waiting to watch it all happen.

 

[7220Fan]

Has anyone heard what President Buchanen thinks about all of this? or is he getting the samething as all of us.... please be patient??

 

[JimmyDimes]

I think most people realize this team isn't very good and are past the point of posting the same stuff after yet another loss. Most people have already called it a season.

However, I'm not agreeing with the life being sucked out of this program. After BYU went out to a 10 point lead, we played them pretty tough until mid way through the 2nd. We did so with 3 freshman playing a majority of minutes. Those guys along with Waddell and Thiam were out there playing their butts off. They haven't given up on the season. And, they are getting better. It might not show with wins and losses, but Buedo, M'Baye, and Jackson have all been improving.

Injuries have cost us a couple games. If you can't see that, then I don't know what to say. If Afam can come back from his injury and Schroyer can add a shooter(s) and an inside presence from the JC ranks this offseason, I think we will see a different team next year.

 

[McPeachy]

Has anyone heard what President Buchanen thinks about all of this? or is he getting the samething as all of us.... please be patient??

Given the fact that there is such a huge percieved financial crises in Wyoming (which of course includes UW)...I think it is a safe bet that Buchanan is fine with leaving Heath in place at least another year. It is quite a big gamble, but one he can easily put on Burman if it doesn't work.

It is crazy that I am writing this...

If Heath rights the ship, TomTom just saved UW & the state a few hundred thousand dollars buy-out cash.

It isn't crazy that I am writing this...

If Heath doesn't right the ship, how much revenue will UW have lost (via ticket sales, concessions, etc), let alone the Laramie community?

Question...is TomTom riding on the coat-tails of DC's taste of success? Uh oh!

 

[7220Fan]

I think most people realize this team isn't very good and are past the point of posting the same stuff after yet another loss. Most people have already called it a season.

However, I'm not agreeing with the life being sucked out of this program. After BYU went out to a 10 point lead, we played them pretty tough until mid way through the 2nd. We did so with 3 freshman playing a majority of minutes. Those guys along with Waddell and Thiam were out there playing their butts off. They haven't given up on the season. And, they are getting better. It might not show with wins and losses, but Buedo, M'Baye, and Jackson have all been improving.

Injuries have cost us a couple games. If you can't see that, then I don't know what to say. If Afam can come back from his injury and Schroyer can add a shooter(s) and an inside presence from the JC ranks this offseason, I think we will see a different team next year.

Jimmy, with all due respect... you don't see the life being sucked out of this program?? Attendance, apathy, 25 point losses to our rivals which we hate with all of our being?? I am talking about us as fans not the players. Yes they are out there working their butts off but so is every other player in America!! You said that "it might not show in wins and losses"... isn't that what it is all about? In today's world, giving it the "old college try" just is NOT going to work. It is about wins and losses and not just working your butt off or improving. As far as injuries, we were losing with Afam so using injuries as an excuse to lose games, no sir, I do not see that. I would love to see a different team next year, but with what is going on this year and everyone else (except TCU) keeping their core players next year... I have a tough time seeing it!

 

[bladerunnr]

I'm not really a fan, using the definition by some on this board. I quit attending games and I've bet against the Pokes many times this year. What I see on t.v. is this: We get way behind early, the other team lets up because it's been so easy, and then we almost make it respectable. I think some on this board are thinking we are getting better because we look good for a few stretches, like when we made a semi run in the 1st half and again early in the second half. When byu really worked on defense in the second half, they shut us down completely for about 9 minutes. It went from an 8 point game to a 23 point game. When you look at the fact that we have lost 4 conference games by more than 20 (NM, byu, SDS, UNLV) and 3 others (tcu, af,csewe) to really poor teams (csewe lost to byu by nearly 50 and unlv by 40) I don't know how you can come to any other conclusion that a) the talent level is incredibly low or b) the coaching is poor or c) the effort is less than it should be. I think it is the first 2.

Every team has injuries. That is the lamest excuse. We lost to tcu and csu with Afam playing. Some of these other losses would have been closer but the record of the team would basically be the same.

Maybe we can survive another year of this financially. I don't really know. But I would bet that if Heath is here next year, the results are going to be roughly the same. How many times has a coach turned it around after 3 losing seasons? I count last year as a loser because we had a losing record in the conference. We didn't beat 1 quality team ooc. Not to mention the fact that all of these players will be back. Most of these guys (the 4 stoneridge prep players) are all in their 20's. Their games are not going to improve. Thiam and Davis are the perfect examples of this. I think Davis was actually worse this year. Jackson is good and Waddell is ok. Luster and Sylla are not d1. The odds that Afam will come back 100 percent are questionable at best. That's it. That's all we've got. Consider that Jackson had 27 on Saturday. The entire rest of the team had 35. On our home court in a relatively fast paced game. That's scary.

 

[cheypoke]

Jimmy Dines, I do agree that most fans have packed it in for the season. I will probably go to the Air Force game, but thats just because I dont have anything else to do. I can't really blames others for skipping it. But I'm not yet convinced that next year will be better. It might be; I hope it will be. But what I'm concerned about is that we will again rely heavily on Mojeke and Waddell, two players that have proven to be injury prone. Dont get me wrong, both are very valuable, and can be game changers, but I'm afraid that injury wise, next year will mirror this year.

 

[ELKMT]

next year wont be better. I bet Afam doesn't come back at all. I feel bad for heath sometimes but at other times I remind myself he was an assistant at byu and wonder why we ever hired him. I am so tired of hearing sports line live an cowboy talk and schroyer saying we had a good team last year. We had 19 wins and the same conf record that got mcclain fired, and then they try to convince that was a good year. I think that is why I am most frustrated with the program, we have had zero good years since the early 2000's with maybe of the exception of the year we made it to the conf tourney championships.

 

[McPeachy]

I bet Afam doesn't come back at all.

Really? What makes you think that? Work ethic (as it is displayed on the court in games and practices)? :?

I look forward to Desmar's sophmore year...if there is something to look forward to, that is IT. Who knows maybe the kid can lead the pokes out of the shitter during his tenure.

 

[fromolwyoming]

I bet Afam doesn't come back at all.

Really? What makes you think that? Work ethic (as it is displayed on the court in games and practices)? :?

I look forward to Desmar's sophmore year...if there is something to look forward to, that is IT. Who knows maybe the kid can lead the pokes out of the shitter during his tenure.

Waddell will be there next year, and hopefully his injuries will be all healed up.