Andy Katz article about MWC

[BeaverPoke]

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/98702/look-back-look-ahead-mountain-west" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Interesting...Wyo is the sleeper pick to win the conference if Nance comes back. And that isn't BP optimism, that is the MWC coaches saying so.

 

[Cowboy Junky]

I'm really excited about next year.

Larry Nance is a question mark. Every thing seems to be going well and his family are certified experts in the field of recovering from knee injuries to continue to play basketball.

Josh Adams really became a nightmare to guard in 2014. I think the loss of Larry benefited Josh the most. He got a lot of looks down the stretch last year and was very successful with the extra focus. I think he's developing the ability to get his own shot and make it count. He seems a lot more controlled with his body positioning. He's always went up strong. Now he goes up strong and able to absorb a blow while still converting the lay-up/dunk.

Derek Cooke really grew up last year. He had his growing pains, but he benefited from the extra minutes down the stretch. More than anything else, DC just needs basketball experience. He got a lot of it with Nance down. Another year working with Shy and company is just what the doctor ordered for DC. I expect big improvements just like we got this year.

I can't understand the people that criticize Riley Grabau. When his legs are fresh he is as good of a shooter as there is in college basketball. He's a great passer. He takes care of the ball incredibly well. He shoots lights out at the free throw line. He's not the most athletic defender on the team, but he's serviceable when his legs are strong. I'm hoping we have the depth at point to rest Riley more often. I think having a true point in Lieberman behind him is going to benefit Riley the most.

Charles Hankerson was really clutch for Wyoming before he went out. Charles Hankerson as a senior is the wild card to me. His energy, strength, and ability to knock down big baskets under pressure make Hankerson a valuable rotation player. If he can improve on his ability from last year he could step into the starting lineup.

We're still adding to our best recruiting class in years. Lieberman, Barnes, and Jones is a great start to the 2014 class and we've still got two 2014 scholarships in hand.

Tyrell Williams would give us another guy in our post rotation. He's a great rebounder and shot blocker already. Let him work with Allen Edwards for a year and see how good he gets. Shy and staff will bring the best out of players willing to give effort on the defensive end. Tyrell looks like the perfect guy for the Wyoming system. He's incredibly athletic. He's already good at finishing around the rim. Imagine him four years from now with Johnathan Barnes as a senior as well.

If Gorsky signs, we've got a guy that can take over that Nathan Sobey roll, but with a little more size, and it looks like more shooting ability. Gorsky hustles on defense too, so he's another good fit for Shy's system. He looks like a great passer and he handles the ball very well.

Both Gorsky and Williams would have a chance to break into the rotation of a team challenging for a MWC championship.

Regardless of what happens with the last two 2014 sholarships, Wyoming is a contender in the MWC next year. If the right guys sign and Nance recovers on schedule, Wyoming has a team with the potential to win the MWC.

 

[fromolwyoming]

Grabau pretty much vanished after Nance went down in terms of hitting 3s. A good free throw shooter, yeah, no doubt. But other than assists and passing the ball, he vanished on offense.

Adams really stepped up, and would punish teams from the 3 point line and taking it to the rim (that dunk on the UNLV guy is a highleet reel moment), but would burn out in the 2nd half, though he would not quit.

Cooke did grow, I really want him to improve his free throw shooting to around 60% though so other teams don't feel obligated to foul on him.

Hankerson learned his lesson, he did something stupid, did his punishment, and still wants to play for us. Works for me. He can make 3s, which helps out, and can take it to the rim.

Nance, from the sounds of it, is healing well and quickly. Should be good to go by next fall. Hopefully he'll be back to how he was prior to his injury, and if so, he'll be in contention for POY for sure.

 

[Cowboy Junky]

Grabau pretty much vanished after Nance went down in terms of hitting 3s. A good free throw shooter, yeah, no doubt. But other than assists and passing the ball, he vanished on offense.

Adams really stepped up, and would punish teams from the 3 point line and taking it to the rim (that dunk on the UNLV guy is a highleet reel moment), but would burn out in the 2nd half, though he would not quit.

Cooke did grow, I really want him to improve his free throw shooting to around 60% though so other teams don't feel obligated to foul on him.

Hankerson learned his lesson, he did something stupid, did his punishment, and still wants to play for us. Works for me. He can make 3s, which helps out, and can take it to the rim.

Nance, from the sounds of it, is healing well and quickly. Should be good to go by next fall. Hopefully he'll be back to how he was prior to his injury, and if so, he'll be in contention for POY for sure.

The reason why Grabau vanished is the same as it was the year before. He got too many minutes and his legs burned out down the stretch. I think Grabau might find himself in all-conference contention if we can keep him fresh throughout the season. He's really good. He will be a senior.

 

[WyoExpat]

...other than assists and passing the ball...

This makes me think of the old quip, "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?" One does not need to look very far to find coaches that will gladly give up points from the PG position to get assists and taking care of the ball. We had a great one a generation ago that might have cost games because he couldn't hold a candle to Grabau's FT shooting.

 

[fromolwyoming]

...other than assists and passing the ball...

This makes me think of the old quip, "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?" One does not need to look very far to find coaches that will gladly give up points from the PG position to get assists and taking care of the ball. We had a great one a generation ago that might have cost games because he couldn't hold a candle to Grabau's FT shooting.

After Nance went down and Hankerson was suspended, we only had 3 guys that were scoring, and lack of point production basically killed us.

 

[Adv8RU12]

Not one mention about Washington. Did I miss that he left or something?

 

[fromolwyoming]

He gave Adams/Grabau a rest later on...

Game got to his head I think. He showed he can hit threes early in the season, but later on, he had issues doing too much.

 

[DVDA]

You guys are rippling on Grabau too much. He's good, but not great. He's going to be a very solid starter next year who needs 2-4 better players around him. If Nance is healthy, Grabau is going to help Adams and Nance get good shots and get shots that help this team win games against good teams like Colorado. I'm excited to see young guys have a year under a hard worker like Grabau and Adams to develop what it takes to be winning basketball players. Grabau is exactly what i want any player for Wyoming to play like. He's going to sacrifice for the team because he knows that it will result in being two or three points closer to another win.

 

[WyoExpat]

You guys are rippling on Grabau too much. He's good, but not great. He's going to be a very solid starter next year who needs 2-4 better players around him. If Nance is healthy, Grabau is going to help Adams and Nance get good shots and get shots that help this team win games against good teams like Colorado. I'm excited to see young guys have a year under a hard worker like Grabau and Adams to develop what it takes to be winning basketball players. Grabau is exactly what i want any player for Wyoming to play like. He's going to sacrifice for the team because he knows that it will result in being two or three points closer to another win.

+1

In the end, the whole needs to be greater than the sum of the parts.

 

[stymeman]

i'm excited to read that too....xing my fingers and toes!!!!!