The first three games of the season are in the books. After my report on the last exhibition game, I wanted to watch a few games before bringing any more insights. So far this has turned out to be exactly the type of schedule this team needed. They've been punched in the mouth a few times, had their struggles, and managed to win all 3 games.
Points Per Game: Damarion Dennis & Naz Meyer - 14.4
Rebounds Per Game: Abou Magassa - 8
Assists Per Game: Leland Walker - 3.8
Turnovers Per Game: Leland Walker - 3.8
3 point percentage: Uriyah Rojas - 80%
Minutes Per Game: This is a good indicator of what the starting lineup will eventually look like.
- RP40 is working - Sunny has brought up his RP40 philosophy for this team at every turn since this roster was put together. In a nutshell, it means that they've playing with relentless pressure for 40 minutes. As we've seen in the first 3 games, it's working. Teams are being run out of the gym in Laramie, and I couldn't be happier to see it. Let's look specifically at the Fullerton and Austin Peay games. Both games were very close at half, but Wyoming ended up winning by double digits in both. That can be largely attributed to both teams shooting roughly 39% in the second half, while Wyoming shot 50% and 41% in those respective games. We are FINALLY seeing a team in Laramie that is using the altitude to its advantage.
- Guards lead the way - The top 4 scorers on the team (and the only players to be averaging double digits) are all guards. Underneath the cumulative numbers we see something very interesting, though; there's no one player that will make or break each game. Naz Meyer was leading the scoring in the first 2 games, but didn't make a field goal against Austin Peay. Uriyah Rojas scored 8 points in each of the first 2 games before exploding for 23 against Austin Peay. Damarion Dennis has been the 2nd leading scorer in the last 2 games. Having the depth to allow players to have a bad game is a luxury we haven't had since Marcus Williams, Graham Ike, and Hunter Maldonado shared the floor.
- This freshman class is special - Naz Meyer is the early front runner for MW freshman of the year. Gavin Gores has shown he's ready for the spotlight. Simm-Marten Saadi isn't at their level, but he has show flashes of being able to contribute as a stretch 4. I wouldn't be surprised to see Meyer and/or Gores in the starting lineup by the time conference play starts. They need to adjust more to the D1 game before they get there (too many turnovers and missed defensive assignments), but their talent is undeniable.
- The seniors are struggling - There are 3 seniors on this roster; Kiani Saxon, Leland Walker, and Matija Belic. Their stat lines thus far are some of the worst on the team. Saxon has yet to score a point and is playing very limited minutes. Leland Walker has struggled with turnovers (he's got 11 on the season to go with 18 total points), and Belic looks to still be recovering from his offseason ankle injury. These are the players this team needs to play well if they're going to have any sort of success this year. Hopefully they can pull it together soon.
- Why are layups such a problem? - Wyoming's struggles finishing at the rim have carried over from last year. They are shooting a dreadful 50% from point blank. If we take out the Northern State game, that percentage plunges to a putrid 39%. The coaches have identified the problem and are working on it, but this is a stat that should never be lower than 60%. This will need to get sorted out in a hurry. It's the kind of stat that will lose games as the season goes on.
Points Per Game: Damarion Dennis & Naz Meyer - 14.4
Rebounds Per Game: Abou Magassa - 8
Assists Per Game: Leland Walker - 3.8
Turnovers Per Game: Leland Walker - 3.8
3 point percentage: Uriyah Rojas - 80%
Minutes Per Game: This is a good indicator of what the starting lineup will eventually look like.
- Khaden Bennett - 26.3
- Damarion Dennis - 25.7
- Nasir Meyer - 23.7
- Leland Walker - 23.3
- Abou Magassa - 17.7
