Keep this team together!

[stymeman]

Everyone, like social media, needs a big chill and RELAX, everyone has their ideas and that's ok, but dont attack me/ us cuz we've got our opinions too, yes i went to alot of games unlike alot of others that come on here like they are truly experts for the Mens Basketball Program at UW....it'll go the way the University wants it to, and all our rants and raves are just that. I saw alot of growth towards the end as well and for 2 nites it was fun to soak up that winning atmosphere again....we shall see probably Monday one way or the other, either way I'm fine with but leaning towards seeing if this can be turned around with a group that WANTS to be here, not new beginnings that may take a long time to see fruits of the labors (esp if all leave, leaving the cupboard bare) Do the right thing Burman (for a change), hope there's a solution either way

 

[kdwrightuwyo]

The boys did grow a lot at the end of the year, which is great! But I think it was a little too late. Edwards is by all accounts a GREAT GUY, and his team loves him (the social media campaign for Edwards to keep his job is proof). But our basketball fundamentals have seemed to go out the window as soon as Shy's recruits left (not that Papa Shy put a whole lot of emphasis on defensive rebounds). We haven't been able to recruit an inside presence at all, and have struggled with taller teams and have resorted to a relatively poor, extremely streaky 3-pt game. I'm intrigued what a 5th year with Edwards can bring...but we have glaring holes without a known fill (a new 3-pt launcher, and no inside presence) and with his record, will be filled with Freshmen and yet another year of excuses about being young and inexperienced A new coach will have issues, too, though. We may lose some of our dudes (even if Edwards stays), but with our youth, it may take a year or so to teach the "old guys" and to get "his guys" in the system. Either way, I think we're in for a 3rd year living in the MW basement....unfortunately.

 

[CowboyNV]

There are some who keep forgetting that Edwards has been a part of this system for 9 years, 5 as an assistant to Shyatt, and the last 4 as head man. His right hand man, baby Shy has been in the system the same amount of time. In those 9 years this team has regressed to one of the worst in modern history. There is NO reason to keep this staff when they are responsible for a meager 17 wins over the past two years. It's time to move on. One more year of this bunch and Wyoming will be lucky to have 50 people show up at the games. Keeping them and allowing them to do more of the same is the pure definition of insanity.

 

[bladerunnr]

Everyone, like social media, needs a big chill and RELAX, everyone has their ideas and that's ok, but dont attack me/ us cuz we've got our opinions too, yes i went to alot of games unlike alot of others that come on here like they are truly experts for the Mens Basketball Program at UW....it'll go the way the University wants it to, and all our rants and raves are just that. I saw alot of growth towards the end as well and for 2 nites it was fun to soak up that winning atmosphere again....we shall see probably Monday one way or the other, either way I'm fine with but leaning towards seeing if this can be turned around with a group that WANTS to be here, not new beginnings that may take a long time to see fruits of the labors (esp if all leave, leaving the cupboard bare) Do the right thing Burman (for a change), hope there's a soluti on either way

I'm certainly not attacking those who want to keep Edwards. But I've watched this team a lot the last 2 years as well. A couple of things standout. We have no inside presence and we are the worst rebounding Wyoming team I've ever seen. And yes, there was at time some improvement this year. But improvement over what? We did not win a single home conference game this year. Unless some big pieces are added to this squad, we will probably win less than 15 games next year. I think the upside of making the change is far greater than the status quo.

 

[stymeman]

Thanx for that, i totally understand the shape of the program and all our frustrations etc, it'll be interesting to say the least

 

[springs_poke]

Did you watch the tournament? Did you watch the last half of the season? Do you have something personally against Edwards?

Have you ever competed in anything and simply struggled for awhile? Please elaborate. But then, after hard work, you "get it"? That happened to this team. It is actually a better building experience than immediate success.

I was a a freshman hearing the screams out the dorm windows when Dembo led us to the sweet 16. I was in Albuquerque starting chants when we beat Gonzaga, and almost beat Arizona. I watched Nance Jr. and Adams lead us to the tourney. I watched this team come back on a senior AF team at Clune on senior day a couple weeks ago. That AF team won the next couple games and led San Diego state in the second half a couple days ago.

And I had that same level of hope and excitement the last few days.

You are out of your ever loving goddamned mind. They have been one of the worst teams in division I for the last two years and suddenly two wins trumps all that? You cannot be serious.

You didn't answer any of my questions. You really like to hear your own voice, don't you?

 

[laxwyo]

Yes, we should try and keep team together, but they do need a new head coach. I think the core looks great, we need some bigs and someone to coach them all

 

[307bball]

There are some who keep forgetting that Edwards has been a part of this system for 9 years, 5 as an assistant to Shyatt, and the last 4 as head man. His right hand man, baby Shy has been in the system the same amount of time. In those 9 years this team has regressed to one of the worst in modern history. There is NO reason to keep this staff when they are responsible for a meager 17 wins over the past two years. It's time to move on. One more year of this bunch and Wyoming will be lucky to have 50 people show up at the games. Keeping them and allowing them to do more of the same is the pure definition of insanity.

Man...Outside of Jeremy's last name i see zero connection with the product on the floor under Edwards and what Larry Shyatt was doing. Even Larry's bad teams were a nightmare to play at home. Larry's teams played with discipline and defensive intensity. When talent was low...Larry's teams still had great home records. I was super excited to have Edwards as the guy to continue what Larry was doing, I figured the hard-nosed defense and disciplined offense would be added to by some updated coaching and recruiting...boy was I wrong.

Home Records:

Larry Shyatt:

16-3
13-6
14-4
17-2 (won tournament that year)
10-6

Allen Edwards:

19-3 (5-0 at home in CBI)
13-4
6-10
4-13

 

[TSpoke]

I have been harder on Edwards than anyone, for the last 2 or 3 years I have been saying to fire him.

With that said this Wyoming team did improve the last 3rd of the season. No they didn’t win a lot of games but they had a few games that they could have won and blew it in the last few minutes. They looked night and day better playing in Vegas in the tournament than I ever thought they would.

I have to give Edward credit for that since I bagged on him so bad as a coach. I think he seems to be a great guy personally and have nothing against him. I give him credit for the last few games and the team improving.

I also have to give him credit for recruiting Foster, Marble, Milton, Taylor, Maldonado and getting Hunter Thompson to come here. Those guys all looked much improved the last 3 games and are all young and will be a force in the conference the next 2 or 3 years with what I saw in the tournament if they can get a decent big guy down low.

With all that said I do think Edwards has learned a lot and will use this as a learning experience and can be a better head coach down the road. Wyoming has to fire him though with the whole body of work. At the end of the day it is a business.

I do believe if Wyoming can hire a solid coach, that they have some good building blocks on this team to compete and be very improved next year if they can add some beef down low.

Good luck to coach Edwards in the future.

This is kinda where I am at. I have been a big believer in Edwards. I would actually like to give him one more year to pull us out of it. I said even before this run that Edwards will be a great college basketball coach someday. I think he approaches the program the right way. He obviously cares about his players to a higher level than most college coaches( see former players also stumping for him to stay saying he is one of the best person/coaches they have ever been around) That didn't mean that I thought it should happen here. He might need to go learn somemore under another head coach before strying again. BUt after seeing it start to come together I think I would like to see what would happen with one more year. See if they could pull it together. Not predicting they would but that turn around would be a great story to witness. I believe we will lose a large group of this team if he is fired. I think the kids will feel betrayed and that bums me out because I really like the players we have here. We need a big man obviously(which I wonder if the JUCO big man that was hurt the whole year could have made a big difference).

Now I don't think there is a chance he keeps his job if for no other reason than Burman can't afford to risk keeping him. If he keeps him another year and the team doesn't pull it together then he will be looking for another job but if he makes another hire and loses the team and the team next year is bad again that is just rebuilding and isn't going to necessarily cost him his job.

I see both sides and have waivered back and forth all weekend. BUt I would like to see one more year while also knowing the chances of that are slim to none. And that's ok too I guess.

 

[SDPokeFan]

Did you watch the tournament? Did you watch the last half of the season? Do you have something personally against Edwards?

Have you ever competed in anything and simply struggled for awhile? Please elaborate. But then, after hard work, you "get it"? That happened to this team. It is actually a better building experience than immediate success.

I was a a freshman hearing the screams out the dorm windows when Dembo led us to the sweet 16. I was in Albuquerque starting chants when we beat Gonzaga, and almost beat Arizona. I watched Nance Jr. and Adams lead us to the tourney. I watched this team come back on a senior AF team at Clune on senior day a couple weeks ago. That AF team won the next couple games and led San Diego state in the second half a couple days ago.

And I had that same level of hope and excitement the last few days.

You are out of your ever loving goddamned mind. They have been one of the worst teams in division I for the last two years and suddenly two wins trumps all that? You cannot be serious.

You didn't answer any of my questions. You really like to hear your own voice, don't you?

OK. Yes, I watched the tournament. They won two games. Pretty cool.
The second half of the season? When they won two out of 16 games? Are you using that to support your argument? Is it because some of the games were close losses? Help me out here.
No, I have nothing personally against Edwards. I think he is a lousy head coach and the last two years' records supports that.