New commit?

[calpoke25]

This is kind of an underwhelming signing. Even Shyatt acknowledges this guy is a "down the road" project. Would have preferred either a more immediate impact player or a bigger signing in next years class. Maybe it'll work out "down the road" and I hope this guy can use this as motivation to get better and prove us doubters wrong but I just wonder how high his ceiling is.

 

[seattlecowboy]

I say we give this kid a chance .

I know at first a lot of us can think it is an underwhelming signing compared to what we think we might have been able to get but after watching some tape on this kid and listening to his interview and checking over some stats this isn't that bad of a signing actually.

This kid speaks very well and he just started playing basketball his sophomore year in high school when he had a growth spurt from 5-10 to 6-8. He still might grow another inch or two.

Watching his tape he can stroke the 3 ball . His shot looks really good actually and his stats last year were almost 9 points per game and 6 rebounds per game and that was only playing 21 minutes per game. If he played 40 he would have been looking at 16 ppg and almost 12 rebounds per game.

He obviously isn't going to play 40 minutes a game next year as a sophomore and D1 will be tougher but he can shoot and his numbers aren't bad at all for only playing for about 3 or 4 years now he has already drastically improved. With Shyatt coaching him I expect him to make another big jump and if he could come off of the bench next year and give us 5 ppg and 3 rebounds that will be big for the amount of minutes he gets to play.

He sounds like a smart kid so I expect him to keep improving and he could be a diamond in the rough. Lets give him a shot. Think we all might be surprised, even myself with how good he ends up being. :thumb:

 

[TSpoke]

I say we give this kid a chance .

I know at first a lot of us can think it is an underwhelming signing compared to what we think we might have been able to get but after watching some tape on this kid and listening to his interview and checking over some stats this isn't that bad of a signing actually.

This kid speaks very well and he just started playing basketball his sophomore year in high school when he had a growth spurt from 5-10 to 6-8. He still might grow another inch or two.

Watching his tape he can stroke the 3 ball . His shot looks really good actually and his stats last year were almost 9 points per game and 6 rebounds per game and that was only playing 21 minutes per game. If he played 40 he would have been looking at 16 ppg and almost 12 rebounds per game.

He obviously isn't going to play 40 minutes a game next year as a sophomore and D1 will be tougher but he can shoot and his numbers aren't bad at all for only playing for about 3 or 4 years now he has already drastically improved. With Shyatt coaching him I expect him to make another big jump and if he could come off of the bench next year and give us 5 ppg and 3 rebounds that will be big for the amount of minutes he gets to play.

He sounds like a smart kid so I expect him to keep improving and he could be a diamond in the rough. Lets give him a shot. Think we all might be surprised, even myself with how good he ends up being. :thumb:

All of this. :thumb:

 

[kansasCowboy]

I still find it kind of funny that after one good looking year in almost 13 years of basketball everyone thinks mid top and top recruits are going to be knocking down our door to come to Laramie. We need to have a few successful seasons in a row for that to happen. We've had a few decent seasons in a row under Shy and it got us a good looking class last year of mostly underrateds. If those guys and who we currently have keep the trend going and don't fall back to far, I see our recruiting taking another step forwar in about two years.
Just like wins and losses and coaching records what do I always say, it takes time. It's not an overnight process. You need to build it up first. And Shy is doing just that.

 

[joshvanklomp]

As a part-time job, the lanky stretch four worked at Big Bill’s New York Pizza in nearby Centennial, Colorado, a popular hangout for local sports and media personalities. The owner, Bill Ficke, is a former Denver Nuggets assistant and NBA scout. Among other recommendations, Ficke put in the good word to UW for Dalton, who averaged 8.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in one season in Riverton.

“I told (UW associate head coach Scott Duncan), ‘Hey, this is the same kid we saw in high school a year ago, and now he’s 2-3 inches taller than he was,’” Ficke said. “He said, ‘You’re kidding me.’ I told him, ‘No. You’ve got to realize now, with his wingspan, he’s probably 7-1. He’s got a huge wingspan.’”

http://trib.com/sports/college/wyoming/mbb/central-wyoming-college-forward-hayden-dalton-signs-with-wyoming-eligible/article_ae041aae-bb61-5bae-be67-4c71ce86fdda.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[LanderPoke]

He may turn out to be a good get if he continues to grow. 6'11'' sounds a lot better than 6'8''.

 

[joshvanklomp]

He's listed at 6'9" in the report. Same height as Derek Cooke Jr, and one inch taller than Larry Nance Jr. His height won't be an issue. The key will be packing the weight on him. Reported as 180 pounds right now. Only guys lighter on last year's team were Riley Grabau and Jeremy Lieberman, and the same weight as Jack Bentz.

He's basically the same size Alan Herndon was when we signed him.

 

[LanderPoke]

He very may be an impactful player in 2 years, but we need the help now. I think this why a lot on here are disappointed.

 

[joshvanklomp]

He very may be an impactful player in 2 years, but we need the help now. I think this why a lot on here are disappointed.

Why do we need it?

This isn't a senior-laden team. It's a young team with only one senior. 12 of the 15 players on the roster are freshmen and sophomores. A mid-June signee wasn't going to make the difference between going to the NCAA tournament or not, anyways. This is going to be a year of development.

 

[joshvanklomp]

The biggest thing this signing does is gives us more size down low. Size that has college experience.

While we may run someone like Justin James at PF, we don't necessarily have to. It also allows us to be patient with Naughton and Moemeka, and maybe even Barnes if we want.

The more I think about it, the more I get excited about the signing. I actually wouldn't be surprised if he's the opening day starter next to Herndon. Keeps our long frontcourt intact.

 

[fromolwyoming]

He's on the skinny side, but that can be remedied easier than many other things. He gives us a shooter and a guy who can penetrate and rebound. Where Barnes is great on defense and has size, he lacks an offensive game (which should come in time). This kid gives us a tall kid who gives us another threat on offense, basically the opposite of Barnes. I think time will show that he'll be a good get.

 

[NowherePoke]

He very may be an impactful player in 2 years, but we need the help now. I think this why a lot on here are disappointed.

Why do we need it?

This isn't a senior-laden team. It's a young team with only one senior. 12 of the 15 players on the roster are freshmen and sophomores. A mid-June signee wasn't going to make the difference between going to the NCAA tournament or not, anyways. This is going to be a year of development.

I think you just explained why we need it. It's not about the NCAA tourney, because you are right about that, it's about putting the best product possible on the floor and trying to maintain the momentum generated by last year's success.

Looking at next year's roster it's pretty clear that our weakness will be the frontcourt and as a result the Pokes will be picked 8th in the MWC in the preseason, most likely. Obviously that doesn't mean we finish that low, but I don't think it is out of the question that we could be below .500 in MWC play next year and really struggle on the glass. If we are going to sign a JC, why not sign one that can contribute over the next two years? Look at the guys that signed with other MWC schools: Torren Jones, Cullen Russo, Emmanual Omogbo, Kimani Jackson, etc. There were JC bigs out there that could have contributed next year and helped on the glass and they didn't sign with SDSU/UNLV or a P5 program. They signed with people like CSU and Fresno. Why can't we recruit at their level?

Dalton is a gamble on a prospect with length and a shooting touch that we are hoping will develop physically. In a vacuum, there is certainly nothing wrong with that as he could develop and be a contributor in a couple of years. However, for this particular roster we already have 4 underclassmen big men that are projects (although with Herndon going into his 3rd year in the program I would probably say he is past that point), so why add a 5th?

One of the primary aspects that sunk the Heath Schroyer regime, besides him being an a-hole, was roster composition (too many players with the same skill set in the same class, while other needs were completely ignored). Shyatt is a million times better at that, but the team is really in a hole in the front court for next year and I would have liked to see him do something about that this spring.

 

[ItSucksToBeACSURam]

He very may be an impactful player in 2 years, but we need the help now. I think this why a lot on here are disappointed.

Why do we need it?

This isn't a senior-laden team. It's a young team with only one senior. 12 of the 15 players on the roster are freshmen and sophomores. A mid-June signee wasn't going to make the difference between going to the NCAA tournament or not, anyways. This is going to be a year of development.

I think you just explained why we need it. It's not about the NCAA tourney, because you are right about that, it's about putting the best product possible on the floor and trying to maintain the momentum generated by last year's success.

Looking at next year's roster it's pretty clear that our weakness will be the frontcourt and as a result the Pokes will be picked 8th in the MWC in the preseason, most likely. Obviously that doesn't mean we finish that low, but I don't think it is out of the question that we could be below .500 in MWC play next year and really struggle on the glass. If we are going to sign a JC, why not sign one that can contribute over the next two years? Look at the guys that signed with other MWC schools: Torren Jones, Cullen Russo, Emmanual Omogbo, Kimani Jackson, etc. There were JC bigs out there that could have contributed next year and helped on the glass and they didn't sign with SDSU/UNLV or a P5 program. They signed with people like CSU and Fresno. Why can't we recruit at their level?

Dalton is a gamble on a prospect with length and a shooting touch that we are hoping will develop physically. In a vacuum, there is certainly nothing wrong with that as he could develop and be a contributor in a couple of years. However, for this particular roster we already have 4 underclassmen big men that are projects (although with Herndon going into his 3rd year in the program I would probably say he is past that point), so why add a 5th?

One of the primary aspects that sunk the Heath Schroyer regime, besides him being an a-hole, was roster composition (too many players with the same skill set in the same class, while other needs were completely ignored). Shyatt is a million times better at that, but the team is really in a hole in the front court for next year and I would have liked to see him do something about that this spring.

I can't disagree with your reasoning and your logic. The way I look at it is this, our success (or failure) is going to rely on our shooting percentage, not rebounding. You don't need elite rebounding when you make shots. There is no reason we can't be this years Boise State and be sound defensive team who shoots a high percentage from the field.

The only thing that is going to separate us from first and last is an increase in made baskets. Were going to play D. Were going to offensively rebound like we did last year.

 

[WYCowboy]

He very may be an impactful player in 2 years, but we need the help now. I think this why a lot on here are disappointed.

Why do we need it?

This isn't a senior-laden team. It's a young team with only one senior. 12 of the 15 players on the roster are freshmen and sophomores. A mid-June signee wasn't going to make the difference between going to the NCAA tournament or not, anyways. This is going to be a year of development.

I think you just explained why we need it. It's not about the NCAA tourney, because you are right about that, it's about putting the best product possible on the floor and trying to maintain the momentum generated by last year's success.

Looking at next year's roster it's pretty clear that our weakness will be the frontcourt and as a result the Pokes will be picked 8th in the MWC in the preseason, most likely. Obviously that doesn't mean we finish that low, but I don't think it is out of the question that we could be below .500 in MWC play next year and really struggle on the glass. If we are going to sign a JC, why not sign one that can contribute over the next two years? Look at the guys that signed with other MWC schools: Torren Jones, Cullen Russo, Emmanual Omogbo, Kimani Jackson, etc. There were JC bigs out there that could have contributed next year and helped on the glass and they didn't sign with SDSU/UNLV or a P5 program. They signed with people like CSU and Fresno. Why can't we recruit at their level?

Dalton is a gamble on a prospect with length and a shooting touch that we are hoping will develop physically. In a vacuum, there is certainly nothing wrong with that as he could develop and be a contributor in a couple of years. However, for this particular roster we already have 4 underclassmen big men that are projects (although with Herndon going into his 3rd year in the program I would probably say he is past that point), so why add a 5th?

One of the primary aspects that sunk the Heath Schroyer regime, besides him being an a-hole, was roster composition (too many players with the same skill set in the same class, while other needs were completely ignored). Shyatt is a million times better at that, but the team is really in a hole in the front court for next year and I would have liked to see him do something about that this spring.

Because those you listed don't have the style, attitude, or team chemistry that our coaching staff are looking for? Only the coaching staff can answer that question.

 

[joshvanklomp]

One of the primary aspects that sunk the Heath Schroyer regime, besides him being an a-hole, was roster composition (too many players with the same skill set in the same class, while other needs were completely ignored). Shyatt is a million times better at that, but the team is really in a hole in the front court for next year and I would have liked to see him do something about that this spring.

Who in this class has Dalton's skillset as a stretch-4?

We added a frontcourt player. The problem isn't that we ignored the need, the problem is that we added a guy at the position that you don't like.

 

[calpoke25]

One of the primary aspects that sunk the Heath Schroyer regime, besides him being an a-hole, was roster composition (too many players with the same skill set in the same class, while other needs were completely ignored). Shyatt is a million times better at that, but the team is really in a hole in the front court for next year and I would have liked to see him do something about that this spring.

Who in this class has Dalton's skillset as a stretch-4?

We added a frontcourt player. The problem isn't that we ignored the need, the problem is that we added a guy at the position that you don't like.

Nowherepoke is probably the most knowledgable poster here regarding Cowboy basketball and also one of the most neutral talent evaluators. I highly doubt he has "favorite" positions or positions he "doesn't like."

 

[joshvanklomp]

I highly doubt he has "favorite" positions or positions he "doesn't like."

Poor phrasing on my part. It was the guy he doesn't like, not the position.

 

[JimmyDimes]

One of the primary aspects that sunk the Heath Schroyer regime, besides him being an a-hole, was roster composition (too many players with the same skill set in the same class, while other needs were completely ignored). Shyatt is a million times better at that, but the team is really in a hole in the front court for next year and I would have liked to see him do something about that this spring.

Who in this class has Dalton's skillset as a stretch-4?

We added a frontcourt player. The problem isn't that we ignored the need, the problem is that we added a guy at the position that you don't like.

Nowherepoke is probably the most knowledgable poster here regarding Cowboy basketball and also one of the most neutral talent evaluators. I highly doubt he has "favorite" positions or positions he "doesn't like."

Agree and disagree.

 

[NowherePoke]

He very may be an impactful player in 2 years, but we need the help now. I think this why a lot on here are disappointed.

Why do we need it?

This isn't a senior-laden team. It's a young team with only one senior. 12 of the 15 players on the roster are freshmen and sophomores. A mid-June signee wasn't going to make the difference between going to the NCAA tournament or not, anyways. This is going to be a year of development.

I think you just explained why we need it. It's not about the NCAA tourney, because you are right about that, it's about putting the best product possible on the floor and trying to maintain the momentum generated by last year's success.

Looking at next year's roster it's pretty clear that our weakness will be the frontcourt and as a result the Pokes will be picked 8th in the MWC in the preseason, most likely. Obviously that doesn't mean we finish that low, but I don't think it is out of the question that we could be below .500 in MWC play next year and really struggle on the glass. If we are going to sign a JC, why not sign one that can contribute over the next two years? Look at the guys that signed with other MWC schools: Torren Jones, Cullen Russo, Emmanual Omogbo, Kimani Jackson, etc. There were JC bigs out there that could have contributed next year and helped on the glass and they didn't sign with SDSU/UNLV or a P5 program. They signed with people like CSU and Fresno. Why can't we recruit at their level?

Dalton is a gamble on a prospect with length and a shooting touch that we are hoping will develop physically. In a vacuum, there is certainly nothing wrong with that as he could develop and be a contributor in a couple of years. However, for this particular roster we already have 4 underclassmen big men that are projects (although with Herndon going into his 3rd year in the program I would probably say he is past that point), so why add a 5th?

One of the primary aspects that sunk the Heath Schroyer regime, besides him being an a-hole, was roster composition (too many players with the same skill set in the same class, while other needs were completely ignored). Shyatt is a million times better at that, but the team is really in a hole in the front court for next year and I would have liked to see him do something about that this spring.

Because those you listed don't have the style, attitude, or team chemistry that our coaching staff are looking for? Only the coaching staff can answer that question.

Certainly could be the case. I just used those individual players as examples of a type of prospect. The particulars of an individual recruit can be highly variable. I agree.

 

[NowherePoke]

He very may be an impactful player in 2 years, but we need the help now. I think this why a lot on here are disappointed.

Why do we need it?

This isn't a senior-laden team. It's a young team with only one senior. 12 of the 15 players on the roster are freshmen and sophomores. A mid-June signee wasn't going to make the difference between going to the NCAA tournament or not, anyways. This is going to be a year of development.

I think you just explained why we need it. It's not about the NCAA tourney, because you are right about that, it's about putting the best product possible on the floor and trying to maintain the momentum generated by last year's success.

Looking at next year's roster it's pretty clear that our weakness will be the frontcourt and as a result the Pokes will be picked 8th in the MWC in the preseason, most likely. Obviously that doesn't mean we finish that low, but I don't think it is out of the question that we could be below .500 in MWC play next year and really struggle on the glass. If we are going to sign a JC, why not sign one that can contribute over the next two years? Look at the guys that signed with other MWC schools: Torren Jones, Cullen Russo, Emmanual Omogbo, Kimani Jackson, etc. There were JC bigs out there that could have contributed next year and helped on the glass and they didn't sign with SDSU/UNLV or a P5 program. They signed with people like CSU and Fresno. Why can't we recruit at their level?

Dalton is a gamble on a prospect with length and a shooting touch that we are hoping will develop physically. In a vacuum, there is certainly nothing wrong with that as he could develop and be a contributor in a couple of years. However, for this particular roster we already have 4 underclassmen big men that are projects (although with Herndon going into his 3rd year in the program I would probably say he is past that point), so why add a 5th?

One of the primary aspects that sunk the Heath Schroyer regime, besides him being an a-hole, was roster composition (too many players with the same skill set in the same class, while other needs were completely ignored). Shyatt is a million times better at that, but the team is really in a hole in the front court for next year and I would have liked to see him do something about that this spring.

I can't disagree with your reasoning and your logic. The way I look at it is this, our success (or failure) is going to rely on our shooting percentage, not rebounding. You don't need elite rebounding when you make shots. There is no reason we can't be this years Boise State and be sound defensive team who shoots a high percentage from the field.

The only thing that is going to separate us from first and last is an increase in made baskets. Were going to play D. Were going to offensively rebound like we did last year.

Certainly important to make shots, but defense does you no good if you don't rebound the other teams misses. If you compare the last two Wyoming teams, the 2013-14 team had an Effective FG% of 52.7% (41st in the country) and the 14-15 team had an Effective FG% of 52.2% (54th in the country). Both are outstanding and reflect a team that doesn't take a lot of bad or forced shots. However, one of those teams won 25 games and the other won 18. What was the biggest difference? Rebounding (partially because Nance missed fewer games and he is a stud rebounder, but more on that in a second). If you look at the rebounding stats, the Pokes were in the bottom 10 nationally both years in offensive rebounding (Shyatt's decision), however...the Pokes went from 197th in the country in defensive rebounding percentage in 13-14 to 30th in 14-15. That's a big difference and a huge key.

Getting the defensive rebound is part of playing defense. You have to get possession of the ball. Nance and Cooke were both excellent defensive rebounders, but they had very little help over the last two years when either one sat (that includes Herndon). Without them, it's a big question mark who can help protect the glass.