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WYO Hoops 2014-15 Articles/Notes/Quotes/Pics/Videos

POKE FAN

POKE FAN

Well-known member
[tweet]https://twitter.com/mikevorel/status/518465148890001408[/tweet]

Wyoming hoops' mix of experience, youth ready for 2014

It isn't just practice.

On Tuesday at 5 p.m., the 2014 Wyoming Cowboys men's basketball team will meet on its new court inside the Arena-Auditorium for the first time -- a blend of proven experience and promising youth meshing on the same hardwood floor for a few precious hours.

The first day of practice, for this team, is more than that. It's a long-awaited, painstakingly reached destination. It's the first step on the jagged, winding road to a much-anticipated season.

http://trib.com/sports/college/wyom...tml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

http://collegebasketball.ap.org/poll-voter/kevin-lyttle
 
[tweet]https://twitter.com/wyo_mbb/status/519181483924148225[/tweet]

Pokes Start Men's Basketball Practice on Tuesday
2014-15 Roster Features Six Seniors

The University of Wyoming men's basketball team officially begins preparations for its 2014-15 campaign on Tuesday with a two-hour practice in the Arena-Auditorium. Tuesday is the first day the NCAA permits regular team practices for the upcoming season. Practices are closed to the media and public until renovations on the Arena-Auditorium are completed.

"The NCAA rule changes the last couple of summers have given every coach the opportunity to work with their team in the summer for longer than they have in the past," UW head coach Larry Shyatt said. "Because of that I can say the attitude, spirit and unselfishness has been there for us all of June, July and this fall. That is an important stepping stone with the dynamics this team has with six seniors and six freshmen."

http://www.gowyo.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/100614aaa.html
 
Here are some preseason MWC hoops ballots submitted by journalists from around the league. Results will be posted by the conference on Tuesday (10/14/14). (I apologize in advance for adding any drivel coming out of Fort Fudd.):

[tweet]https://twitter.com/GeoffGrammer/status/519234693682958336[/tweet]

http://www.abqjournal.com/475329/sp...-15-mountain-west-mens-basketball-ballot.html

[tweet]https://twitter.com/TaylorBern/status/519184312151707648[/tweet]

http://lasvegassun.com/news/2014/oct/06/berns-eye-view-mountain-west-picks-unlv-begins-pra/

[tweet]https://twitter.com/IDS_Southorn/status/519264304437399552[/tweet]

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/10/06/3413869_my-2014-15-preseason-all-mountain.html?rh=1

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ByKeeganPope/status/519284864189620224[/tweet]

http://www.collegian.com/2014/10/pope-mountain-west-preseason-mens-basketball-ballot/93478/
 
Holy shit, everyone thinks if healthy Larry Nance Jr. is going to be the MWC POY.

I am so effing stoked for hoops this season!

We better wreck teams in OOC play to put the MWC on notice.
 
Okay, none of this matters, but I still feel like a message board is probably the best venue to get this off my chest. God knows that my wife doesn't care, and if I put it on social media then I look like a whiner.

Why is there so much love for CSU and so little for Wyoming? CSU wasn't even competitive in the MWC last year. Blowouts left and right. They return a couple players from last year's team and a shitload of transfers that have never worn a CSU jersey. That seems like a lot of unknowns - especially compared to whether or not Nance will be healthy. Even with those unknowns, everyone has CSU challenging for the conference title and Wyoming somewhere nonthreatening, in the middle.

Wyoming returns 78% of its scoring from the hottest team in the conference before Nance went down. Wyoming had 5 conference losses, each of which was a one-posession game in the final 30 seconds. Wyoming beat #5 SDSU, lost to NM twice in overtime, lost by 2 at UNLV, and if Nance doesn't go down, will almost certainly finish conference play with 12 wins and likely 13. Most media members claim that Wyoming has the best player in the league and the best coach, yet I've seen Wyoming ranked as low as 7th.

Again, none of this matters. We'll see how it all plays out. I'd still rank the predicted finish something like this:

1. Wyoming
2. SDSU
3. Boise State
4. New Mexico
5. Fresno State
6. UNLV
7. CSU
8. Nevada
9. Air Force
10. Utah State
11. SJSU
 
The CSU love is puzzling. I'm guessing the writers aren't as familiar with each teams make-up as they think. We return all but one starter, but also get Hankerson back from suspension. He was rusty last year, but was picking his game up prior to the suspension. He is capable of hitting the 3 and taking it to the hoop. Very versatile and he has something to prove this year. Same with Cooke..who has supposedly improved tremendously over the summer. We also get two guys back off their redshirt years.

Larry has shown he can put together a solid team with what he has to work with . This year he has more pieces and will have the Pokes in contention for the MWC title this year.
 
I've been chugging the brown & gold kool-aid for the basketball team lately. This team is going to be special! If we can get some solid contributions from the underclassmen Coach Shyatt will have an unstoppable juggernaut on his hands!
 
wyopig said:
Why is there so much love for CSU and so little for Wyoming? CSU wasn't even competitive in the MWC last year. Blowouts left and right. They return a couple players from last year's team and a shitload of transfers that have never worn a CSU jersey. That seems like a lot of unknowns - especially compared to whether or not Nance will be healthy. Even with those unknowns, everyone has CSU challenging for the conference title and Wyoming somewhere nonthreatening, in the middle.
Click to expand...

JimmyDimes said:
The CSU love is puzzling. I'm guessing the writers aren't as familiar with each teams make-up as they think. We return all but one starter, but also get Hankerson back from suspension. He was rusty last year, but was picking his game up prior to the suspension. He is capable of hitting the 3 and taking it to the hoop. Very versatile and he has something to prove this year. Same with Cooke..who has supposedly improved tremendously over the summer. We also get two guys back off their redshirt years.

Larry has shown he can put together a solid team with what he has to work with . This year he has more pieces and will have the Pokes in contention for the MWC title this year.
Click to expand...

Eustachy had a chance to show what a great coach he is/was last season after losing a load of players the year prior. Instead, they struggled. Personally, I thought CS-ewe was the sloppiest, most undisciplined MWC team (offensively and defensively) I saw in Laramie last year. And that was against a depleted Wyoming squad who had an 18-point lead in that game at one point. Put some of that on Eustachy. I'll take Papa Shy anyday.

I agree with you guys about the early CSU love relative to Wyoming. But, then again, I was shaking my head throughout those particular write-ups. Hopefully, the other journalists given ballots will show a little more love to the Pokes, standings-wise. No matter, if Nance can move like he used to, the Pokes will make noise. Keep the fingers crossed.
 
[tweet]https://twitter.com/CoachShyatt/status/519618270790295552[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/DCookeJr/status/519619776990035968[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Brotherhood05/status/519587970295140353[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/BHorodyski/status/519515300123795456[/tweet]
 
In terms of pre-season prognostications, they mean very little (no impact on actual standings and very minor impact on some other program features such as ticket sales, etc.). If Nance hadn't gotten hurt last year, the Pokes would be the darling of the pre-season and probably a consensus Top 3. That would be nice I suppose, but it doesn't count for a thing in the real standings. It will all be proven on the court.

This program has well over a decade of consistently poor performance. Until we prove differently, I can't blame the writers for favoring programs like UNM that have won consistently in recent years. CSU is a little more debatable, but even since Shyatt has taken over they are 26-22 in MWC play versus 19-29 for the Pokes. However, just like the preseason rankings, those records will not count on this year's total. It's a blank slate. Pokes have the opportunity to earn the respect, no need for us to cry about not receiving it before it is earned.

The MWC will be much better in 14-15 than they were in 13-14. Last year was a blip, over time this is consistently a Top 7/8 league in the country. If you want to be a Top 3 program in this league, you need to be a legitimate NCAA at-large contender. I believe this Wyoming team can achieve that. I haven't honestly believed that in October in a very long time.
 
[tweet]https://twitter.com/rpgagliardi/status/519892021759467520[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/rpgagliardi/status/519892203997786113[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/rpgagliardi/status/519892725987282944[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/rpgagliardi/status/519892896221528065[/tweet]
 
POKE FAN said:
One more preseason MWC ballot attempting to predict the conference race:

[tweet]https://twitter.com/orlandokoat/status/519311254297407489[/tweet]

http://www.koat.com/sports/orlandos...st-conference-mens-basketball-ballot/28980756
Click to expand...

That's the least researched ballot we've seen yet. Picking UNM 2nd even though they have to replace Bairstow, Kirk, and Williams, and then picking UNLV 3rd when they don't return a single starter? There's nothing in that writeup that digs deeper than how teams played last year.
 
I will make a guaranty right now. I will guaranty that San Diego St. does not win the conference.

Everyone and their mother is picking them to win it and when that happens it never works out.

Not sure who will win it but it won't be the Aztecs. ;)
 
[tweet]https://twitter.com/rpgagliardi/status/519904419425816576[/tweet]

A glimpse into what UW men’s hoops practice looks like

The Wyoming men’s basketball team opened fall practice Tuesday with a 2-hour, 15-minute workout in the Arena-Auditorium Tuesday.

Coach Larry Shyatt said he liked what he saw from all his guys, and didn’t pick out any individual efforts.

New NCAA rules the last couple of years have allowed schools to have workouts during an eight-week period over the summer, and Shyatt said those have been invaluable in terms of getting a better feel for his teams — both on and off the floor.

http://wyomingcowboysblog.com/2014/10/08/a-glimpse-into-what-uw-mens-hoops-practice-looks-like/
 
[tweet]https://twitter.com/rpgagliardi/status/520233010470584321[/tweet]

Shyatt pleased with first Cowboys hoops practice (WyoSports.net)

It’s just one practice, but University of Wyoming men’s basketball coach Larry Shyatt liked what he saw.

The Cowboys opened fall practice Tuesday with a two-hour, 15-minute workout in the Arena-Auditorium.

“I was pleased when I went home without watching the tape, and I was pleased more with the entire group than that of particular individuals,” Shyatt said Wednesday. “Watching the tape this morning, I feel the same way.

“I really thought there were far more positives than weaknesses. The weaknesses we showed are far easier to correct. They weren’t a lack of urgency. They weren’t a lack of defensive habits, and they weren’t a lack of playing unselfish on offense.”

http://www.wyosports.net/university...cle_814650e2-4f66-11e4-8757-97f08c17a2d3.html
 
wyopig said:
POKE FAN said:
One more preseason MWC ballot attempting to predict the conference race:

[tweet]https://twitter.com/orlandokoat/status/519311254297407489[/tweet]

http://www.koat.com/sports/orlandos...st-conference-mens-basketball-ballot/28980756
Click to expand...

That's the least researched ballot we've seen yet. Picking UNM 2nd even though they have to replace Bairstow, Kirk, and Williams, and then picking UNLV 3rd when they don't return a single starter? There's nothing in that writeup that digs deeper than how teams played last year.
Click to expand...

UNLV doesn't return a single starter, however they did have one of the highest rated recruiting classes in the country. That being said, Rice does seem to have a problem developing players and fostering team chemistry. Does UNLV have talent? Absolutely. Will they have a good team? That remains to be seen. My opinion, based on Rice's past teams, is no.
 
Rice is good assistance coach material, I'm not saying he can't be a good head coach but right now he is just a Dave Christensen. Has a great eye for talent and can recruit it but he can't develop it for shit.
 
[tweet]https://twitter.com/Larrydn22/status/519567672925646848[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Larrydn22/status/520293132491960320[/tweet]
 
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