"Wyoming worst state for HS Basketball Players"

[OrediggerPoke]

Article discusses the difficulties in obtaining scholarships for Wyoming high school basketball players. Interesting that this article was written and featured on a national blog. I would think that coaches would prefer players that can play multiple sports and have shown athleticism, but apparently that is not the case according to the writer.


http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/why-wyoming-may-worst-state-live-basketball-prospects-140303437--ncaab.html

 

[gopokes1399]

The fact is the best basketball players play basketball and only basketball usually... they spend all fall, spring, and summer traveling to tourneys going to showcases and being seen.

 

[WyoExpat]

The fact is the best basketball players play basketball and only basketball usually... they spend all fall, spring, and summer traveling to tourneys going to showcases and being seen.

Which means that comparing these players to 3-sport players is not exactly comparing apples to apples.

 

[gopokes1399]

The point in the article is that Wyoming athletes don't usually have the luxury to focus on one sport because they're needed in all sports/ whether its numbers or lack of talent

 

[gbpoke]

The point in the article is that Wyoming athletes don't usually have the luxury to focus on one sport because they're needed in all sports/ whether its numbers or lack of talent

That is probably true in all of the smaller schools, but I wouldn't think so in the larger schools (i.e. Natrona, Kelly Walsh, Central, East, Gillette, etc).
I think that the most talent and Div 1 scholarships come from those schools (James Johnson, John Wendling) with the occasional superstar from a smaller school (Brett Kiesel, J'Ney Jackson, Greg Sawyer...I think he may have even been from Cheyenne but because his dad was the Burns coach that's where he played).

 

[BeaverPoke]

The point in the article is that Wyoming athletes don't usually have the luxury to focus on one sport because they're needed in all sports/ whether its numbers or lack of talent

That is probably true in all of the smaller schools, but I wouldn't think so in the larger schools (i.e. Natrona, Kelly Walsh, Central, East, Gillette, etc).
I think that the most talent and Div 1 scholarships come from those schools (James Johnson, John Wendling) with the occasional superstar from a smaller school (Brett Kiesel, J'Ney Jackson, Greg Sawyer...I think he may have even been from Cheyenne but because his dad was the Burns coach that's where he played).

Hey don't forget Evanston, and Jaycee Carrol

 

[stymeman]

Jaycee was one that McClain let slip thru his fingers, man to think if he woulda wore the Brown and Gold

 

[gopokes1399]

The point in the article is that Wyoming athletes don't usually have the luxury to focus on one sport because they're needed in all sports/ whether its numbers or lack of talent

That is probably true in all of the smaller schools, but I wouldn't think so in the larger schools (i.e. Natrona, Kelly Walsh, Central, East, Gillette, etc).
I think that the most talent and Div 1 scholarships come from those schools (James Johnson, John Wendling) with the occasional superstar from a smaller school (Brett Kiesel, J'Ney Jackson, Greg Sawyer...I think he may have even been from Cheyenne but because his dad was the Burns coach that's where he played).

These schools don't have as much population as other states' schools, kids go to certain private schools to play just one sport. In Wyoming less population means less talent. If a kid is a D1 basketball prospect he is probably gonna be one of your top football players if not your top. In Cali or Texas they have numerous talents and they can afford for good athletes not to play.

 

[WyoExpat]

The point in the article is that Wyoming athletes don't usually have the luxury to focus on one sport because they're needed in all sports/ whether its numbers or lack of talent

That is probably true in all of the smaller schools, but I wouldn't think so in the larger schools (i.e. Natrona, Kelly Walsh, Central, East, Gillette, etc).
I think that the most talent and Div 1 scholarships come from those schools (James Johnson, John Wendling) with the occasional superstar from a smaller school (Brett Kiesel, J'Ney Jackson, Greg Sawyer...I think he may have even been from Cheyenne but because his dad was the Burns coach that's where he played).

Somewhat true. The Sawyers moved to Cheyenne when the School District had to remove their house in order to build an elementary school.

I would add Corey & Jim Talich to your list of small-school Wyoming athletes that were D-1 football players but played at least three varsity sports in high school.

Tom Izzo apparently thinks that at least one 2A kid out of Wyoming is good enough to walk onto his basketball team at Michigan State. A player doesn't do that without some serious talent either.

Their might not be as many D-1 talents in Wyoming as elsewhere but we should have just as many, and of equal raw talent (not cultivated skill) as any other random set of 500,000 people. Specialization improves skill levels earlier, not the amount of natural talent.