Don’t know what it is about the University of Wyoming women’s basketball team and back problems.
Former great Hanna Zavecz dealt with back issues most of her career. She handled them well and was one of the program’s all-time greats. She helped the team to its first-ever NCAA Tournament as a senior in 2007.
Heading into the 2009-10 season two players have lingering back problems — sophomore guard Kristen Scheffler and sophomore forward Emma Langford.
Both have disc issues in their lower back. Scheffler hurt hers lifting weights during off-season workouts and she has been getting cortisone shots to ease the pain. Trainers hope get her back on the floor sooner than later.
Scheffler made a team-best 70 3-pointers last season as a true freshman.
“It definitely doesn’t effect my shooting arm,” said Scheffler during UW’s basketball media day Tuesday in Laramie. “Mainly just running and the full-court stuff is what I’ve been struggling with in practice.”
Langford’s back problems date back a couple of years back in her native Australia, and like Scheffler, she did it lifting weights. Langford got off to a great start last season with the Cowgirls as a true freshman, but the back flared up and she wasn’t the same player for much of the conference season.
“It’s been a bit sore but it’s actually been feeling pretty good,” she said.
Langford had a productive summer in Australia as she helped her national team win a bronze medal at the World University Games in Serbia.
Ironically, Scheffler and Langford are roommates so they can commiserate and remind each other to get to rehab.
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It was media day on Tuesday for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, but no practice.
The Cowgirls were picked fifth in the Mountain West Conference and the men sixth by the media.
Between the two teams there is just one senior — forward Ryan Dermody for the men.
One of the funniest sights was when 5-foot-9 J.D. Luster and 7-2 Boubacar Sylla posed for a picture. Luster is the Cowboys’ team captain and point guard. Sylla is the biggest player in terms of height to ever play for the Cowboys.
Both sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules.
More on Sylla as the season approaches. See Wednesday’s paper for a story on Luster, along with Cheyenne Central graduate and Cowgirls junior Hillary Carlson.
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