The Cowboy Chronicles

Archive for February, 2010

Jackson jumps into top 10

February 28th, 2010

Wyoming freshman guard Desmar Jackson made his debut in the top 10 in three different statistical categories in the Mountain West Conference this week.

Jackson is fourth in shooting percentage (.506), and is one of five players to shoot better than 50 percent. He also is tied for sixth in steals (1.3 spg) and 10th in free-throw shooting (.700).

He is 15th in scoring (11.3 ppg), which is tops among active players for UW this season.

Tough loss for the Cowgirls today, 52-48 at home to Utah. See Monday’s Wyoming Tribune-Eagle for more on that.

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Posted in UW men's basketball, UW women's basketball

Wyoming’s final two regular-season opponents are Air Force Tuesday in Laramie and at UNLV Saturday. Those two teams played at Air Force yesterday. Here are articles from papers in Colorado Springs and Las Vegas on that game.

http://www.gazette.com/sports/air-94892-beating-force.html

http://www.lvrj.com/sports/stanback-led-shooting-clinic-keys-rebels_-rout-of-falcons-85760492.html

Cowboys’ losing streak now up to eight after a 74-64 loss Utah yesterday. Pokes didn’t play too bad, but I guess that’s what it has come down to now.

Freshman guard Desmar Jackson continues to impress (31 points against Utah). But he can’t do it alone.

Big game today for the Cowgirls as they host Utah. See Monday’s Wyoming Tribune Eagle for more on that one.

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Posted in UW men's basketball, UW women's basketball

UW-Utah five things to watch

February 26th, 2010

1. Not forgetting Marshall Henderson: The Utah true freshman guard has emerged as a go-to guy. He can really shoot from the perimeter, but Wyoming did a good job on him in the last game as he had 13 points on 5 of 12 shooting. The Cowboys must know where he is at at all times and not let him get hot. Problem is, Henderson can get hot in a flash. “He has great ability to go through adversity in a game and bounce back,” Utah coach Jim Boylen said … He’s got guts.” (Boylen wanted to say something else).

2. More than one: The Cowboys need to have more than one guy play well offensively. True freshman Desmar Jackson has been the most consistent over the last eight games, and junior forward Djibril Thiam has been decent. But UW needs three or four guys to play well for it to have a chance. Who those other guys will be is the big question. During the seven-game losing streak the team has had problems finding just one guy to be consistent offensively.

3. Back to his old form:“If Adam can get 22 rebounds again we have a pretty good chance,” said UW coach Heath Schroyer about sophomore center Adam Waddell and his 13-point, 22-rebound game last time against Utah. Waddell sprained and bruised his left ankle in that game and hasn’t been the same since. Waddell said he feels the best this week since the injury. Against Utah’s two 7-footers in David Foster and Jason Washburn, UW needs a healthier Waddell to play and play well.

4. What can Brown do for you? Utah junior guard Carlon Brown came off the bench and scored 31 against UW last month. He averaged 12.7 points against the Cowboys in three games last season. “We have to do a better job on Brown. He’s a tough match up for us. The three perimeter players we start are not that big and not that physical. He’s a big, physical guard (6-5, 205). When he gets that jump shot going he’s as anyone in the league.”

5. Good starts: The Cowboys have fallen behind 11-0 and 10-0 at the start of their last two games. For a team that struggles to score and defend to begin with, those kinds of starts are too much to recover from.

See Saturday’s paper for more on this game, along with a ton of other sports from a busy night of high school action.

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Posted in UW at Utah men's basketball, UW men's basketball

Thiam has sore back but should play

February 25th, 2010

Wyoming men’s basketball coach Heath Schroyer said Thursday junior forward Djibril Thiam has a sore back after a fall in last Saturday’s game with No. 13 Brigham Young.

Thiam hasn’t practiced this week, but Schroyer expects him to play at Utah Saturday.

Thiam averages 9.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He is the only player that has started in all 27 of the Cowboys’ games this season.

Thiam joins sophomore centers Adam Waddell (knee and ankle) and Boubacar Sylla (foot) as injured UW post players.

For more on this, see Friday’s Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

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Posted in UW men's basketball

Utah-Air Force articles

February 25th, 2010

The Wyoming men’s basketball team plays at Utah Saturday and then hosts Air Force Tuesday.

Utah won at Air Force Wednesday night and here are articles from papers covering those teams:

http://www.gazette.com/sports/basketball-94734-force-whether.html

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700011891/Utes-put-Air-Force-through-grinder.html

http://www.sltrib.com/utahutes/ci_14466523

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Posted in UW men's basketball

Waddell feeling better

February 24th, 2010

I talked to Wyoming sophomore center Adam Waddell tonight, and he said the extra rest by not having a mid-week game has helped his sore left ankle and right knee.

“It’s been really good for me,” he said. “I’m still not 100 percent, but this is the best I’ve felt for a few weeks.”

UW plays at Utah Saturday, which beat Air Force Wednesday night on the road. UW hasn’t won since it beat Utah 75-69 in Laramie on Jan. 27. It was that game where Waddell had a career game with 18 points and 22 rebounds. That also was the game he injured his ankle.

Waddell hurt the ankle in the second half, left the game and went to the locker room, and later returned.

A healthier Waddell can’t hurt UW’s chances of snapping a seven-game losing streak.

“Knowing we beat them before helps,” Waddell said. “It doesn’t mean we will, but it lets us know that we went out there and executed and when we do that we can be successful.”

More on Waddell and the Utah game later in the week. See Thursday’s paper on how sophomore forward Afam Muojeke is recovering since his season-ending knee injury on Jan. 20.

By the way, did any of you see No. 13 Brigham Young beat San Diego State 82-68 Wednesday night? That sets up a battle for first place and perhaps the regular-season conference title Saturday when No. 10 New Mexico plays at BYU.

This might be the biggest regular-season game in the MWC’s 11-year history.

Who do you like in the game and why?

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Posted in Moutain West Conference, UW men's basketball

More on Cruz

February 23rd, 2010

The Wyoming men’s basketball team received a verbal commitment from Western Nebraska wing Francisco “Paco” Cruz this week. Cruz is expected to give UW a lift shooting the ball. For more in his stats see the story in today’s paper at http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2010/02/23/sports/20sports_02-23-10.txt.

I talked to his high school coach, Vince Valdez, at Lincoln High in Denver this morning. Like any coach he had several kind words for Cruz and described him as a “tremendous shooter.”

Valdez also gushed over Cruz’s work ethic and desire to get better.

Cruz is from Mexico arrived in Denver his junior year of high school. Valdez said Cruz was part of back-to-back Class 4A state titles at Lincoln, and went to Western Nebraska mainly because a lot of his credit transfers from Mexico to this country didn’t allow him to qualify for Division I schools.

Cruz is the third player Valdez has had that has played for UW coach Heath Schroyer and assistant Fred Langley. Valdez and Langley appear to have a solid working relationship, and Valdez described Langley as one of the “top recruiters in the country.” The other two players Valdez had played for Langley and Schroyer when both were assistants at Fresno State.

Recruiting Web sites and even the Western Nebraska athletics Web site page lists mostly small school to have recruited Cruz. However, Valdez said Gonzaga, Iowa State and some Pac-10 schools also showed some interest.

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Posted in UW men's basketball

Pokes add shooter, now need size

February 22nd, 2010

The Wyoming men’s basketball team got a verbal commitment from 6-4 wing Francisco Cruz from Western Nebraska Community College late Sunday night.

Cruz visited UW last weekend and will have two years of eligibility with the Cowboys.

He joins Joe Hudson, a 6-1 sharp-shooting guard from Escondido High in Escondido, Calif., as verbal commitments thus far. Hudson committed last month. He didn’t pass the the eye test just looking at him. He looked a little small, but looks aren’t everything, right? If he can shoot, who cares what he looks like.

So if UW has addressed its shooting woes, what’s next with two scholarships still available?

How about some size inside. Sophomore Adam Waddell and junior Djibril Thiam (6-10) return next season, and Amath M’Baye (6-9) has shown some promise this season as a true freshman.

Even though he’s 7-2, sophomore Boubacar Sylla hasn’t panned out because of foot problems. There is a good chance he won’t ever be healthy enough to play.

UW needs a stronger presence down low, both offensively and defensively.

Easier said than done, but it’s the truth.

See Tuesday’s paper for more on Cruz.

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Posted in UW men's basketball

UW-BYU follow-up

February 21st, 2010

Not much to follow-up on for the Cowboys. Another blow-out loss to a nationally ranked team.

Here is what the Salt Lake City and Provo papers wrote about the game:

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_14441192

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700010893/BYU-basketball-Cougars-hold-off-Wyomings-charges-for-another-win.html

http://www.heraldextra.com/sports/college/byu/basketball/article_58365f6f-4c40-5b0e-a02e-e4cde31d544f.html

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Posted in UW men's basketball

UW-BYU five things to watch

February 20th, 2010

1. How bad will it get? Hate to sound like a pessimist here, but the Cowboys have lost six straight, 10 straight to BYU, it’s snowing all over the state and the game is on TV (for those interested). There won’t be many fans at the Arena-Auditorium and, by the way, the Cougars are No. 16 in the nation and playing for a lot more than UW. I think we all assume UW will lose. How bad is the question?

2. Jackson bounce back: Teams are beginning to figure out that true freshman guard Desmar Jackson is UW’s best offensive option right now. No. 12 New Mexico did a good job of taking a lot of Jackson’s dribble-drive away Wednesday and held him to nine points. As more scouting reports come in on Jackson, how does he and UW counter that? Is Jackson’s game developed enough at this point to counter what defenses do?

3. Bueno Bouedo: It may have come in trash time, but sophomore guard Arthur Bouedo scored 17 points and made 3 of 5 3-pointers against New Mexico. UW shoots just 27 percent from 3-point range. Perhaps Bouedo can be the guy that gives the Cowboys at least a consistent threat of making an outside shot down the stretch. It probably won’t be enough to win, but every little bit helps.

4. Pick your poison: This is what UW coach Heath Schroyer said you can do when trying to figure out who to defend and concentrate on for BYU. Junior guard Jimmer Fredette leads the MWC in scoring and is a player of the year candidate in the nation. Yet he had just 11 against the Cowboys last month. With UW’s depleted roster maybe all of BYU’s big guns will go off. It will be interesting to see if UW tries to take at least one of their top scorers away.

5. Rally on the road: I’m delving over to the Cowgirls here. They’re in the thick of a hotly contested MWC race and playing at BYU today. UW has won just once on the road in league play. The men haven’t won on the road at all this season so I don’t mean to be picky here, but the Cowgirls needs a big road breakthrough to not just contend for a league title, but to vie for a top three finish and a bye in the confernece tournament. BYU is a tough place to play, but the women don’t draw at the Marriott Center like the men. A win today for UW would be huge.