Live chat on UW sports set for Thursday

4 Responses to Live chat on UW sports set for Thursday

1. Will says:

   January 25, 2012 at 9:18 am

   I cannot find anywhere better to post the article I found in Sheridan Press but anyway, here it goes -

   EAST LANSING, Mich. — When Big Horn High School graduate Colby Wollenman left for East Lansing to attend Michigan State University on a full academic ride to pursue medicine last fall, he envisioned long study nights, stale pizza and his tenure as a big athlete in a small pond coming to at an end.

   He did not see himself suiting up in the iconic green and white uniform of one of the nation’s premier and most successful NCAA Division I basketball teams and dashing up and down the hardwood in MSU’s Breslin Center in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans.

   But that is exactly what happened.

   Wollenman accomplished what only a handful of starry-eyed hopefuls have ever managed to do — walk into a Spartan open tryout and walk out a member of a feared and respected college basketball team that has seen Final Four action in six of the last 12 years and is currently ranked No. 9 in the nation.

   “When I left Wyoming I thought I was done playing sports, but I started to miss it more and more every day,” the six-foot-six, 220-pound forward said. “That was part of the reason I wanted to try out. The other was that there were a lot of people back home, friends and family, pushing me to do it. I figured I owed it to them, and if i had a chance to be able to keep playing it couldn’t hurt anything to try.

   “Honestly, I didn’t think for a minute I’d make it.”

   He did make it.

   “Once tryouts started I felt good about the whole thing — (the coaching staff) started asking questions about my academic schedule and whether I’d be willing to shift some things around to fit the basketball schedule. That’s when I knew I had a shot.”

   MSU head coach Tom Izzo said in a phone interview with The Sheridan Press that when he held open tryouts to supplement his stable of scholarshipped athletes, he was looking for a kid with size and speed. He found that in Wollenman.

   “I’ve always been partial to walk-ons — I try to pick one or two up every year — I saw Colby, he fit the size profile and was a pretty good athlete. He’s a kid, who when we talked to him, seems to have his priorities straight academically and athletically.

   “He’s really an unbelievable kid. Here on an academic scholarship, 4.0 student, good athlete. I liked him, his attitude, work ethic, his grades. He’s intelligent and thought we could get something out of his game.”

   While he had been practicing with the team for some time, the reality of being on the team did not set in until Dec. 4 when he suited up for the first time.

   Nebraska Omaha was in East Lansing and the Spartans were putting a beating on the lesser known team.

   Wollenman, sitting on the bench for the majority of the 110-68 blowout, got the call in the fourth quarter.

   “It was a really mixed feeling,” Wollenman said. “I was excited and nervous at the same time. It was actually happening, I was going to play. It was a little overwhelming. The place was packed — we play in a venue quite a bit bigger than anything I’d ever seen in Wyoming, there were tons of people there and you’re on t.v.”

   Wollenman ran to the scorekeeper’s table, was buzzed in, fought his way into the action and promptly turned the ball over twice.

   “It was pretty bad,” he laughed. “I played for a minute and a half and turned the ball over twice. The next day in practice, coach Izzo told me I was leading the nation in the play time/turnover ratio. It was pretty funny, actually.”

   Three days later he got the call at the end of another savage beating — this time an 89-69 slam of Central Connecticut State. He played the final minute of the game and scored the Spartans’ final two points, driving to the basket and laying in the ball as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

   “I was much more calm the second time out,” he explained. “I said “you know what? I can only go up from here,” and actually managed to score a basket. The fans cheered. It was a little nuts.”

   When asked what going from a high school basketball star in a town whose total population was significantly less than Michigan State’s entire incoming freshman class, to securing a spot in the national athletic spotlight, if only on the fringe for the moment, Wollenman laughed.

   “That part’s been pretty cool — the association with the team, definitely fun,” he said. “It’s a lot more work, though. A lot more work than I think anyone understands, especially as a walk-on from a small town in Wyoming. Going from a main guy in high school to the bench here — all the guys are better than you and you have to work at it all the time just to keep up.”

   Wollenman, attending Michigan State on a full ride academic scholarship, said despite the excitement he feels when on the court and the love he has for the game, his newly found basketball success will not in any way alter or affect his original academic intentions.

   “The idea I had coming in to this whole thing was that no matter what, academics comes first,” he said. “It’s really not all that different, I’m just a lot busier than I thought I’d be my freshman year. So far (the athletic schedule) hasn’t at all taken away from my schoolwork. I came in on a pre-med track and that’s where my main focus is.”

   As for his future on the team, coach Izzo said Wollenman has potential, and as the expression goes, anything can and will happen.

   “Right now he brings to the team great chemistry, he’s a great practice player and the guys love him,” Izzo said. “When this season’s over, if his schooling goes well and if he can get stronger, you never know. He cares about this program, he wants to be here, no doubt. You never really know what a player will bring or how it will work out — it depends on what they put into it.

   “For now, I’m going to enjoy the journey in watching him grow and see what happens.”

   - I am not sure exactly why U of W football team or basketball overlooked him. I thought he would be a perfect homegrown product addition to either of those sports -
2. Boyd says:

   January 26, 2012 at 4:58 pm

   I wondered why UW passed on him too. If memory serves, he was the Milward Simpson award winner for the state his senior year at Big Horn and they were very successful, so he was on unheard of.

   That said, it has to be easier to get into the best med schools with a Big Ten degree, and the degree is really what it is all about.
   • rgagliardi says:

     January 26, 2012 at 5:05 pm

     You mentioned the medical school factor, but he tried out for the team. Not like he went there on scholarship to play hoops.
3. Larry says:

   January 28, 2012 at 11:37 am

   How about that UW hockey squad ?! They scored a pair of decisive victories last Saturday in Laramie over a first year program from Colorado-Denver, winning 15-1 and 16-4 following a stretch of five losses going back to early November. Several local student athletes had big days with goals and assists in these two relatively easy wins. Wyoming is now 5-11 for the ’11-’12 season and takes to the road this weekend for two contests in Williston ND with another first year program, the Williston State College Tetons, who are 6-11 in their first go. Go Wyoming Hockey !!! See https://www.uwyo.edu/uwyohockey/default.htm to keep updated !