Wyoming Cowboys
Mountain West (20-11, 6-8)
Coach Larry Shyatt was the head coach of Wyoming back in 1997-1998. He left the following year and returned for the 2011-2012 campaign to rebuild the Cowboys yet again. If we would have learned anything back in 1998, nobody would be surprised that Coach Shyatt could immediately turn Wyoming into winners. He did it before and he did it again. Coach Shyatt is known for his defensive teams and great recruiting…both of those traits have already paid off.
Big Wins: 12/9 at Colorado (65-54), 1/21 Colorado State (70-51), 2/4 UNLV (68-66)
Bad Losses: 11/19 at Green Bay (44-52), 2/1 at TCU (52-58), 2/15 Air Force (53-58)
Coach: Larry Shyatt (2 seasons at Wyoming)
Why They Can Surprise:
The Cowboys defense can shut down any offense. The Wyoming coaching staff will make sure that everybody plays a role defensively, but the addition of USC transfer Leonard Washington has made a big impact in the paint. Washington is a great athlete who will score and rebound. But on the defensive end he will use his athleticism to block some shots and that has made life much more difficult for the opposition. Center Adam Waddell is underappreciated on both ends of the floor. He is a fine interior scorer and can eat up space on the defensive end. The Cowboys may win games with defense, but they are very efficient on offense, especially when it comes to taking care of the ball. This is a team that rarely turns the ball over. Point guard JayDee Luster is an experienced senior with a very good assist-to-turnover ratio. As long as Wyoming plays tough defense, which they always do, they can hang around with anybody.
Why They Can Disappoint:
But there is a big difference between hanging around and winning. During a four game losing streak in mid-February, the Cowboys averaged under 49 points per game. Even with their stellar defense, 50 points a game is not enough. Luke Martinez cannot be blamed for the stagnant offense. The 6-4 junior has been a big surprise this season and has emerged as the backcourts most consistent and prolific shooter. Martinez is mostly an outside shooter, but during Wyoming’s losing streak, he was still scoring. Francisco Cruz is the more dynamic scorer who can hit the long ball and attack the basket. Cruz needs to be more aggressive when the offense is not clicking and at least try and get to the charity stripe. The backcourt relies too heavily on shooting and that can be a big problem when the shots are not falling. If Martinez, Cruz and Luster are not aggressive, Wyoming will not score more than 60 points. Another option is 6-7 wing Larry Nance Jr. He is not up to his father’s level of play at this point in his career, but Nance Jr. is a big wing who can attack the rim.
Probable Starters:
JayDee Luster, Senior, Guard, 5.4 ppg, 3.6 apg
Francisco Cruz, Senior, Guard, 12.2 ppg, 2.3 apg
Luke Martinez, Junior, Guard, 12.2 ppg, 1.5 apg
Leonard Washington, Junior, Forward, 12.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.1 bpg
Adam Waddell, Senior, Center, 9.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.0 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Arthur Bouedo, Senior, Guard, 2.3 ppg
Derrious Gilmore, Junior, Guard, 3.1 ppg, 1.1 apg
Larry Nance Jr., Freshman, Forward, 4.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 63.4 (265th in nation, 7th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 55.4 (6, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.5 (90, 5)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.8 (64, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.1 (172, 6)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.8 (192, 6)
Free-Throw Percentage: 74.7 (28, 2)
Rebound Margin: -0.8 (219, 6)
Assists Per Game: 11.6 (269, 7)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.5 (32, 1)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
Wyoming 2009 CBI First Round loss to Northeastern
Wyoming 2003 NIT First round win over Eastern Washington
Wyoming 2003 NIT Second round loss to North Carolina
Wyoming 2002 NCAA Round of 64 win over Gonzaga
Wyoming 2002 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Arizona
Wyoming 2001 NIT First round loss to Pepperdine
Wyoming 1999 NIT First round win over USC
Wyoming 1999 NIT Second round loss to Oregon
*all team stats through 3/4
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
