Wyoming

A stunner in Ann Arbor, and other happenings on the season's first Saturday

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 22:44:29 -0700

Well, by now you know that two-time Championship Subdivision champ Appalachian State went into Michigan and left with a 34-32 win, closing it out with a blocked field goal with six seconds remaining. How does this happen? For one, the Mountaineers didn't go into the Big House with their collective tail between their legs. Secondly, the Michigan defense continued its sieve-like performance for the third straight game. To be honest, the offense minus Mike Hart didn't show too much either. Without Hart's 188 yards and three scores, this one could have been worse than it actually was. Lastly, the Michigan players may have focused more on the "1-AA" part of the opponent rather than the fact that the Mountaineers can play some football. So where do the Wolverines go from here? Oregon comes to town next week in a game that has all the looks of an 0-2 start when you compare the offensive styles of Oregon and Appalachian State. Both teams like to spread out defenses and use their speed on the perimeter. If Michigan and defensive coordinator Ron English can't take care of their issues in the coming week of practice and film study, things could go from bad to worse for Lloyd Carr as far as job security is concerned. Two other games that caught my eye were a pair of wins for Mountain West schools at home. Naturally, the two games were part of a doubleheader on Versus, making the wins by Wyoming and BYU all the more important for the conference. Wyoming held Virginia to three points in a 23-3 win that in all honesty wasn't that close. The Cavs, who some liked to make a move in the ACC Coastal, did very little on offense, and Jameel Sewell didn't look 100% recovered from off-season left wrist surgery. And BYU handled Arizona in Provo, 20-7. Two players making their first appearance on the college stage, QB Max Hall and RB Harvey Unga played extremely well, and a defense that made huge strides a year ago in winning the MWC held Arizona scoreless until the game's final minute. For fans of the Cats who were hoping that the hiring of Sonny Dykes to run the offense would mean an explosive attack, slow down the thinking. When your playmakers don't have a history of consistently making plays (that's a big difference from simply having talent), a new system doesn't turn an average attack into the Indianapolis Colts. Have patience, there's still a long way to go. A great scene in Blacksburg this afternoon as well, but I wouldn't read too much into the final score (17-7) too much for two reasons. One, the emotion of the day was something that no other football team has had to deal with. Secondly, ECU is pegged as one of the better teams in CUSA this season, meaning that they're no slouch. Of course, there were some turnovers that could be deadly in Baton Rouge next weekend, but the Hokies will work out those kinks throughout the week. With all the attention being paid to "Bowden Bowl IX" on Monday, people had better pay more attention to Boston College, who beat Wake Forest 38-28 in Chestnut Hill. Matt Ryan threw for 408 yards and five scores, and corner DeJuan Tribble had three picks on the afternoon. The most important development in this one could actually be the separated throwing shoulder of Wake QB Riley Skinner. Redshirt sophomore Brett Hodges played well in Skinner's stead, but you know that the Deacs will need Skinner if they want to repeat as ACC champs. Right up there with the Michigan game in terms of excitement was Colorado's comeback win over CSU in overtime. Cody Hawkins performed well in his first start for the Buffs, taking some pressure off of the head coach had things not gone so well. Oh, the head coach is his father, which could make for an interesting dynamic in terms of fan opinion if Cody struggles. But with Cody at the helm, the future looks bright in Boulder. Lastly, not to take anything away from Auburn and their comeback win over Kansas State, but the Tigers had no business winning that game. But thanks to 18 penalties and a seeming unwillingness to give left tackle Alesana Alesana consistent help with All-American defensive end Quentin Groves in his first college start. Groves wreaked havoc on the KSU offense in the fourth quarter, pressuring Josh Freeman countless times and forcing the fumble that was returned for the game-clinching touchdown. Auburn is a young team overall, so they should be able to work out the kinks as the season progresses. Almost forgot, don't ever...ever kick the ball to Cal's DeSean Jackson. If you decide to out of bravado and end up getting burned as Tennessee's Britton Colquitt did tonight, you essentially dug your own grave. Not too smart.

2007-08 Wyoming Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 08:23:54 -0700

Wyoming Cowboys

Overall Rank: #83

Conference Rank: #4 Mountain West

2006-07: 17-15, 7-9, 5^th

2006-07 postseason: none

Wyoming struggled down the stretch of the season, but with a couple superstars on the perimeter, the Cowboys will be back in the race for a Mountain West championship. Brandon Ewing and Brad Jones combined for 38.0 points, 7.6 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game. The comparisons between the two are obvious. Both can run the point, but working on the assist to turnover ratio is vital for Ewing and Jones. Neither is consistent from long range but will keep the defense honest and occasionally hit a shot from beyond the arc instead of driving the lane. With this dangerous duo on the floor, Wyoming can beat anybody. The development of 6-5 wing Eric Platt may end up being very important for Ewing and Jones. Platt, a sophomore, proved to be a consistent long range shooter as a freshman and if he continues to develop, it could open things up for the big time scorers in the backcourt.

Who’s Out:

A handful of transfers are causing some concern in Laramie. Wing James Spencer was the only player to start all 32 games and was third on the team averaging 10.5 points per contest. Ike Okoye was not much of a scoring threat under the basket, but the 6-8 power forward worked hard on the glass. Aaron Henson only saw action in four games before opting to transfer. Daaron Brown and Chris Anderson both missed some games during their senior seasons, but when available, Brown and Anderson were effective big men when they were available. Walk-on Louis Engels will not suit up for the Cowboys after seeing action in just five games last year.

Who’s In:

New coach Heath Schroyer found himself with some scholarships to work with, but not a lot of time. All things considered, this is a decent class that will provide some quality players in the future. However, this year’s team needs some help too and, while the entire class will be given the opportunity to make an impact, it is junior college transfer Tyson Johnson that has the biggest expectations right now. The 6-6 forward from Blinn Community College in Texas averaged 20.9 points and 8.3 rebounds last year. His versatility to play in the paint or step out to the perimeter will add another dynamic to the team, but his toughness inside will keep him on the floor. Adam Waddell, at 6-9 and 220 pounds has the skill set to add depth immediately, especially on the defensive end; however, it is Mikhail Linskens who may be the future of the frontcourt. The seven-footer is an intriguing prospect and has plenty of experience at the international level playing on Belgium’s 20 and Under National Team. His range extends to the three point arc, but it will probably take a little time for the freshman to adjust to playing in the Mountain West Conference. At 6-6, wing Afam Muojeke will bring some size to the perimeter. He is a decent shooter and has enough athleticism to get to the basket. Marios Matalon has some international experience of his own and the 6-3 combo guard from Greece will be asked to contribute off the bench as a freshman.

Who to Watch:

Joseph Taylor was expected to contribute on the defensive end last year after transferring from Los Angeles City College. He did that and much more. While still not a huge offensive threat, Taylor will use his strength to get some buckets in the paint and grab his fair share of rebounds. When healthy, Bienvenu Songondo has the potential to be a productive big man. He can run the floor and is developing into a strong rebounder. Injuries have hampered his collegiate career thus far and it is becoming more difficult to count on the 6-10 junior to remain fit. Ryan Dermody, a big small forward, and Travis Nelson had decent freshmen campaigns, but need to prove they can handle a bigger role.

Final Projection:

There are options up front, but none have the scoring prowess of the departed players. As long as the unit can find a decent scorer inside to stop the defense from keying in on the perimeter group, Wyoming will be a better team than last year. Ewing and Jones are stars, but they cannot do everything themselves.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT

Projected Starting Five:

Brad Jones, Senior, Guard, 18.1 points per game

Brandon Ewing, Junior, Guard, 19.9 points per game

Eric Platt, Sophomore, Guard, 6.2 points per game

Joseph Taylor, Senior, Forward, 5.1 points per game

Bienvenu Songondo, Junior, Forward, 1.6 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2007-08 Preview | Discuss the Preview

Sean Ogirri Transfering to Wyoming

Jeff Borzello — Wed, 23 May 2007 15:09:36 -0700

Daily Dribble: 3/24

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 10:04:47 -0700

- Following Tubby Smith's lead, Randolph Morris bolted Lexington.. siging with uber-bad GM Isiah Thomas and the Knicks. Not a bad move by the Knicks, but better for Morris.. who turned not getting drafted into a 2 year 1.6 million dollar contract. Articles proclaim Morris is a solid addition for the Knicks' "playoff push", but I can pretty much guarantee Morris will have absolutely no impact on this year's playoff race. - Wyoming hired Fresno assistant Heath Schroyer yesterday. Schroyer was a head coach at Portland State a couple years back, where he surprised many by leading a dormant Portland State to a Big Sky regular season title in 2005. Schroyer reportedly has vowed to play a faster-paced, aggresive style at Wyoming.. basing this in part on the higher altitude. I've always wondered if altitude really makes much of a difference. - I've been a big Brandon Rush fan since high school.. but I'm really not that impressed with his 6-6 of shooting performance last game.. or the fact he's 16 of 21 (76%) in the tournament. Those numbers are admittedly crazy good, but the fact he's only shooting 7 times a game is crazy frustrating. The best offensive player on the court (which he's been all 3 games in the tourney) needs to be more involved. - UNC's rebounding domination of USC was just silly last night. With Gibson out, it was like USC was a biddy basketball team going up against an NBA squad. It was embarrasing. - Lost in UNC's comeback win was Tyler Hansbrough's 5 point-4 rebound game. That was the first time in his 68 game career that he ever had under 10 points and rebounds combined. Ie, along with the fact he was 1 of 6 from the floor, it was officially the worst game of his life. Can't get too down on Tyler considering he's coming off a 33 and 9 game in the previous round. Expect him to fall back into the usual 18-20 range tomorrow against Georgetown and be a major factor. - I believe just a day or so ago, I wrote in another article how I wasn't a huge fan of Tajuan Porter. Then he goes all crazy and scores 33 points on 8-12 shooting from three.. and he's only a freshman.. and he's 5 freakin' 6. The funny thing about Porter was that after an all-world first three games of the season (he averaged 31).. Porter came back down to Earth and was basically a 10-12 ppg scorer the next 30 games who didn't rebound and barely passed the ball as well. But ultimately so long as he hits threes over a 40% clip, it doesn't really matter what else he can or cannot do. - The good thing about this year's lack of upsets.. is that it was forseeable.. and thus the site's official prediction had 7 of the 8 remaining teams correct. Glad my initial skepticism about putting such a top-heavy bracket up paid off. - The negative though of our top-heavy Final Four (Florida, UNC, OSU, UCLA).. was that Dick Vitale picked the same thing! Any joy of possible predicting the Final Four right would be lost knowing that dope did the same.. - By the way, look out for an expansion to the CHN family as we open NBA (CHNBasketball.com) and college football (CHNFootball.com) sites in the near future.

Daily Dribble: 1/13

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 11:06:34 -0800

Last year, when I had more time on my hands, I tried to predict just about every game during the week. I just went with my guy, and quickly picked all the winners regardless of the spread, and I'd usually come out with a 75-80% success rate. Saturday was the type of day that made predicting games so fun. 21 of the Top 25 teams are in action.. not to mention dozens of other great games. Even though its only noon here in the Central Time Zone, there's already one major upset in the works. CAA leading Hofstra is losing to 4-12 Northeastern by 10 with 10 minutes to go. The Pride are coming off a huge overtime win at Drexel, their biggest win of the year. Hofstra's struggled away from home all year, but apparently they thrive in Philly, as they've beaten both Drexel and St. Joseph's. With VCU hosting a very beatable Towson team, the Pride could fall a game back in the standings. Louisville is up on Providence the half. The Cardinals need to win just about every home conference game to make a run at the tournament. Rick Pitino has used 16 players already this season, some just walk-ons, but still 16 is a heck of a lot of guys. Brandon Jenkins is the only meaningful senior of those 16, and he's been playing less and less of a role in recent weeks. After averaging 11 ppg last year, Jenkins is down to 5 ppg, and his minutes have been limited in recent weeks (often playing under 20 minutes). On the other side, only 6 guys have played in 10+ games for NC State. Nor surprisingly, the Wolfpack got off to a weak conference start (0-3), but look like they're going to beat Wake Forest today. Back when we did our last Top 100 Players list, we got some complaints about not including Gavin Grant or Brandon Costner. These guys are solid, but they're numbers look a lot better than they are, because they play almost 40 minuets every game and get to take so many shots. Between Grant, Costner, and Ben McCauley, the trio has scored in double-digits in 44 of 48 total games. Also looks like West Virginia will lost on the road at Marquette, which would not the Mountaineers out of the Top 25. Took some heat for saying WVU hasn't beaten anybody this season.. but it looks like that streak will continue. Luckily, WVU hits a soft spot in their schedule with home games against South Florida, Marshall and DePaul coming up, wrapped around a winnable road game against Cincy. The game's marquee game is Ohio State against Tennessee. As good as OSU has been, they haven't beaten a ranked team yet. #20 Tennessee will probably be their first victim. Its close early, 20-19 OSU, but Oden has a ridiculous 16 points. I'm going to watch the 2nd half after I get done with the Dribble. Big GO's career high is 21, so perhaps this will be the breakout scoring game. Perhaps my favorite player on OSU though is Othello Hunter. Hunter, a 6-9 junior, gets lost behind Oden and only averages 19 mpg (averaging 8 and 6 boards). If this kid were on a team like NC State noted above, he'd be a lock to averaged 16 points and 8-9 boards in major minutes. I know he gets to be part of a winning program, but he could really shine if he was on a lesser team. I ragged on Florida's Lee Humphrey a couple weeks back about struggling on the offensive end. Humphrey's found the touch from three recently though, connecting on 9 of last 16 threes heading into today's road game at South Carolina. The Gators are already running away with this game, up 24-8. Humphrey's the main reason why, as he already has 15 points including 4 for 4 from downtown. With 15 points, he's only 1 point shy of his season high. If South Carolina loses, they'll drop to 10-5, 0-2 in the SEC, and on track to make the NIT once again. Dave Odom actually got a contract extension recently.. I guess the administration loves being a 2nd tier team. Iowa State's started a surprising 2-0 in Big 12 play, but has a major test against Kansas this afternoon. The #6 Jayhawks have won 8 straight, and beat ISU easily be 10+ points both times last year. Plus each of their last 8 wins have been by at least 10 or more. My guess is that this game wont be close. If ISU somehow manages to start 3-0.. then McDermott should be named Coach of the Year right now. Even more amazing for Kansas is that their top 6 scorers are all freshmen or sophomores. Then again, Texas' 8 top scorers are underclassmen. The Longhorns should roll past Oklahoma at home today and improve to 3-0 in league play. (This game is on ABC by the way depending on where you live). The AP hasn't given Texas much respect this year (though they finally were back in the Top 25 this past week), but with UCONN and WVU surely falling out, the Horns could be up to 21st or 22nd next week. If you don't get the Texas game, you'll probably watch UNC at Virginia Tech. The #1 Tar Heels go on the road for just the 2nd time in 12 games. The other road game was when the Heels played at Saint Louis, so Tyler Hansbrough could play in his home state. Now UNC faces a confident VT team that of course upset Duke last weekend. Stll, I have a hard time believing VT can win this game.. UNC is just too damn deep. I noted above that Louisville's played 16 guys, but UNC's played 15 and just about every one of those 15 can play. How many teams have a 12th man in Quentin Thomas.. who came out of high school as the #17 point guard in the country. The 2004 point guard that Thomas was a part of is sick to think about. Telfair and Livingston went right to the NBA. Farmar, Lowry, and Rondo.. #'s 3,5, and 6 are now in the NBA. #4 Steele and #6 AJ Price are two of the better guards now.. along with guys like Gabe Pruitt (9) Sean Singletary (10), Drew Neitzel (13), JamesOn Curry (15), Taurean Green (19), and even Chris Lofton (24). Just a crazy good class. Later out west, there's a major MWC game tonight as Air Force heads to surprising Wyoming. The Cowboys are 11-5 overall, and 2-0 in conference games. Wyoming was only 14-18 last year, so this year's start is quite surprising, and they've already beaten UNLV and SDSU in the past week. Sophomore guard Brandon Ewing has been the man for the Cowboys, averaging 22 ppg. In the win over UNLV, he got to line an amazing 22 times (hitting 19). Ewing hasn't been good from three in the past couple of weeks, but if he gets hot from long range, then look out. - Note - Greg Oden ended up with 24 points, 15 boards, and 5 assists as OSU barely survived a pesky Tennessee squad in Columbus. Despite the monster game (Oden's best yet), it took a Ron Lewis three with 11 seconds to go to give the Buckeyes the 68-66 win. Also, Clemson's perfect record is in serious danger as the Tigers are down at Maryland as predicted by Jeff Borzello in his Game of the Week article. The Tigers are down 7 with 14 minutes to go. #3 UCLA is also down at the half at USC.. gotta love Saturdays!