Pokes sign a marksman

The Pokes have received a verbal commitment today from SF Francisco Cruz out Western Nebraska Community College. Cruz has the ability to hit the long range shot - which has been the achilles heel for the Pokes this year. Cruz is averaging over 20 points a game this season and hitting 47% from three point range. As a team the Cowboys are shooting 20% below that mark.

Listed at 6'4 205 Cruz doesn't have ideal size but should make up for that his attitude and determination. Coming out Lincoln High School (Denver) Cruz played an inside game but went to WNCC to develop his outside game and it has paid off. Earlier this season Cruz scored 41 points.

Cruz who is orginally from Nogales, Mexico will be a Junior which adds to the strain of the Wyoming class size. A majority of the Cowboys will be Juniors next year with only a couple sophomores and just one freshman expected. This lack of balance in class size makes its hard to get every player enough minutes and as we've seen they then leave the program early.

Cruz visited Laramie last weekend for the BYU game. He had an offer from Montana. CSU, UNLV, San Francisco and Washington State were also interested.

*UPDATE* - 4:47PM MST

According to WNCC Cruz will switch to shooting guard when he joins the Cowboys. Cruz cited location, the conference and the desire to rebuild the program as reasons he joined. Glad he is on board and the switch to SG should be a good one for him.

#16 Cougars hold off Cowboys 85-63

			1		2		Total
	(16) BYU	40	45	85	Final
	Wyoming	28	35	63

The Cowboys made things interesting in the second half but in the end the #16 BYU Cougars were just too strong as they went on to win to win 85-63. Wyoming started poorly once again and found themselves in a 0-10 deficit early. At halftime the Cougars led 40-28 and were up by 15 in the second half before the Cowboys narrowed the gap to eight points with 10 minutes left.

Desmar Jackson showed why he is the future of the program by scoring a career high 26 points. Outside shooting has been weakness for Desmar but he has been working hard and it showed when he nailed four of five three pointers. He had only made four total three pointers coming into the game. As a team the Pokes shot 42% from long range - 6 of 14. Amath M'Baye also hit his first career three pointer on his only attempt. Djibril Thiam had 12 points and 7 boards and was the only other scorer in double figures for the Cowboys.

Tyler Haws and Jimmer Fredette both scored 22 points each to keep the Cougars ahead and make sure they keep up with New Mexico. The Cougars are currently a half game out of the lead in the Mountain West. Haws and Fredette were a combined 15 for 15 on free throws and the Cougars hit 20 of 24 as a team. BYU had a 43-31 rebound advantage and kept Wyoming from scoring many second chance points. Jonathon Tavernarni had 17 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

The Cowboys have the week off to prepare for a roadtrip to Utah. The Pokes will look to break their seven game losing streak and sweep the Utes on Saturday February 27th at 4:00PM MST.

AWARDS

Cowboy Joe: Desmar Jackson is the man - 26 points a new career best. His improving outside game is a great sign for the future.

Cowboy Low: Arthur Bouedo followed his 17 points on Wednesday with 0 points on 4 shots in 26 minutes. Consistency is a big weakness for Bouedo. He needs to step up every night if he wants to see the floor consistently next season.

Cowboy Foe: Tyler Haws got it done with 22 points and 8 boards. Plus his name isn't Jimmer.

Preview: BYU at Wyoming

BYU Cougars at Wyoming Cowboys
Arena-Auditorium
4:00PM
TV: The Mtn

BYU is coming to Laramie and they are hungry for a Mountain West title. The Cougars (24-3, 9-2) trail New Mexico by just a half game for the top spot in the Conference. Meanwhile the Wyoming Cowboys (9-17, 2-10) are stuck in a six game losing streak and are headed for the pigtail game of the MWC tournament.

BYU was dominant to start the season but recent losses to New Mexico and UNLV and have shown that there are chinks in the Cougars armor. Jimmer Fredette has been incredible this season averaging 21 points and 5 assists. After a battle with mono a few weeks ago he is back at full strength and coming off a 36 point performance at Colorado State. Jonathon Tavernari and Jackson Emery have also been vital to the success of the Cougars over the last two weeks.

Wyoming is in danger of falling to .500 at home on Saturday. With a loss the Pokes would be sitting at a 9-8 home record. That isn't great but it's an improvement over their 0-9 record on the road. Desmar Jackson has been the leading scorer for Wyoming over the last month. The freshman guard out of Ohio has a nice mix of size and speed but needs to get stronger and improve long range shooting to become a true threat in the conference. Arthur Bouedo is coming a 17 point performance on Wednesday the best game of his Wyoming career.

	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	STK
BYU	24-3	82.7	63.7	15-0	7-3	W2
WYO	9-17	73.4	75.7	9-8	0-9	L6

Lobos cruise past Cowboys

				1		2		Total
		Wyoming	20	41	61	Final
		(12) New Mexico	37	46	83

The #12 New Mexico Lobos(24-3, 10-2) put on a show in front of their home crowd Wednesday night. The Pit was rockin and Darington Hobson was all over the place leading both teams in points, rebounds and assists. Hobson put up 20 points 10 rebounds and 6 six assists in 32 minutes then watched the conclusion of the game from the safety of the bench.

The Lobos were in control the entire game as Wyoming (9-16, 2-10) struggled with turnovers and poor shooting to start the game. Ramon Martinez and Phillip McDonald both hit a trio of treys on their way to double digit scoring. As team the Lobos shot 50% from the field and hit 11 three pointers. The Lobos are in the drivers seat for the Mountain West title and high seed in the NCAA tourney.

The Cowboys were never in this one thanks to a slow start. The Cowboys finished with 15 turnovers en route to their sixth loss in a row. Despite the rough loss Arthur Bouedo did have his best game as a Cowboy. Bouedo hit 7 of 10 including three treys for 17 points. Desmar Jackson had 9 points but spent too much time shooting three pointers which is not his strong suit plus six turnovers. Djibril Thiam had 10 points and six rebounds.

On Saturday the Lobos host Air Force while Wyoming hosts #16 BYU.

AWARDS

Cowboy Joe: Bouedo was impressive his shooting and team high 17 points.

Cowboy Low: Boubacar Sylla actually dunked tonight! Too bad it took him 17 games for it finally happen.

Cowboy Foe: Darrington Hobson is a stud. Will he taken in the first round of the NBA draft?

Cowboys head to "The Pit"

Wyoming Cowboys at New Mexico Lobos
The Pit
6:00PM
TV: CBS College

The New Mexico Lobos (22-3, 9-2) are currently sitting atop the Mountain West and ranked #12 in the nation. Meanwhile the Wyoming Cowboys (9-16,2-9) have lost five in a row and eight of nine. When these two teams met in Laramie the Lobos escaped with a 70-68 victory. With the hot streak the Lobos are on it's doubtful this next game will be as close.

Darington Hobson has been the man for the Lobos this season and currently leads the team in points, rebounds and assists -15/8/4. Ramon Martinez is knocking down 43% of his three pointers and averaging nearly 14 points a game. A.J. Hardeman led the Lobos with 18 points in the previous matchup.

Desmar Jackson has been the only bright spot for the Cowboys recently. The freshman guard is averaging 10 points on season and has scored 21 or more in three of his last six games. Big Adam Waddell was hitting the boards strong but has been hampered ever since he suffered ankle and knee injuries in a win over Utah two weeks ago.

The Pit is one of the toughest arenas to play in the country. Lobo fans are intense and have helped the team to a 14-1 record at home this season. It will be pretty hard for the Cowboys to have much a shot in this one.

	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	STK
WYO	9-16	73.9	75.4	9-8	0-8	L5
UNM	23-3	77.5	67.0	14-1	8-2	W9

Devin Moore signs with Colts

Former UW RB Devin Moore recently signed a contract with his hometown Indianapolis Colts. The Indiana native spent last season on the Seattle Seahawks practice squad. Hopefully the Colts will give Moore a chance to show his stuff on the field. Moore is the all time leading rusher in Cowboy history.

Moore is actually back in Laramie at the moment finishing up his six remaining credits to earn his degree. Great to see him take advantage of the off season to complete his education.

Mountain West Standings

Watching BYU and New Mexico battle things out for the regular season title will be great. UNLV and San Diego State are in a deadlock for third place.

The Cowboys are trying to avoid the "pigtail" game of the Mountain West tourney but looks like they will end up there are losing to TCU on Saturday.

Mountain West Conference Standings

	Conf	All
New Mexico (15)	9-2	23-3
BYU (17)	8-2	23-3
UNLV (23)	7-4	19-6
San Diego St.	7-4	18-7
Colorado St.	6-4	15-9
Utah	4-6	11-13
TCU	4-7	12-14
Wyoming	2-9	9-16
Air Force	1-10	9-15

Losing slide moves to five

				1		2		Total
		TCU	39	37	76	Final
		Wyoming	31	37	68

TCU hit the big shots down the stretch and grabbed a 76-68 victory on the road over Wyoming. This is the fifth loss in a row for the Cowboys (9-16, 2-9) who are running out of excuses this season. The Horned Frogs (12-14, 4-7) have a chance to move up in the conference standings as they try and catch up with Utah for sixth place in the Mountain West.

Freshman Nikola Cerina had the best game of his career and second strong performance in a row. The 21 point and seven rebound effort led the Horned Frogs and was vital when bigman Zvonko Buljan fouled out in just 14 minutes. Ronnie Moss was five for nine from the field for 15 points. As a team the Horned Frogs hit 50% of their shots and also connected eight three pointers on seventeen attempts.

Desmar Jackson led all scorers with 22 while tying his career high. Amath M'Baye had 14 points off the bench. Djibril Thiam and Arthur Bouedo both scored 10 points. The Pokes were aggressive and went to the free throw line 35 times connecting on 27 shots a 77% average. Adam Waddell sat out most of the second half due to lingering ankle and knee pain, he finished with six points and two rebounds in 19 minutes.

Next up the Cowboys travel to New Mexico on Wednesday while TCU hosts San Diego State on Tuesday.

AWARDS

Cowboy Joe: Desmar Jackson does it again with 22 points. He's scored in double digits his last six games in a row and is averaging 10 points a game for the season.

Cowboy Low: Jaydee Luster managed only 1 assist in 34 minutes.

Cowboy Foe: Nikola Cerina stepped for TCU and scored a career high 21 points.

Preview: TCU at Wyoming

TCU Horned Frogs at Wyoming Cowboys
Arena-Auditorium
1:30PM MST
2/13/2010
TV: The Mtn

Two of the Mountain West's underachieving programs will meet on Saturday looking to spark their team at the right moment. With six games remaining the regular season chances for wins are shrinking quickly for TCU and Wyoming.

TCU (11-14, 3-7) has lost five of their last six while Wyoming (9-15, 2-8) has lost seven of eight. When these two teams met a month ago in Fort Worth the Horned Frogs pulled out a hard fought 62-59 victory. A lot has changed for the Cowboys during that time and this is a much different Cowboy squad.

Leading scorer Afam Muojeke is done for the season and Freshman Desmar Jackson has stepped up to provide a spark for the Cowboys. With the rise of Jackson the Cowboys saw their third leading scorer A.J. Davis leave the team after his minutes shrunk quickly. Adam Waddell is the most succesful bigman for the Pokes and saved his best performances for the conference games.

TCU has two road victories this season: SMU and Air Force. Beating Air Force isn't that impressive but it is certainly better than what Wyoming managed to do against the Falcons. Ronnie "Tuffy" Moss is the free shooting guard that leads TCU with 14 points a game. The Croatian connection of Zvonko Buljan and Edvinas Ruzgas are also averaging double digits in scoring. Buljan is the second leading rebounder in the Mountain West with nearly nine boards a game. Only Kawhi Leonard of San Diego State has been more productive on rebounds this year.

Will TCU sweep the series or will Wyoming end their losing streak? I say Wyoming will win this one mainly due to the home court advantage of the elevation. San Diego State and TCU are the only Mountain West schools that aren't at elevation and both teams struggle with the adjustment. San Diego State is a much better program than TCU and they lost in Laramie earlier this year.

	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	STK
TCU	11-14	67.2	68.5	8-6	2-8	L1
WYO	9-15	74.2	75.4	9-7	0-8	L4

Aztecs use strong second half to handle Cowboys

Kawhi Leonard and the San Diego State Aztecs avenged themselves tonight with a 88-57 victory over the Wyoming Cowboys. This was very close game in the first half as the Cowboys showed up ready to play but the Aztecs pulled away easily in the second half.

Leonard led all scorers with 26 points and was one of five Aztecs to reach double figures. San Diego State improves to 17-7 and 7-4 in Mountain West play. SDSU and Colorado State are now tied in Mountain West play and battling it out for the #4 spot behind BYU, New Mexico and UNLV. The Cowboys hung tough in the first half but minutes 21-40 belonged completely to the Aztecs. After 39-31 halftime lead the Aztecs were dominate outscoring Wyoming 49-26 down the stretch.

Using a combination of strong rebounding and hot shooting the Aztecs made things look easy in the second half. A 42-28 rebounding advantage helped San Diego State limit any second chance points from Wyoming. As team the Aztecs hit 52% of their shots compared to just 39% for the Cowboys. San Diego State was able to turn 20 Cowboy turnovers into 30 points. Chase Tapley had 14 points and 6 assists with 12 points coming in the second half.

The Cowboys (9-15, 2-8) may take some heart in the fact that they played tough basketball for the first 15 minutes but that wasn't enough to escape their fourth loss in a row and worst streak of the season. The Cowboys are losers of seven of their last eight and have been one of the most disappointing teams in the Mountain West this season. Djinril Thiam and Desmar Jackson were the most effective weapons on offense tonight. Thiam had his best performance in a month with 15 points and 4 rebounds on 7/8 shooting. Desmar Jackson added 14 points but turnovers soured his performance. Jackson and Jaydee Luster had six turnovers each and kept the Cowboys from sticking with the Aztecs. Free throw shooting was again a struggle as the team hit 13 of 24.

Next up for San Diego State the Aztecs will look to gain ground the UNLV Rebels whom they host on Saturday. Wyoming wil try their luck against TCU when the Horned Frogs head to Laramie for a weekend contest.

AWARDS

Cowboy Joe: Djibril Thiam was very effective hitting 7 of 8 shots for 15 points.

Cowboy Low: Daylen Harrison had the opportunity to start but went 0-7 from the the field in 27 minutes. Had three points total all coming from free throws.

Cowboy Foe: Kawhi Leonard is making quite a case for Mountain West Freshman of the Year.

Preview: Wyoming at San Diego State

Wyoming Cowboys at San Diego State
Viejas Arena
8:30PM MST
TV: The Mtn

Wyoming has lost three in a row and six of their last seven games. San Diego State is incredibly tough at home and want revenge after Jaydee Luster knocked off the the Aztecs with a last second three pointer when these teams met a month ago.

If the Cowboys are looking for their first road victory they'd better change a lot. The Pokes have watched their field goal and free throw shooting decline sharply over the last two weeks and this team is in disarray. Afam Muojeke is out for the year and third leading scorer A.J. Davis left the

team last week. Adam Waddell has been impressive in conference play but the bigman is only really getting support from freshman guard Desmar Jackson.

With one more lopsided loss the Pokes are in danger of having their points allowed average rise above their points scored. The Aztecs are tough on defense allowing only 63 points a game compared to 74 for the Cowboys.

Freshman Kawhi Leonard is making a strong case for Mountain West Freshman of the Year with his play. The 6-6 forward leads the Aztecs with 11 points a game and nearly 10 rebounds. DJ Gay, Malcolm Thomas and Billy White also average double digits per contest for the Aztecs. White missed the earlier match up between these two teams.

The Cowboys have been a headache for the Aztecs all season with come from behind victories from the football and basketball teams. We'll see if the Pokes have one more trick up their sleeves this season.

	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	STK
WYO	9-14	74.9	74.8	9-7	0-7	L3
SDSU	16-7	71.4	63.0	10-1	6-6	L1

Utah to Pac 10? BYU to Big 12?

ABC News out of Salt Lake City is reporting that Utah and Colorado will be invited to join the Pac 10 Conference. BYU would be invited to take Colroado's spot in the Big 12. No other news agencies are reporting this news at this time.

Either of these schools leaving the Mountain West would be devastating to the Mountain West.

Spring Football Dates

Rivals has all the FCS spring football schedules categorized. I've posted the Wyoming info below. If you want to check out the rest of the Mountain West click here.

The beginning of spring practice will be great to checkout the JUCO transfers in action as well as the High School players that graduated early. Plus it will mean something to focus on besides the dismal state of Cowboy basketball.


WYOMING
Practice begins: March 6.
Spring game: April 17.
Biggest task: Wyoming is loaded in the back seven on defense, but the Cowboys must replace three starting linemen as well as a fourth senior who earned plenty of time in a reserve role. Wyoming is seeking to upgrade its speed in the receiving corps and is looking for No. 2 and 3 receivers.

Hammond and Gagliardi go off on UW Basketball

How big was that fish you caught Heath?

Bob Hammond from the Laramie Boomerang must have been checking the Wyoming message boards as his article echoes the chatter from Cowboys fans around the country.

Robert Gagliardi seems to be on board as his article in the Tribune Eagle shows. Something stinks in the Cowboys locker room and it's not the jockstraps.

Cowboy basketball used to have a huge amount of support in the State but attendance has slid quickly over the last three seasons under Schroyer. This year looks to be lowest attendance in the 25 year history of Arena-Auditorium and would be the first time that average attendance falls below 5,000.

Don't expect anything to happen soon as the contract on Schroyer was extended two years after last season and the University can't afford to buy out Schroyer who still has four years left after this year. The media has really jumped on the anti-Schroyer bandwagon recently which many Wyoming fans.

Mountain West Standings: 2/8/10

BYU loses to UNLV on the road while New Mexico knocks San Diego State in OT. The top of the Mountain West is starting to get complicated as BYU no longer looks invincible. The Lobos seem to have things figured out while UNLV is picking up their game when it matters most.

Mountain West	Conf	All
BYU (17)	7-2	22-3
New Mexico (15)	7-2	21-3
UNLV (23)	7-2	19-4
San Diego St.	5-4	16-7
Colorado St.	5-4	14-9
Utah	3-5	10-12
TCU	3-6	11-13
Wyoming	2-7	9-14
Air Force	1-8	9-13

Super Bowl Sunday - GO SAINTS!!!!!!!

Cowboys swept in Border War for the first time in 10 years

			1		2		Total
	Wyoming	26	38	64	Final
	Colorado St.	43	37	80

Every week it seems like things gets worse for the Cowboys. Winless on the road, lose star player to injury, second player leaves team. Well notch another hole in the bad news belt of this season: the Rams swept have swept the Border War for the first time in 10 years. Both games have been ugly as Wyoming struggled to stay with Rams in each meeting.

CSU led by 22 points in the second half and finished with an 80-64 victory. The win gives the Rams (14-9, 5-4) a winning record in conference play and big boost for the post season chances. Sport throwback orange jerseys with "Aggies" across the chest in green lettering the Rams were dominant in front of a crowd of 5,000+.

The Rams used a big advantage in rebounding and three point shooting to make this win look easy over a depleted Cowboys (2-14, 2-6) squad. CSU held a 42-26 rebounding advantage and hit 10 of 15 on three pointers. Travis Franklin led the Rams with 20 points. Andy Ogide put together a double with 13 points and 11 boards.

Coach Schroyer was happy after the game because the Cowboys "won the second half". Unfortunately they don't give out W's for winning a half. Most fans prefer their victories to be of the 40 minute variety. Adam Waddell and Desmar Jackson did their best to keep the Cowboys close with 16 points a piece in the game. Waddell also grabbed 10 rebounds, no other Cowboy had more than 3 rebounds on the day. The Cowboys got to the free throw line 34 times but only hit 17. Hitting free throws was a strength for this team at the beginning of the year - now they struggle nearly every game. Jaydee Luster had 7 points and 8 assists.

On Wednesday the Cowboys travel to California to face San Diego State. The Pokes upset the Aztecs in Laramie earlier this season however the the chances of a sweep are looking pretty slim at the moment. Then on Saturday the Cowboys host TCU at 1:30.

AWARDS

Cowboy Joe: Adam Waddell cares about the Border War and it showed with his 16 points 11 rebounds.

Cowboy Low: Daylen Harrison had 7 points which is great. But failed to grab any rebounds in his 12 minutes. Harrison has the widest body on the Cowboys roster and needs to use that size to box out defenders and grab some boards.

Cowboy Foe: Travis Franklin had his fourth 20+ game of the season for the Rams.

Preview: Wyoming at CSuuuuuuuu

The Rams play in Moby Arena

Wyoming Cowboys at Colorado State Rams
Fort Collins, CO
7:00 PM MST
TV: The Mtn

In their first meeting the Colorado State Rams embarrassed the Wyoming Cowboys (9-13, 2-6) on their home court. Now the Cowboys will look to return the favor when these two bitter rivals meet up in the final Border War this season.

CSU sits at 13-9 this season and is 4-4 in conference play. The Rams have much been stronger then expected this season and are fighting for a shot at the post season. The Rams are coming off a big road win over Utah on Wednesday where Andy Ogide led the team the with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Ogide, Dorian Green and Travis Franklin are all averaging double digit scoring for the upstart Rams.

Wyoming fans have watched a bad season quickly turn ugly over the last few weeks. Leading scorer Afam Muojeke is out for the year, the team is winless on the road and second leading scorer A.J. Davis just left the team yesterday for personal reason. Depth is becoming an issue and only Desmar Jackson and Adam Waddell have stepped up recently. Waddell has been banged over the last week but should be able to start today.

	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	STK
WYO	9-13	75.4	74.6	9-7	0-6	L2
CSU	13-9	67.5	65.2	10-2	2-7	W1

A.J Davis leaves Wyoming Hoops program

For the second time this season a scholarship player has left the Wyoming Cowboys Men's basketball program. A.J. Davis has left the Cowboys according to a press release from University this morning.

Davis follows Thomas Manzano as the second player to leave the program this season. Both players were recruited by Heath Schroyer to play at Wyoming. Davis was starter in November but saw his minutes decrease steadily as the conference schedule began. In conference play he was only averaging four points while playing twelve minutes.

This make four players that half left the program that Schroyer personally recruited. Obviously his coaching style is hit not working with some of his players. The Pokes will have only seven players available for tommorows matchup versus Colorado State.

Wyoming recruiting recap from the Mtn

Here are couple videos courtesy of the Mtn. which focuses on the 2010 class for Wyoming. Thank goodness the Mountain West has it's own network or else the MWC would have gotten very little publicity today. ESPNU had eight and half hours of recruiting coverage and most of it was spent talking about the same 10-15 schools. The only non-BCS teams that were mentioned were BYU, Boise, Utah and TCU. And all those schools were mentioned at the very end of the broadcast.

Video #1 - Marius Peyton and Tim Neverrett break down the Pokes recruiting class



Video #2 - Interview with Dave Christensen

Cowboys leave their game at home. Lose by 28 to UNLV.

UNLV put together a solid first half and then an even better second half to win easy in Laramie tonight by 28 points. The Rebels improved to 18-4 overall and 6-2 in conference play with the 78-50 victory. After trailing 3-2 early in the game the Rebels buckled down and dominated Wyoming the rest of the way.

Matt Shaw led the Rebs with 16 points despite coming off the bench and only seeing 20 minutes of floor time. Tre'Von Willis and Chase Stanback also scored in double digits for the Rebels who have won four in a row and six of their last seven. On Saturday they will host BYU who won the first meeting of these two teams 77-73 on January 6th.

Nearly ever play had a nice night shooting for UNLV as they shot 53% as a team and hit eight three pointers. Wyoming never got anything going as they were a dismal 14 for 49 from field for a 28% average. The Pokes (9-13, 2-6) were out-rebounded 34-41on their home court.

After beating Utah last week the Pokes have lost two in a row and appear to be sinking fast after tonight's performance. Ryan Dermody was the only Poke to have much going tonight as he led the team with 12 points and hit four treys. Desmar Jackson had 11 points and was the only other Cowboy to hit a three pointer. Wyoming was 5 for 19 from behind arc. Adam Waddell returned to the lineup after a one game absence but was ineffective with 3 points and one rebound in 21 minutes.

The Cowboys head to Fort Collins on Saturday for a rematch with the CSU Rams who have been playing great lately. With the Pokes road woes don't expect this one to be a close one.

AWARDS

Cowboy Joe: Ryan Dermody had his best game in a long time. Way to go Mr Senior!

Cowboy Low: JayDee Luster was 0-8 from the field... ouch. Had five points on free throws. Did not step up and the lead offense tonight.

Cowboy Foe: Chase Stanback had 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Cowboy Chatter: National Signing Day Edition

Here a few articles floating around about Wyoming and their recruits.

• Nehemie Kankolango and Skyler Hinton both enrolled early at UW after finishing their graduation requirements. Here is their story of adjusting to college life.
• Story about QB Sam Stratton and Signing Day schedule at UW.
• WR Drew Martinez signed his LOI at 8a.m. this morning.
• DE Sonny Puletasi could be a steal for the Cowboys.
• BYU could have it's best recruiting class ever.
• CSU has put together a very solid class.
• The Lobos grabbed a four star DT that had previously commited to Tennessee.

Geographical breakdown of Pokes Recruiting

Dave Christensen said when he came in that he would recruit far and wide and was willing to look anywhere for players that fit his mold. Well I would say mission accomplished. Previous Wyoming Coaches steered clear of Utah and just focused on Colorado and couple other nearby states.

The Cowboys even went international with their recruiting this year landing two players that played outside the United States.

Here is a breakdown of each state that every recruiting attended before committing to Wyoming. Some of the JC players went to high school elsewhere but I'm placing based on the college location.

Canada - 1
Nehemie Kankolongo - RB

California - 2
Austin Daniels - DB
Justin Dire - OL

Colorado - 5
Riley Lange - DE
Patrick Mertens* - DL
CJ Morgan - WR
Sam Stratton - QB
Tyler Strong - DT

Germany - 1
Oliver Schober - LB

Illinois - 1
Dylan McElveen - DB

Kansas - 1
Nick Puetz - OL

Minnesota -1
Evan Williams - RB

Missouri -2
Skyler Hinton - OL
Darrenn White - ATH

New Mexico - 2
BJ Sumter - DT
Kurt Taufa'asau - DT

Oklahoma - 1
Sonny Pueltasi - DE

Texas - 2
Marqueston Huff - DB
Emory Miller - QB

Utah - 2
DeJay Lester - WR
Mazi Ogbonna - WR

Washington - 2
Travis Bogard - OL/DT
Daniel Fleischman - OL

Wyoming - 1
Drew Martinez - WR

*walked on last year but earned a scholarship this year

Good things come in pairs

Dave Christensen must have been reading a lot of the Old Testament the past few months because in his recruiting he ended up with three sets of teammates to commit to Wyoming. Last year the Pokes one set of teammates who came in from Booker T Washington HS in Tulsa, OK. Shamiel Gary and Terry Smith started the trend last year and it continues this season.

So who are these peas in a pod?

Crete Monee High School
Crete, IL

Greg Barksdale -LB

Dylan McElveen - DB

Mcelveen commited to the Pokes on October 6th and his teammate Barksdale followed suit just twenty days later. These are the first pair to commit to Wyoming and should provide some much needed speed to Cowboys defense. Barksdale could stay at LB or move to Safety.

Snow College
Ephraim, UT

Mazi Ogbonna - WR

DeJay Lester - WR

These twin wideouts from Snow College in Utah visited in the Fall then both committed on December 17th. A number of other programs were interested in this pair (Utah and Oklahoma) but they came to Laramie. Expect both players to see plenty of plays in the Fall and provide a real spark to Cowboys passing game. Both are already enrolled at Wyoming and will participate in the upcoming Spring Football practices.

New Mexico Military Institute
Roswell, NM

Kurt Taufa'asau - DT

BJ Sumter - NG

The loss of Fred Givens, John Fletcher and Mitch Unrein really hurts the Pokes on the defensive line. Thankfully these two big fellas from NMMI committed in January and have a good chance of starting next season. Sumter is the strongest linemen in the history of the NMMI program and Taufa'asua has a great blend of size and agility. Their military background from NMMI should also be a good sign as these players are used to training and discipline.

JUCO players provide instant impact

NICK PUETZ IS ONE OF SIX JC COMMITS

With so many holes to fill on both sides of the ball Coach Christensen and his staff were looking at help on both sides of the ball. The offensive and defensive lines were hurt the hardest by graduation and the wide receivers were unable to stretch the field which severely impacted the offense.

By bringing in six Junior College players the Pokes are able to find players that fit their system and have had a couple of years to develop physically and mentally on the football field. They were certainly help keep the momentum going for the program that could have been decimated with the loss of three starters on the defensive line.

A dozen freshman started for Wyoming last season but you can't count 18 and 19 years old to be impact players in their first year. By bringing in JC players a number of freshman can redshirt this year and spend that time in the weight room and learning the system.

As the 2009 and 2010 classes develop I expect the Cowboys to recruit fewer and fewer players from the JUCO ranks. Hopefully the Pokes won't need to every look for a JUCO QB ever again as Dax Crum was a bust under Glenn and Robert Benjamin has already left Laramie after losing his starting job to Austyn Carta-Samuels.

2010 Player Commitments - Wyoming - Junior College/Transfers
NAME	POS	HT	WT	HOMETOWN	SCHOOL
DeJay Lester	WR	6-1	195	Layton, UT	Snow College
Mazi Ogbonna	WR	6-1	190	Westbury, NY	Snow College
Nick Puetz	OT	6-4	307	Salina, KS	Coffeyville CC
Austin Daniels	CB	5-10	180	Pasadena, CA	Mt. San Antonio College
Kurt Taufaasau	DT	6-2	290	American Samoa, SP	New Mexico Military Int.

Bernard Sumter DT 6-2 310 Roswell, NM New Mexico Military Int.

National Signing Day Eve

The commits were all snug in their beds while dreams of Laramie danced in their heads...

Was tempted to throw out some poetry here but that is not my strong suit. We're just a few hours from the official signing of one of the best classes in recent memory. Coaches aren't allowed to officially comment on athletes before they commit so it will be great to finally get some insight from Coach Christensen and his staff.

With so many impact players from the 2009 class how will the 2010 class stack up? This is certaintly a larger class and the staff had the luxury of time when putting it together. Last year there were only a few weeks to assemble to recruits.

The running back situation will be very intersting to watch in the Fall. Alvester Alexander came on strong towards the end of last year. Nehemie Kankolongo is the Pokes top rated recruit this year and has already enrolled at UW this winter. Evan Williams just committed a couple weeks ago but his highlight video is impressing everyone that catches a glimpse.

We'll have a lot more thoughts and analysis tommorow after the class is officially announced.

Preview: UNLV Rebels at Wyoming Cowboys

UNLV Rebels at Wyoming Cowboys
Laramie, Wyoming
8PM MST
TV: The Mtn

The good news for the Cowboys is that they play at home so they at least have a chance of winning. The bad news is that a talented UNLV squad is coming to town in hopes of building their resume for the post season. The Rebels (17-4, 5-2) are winners of three in a row and are trying to keep pace with the New Mexico Lobos and BYU Cougars atop the Mountain West.

The Cowboys have suffered many bad losses this season but their most recent could take the cake. Losing to an Air Force squad that is young and had lost 20+ Mountain West game in a row takes this season to a new low. Wyoming was missing big man Adam Waddell but should have been able to compete better with the Falcons no matter what.

Desmar Jackson has been lights out for the Pokes ever since Afam Muojeke was lost for the season. Jackson had scored 21 points in each of the last two games to lead the scoring effort, his energy and hustle is exciting. Hopefully his example will rub off on some of his teammates.

Tre'Von Willis leads the Rebels with 17 points a game and his hitting 48% of his shots. After that the Rebels can hurt a number of ways. Chance Stanback is averaging 10 points and 5 boards a game. Oscar Bellfield, Kendall Wallace, Derrick Jasper and Matt Shaw can step up any night and all average 6+ points a game. UNLV has been impressive on the road this year with a 7-1 mark on the road. The Rebels average just one point less on offense than Wyoming but their defense is superior by allowing 65 points compared to 74 for the Pokes.

Last season the teams split the series with home team winning both times. If Adam Waddell is able to go on Wednesday that will help a ton. Otherwise this one could pretty lopsided in the Rebels favor.

	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	STK
UNLV	17-4	75.3	65.7	9-2	7-1	W3
WYO	9-12	76.6	74.4	9-6	0-6	L1

Wife of Jay Novacek found dead this morning

The wife of former UW great Jay Novacek was found dead this morning in a relatives home in Burleson, Texas. LeAnne Novacek, 45 is pictured above with her husband at a fundraiser circa 1997. Foul play is not suspected at this time.

Jay Novacek was a great TE for Wyoming and then went onto a Pro Bowl career with the Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Cardinals. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008. Truly a terrible tragedy for the Novacek family and all of those that know them.

An autopsy is planned for Tuesday morning. There has been no official release from the Novacek family.

UPDATE 11PM MST: Burleson Texas police are now saying that the incident appears to be a suicide caused by a gunshot wound. Here is the update from Dallas News.

Mountain West Standings: 2/1/10

Mountain West Standings for 2/1/10. The four teams of BYU, New Mexico, UNLV and San Diego State are finally starting to seperate themselves from the rest of the pack. Over the next month it will be a battle to see which teams can position themselves for a spot in the NCAA Tourney. BYU and New Mexico are solid projections right now. Can the Rebels or Aztecs impress the voters over the next six weeks to earn a tourney spot?

SDSU, UNLV and CSU would be all be likely to end up in the NIT if they don't make the NCAA tournament.



Mountain West Conference Standings

	Conf	All
BYU (12)	6-1	21-2
New Mexico (15)	6-2	20-3
UNLV	5-2	17-4
San Diego St.	4-3	15-6
Colorado St.	3-4	12-9
Utah	3-4	10-11
TCU	2-5	10-12
Wyoming	2-5	9-12
Air Force	1-6	9-11