Cowboys release basketball schedule (finally)

Well the Pokes finally realized that the season was just around the corner and it might be a good idea to let the fans know when to show up. With the full schedule finally released today we can see who the team will face.

First impressions look like the Pokes will have no excuses if they don't improve on their 10-21 mark a year ago. The Pokes are taking part in the Cancun Challenge which does feature some decent teams including: Missouri, Providence, North Florida, Western Illinois and Lasalle. Not necessarily powerhouses but decent matchups. Indiana State will be a good matchup in the MWC-MVC challenge when the Sycamores come to Laramie.

The toughest non conference/non tournament team looks to be the Wisconsin Green Bay Phoenix who finished 22-13 last year. Other teams include UC Irvine (14-18) which the best part is their nickname: The Anteaters!! South Dakota finished 22-10 last year and Pokes travel there in December.

Watchout out the Gentlemen out of Centenary a school in Louisiana who posted a 8-21 record. Yes, their nickname is the Gentlemen. What is their mascot? Some nice guy that finishes last?

Houston Baptist Huskies finished 12-21 last year. Western State is a Divison 2 squad, Kean University looks to be Division 3. Kennesaw State went 13-20 in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

At least the Cowboys are playing an exhibition against Peru State (NAIA D2) instead of the regular season like last year.

Here is the full schedule. Just two and a half months till hoops season kicks off!


Date Opponent Site Time/M.T. (TV)
November
Sat., Nov. 6 Peru State (Exhibition) Laramie, Wyo. 8:00 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 13 Kean University Laramie, Wyo. 8:00 p.m.
Tue., Nov. 16 at Northern Colorado Greeley, Colo. 7:00 p.m.
Thurs., Nov. 18 North Florida ^ Laramie, Wyo. 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 20 Western Illinois ^ Laramie, Wyo. 7:00 p.m.
Tue.-Wed., Cancun Challenge + Cancun, Mexico
Nov. 23-24 Nov. 23 vs. Missouri TBA
Nov. 24 vs. Providence or La Salle TBA
December
Wed., Dec. 1 at South Dakota Vermillion, S.D. 6:00 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 4 Mountain West Conference/Missouri Valley Conference Challenge
Indiana State Laramie, Wyo. 5:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Fri., Dec. 10 at UC Irvine Irvine, Calif. 8:00 p.m.
Tue., Dec. 14 Denver Laramie, Wyo. 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 17 Western State Laramie, Wyo. 7:00 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 20 Centenary Laramie, Wyo. 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 22 University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Laramie, Wyo. 7:00 p.m.
Tue., Dec. 28 Kennesaw State Laramie, Wyo. 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 31 at Houston Baptist Houston, Texas 1:00 p.m.
January
Tue., Jan. 4 at Colorado State* Fort Collins, Colo. 7:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Sat., Jan. 8 New Mexico* Laramie, Wyo. 4:00 p.m. (CBS C)
Wed., Jan. 12 at TCU* Fort Worth, Texas 5:30 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Sat., Jan. 15 Utah* Laramie, Wyo. 1:30 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Sat., Jan. 22 at Air Force* Colorado Springs, Colo. 1:30 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Tue., Jan. 25 UNLV* Laramie, Wyo. 8:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Sat., Jan. 29 at San Diego State* San Diego, Calif. 8:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
February
Wed., Feb. 2 BYU* Laramie, Wyo. 6:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Sat., Feb. 5 Colorado State* Laramie, Wyo. 6:00 p.m. (CBS C)
Wed., Feb. 9 at New Mexico* Albuquerque, N.M. 6:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Sat., Feb. 12 TCU* Laramie, Wyo. 1:30 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Wed., Feb. 16 at Utah* Salt Lake City, Utah 7:00 p.m. (CBS C)
Wed., Feb. 23 Air Force* Laramie, Wyo. 8:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Sat., Feb. 26 at UNLV* Las Vegas, Nev. 8:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
March
Tue., March 1 San Diego State* Laramie, Wyo. 8:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Sat., March 5 at BYU* Provo, Utah 1:30 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Wed.-Sat., Mountain West Conference
March 9-12 Basketball Championships$ Las Vegas, Nev.
Wed., March 9 No. 8 Seed vs. No. 9 Seed 3:00 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Thurs., March 10 Quarterfinals 1:00 p.m., 3:35 p.m. (The (Mtn.)
7:05 p.m., 9:35 p.m. (The Mtn.)
Fri., March 11 Semifinals 7:05 p.m., 9:35 p.m. (CBS C)
Sat., March 12 Championship 5:05 p.m. (VERSUS)

Men's Basketball TV Schedule released

The Mountain West Conference released their full Men's basketball television for games that will be broadcast on the conference family of networks: The Mtn, CBS College and Versus.

Any out of conference games that would appear on the ESPN network of stations are not listed here. Last year Wyoming played at Tennessee and the game was broadcast on ESPNU. The Cowboys have been dragging their feet on releasing their full schedule this year. Hopefully it will come out sometime in the next week now that the Mountain West has at released this TV schedule.

For those of you who don't have access to the Mtn (like me!) looks we'll have three chances to watch the Pokes live.

January 8th, New Mexico at Wyoming - CBS C
February 5th, Colorado State at Wyoming - CBS C
February 16th, Wyoming at Utah - CBS C

Wyoming will have 15 other television appearences that will all be broadcast on the Mtn.

Also according to the schedule Wyoming will be hosting the Indiana State Sycamores on December 4th as part of the MVC-MWC Challenge. The game will be broadcast on the Mtn.

Pokes Win! Holy Cow!

				1		2		Total
		Air Force	25	24	49	Final
		Wyoming	23	35	58

It took over a month but Wyoming finally won a basketball game. The Cowboys now avoid finishing last in the Mountain West after avoiding the sweep by the Air Force Falcons. With the 58-49 victory the Cowboys finally reach the 10 win mark with one regular season game remaining.

Some unusual suspects stepped up tonight to give the Cowboys the win in front of the home crowd. Ryan Dermody hit four treys for 12 points and the lone senior on the squad stepped up big on Senior night. Daylan Harrison had his best conference game by hitting three treys and had 12 total points. Desmar Jackson had a rough night shooting put still put up 12 points and dished out five assists.

Tom Fow had 17 points to lead the Falcons while Grant Parker had 14. The Falcons jumped out the gates quickly and led most of the first half. As the second half rolled on the Cowboys crept before finally taking the lead with 10 minutes left in the game.

The Cowboys will finish up the regular season on Saturday when they travel to Las Vegas to take on UNLV. The Pokes will meet Air Force again on Wednesday in the pigtail of the Mountain West Tournament which is also played in Las Vegas.

AWARDS

Cowboy Joe: Dermody stepped big in the second half with 12 points and got a win on Senior night.

Cowboy Low: Adam Waddell had two points and two rebounds. The big fella just isn't healthy right now and can't go full speed on his ankle. Hopefully he can get some rest on the weekend and get ready for the tournament.

Cowboy Foe: Tom Fow led all scorers with 17.

#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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Loss to Air Force: UGLY

The Air Force Falcons (9-11, 1-6) had lost six in a row and have been win less in Mountain West play since March 5th, 2008. Until now, thanks to a disappointing performance by the Cowboys. The Pokes (9-12, 2-5) also remain win less on the road this year and will probably finish the year the 0-11 on the road after the 70-63 loss. Air Force was the closest thing to a gimme game on the road this season and the Pokes failed.

The Falcons run a very well disciplined offense that controls the ball and waits to find a shot. Imagine that a well disciplined team from a Military school. Wyoming played uninspired ball on the road and failed to be aggressive and get to the basket.

On Wednesday nights win the Pokes did a great job of limiting their three point shooting. Long range shooting is not this team's forte and they seem to forget that fairly often. The Pokes went from 5 of 22 from behind the arc for a disappointing 22%. Just because your opponent is hitting three pointers doesn't mean you match them - play your game. Ryan Dermody is the big culprit here - Derm's played 20 minutes and took eight attempts but only hit on trey.

Desmar Jackson was the lone bright spot for Wyoming with 21 points on 10 of 13 shooting and six rebounds. This Jackson's second consecutive game leading the team in scoring and putting up 21 points. Djibril Thiam nearly had a double double with 10 points and 9 rebounds.

Evan Washington led the Falcons with 23 points and 7 assists in a career best game. Michael Lyons added 16 and Grant Parker had 12. The Falcons hit 11 of their 25 three pointers including their first three.

Next week the Cowboys host the UNLV Rebels on Wednesday and on Saturday the Pokes travel to Fort Collins.

AWARDS

Cowboy Joe: Desmar Jackson has another 21 point game. Glad he is making the most of his minutes.

Cowboy Low: Ryan Dermody can't make a basket this year. Well I guess did he did make one.

Cowboy Foe: Evan Washington had 23 points to lead all scorers.

Preview: Wyoming Cowboys at Air Force Falcons

Wyoming Cowboys at Air Force Falcons
1:30 PM MST
TV: The Mtn

The Wyoming Cowboys (9-11, 2-4) will be looking to extend one streak and break another when the head down to Colorado Springs on Saturday to face the Air Force Falcons (8-11, 0-6). The Cowboys are looking for their first winning streak since November after defeating the Utah Utes on Wednesday. Standing in their way is a winless record on the road this season and scrappy young Falcons squad. Will the Falcons get their first conference win in 23 tries or will the Pokes grab their first road win? Let's see who has the advantage.

Wyoming is without their leading scorer Afam Muojeke for the rest of the season but others are stepping up to fill that role. Adam Waddell has been playing his best ball of the season recently and his coming off a 13 point 22 rebound effort. Waddell did injure his ankle on Wednesday and is questionable for this weekend. That would leave the Pokes very thin inside as 7-3 Boubacar Sylla is the only other center on the roster and has not been impressive so far this year. Freshman Desmar Jackson has been a spark plug off the bench for the Pokes and put 21 point in 20 minutes against the Utes.

Wyoming uses a full court press that forces lots of turnovers but have struggled on defense and allow a league high 74 points a game. The Falcons have been riddled with injuries all season but are nearing full strength. The Falcons run a slow and deliberate offense that hasn't managed more than 54 points in their six conference losses.

Senior Grant Parker has appeared in the last two games for the Zoomies after missing 10 games with a pelvic injury. Parker leads the team with 15 points and 5 rebounds a game. Evan Washington and Tom Fow are the only other Falcons to average double digits in scoring this season. Parker could give the Pokes trouble inside if Waddell is unable to go for the Cowboys. Seven players have missed a total of 43 games for Air Force this year.

Wyoming swept the season series last year while Air Force took both 2008 meetings. Elevation shouldn't be a factor as both teams are used to playing in the thin air of the Front Range.

	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	STK
WYO	9-11	77.3	74.7	9-6	0-5	W1
AFA	8-11	60.2	62.8	7-4	0-7	L6

Cowboy gets back on the winning track

Muojeke who? Without their leading scorer for the rest of the season the Wyoming Cowboys defended their home turf in a 75-69 victory over the Utah Utes. The Cowboys (9-11, 2-4) snapped their three game losing streak with huge games from Adam Waddell and Desmar Jackson. Waddell was a monster on the boards grabbing 22 rebounds as well as 13 points. Desmar Jackson came off the bench to score 21 points in 20 minutes to lead the Pokes offensively.

Wyoming led 35-32 at halftime then built a 12 point lead early in the second. Utah made a 9-0 run led by Carlon Butler who scored 22 of his 31 points in the second half. The Utes led 67-66 with 2:27 remaining but the Cowboys hit seven free throws in the final 46 seconds to seal the victory.

Wyoming scored 22 points off 19 Ute turnovers. The Pokes made the game much closer than it needed to be by hitting only 23 of their 44 free throw attempts. Besides Waddell and Jackson two other Cowboys reached double digit scoring: Djibril Thiam added 16 and A.J. Davis chipped in 10. The Pokes had 11 assists to only 10 turnovers for the game.

Carlon Brown was the main weapon for the Utes tonight, his 31 points were more than the Utes next highest scorers Marshall Henderson (13) and Jay Watkins (12) combined. With the loss Utah (10-10, 3-3) continued their up and down season with another surprising loss. Last week the Utes knocked off the UNLV Rebels on in Las Vegas.

The game wasn't televised so only the 4,000 in attendance were able to watch the game live. Utah leads the series 92-75 while the Pokes hold a 49-32 home court advantage. These two teams will face off in Salt Lake City on February 27th.

AWARDS

Cowboy Joe: This one is tough so I'll have to give it to both Adam Waddell and Desmar Jackson. When the Pokes needed it most these two youngsters served notice that they want to take a leadership role on this team.

Cowboy Low: Ryan Dermody had an opportunity to step up with Muojeke out but managed only 3 points in 18 minutes. He'll need to be more aggressive if he expects to make the most of his Senior season.

Cowboy Foe: Carlon Brown was on fire connecting for 31 points.

Preview: Runnin' Utes at Wyoming Cowboys

Utah Utes at Wyoming Cowboys

Wednesday, January 27th
7:00pm MST
Arena-Auditorium
TV: none

With a week off to clear their minds and prepare the Wyoming Cowboys (8-11, 1-4) need a new vibe as they prepare for the last 11 games this season. Missing will be leading scorer Afam Muojeke the MWC Freshman of the Year last season. Muojeke had surgery over the weekend to repair his left knee which he injured in last weeks loss at BYU.

The Runnin' Utes (10-9, 3-2) bring a Jekyll and Hyde squad to Laramie for the first meeting of these teams this year. With wins over Illinois, Michigan and UNLV the Utes can play with nearly any team. Losses to Pepperdine, Seattle and Idaho show they lack consistency. Carlon Brown leads the Utes with 13 points a game despite coming off the bench for the last nine games. Freshman guard Marshall Henderson takes nearly seven 3 point attempts each game hitting a third and averaging 11 points. David Foster is a beast at 7-3 and averages 4.4 blocks a game.

Who will step up for Wyoming with Muojeke out? That is a hard question to answer. Adam Waddell is the most likely candidate with four double digit games in his last five. Arthur Bouedo has averaged 7 points a game in his last five games this year and shown a knack for hitting threes. A.J. Davis is the second leading scorer for the Pokes but saw only limited minutes prior to Muojeke going down.

Both games this week are winnable for the Pokes. A bid advantage at home should help against Utah and then on Saturday the Pokes travel to Colorado Springs to face a young Air Force team that is winless in conference play.

Hoops: Rotation down the stretch

GIVE DESMAR THE BALL THE LAST TWO MONTHS

With Afam Muojeke out the remainder of this season the Pokes rotation could get a overhaul with 11 games remaining in the regular season. With a 1-4 conference record so far Wyoming should focus on getting the younger players as much playing time as possible to help speed their development.

I'm not saying bench the starters but aside from Adam Waddell no one really has a starting spot locked down in my opinion.

So a college basketball game has 200 minutes in regulation. Here is my ideal rotation for the remainder of the season.

Center:

30 minutes - Adam Waddell could be the center of the Pokes offense now with Muojeke out. Should continue to start and see plenty of minutes.

10 minutes - Boubacar Sylla has seen less minutes lately but sitting on the bench isn't going to help his development. He should play at least 10 minutes each game.

Power Forward:

18 minutes - Amath M'Baye. Has a trouble with fouls but provides great energy off the bench. M'Baye should have a chance at starting and see if that helps his game.

15 minutes -Djibril Thiam has been the starter here for most for most of the season averaging 9/5. Thiam will be a Senior next year and will still have the inside track on starting next year.

7 minutes - Daylen Harrison is a rollie pollie 6'6 220 lbs bowling ball. His body type gives him the widest size on the Pokes front court. Also want him to see 7 minutes at SF for a total of 14 minutes to see what the kid can do.

Small Forward:

20 minutes - A.J. Davis at 6'6 is a versatile wingman. Want to see what he can do at the three spot for most of each game.

13 minutes -Ryan Dermody. A three point threat but has shoot only33% from the field this year. Should start on Senior Day as he is the only Senior on the team.

7 minutes - Daylen Harrison another 7 minutes per game at SF for him. Give the Pokes a little bit larger lineup at times.

Shooting Guard:

30 minutes - Arthur Bouedo has shown moments of brilliance at times this season. Since he sat out of the first half of the season let's make him a primary option in the offense for the rest of this year.

10 minutes - Desmar Jackson at 6'5 is a combo guard that has shown some nice hustle on defense lately. His size and passing abilities could him in handy when he is on the floor at the same time as Luster.

Point Guard:

25 minutes - Jaydee Luster is the team captain and does a nice job of distibuting the ball. His offensive game is improving with a new found ability to hit the three.

15 minutes - Desmar Jackson should see lots of playing time down the stretch. Hopefully he can average 20-25 minutes a game while playing the 1 and 2 for the Pokes.


Breakdown:

Waddell - 30 minutes
Bouedo - 30 minutes
Jackson - 25 minutes
Luster - 25 minutes
Davis - 20 minutes
M'Baye - 18 minutes
Thiam - 15 minutes
Harrison - 14 minutes
Dermody - 13 minutes
Sylla - 10 Minutes

What do you think? Who deserves more minutes? Less?

Interested to see what lineup Schroyer throws out there on Wednesday against the Utes. Let's see what some of these guys can do... who will become a LEADER on the team?