Category: Wyoming

Basketball Preseason Series 24-25: Best Shooters

Contact/Follow @aztecbreakdown Over the weeks leading up to the season Mountain West Wire will be looking at the best players at different aspects of the game. As basketball has become more and more positionless it’s more about being the best at …

Contact/Follow @aztecbreakdown

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Over the weeks leading up to the season Mountain West Wire will be looking at the best players at different aspects of the game. As basketball has become more and more positionless it’s more about being the best at specific skills than it is being the best at a certain position.

For previous articles, look here:

Best Scorers

Best Rebounders

Best Passers

Three point shooting has never been more important in basketball than it is in the current day. The way modern basketball is played, any team that has two players considered non-shooters on the floor at the same time is seriously hampering their offensive capabilities. A recent saying is “any player who isn’t a shooter, is a center.” Their lack of outside shooting ability limits them to playing close to the basket, which hurts the spacing of the team and often forces teammates to settle for inefficient midrange shots.

Given how important shooting is, having the best shooters can be important. Lots of different factors determine what a good shooter is. It is not simply a question of who has the best percentage. That being said, as a general rule a player shooting between 32%-34% is a roughly average shooter. A player who shoots 40%+ is considered elite. Other important factors include being able to hit contested shots, being able to shoot on the move, shooting after coming off of a screen, shooting off the dribble, and more.

Honorable Mention – Reese Waters, SDSU. 

Before getting hurt last season Waters was shooting 45% from deep. He was hitting shots standing still, and on the move, and off the dribble. Then he got hurt in the conference opener and never regained his form. If he is back and healthy he can show that those numbers weren’t a fluke. 

  1. David Douglas Jr, Fresno State –

Douglas doesn’t have as flashy of percentages as some other players, but he is probably the best at getting open looks. His ability to find holes in the defense and get uncontested shots off is elite. When a defender is close by he struggles with accuracy, but when he successfully loses his defender he connects on roughly 40% of his shots. 

  1. Tucker Anderson, Utah State –

Standing at 6’9, Anderson has an advantage of being able to shoot over most defenders. Regardless of whether there is a defender in front of him Anderson shot about 40% in catch and shoot situations last season. Anderson excels at hitting shots off of kick outs, he is also great playing in pick and pop situations, and can hit shots coming off of screens as well, albeit less efficiently.

  1. Xavier Dusell, Nevada –

Dusell has made a whole career off of being able to shoot the ball. He took 216 three’s last season and connected on 84 of them, good for 39%. Dusell also seems unaffected by the defense, as he connected on 40.5% of his shots when guarded. He excels at shooting both in spot up as well as transition situations. His one weakness is shooting on the move or coming off screens. Shooting off the dribble and coming off of screens were both sub 30% shots for Dusell last season. Alowing him to shoot off the catch optimizes his abilities.

  1. Beau Becker, Air Force –

Do not leave this man open behind the arc. Becker hit 52.5% of his open jump shots last season. When Becker is given time to shoot he treats the ball like a laser guided missile. Playing tough defense can disrupt his shot, so defenses have to choose whether or not to help and leave Becker open, or not help and give up something else. Given how good Becker is, sticking to him like glue is the best bet.

  1. Dontaie Allen, Wyoming –

What makes Dontaie Allen stick out as a shooter is his ability to hit shots on the move. Most players who shoot high percentages do so solely in stand still, catch and shoot situations. Allen didn’t get many chances to show his movement shooting ability at Western Kentucky, but Allen is great at hitting shots even when he doesn’t have his feet set. He can come off screens or relocate behind help and hit the shot, which is how shooters can truly break a defense.

 

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Basketball Preseason Series: Best Passers

Contact/Follow @aztecbreakdown Over the weeks leading up to the season Mountain West Wire will be looking at the best players at different aspects of the game. As basketball has become more and more positionless it’s more about being the best at …

 

Contact/Follow @aztecbreakdown

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Over the weeks leading up to the season Mountain West Wire will be looking at the best players at different aspects of the game. As basketball has become more and more positionless it’s more about being the best at specific skills than it is being the best at a certain position.

For previous articles, look here:

Best Scorers

Best Rebounders

One of the best attributes any player can have is to make their teammates better. Usually that is accomplished through passing the ball. Getting a teammate the ball in the right spot, at the right time, helps the teammate be more efficient. It’s easier to hit a three point shot off the catch than it is to hit one off the dribble. It’s easier for a big man to score when rolling to the basket and receiving a pocket pass than it is for a big man to score when posting up. Great passers also have cumulative teamwide effects of helping all players feel involved in the offense, making them try harder both offensively as well as defensively. Big men are more likely to run to rim run in transition if they believe they’ll get rewarded for their efforts by getting the ball. Cutters are more likely to cut hard off the ball if they believe that there’s a chance they’ll get the ball for an easy layup or open jump shot. And when players are engaged offensively, it often results in better defensive engagement as well. So a great passer can really elevate the ceiling of a team to be higher than the sum of its parts. 

One lesser known metric that will be used to evaluate the players is called Box Creation. It takes box score stats and estimates the number of shots a player creates for their teammates on a per 100 possession basis. So a score of seven means that for every 100 possessions a player played, they created seven shots for their teammates. It is similar to potential assists, although it includes more factors, such as the gravity a player generates to help them create for others.

With the importance of good passers established, here are the best passers in the Mountain West this season.

Jordan Nesbitt, Wyoming – Jordan Nesbitt is a type of player that is becoming more rare in basketball. Nesbitt is a great passer despite his relative inability to score efficiently. Most players have a certain bar of scoring that they can use to help draw defensive attention and open up passing lanes. Nesbitt doesn’t have that. Given the lack of scoring acumen, Nesbitt’s passing becomes more impressive, and slightly nudges him ahead of a few other candidates for this list. It helps that he is 6’6” tall and can see over most defenders placed in front of him. His assist rate of 28.7 finished in the top-100 against D1 competition. He averaged 4.3 assists per game on an assist to turnover ratio of 1.7:1. How new coach Sundance Wicks deploys Nesbitt will be a storyline early on for Wyoming fans.

Alvaro Cardenas, Boise State – Cardenas 5.5 assists per game was the 4th best mark in the conference last season. His 2.7:1 assist to turnover ratio made it even better. His Box Creation score of 7.72 was the fifth best in the conference last season, and three of the four players above him have left the conference. Playing for Boise State may result in his counting stats going down as he won’t be necessary for him to generate as much offense, but his passing efficiency should go up as he plays with higher level teammates. 

Donovan Dent, New Mexico – Donovan Dent is probably the best point guard in the conference. His combination of skills make him an elite player, but his passing is next level. Dent averaged 5.4 assists per game last season, and had a season high of 14 assists against Utah State. Add to that a 2.4:1 assist to turnover ratio, and an assist rate that ranked 51st nationally, and it’s hard to argue that Dent isn’t an elite passer. Dent also finished second in the conference in Box Creation with a score of 8.75. Given the potential increase in shooting threats on the Lobos roster, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for Dent to average 6+ assists per game next season. 

Dedan Thomas, UNLV – As far as raising the level of his teammates, Thomas may be the best of the bunch. He is arguably the best tough shot maker in the conference. In the true fashion of a modern day point guard, he uses that scoring ability to accentuate his passing. He’s so good with it that coach Kruger is building the entire UNLV offense around Thomas’ skill set. As a freshman Thomas averaged over 5 assists per game, and had an assist to turnover ratio of 2.3:1. His Box Creation score of 7.58 wasn’t as elite as players like Isaiah Stevens or Donovan Dent last season, but it was still 6th best in the conference as a freshman. His ability should inly improve as his game continues to develop.

Drake Allen, Utah State – Drake Allen has impressive passing numbers. He averaged 4.3 assists per game, his assist rate was the 40th best assist rate in the nation, and he had a better than 2:1 assist to turnover ratio. What is even more impressive is that he accomplished those feats playing for a Utah Valley team that runs a terrible offensive system. He got no help from the system, and little help from his teammates. The team had no shooters, and few threats around the rim. Posting those numbers, given the situation he was in, takes a borderline herculean effort. This season Allen should be even better having players like Ian Martinez and Aubin Gateretse around.

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What to expect from the Mountain West and friends?

With a few new friends joining an already-enigmatic bunch, this is gearing up to be a very Mountain West-like season . Seven of the conference’s 12 teams will be showcasing a first-year head coach, one of which is returning to the Mountain West …

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With a few new friends joining an already-enigmatic bunch, this is gearing up to be a very Mountain West-like season. Seven of the conference’s 12 teams will be showcasing a first-year head coach, one of which is returning to the Mountain West coach and two of which still have an interim tag attached. Of those two, one is the youngest coach in the FBS and the other took the job so recently that it was his predecessor at Mountain West Media Days. To add to the strangeness and excitement, the 12-team playoff has arrived, providing a clear and defined path to the College Football Playoff. This has given the Mountain West a real opportunity and the stakes have never been higher. If things fall into place just right, the Mountain West championship could mean a chance to play in the College Football Playoff.  

The Mountain West is a tough league but until proven otherwise, it will appear to be a race to play, or replace, Boise State in the title match. The Broncos will have to ward off some formidable suitors. Fresno State, UNLV, and Wyoming will be gunning for a top spot. At the bottom, a trio of Nevada, New Mexico, and San Jose State will be looking to find their footing with the rest of the pack fitting somewhere in between.

Before we take a look at the conference, let’s take a look at the friends of the Mountain West. This year the Mountain West will have some visitors from the Pac-12. Oregon State and Washington State have both taken a beating on and off the field. Left behind as the only remaining members of their conference the two teams couldn’t even field a schedule. The two teams entered into a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West, so even though they won’t be eligible for the title game, they will be playing a Mountain West schedule. 

Washington State

Jake Dickert’s Washington State didn’t get the kindest draw in the Mountain West slate and doesn’t have the easiest non-conference schedule either. 

The Cougars open with Portland State, Texas Tech, Washington, San Jose State, and Boise State before their first bye. Portland and San Jose State represent winnable games, but the other three will be tough and they could pretty easily be 2-3 to open the season. 

Coming out of the bye they will be met with a tough game against Fresno State, at which point the season could be at a pretty dangerous juncture. After what could easily be a 2-4 start, the Cougars would have to win at least four of their last six games against Hawaii, San Diego State, Utah State, New Mexico, Oregon State, and Wyoming. It’s possible, but the path to six wins is a rocky one for Washington State this year. Wazzu should end up between 3-9 and 8-4. 

Oregon State

Oregon State is in slightly better shape and gets a slightly better draw. Like most of the Mountain West teams, the Beavers will be led by a first-year head coach in Trent Brady, who has been coaching defense within the program in some capacity since 2018. He was previously the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. 

The schedule for the Beavers is broken up into three four-game pods broken up by bye weeks. Their first set includes Idaho State, San Diego State, Oregon, and Purdue. Oregon State should take care of the Mountain West portion of that schedule but will have a harder time against the Big Ten portion. 

After a bye, Oregon State will face Colorado State, Nevada, UNLV, and Cal. The Nevada schools stand out in this section of the schedule. The toughest team in this stretch is UNLV while the Wolf Pack will be in a rebuild. 

The final stretch starts with a game against another rebuilding team in San Jose State. Then the Beavers play at Air Force and host Washington State. Then the Beavers close their season on the road against Boise State. The Broncos won’t go down easy, but if the Beavers can survive against Air Force, the Beavers should best the Cougars, and a winning season should be in play even if they drop their season finale. Oregon State could land anywhere from 3-9 (though that seems like it would be a long shot) and 9-3. A record closer to 7-5 seems more reasonable. 

Air Force Falcons

Air Force is Air Force, and that’s just about all there is to it. Troy Calhoun, the longest-tenured coach in the Mountain West by a large margin, has amassed a record of 130-82. In his 18 years, his Falcons have only missed a bowl game five times. In the 13 bowl games they have gone to, they are 8-5. That’s probably indicative of what’s to come. 

The Falcons have plenty of holes to fill with a slew of departures headlined by quarterback Zac Larrier, but in Colorado Springs, it’s just rinse and repeat. The Falcons are coming off three consecutive bowl games and have won ten, ten, and nine games in the past three seasons. So, even with the substantial losses to the roster, anyone who has been watching Air Force for the past decade knows better than to count them out. 

The Falcons open conference play early and will host San Jose State in week two. Their week three matchup on the road against Baylor should be interesting. After that, they get a bye week and proceed with a pretty standard Air Force schedule with games against the rest of the Mountain West, Navy, and Army. They avoid Boise State, but travel to Laramie and host the Bulldogs. Air Force could go 4-8 on the low end or 9-3 on the high end. 

Boise State Broncos

As much as the other 11 teams — and their fan bases — hate to admit it, Mountain West football runs through Boise. This year looks like it won’t be different.

Much could be said about the dramatics of last season and the unlikely rise of an untested coach in Spencer Danielson, but none of that would discredit what is happening at Boise State. In fact, much could be said of the entire program, but not much discourse is necessary to sum up what the Broncos have. That’s all because of one Ashton Jeanty.

Jeanty is, without question, one of the most impressive ball carriers in the nation. He’s the best running back in the conference and one of the most dangerous offensive players. In a lackluster program, he can single handedly make up for deficiencies around him, be it insufficient help on offense or poor coaching. In a competent program, he can elevate the team from good to great and from great to titanic. The Broncos could have done anything this offseason and it wouldn’t matter one bit. As long as Jeanty is in a Bronco uniform, Boise State will be a contender. Boise State should expect to go between 9-3 and 11-1. 

Colorado State Rams

Colorado State is going into year three of the Jay Norvell experiment and it hasn’t gone as well as the Rams would have hoped when they poached the offensive tactician from Nevada. All the Rams have really managed to do so far is sabotage their conference foe on the way to mediocrity (Nevada has gone 2-20 while Colorado State has gone 8-16 since then). The Rams hope that will change this season. 

The Rams haven’t seen a bowl game since 2017, when they capped off a five-year run of bowl appearances, but got just about as close as possible last year. They got within a game of bowl eligibility last season and came up just short of adding that last win multiple times, including a 43-35 overtime loss at Colorado, a 25-23 loss at UNLV, a 24-15 loss at Wyoming, and a 27-24 loss at Hawaii. 

As is standard with Norvell’s teams, the story here will be the offense. Norvell likes to throw the ball around and he has a team that should be able to pass to his liking. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi showed flashes of being a really high-level quarterback last year and Tory Horton is one of the best wide receivers in the conference. Horton was All-Mountain First team last season and Fowler-Nicolosi earned an honorable mention. Horton was also named to the Preseason All-Conference team this year. 

Overall, the Rams should be able to take a step forward this year. If everything clicks, Norvell, Fowler-Nicolosi, and Horton could create a solid, if not dangerous, offense. The defense, led by linebacker Chase Wilson, should at least be able to keep up. 

An adept defense and a Jay Norvell offense would certainly do the trick in Fort Collins, but only time will tell if the Rams will hit those marks. Colorado State should finish within 4-8 and 8-4. 

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College Football 25: The Mountain West Conference

CFB25: The Mountain West Conference According to EA Sports College Football 25, Nevada and Boise State will play for the Mountain West Conference Championship. Contact/Follow @Sean or @MWCWire Just three empty Saturday’s stand between us and Week …

CFB25: The Mountain West Conference

According to EA Sports College Football 25, Nevada and Boise State will play for the Mountain West Conference Championship. 

Contact/Follow @Sean or @MWCWire

Just three empty Saturday’s stand between us and Week Zero’s slate of games to kick off the NCAA Football season! I know, I know, it’s been a long off-season and we are all yearning for some game action. Well, there is some good news.

Two weeks ago, EA Sports finally released the College Football 25 video game after a decade long absence for their signature franchise series. To say this has been a much-anticipated return would be a colossal understatement. EA Sports sold over 2 million copies of their premium edition, which granted gamers access three days in advance of it’s announced July 19th standard release date.

As a long time enthusiast of this games series, I was one of the 2 million who secured early access. While there is no replacing a Saturday (or the myriad of other days that games are now played on) of Mountain West action, CFB25 provides a nice bridge to the official start of the 2024 season.

Recognizing that not every college football fan has, or will purchase the CFB25 game, we want to share some of the fun with everyone. So here is what we’ve done.

WE’VE SIMULATED THE 2024 SEASON

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Using the Dynasty feature on the CFB25 game, we’ve simulated the entire 2024 football season. In case you’re wondering, Jacksonville State did make the playoff in our simulation as the lone representative from the Group of Five. As if being snubbed from the playoff wasn’t bad enough, the MWC fans aren’t going to be happy to learn that BYU didn’t just make the college football playoff but earned a bye week as well.

So sure, the introduction of the new 12-Team College Football Playoff is exciting, but we’re here for the Mountain West Action! Even though no Mountain West Conference team made the playoff in our simulation, there were plenty of interesting yields from the season.

HOW THE (MOUNTAIN) WEST WAS WON

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Probably not surprising to many, the Boise State Broncos were your Mountain West Conference Champions. Who did they have to defeat to win the championship? Nevada. That’s right, the Nevada Wolf Pack weren’t just Bowl eligible, but were nearly crowned Conference Champs in our simulation.

Joining Boise State and Nevada in Bowl eligibility were Air Force, Fresno State, San Diego State, New Mexico and Hawai’i.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

One of the first things that stood out was the New Mexico Lobos surrendered the fewest points defensively. One of the reasons for the strong defensive showing was their defensive end, Gabriel Lopez who recorded 15.5 sacks on the year. Lopez was third in voting for the Nations Best Defensive End award. It didn’t hurt that Tavian Combs was tied for the Conference lead in interceptions too.

The All-Conference First Team was littered with Broncos, as seven players from Boise State earned spots. Brayden Schager represented Hawai’i well, as he was the recognized as the top quarterback in the Conference. Somewhat shocking, Ashton Jeanty was not the first team running back, nor was Tory Horton an All-Conference nominee at all. However, Jeanty was on the second team, while Horton actually sustained a season ending injury on the simulation. Injury is the only thing that could keep that guy from snagging passes.

It was also interesting to see that three Mountain West quarterbacks threw for 30 or more touchdowns. Malachi Nelson (38), Brayden Schager (32), Devon Dampier (31) and Spencer Petras (30) all cleared 30 tudd’s and 3,000 yards on the year! And not surprising at all, Air Force’s Dylan Carson led the Conference in Rushing yards. Video game or not, get acquainted with that name.

SNUBBED

It was a lot of fun running this simulation and seeing how some of our favorite teams and players fared. But the level of disrespect for the Mountain West was undeniable. No teams in the playoff. Noone ranked in the top 25. And there wasn’t a single player from the Conference recognized as a consensus All-American.

Coaches across the Mountain West may want to print this and hang it up as motivation for the season. Our EA Sports College Football 25 season may have slept on the Mountain West, but we know better. We just can’t wait for the actual season to kick off and do the fact checks!

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Wyoming Holds Off Late Air Force Surge on Senior Night

Game Recap: Wyoming 74, Air Force 63 Wyoming Holds Off Late Air Force Surge on Senior Night Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire The Cowboys leaned heavily on their seniors to secure their final home win of the season. As the college basketball …

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 Game Recap: Wyoming 74, Air Force 63

Wyoming Holds Off Late Air Force Surge on Senior Night

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The Cowboys leaned heavily on their seniors to secure their final home win of the season.

As the college basketball season is nearing it’s end in most conferences around the country. Fans around the Mountain West still have one more week of the regular season to go before they find their way to Sin City next week to end things the proper way, via net cutting.

Kicking Tuesday night’s action off was senior night in Laramie. With five players celebrating their Cowboy careers, looking for one last win against the visiting Air Force Falcons.

Wyoming came into this one also hoping to end a four game losing streak, which included two losses at home & two more on the road against teams from the top-half of the conference standings. Nothing to bat an eye at given how fierce Mountain West play has really been this season.

Just ask Air Force, who are riding a two game losing streak themselves. Falling by double-digits to league leaders Boise State & Utah State last week. Although the Falcons are likely also grateful they were able to end a seven game losing streak the week before with an upset win at New Mexico.

So to say the conference title would be up for grabs for grabs or a postseason appearance being on the line in Laramie on Tuesday night is far fetched. It didn’t stop either team from giving it everything they had inside the Arena-Auditorium.

Air Force has been known to start things very quickly this season, taking quick leads right out of the gate all season. Their only problem is letting the other team take control & beat them, usually in the second-half. Tuesday night was no different, as the Falcons scored the first six points of the night, thanks to back-to-back three pointers from Beau Becker & Byron Brown.

On the other side of the court, their hosts struggled as well. With Sam Griffin getting things started for the Cowboys with a three pointer of his own after four straight misses for Wyoming after tip-off.

It wouldn’t be that way for long. As senior Kenny Foster started what would become a 7-0 run with a layup in the paint.

A Luke Kearney three-pointer at the top of the arc ended that scoring drought to bring Air Force to within one just under the ten minute mark. After, a Wenzel layup on the other end extended their deficit by three.

Jeffrey Mills would tie things up at 15 a piece with his own three-pointer & not let the play end there by securing a steal off the Wyoming inbound while the rest of his team was already jogging back to play defense. Kearney utilized a turnaround jumper at the top of the key to give the Falcons back the lead at 17-15.

Ethan Taylor was able to put some points on the board with yet another Falcon three-pointer out of the timeout. As the first-half clock continued to wind down without much scoring on either side. Griffin netted his second three-point field goal of the night to put Wyoming back on top before a mass substitution by Jeff Linder. As fans yearned for scoring in the last closing minutes of the first-half, each squad finally answered.

After scoring runs on both sides of the ball, both teams went to their locker rooms after the half-time buzzer with Wyoming up 27-22.

Air Force was able to stay in competitive in the first twenty of minutes of play via their shooting from behind the arc. Which should be a no brainer at this point of the season. Entering half-time with a 5-14 (35.7%) shooting performance, which at times made them look dangerous. While their 8-24 (33.3%) shooting from the floor made them look vulnerable.

Luke Kearney led the Falcons with 7 first-half points off of 3-8 shooting in just eight minutes on the floor.

On the other side it was a cool & calm 14 points from Sam Griffin that led the way for the Cowboys. Including an impressive 3-5 shooting performance from beyond the arc, while the rest of his team shot a bleak 1-7 combined.

Neither team heard much of the whistle blown in the first-half & only made a combined five trips to the charity stripe. Air Force has built a bit of a reputation for hanging around and even leading teams in the first-half before fizzling out in the second.

Sometimes patterns & reputation are to be trusted for what they are. As the Falcons came out swinging, they just didn’t manage to hit anything fresh out of half-time. Wyoming wasn’t really dialed in either. Finding their first four points via the free throw line before they went on an unanswered 14-0 run in the first six minutes out of the break.

Jeffrey Mills finally ended that horrid shooting streak with another Falcon three-pointer. Air Force would proceed to put every previously mentioned notion about their second-half play to bed for the next seven minutes. Outscoring their hosts 21-12 during that time to bring their deficit to single-digits (53-44).

Wyoming grew their lead to double figures once again, capitalizing off of four straight made free throws. Air Force wasn’t out of steam just yet, with back-to-back three-point jumpers from Mills & Kearney in consecutive possessions.

Wenzel attempted to extend the home squad’s lead with an and-one opportunity down low. Which worked, before a couple of Air Force attempts on the other end lead to another Jeffrey Mills three-pointer shrank the deficit to it’s smallest all half to just 60-56.

It didn’t stop there as each side exchanged shots from inside the paint & beyond the arc as they approached the final two minutes of the game. Scoring leaders Brendan Wenzel & Jeffrey Mills continued to exchange buckets before Joe Scott called timeout to end the firefight.

After the timeout freshman Cam Manyawu found himself with the ball in the paint but couldn’t capitalize.

Air Force took possession & ran down to the other end, but made a fatal mistake. After staying in this one thanks to their three-point shooting, they held on to the ball too long & settled for a mid-range jumper. It didn’t go in & Akuel Kot went on to make four straight free throw attempts.

Air Force missed two straight three-pointers during that same time & the night was over. Wyoming escaped with their last home win of the season, holding strong to secure the 74-63 win over Air Force.

The Falcons went home with another loss in conference play, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Finding more offensive success in the second-half, shooting 48.1% (13-27) from the floor, 85.7% (6-7) from the free throw line & 40.9% (9-22) from three-point range. It was a great performance, but the home team played just a tad bit better.

The Cowboys were on absolute fire in the second-half; shooting 14-26 (53.8%) from the floor, 4-8 (50%) from deep & a surgical 15-16 (93.8%) from the charity stripe. Mostly thanks to a whopping 19 points from Akuel Kot & 15 points from Brendan Wenzel, two Cowboys playing their last games inside Arena-Auditorium.

Yes, the Cowboys were the favorites heading into this one, but as we’ve seen all season, no one is immune to the upset this year. Jeff Linder’s group stood tall & matched the Falcons’ energy all game & kept the last possible home win of the season at home on senior night.

Player Spotlights

Air Force G–Jeffrey Mills & Byron Brown

Stat line: Mills-17 points & 3 assists on 6-8 shooting (75%) from the floor & 5-7 (71.4%) from deep in just 24 minutes of action Brown-16 points on 6-13 (46.1%) shooting & 33.3% from deep in just 23 minutes of action

It was time for a co-player spotlight for Air Force. Jeffrey Mills had a very clutch 24 minutes on the floor. Scoring 14 of his team-high 17 points in the second-half & keeping the Cowboys on their toes in the process.

While Brown enjoyed a career high 16 points in just 23 minutes of play time. And in my opinion, helped Mills bring the Falcons to within striking distance with 11 of his points coming after half-time.

Wyoming G-Akuel Kot

Stat line: 19 points, 2 rebounds, & 2 assists on 6-13 shooting (46.1%) from the floor & 6-6 (100%) from the line in 35 minutes of action

The D-II transfer who celebrated his lone season in Laramie on senior night was huge for the Cowboys. Kot was one of three players to score 19+ points against the Falcons. But he scored all 19 of his points in the second-half. Keeping Air Force at bay as their guests brought the lead to within a few possessions late in the game, but Kot was there to get the job done.

Next Up:

Wyoming finishes out their regular season in Fresno on Saturday. The Bulldogs will be fighting for their last win of the regular season with no tangible stakes on the line aside from winning momentum heading to Las Vegas.

Fresno State is looking to end a five game losing streak tomorrow night against New Mexico before they host the Cowboys on Saturday. That game tips off at 5:00 PM MT and can be streamed on the Mountain West Network.

Air Force heads home to finish out their regular season against in-state conference foe Colorado State. The Rams will travel to Colorado Springs for their last game of the regular season after winning the second-leg of their basketball version of the boarder war last Saturday.

That matchup tips off at 2:00 PM MT and can be streamed on the Mountain West Network Saturday March 9th.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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2024 Mountain West College Football Schedule

2024 Mountain West College Football Schedule The schedule is out! Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire Get ready for some football! The Mountain West released its football schedule for this fall, without TV schedules so there could be changes. The league …

2024 Mountain West College Football Schedule

The schedule is out!

Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Get ready for some football!

The Mountain West released its football schedule for this fall, without TV schedules so there could be changes.

The league includes Washington State and Oregon State which are quasi-members of the Mountain West.

Those two schools will play seven games against the Mountain West but they are not eligible to win the conference title.

Television assignments for Fox and CBS will be released at a later date.

Saturday, Aug. 24

Delaware State at Hawai‘i
SMU at Nevada
Montana State at New Mexico

Thursday, Aug. 29

Sacramento State at San José State

Saturday, Aug. 31

Merrimack at Air Force
Boise State at Georgia Southern
Colorado State at Texas
Fresno State at Michigan
UCLA at Hawai‘i
Nevada at Troy
New Mexico at Arizona
Texas A&M Commerce at San Diego State
UNLV at Houston
Robert Morris at Utah State
Wyoming at Arizona State
Idaho State at Oregon State
Portland State at Washington State

Saturday, September 7

San José State at Air Force
Boise State at Oregon
Northern Colorado at Colorado State
Sacramento State at Fresno State
Georgia Southern at Nevada
Oregon State at San Diego State
Utah Tech at UNLV
Utah State at USC
Idaho at Wyoming
Texas Tech at Washington State

Saturday, September 14

Air Force at Baylor
Colorado at Colorado State
New Mexico State at Fresno State
Hawai‘i at Sam Houston
Nevada at Minnesota
New Mexico at Auburn
San Diego State at California
Kennesaw State at San José State
UNLV vs. KansasUtah at Utah State
BYU at Wyoming
Oregon at Oregon State
Washington State vs. Washington

Saturday, September 21

Portland State at Boise State
UTEP at Colorado State
Fresno State at New Mexico
Northern Iowa at Hawai‘i
Eastern Washington at Nevada
San José State at Washington State
Utah State at Temple
Wyoming at North Texas
Purdue at Oregon State

Saturday, September 28

Air Force at Wyoming
Washington State at Boise State
Fresno State at UNLV
New Mexico at New Mexico State
San Diego State at Central Michigan

Saturday, October 5

Navy at Air Force
Utah State at Boise State
Colorado State at Oregon State
Hawai‘i at San Diego State
Nevada at San José State
Syracuse at UNLV

Saturday, October 12

Air Force at New Mexico
Boise State at Hawai‘i
San José State at Colorado State
Washington State at Fresno State
Oregon State at Nevada
San Diego State at Wyoming
UNLV at Utah State

Saturday, October 19

Colorado State at Air Force
Fresno State at Nevada
Hawai‘i at Washington State
New Mexico at Utah State
Wyoming at San José State
UNLV at Oregon State

Saturday, October 26

Boise State at UNLV
New Mexico at Colorado State
San José State at Fresno State
Nevada at Hawai‘i
Washington State at San Diego State
Utah State at Wyoming
Oregon State at California

Saturday, November 2

Air Force at Army
San Diego State at Boise State
Colorado State at Nevada
Hawai‘i at Fresno State
Wyoming at New Mexico

Saturday, November 9

Fresno State at Air Force
Nevada at Boise State
UNLV at Hawai‘i
New Mexico at San Diego State
San José State at Oregon State
Utah State at Washington State

Saturday, November 16

Oregon State at Air Force
Boise State at San José State
Wyoming at Colorado State
Hawai‘i at Utah State
Washington State at New Mexico
San Diego State at UNLV

Saturday, November 23

Air Force at Nevada
Boise State at Wyoming
Colorado State at Fresno State
San Diego State at Utah State
UNLV at San José State
Washington State at Oregon State

Saturday, November 30

Air Force at San Diego State
Oregon State at Boise State
Utah State at Colorado State
Fresno State at UCLA
New Mexico at Hawai‘i
Nevada at UNLV
Stanford at San José State
Wyoming at Washington State

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No. 25 New Mexico Achieves Sweep of Wyoming On the Road, Winning 91-73 in Laramie

Game Recap: No. 25 New Mexico 91, Wyoming 73 New Mexico sweeps Wyoming for the first time in three seasons. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire No. 25 New Mexico sweeps Wyoming after second double-digit win over the Cowboys this season. Laramie, …

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 Game Recap: No. 25 New Mexico 91, Wyoming 73

New Mexico sweeps Wyoming for the first time in three seasons.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

No. 25 New Mexico sweeps Wyoming after second double-digit win over the Cowboys this season.

Laramie, WY–The month of February is a special time of year. A time for love related holidays while also known for being the shortest month of the year. But maybe most importantly, it’s do or die time in conference play. And as far as must win games go, look no further than New Mexico’s trip north to face an always dangerous Wyoming team at home.

When Wyoming traveled to Albuquerque back in early January, they suffered a lopsided 77-60 loss in one of the toughest environments in the country. Since, the Cowboys have logged quality conference wins over rivals Colorado State & Nevada among others. Mostly due in part to the elevated play of Mason Walters & Brendan Wenzel to go along with the season long stellar play from Sam Grffin & Akuel Kot.

Both programs have split this regular season series the past two seasons. Including a double-digit avenging win by Jeff Linder’s squad inside the Pit by last Valentine’s day. Which happened during the Lobo’s Mountain West stretch without Jaelen House.

A healthy and dangerous New Mexico squad traveled to Laramie Tuesday night. Looking for their first sweep over the Cowboys since the 2019-2020 season, before Linder came to town. Something easier said than done as of late in an elevated Mountain West.

Things started off slow for both sides, with Wyoming missing their first five field goals and the Lobos committing two turnovers in the first few minutes of play. It wouldn’t last long as the Lobos took the early 9-3 lead soon after.

The Cowboys kept pounding the ball to Walters in the Paint, hoping to get him going early. Though in turn he missed all three of his field goals. An Akuel Kot three got Wyoming back in the game. Not to take all the credit, as New Mexico had five turnovers to that point. A Sam Griffin three pointer tied things up at 12 a piece at the 10:20 mark.

After a rare air ball by Jaelen House, he would drain his next to help end his team’s scoring drought. Both teams continued to trade buckets before the Lobos went on a 9-0 run to take the 33-20 lead with five minutes left in the first half.

Back-to-back Donovan Dent buckets combined with seven straight missed Cowboy field goals gave New Mexico the edge. Wyoming players looked winded in their own arena thanks to the Lobos’ elite offensive tempo just before half-time. They didn’t quit though. As a 5-0 Cowboy run after a timeout caused a Richard Pitino timeout of his own as momentum began to swing the other way.

It was enough to give New Mexico’s head man a bit of a scare but his squad still went into the locker room up 40-25 at the half.

Both teams began the second half quickly, with Mason Walters making only his second field goal of the night in the Cowboys opening possession. As Lobo freshman JT Toppin responded with a three pointer on the other end.

The Lobos would increase their lead with six straight points from Jamal Mashburn Jr. paired with a Jaelen House three as the cherry on top of that 9-0 run. Both teams would continue to trade buckets the rest of the way, but New Mexico’s lead stayed comfortably in the double-digits during that stretch.

Wyoming had a few runs which helped them shrink the Lobo lead to as little as 13 points as the game clocked chipped away, but it wasn’t enough. Thanks to that Lobo run mid-way through the first-half, the Cowboys never caught up.

It was a valiant effort though, with four Cowboys in double figures. Including 12 points & 7 rebounds from Cam Manyawu off of the bench for a quality 23 minutes. The freshman was joined by Akuel Kot (13 points), Sam Griffin (19 points) & Brendan Wenzel (20 points, read more below). As a whole Wyoming shot well with 27-67 (40.3%) made field goals but had a horrific night from beyond the arc on 6-26 (23.1%) shooting.

On the New Mexico side of things, they couldn’t miss. Shooting 45.1% from the field on a whopping 71 attempts, including shooting 13-35 (37%) from deep. Those 13 made three point field goals nearly tied their season high of 14 made against New Mexico State back in early December.

Five Lobos logged double-figures, Donovan Dent (19 points), Jamal Mashburn Jr. (15 points), Jaelen House (17 points), Mustapha Amzil (13 points) & a JT Toppin double-double (11 points, 13 rebounds). Giving him the record of most double-doubles by a freshman in a single season (8).

“It was a complete game. We built a lead and I thought they would throw a punch and they are really good offensively. We did a good job of sustaining it, getting some stops when we needed to and convert on the other end. I was concerned about this game. It is always a unique element with the elevation. I thought our guys were so locked in and were mature.” said Richard Pitino

These games may not feel super exciting, especially looking at a sparse crowd inside Arena-Auditorium Tuesday night. But at the end of the day, these are the games you have to win.

A loss to anyone outside of the top-half of the conference standings is nothing but a blotch on your resume at this point of the season. And the Lobos knew that. They also knew it could have been an entirely different outcome in Laramie, just ask Nevada and Colorado State. Kudos to New Mexico for winning a game they were predicted to win in more than convincing fashion.

Player Spotlights

New Mexico G-Donovan Dent

Stat line: 19 points, 7 assists on 8-13 (61.5%) from the floor in 36 minutes on the floor

Dent continues to show an ability to receive the ball on the offensive end and make it look like he’s the only one on the floor as he drives to the basket. He also continues to show the ability to stay hot as his teammates around him cool off along with an ever evolving game which including several pull up jumpers. An area in which he didn’t necessarily excel early in the season.

Dent’s 11 points were a big part of New Mexico’s first-half dominance after Wyoming kept things even in the first ten minutes or so of play. In the second-half his teammates stepped up in the scoring column, with plenty of credit going to dent with his 7 assists on the night. Not to mention his efforts defensively with 2 steals & 1 block in between all of that scoring.

Wyoming G/F–Brendan Wenzel

Stat line: 20 points & 5 rebounds on 7-15 (46.6%) shooting from the floor, including 4-9 (44%) from deep in 39 minutes on the floor

Wenzel’s play as of late has helped give Wyoming their Cardiac Cowboys moniker and made them an opponent that keeps opposing fans on their seat until the final buzzer sounds. On Tuesday night it wasn’t enough, as his offensive absence in the first half hurt Wyoming from keeping up as New Mexico began to pull away.

A stellar second half performance made things sort of respectable. Ending the night with 20 points thanks to a monster shooting night, especially from beyond the arc.

Next Up:

The Lobos head back to Albuquerque to finish their week against UNLV on Saturday February 10th. New Mexico hosts the Runnin’ Rebels after a tough road loss to Kevin Kruger’s group in Las Vegas at the start of conference play.

It’s likely that the Lobos are looking to avenge that loss, this time facing UNLV on their home court. That game tips off at 6:00 PM MT and can be seen on the CBS Sports Network.

While the Cowboys stay in Laramie to host league leaders Utah State on Valentines day. Even with the Aggies dropping their last two games, they’re an NCAA Tournament team with plenty of weapons.

Wyoming will use their bye week to prepare for a home court upset, which has been common as of late inside the Arena-Auditorium. That matchup tips off at 8:00 PM MT and can be seen on FS1.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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Wyoming vs. New Mexico Preview

Wyoming vs. New Mexico Preview Who are you taking? Follow @MWCwire Can the Lobos win in Laramie? Game: New Mexico Lobos vs Wyoming Cowboys Date: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 Location: Arena Auditorium in Laramie, WY TV: Watch on the Mountain West …

Wyoming vs. New Mexico Preview

Who are you taking?

Follow @MWCwire

Can the Lobos win in Laramie?

Game: New Mexico Lobos vs Wyoming Cowboys

Date: Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Location: Arena Auditorium in Laramie, WY

TV: Watch on the Mountain West Network

The Wyoming Cowboys (12-10, 5-4 MWC) aim to extend their five-game home winning streak as they host the New Mexico Lobos (18-4, 6-3 MWC) on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at Arena-Auditorium in Laramie. 

The No. 25 New Mexico men’s basketball team returns to action Tuesday with a visit to Wyoming. Game time in Laramie is 6:30 p.m. 

The game will air on the Mountain West Network and the Lobo Radio Network in what promises to be an exciting game between very well-coached teams.  

The Lobos and the Pokes will face off at 7,200 feet above sea level, setting the stage for a competitive matchup featuring two distinct offensive styles.

The Lobos are 18-4 this season, 6-3 in the Mountain West, and are ranked nationally for the third straight week, their longest stretch since the end of the 2013-14 season.

Richard Pitinos Lobos went from 19th to 25th (after last week’s Boise State loss)  in the AP Top  25 ranking and are listed as 18th in the NCAA NET ranking. 

According to most computer predictions, the anticipated outcome leans heavily towards a lopsided 82-69 victory for New Mexico.

There is no denying that this year’s Lobos team is one of the most talented teams to wear the Cherry and Silver for New Mexico. 

With a 12-10 overall record and a 5-4 standing in the Mountain West, Wyoming remains undefeated at home (4-0) in conference play this season. 

The Cowboys recently experienced a split outcome during a road trip last week, securing a victory at Air Force but facing defeat at the hands of UNLV. 

Notably, in their most recent home game, Wyoming displayed resilience by overcoming an 11-point deficit in the final minute to defeat No. 24 Colorado State in overtime ultimately.

Richard Pitinos Lobos defeated Wyoming 77-60 in January, with Donovan Dent scoring 21 points in that game. Dent is a big matchup problem for the Pokes. 

The Lobos had its five-game win streak snapped to Boise State 86-78 in Albuquerque at the PIT, breaking UNM’s win streak at the PIT of 11. 

With victories in four of the last five meetings, including their initial face-off this season, New Mexico aims to prolong its success against Wyoming. 

The first clash occurred on January 6 at The Pit, where the Lobos claimed a decisive 77-60 triumph, led by Donovan Dent’s stellar performance with 21 points.

 New Mexico is coming off an 86-78 loss to Boise State last week in The Pit, which snapped its five-game win streak. Donovan Dent scored a career-high 31 points against the Broncos.

Despite the loss, Donovan Dent was unstoppable on the Lobo side with 31 points, and Max Rice scored a career-high 35 for the Broncos. 

Jamal Mashburn, Jr. scored 14 points, and Jaelen House added 12 points, while JT Toppin just missed a double-double with eight points and 15 rebounds to go with four blocks.

The Lobos did not look very energetic in this late-night TV game versus the Boise State Broncos, who looked very energized, so look for that to change against the Pokes. 

If the Lobos can play their style of basketball, getting up and down the court in tempo, this would be disastrous for the Cowboys. 

“Credit to Boise State. I thought they played terrific and Max Rice continues to hurt us. They just played with such a great motor on the glass.

 We were not able to turn them over, which has really helped us, and we didn’t get the steals that we’ve been getting. 

We didn’t hit shots at the end. They made more plays in the end than we did so that we will learn from it. We got a little break now to get ready for Wyoming.” – Richard Pitino

So look for Wyoming head coach Jeff Linder to try to slow the game down in more of a half-court; it’s a very deliberate game. 

Wyoming holds a 9-12-0 record against the spread this season, while New Mexico boasts a 15-6-0 ATS record. 

Among the Cowboys’ games this season, 12 have exceeded the point total, and the Lobos have seen 11 of their games surpass the total points.

 In their last ten matchups, Wyoming is 4-6 against the spread and 5-5 overall. New Mexico has a 7-3 record against the spread and a 7-3 overall performance.

In their most recent matchup against Boise State, the New Mexico Lobos, they faced a setback, losing by a score of 86-78. During the game, the Lobos managed a 40.9% field goal percentage (27 of 66) and converted 7 out of 25 three-point attempts. 

Despite the Lobos shooting at a low percentage and not performing well, the fact that they only lost by eight points highlights the potential strength of this team. 

When operating at their best, particularly in an up-tempo style with excellent defense, they become a formidable force.

 Key scoring contributors to scoring include Jamal Mashburn, Jaelen House, Donovan Dent, and JT Toppin.

The Lobos bigs need a big defensive game out of both 6-10 Nelly Junion Joseph and freshman 6-8 JT Toppin. 

JT Toppin leads the Lobos in rebounding with 8.5 per game, 12.8 points, and .6 assists, while Nelly Junion Josopeh averages 9 points per game and 7.5 rebounds with 1.1 assists per game. 

They achieved an 89.5% success rate at the free-throw line, making 17 of 19 attempts. Securing 31 rebounds, with ten on the offensive end, the Lobos also recorded nine assists, ten turnovers forced, and four steals. 

On the defensive side, they allowed Boise State to shoot at a 48.5% accuracy from the field.

Donovan Dent played a significant role in the game, scoring 31 points on 66.7% shooting with 12 out of 18 attempts. He contributed for 36 minutes, securing 1 rebound and providing two assists.

The New Mexico Lobos hold a season record of 18-4 as they approach the next game. They boast an average of 84.1 points per game, shooting at 47.9% from the field.

 The team also manages a 34.3% success rate from three-point range and 69.2% from the free-throw line.

 Rebounding at an average of 38.7 per game, they have totaled 341 assists for the season. However, turnovers occur at a rate of 10.2 per game, accompanied by an average of 18.3 fouls committed.

Defensively, the Lobos force an average of 15.9 turnovers per game and draw 18.5 fouls. They allow opponents to shoot at a 41.9% accuracy, conceding an average of 69.5 points per game. 

Additionally, the team permits a 30.9% success rate on three-point attempts.

Turning to the Wyoming Cowboys, they recently suffered a 62-48 loss to UNLV. In that game, Wyoming secured 38 rebounds (11 offensive), but struggled with 12 turnovers and no steals. 

Cam Manyawu contributed 13 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists in 19 minutes of play.

Wyoming holds a record for the season of 12-10, with an offensive shooting percentage of 45.4%. 

They average 73.1 points per game and grab 34.9 rebounds per contest. The team averages 11.7 assists and commits 14.1 turnovers per game.

 On the defensive end, they surrender a 32.9% three-point shooting rate and allow opponents to shoot 73.6% from the free-throw line. 

The Cowboys give up an average of 74.2 points per game, forcing 11.5 turnovers and allowing a 45.2% shooting accuracy from the field.

Look for the Pokes to try to slow the game down to a half-court game while the Lobos will push the temp in transition in what promises to be a very good game. 

I see this game as a bounce-back game for the Lobos after last week’s loss to Boise; way too much to play for. Lobos with the victory is my prediction.

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Nevada vs. Wyoming: Game Preview, How to Watch, Central Players, Keys & Prediction

The Nevada Wolf Pack travels to the high plains of Wyoming to snap its six-game losing streak against the Wyoming Cowboys.

 

Nevada vs. Wyoming: Game Preview, How to Watch, Central Players, Keys & Prediction

The Wolf Pack travels to the high plains of Wyoming to snap its six-game losing streak against the Cowboys.

Contact/Follow @KayceeClark-Mellott and @MWCwire

WHO: Nevada (15-3, 2-2 in the MWC) vs. Wyoming (9-8, 2-2 in the MWC)

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 20, 5:30 PM MT

WHERE: Arena-Auditorium “Dome of Doom”, Laramie, Wyo.

TELEVISION: Mountain West Network

STREAM:  FuboTV – Get a free trial

LINE: Nevada +8.5

RANKINGS:

  Nevada Wyoming
AP RV (22) NR
USA TODAY COACHES POLL RV (14) NR
NET RANKINGS 45 204
KENPOM 47 214

The last victory for the Nevada Wolf Pack against the Wyoming Cowboys came in the 2020 COVID-19 season, Wyoming head coach Jeff Linder’s first season. Linder and the Pokes have won six straight from that season sweep of the Cowboys, including four games in Laramie.

Nevada’s season, thus far, is the best since the 2018-19 season, when they played in the NCAA Tournament as a seven-seed. The Wolf Pack is one of the best defensive teams in the Mountain West Conference (MWC), allowing the fewest points in the league. Coupled with three players scoring in double figures, Nevada has become one of the top teams in the conference. However, the team has lost two straight matchups against Boise State and San Diego State.

Both losses included some of Nevada’s worst shooting percentages of the season and the most fouls committed in a game against the Aztecs. The Wolf Pack allowed 41 rebounds in both games, the most in a season. Although both teams are in the top four in the conference for rebounding, Wyoming and Nevada are in the middle of the MWC.

The Cowboys have a season of many unknowns. They lost four starters from last season to graduation or the transfer portal. The only returning players for Wyoming are Brendan Wenzel, Caden Powell, Kenny Foster — who experienced a season-ending injury in the preseason — and Cort Roberson — who mainly works on the scout team.

As the team has already matched its win total from last year, the Cowboys are looking to reach double-digit wins with an upset over the Wolf Pack. Games at the “Dome of Doom” have favored Wyoming thus far this season, with a 6-1 record, including two conference victories, courtesy of Akuel Kot’s game-winning buzzer-beaters over San Jose State and Fresno State.

Turnovers have troubled the Pokes all season as the 20th most per game in the NCAA. Sam Griffin and Kot lead the team with 3.1 turnovers each per game. Only two games have seen the Cowboys commit less than 10 turnovers.

While Nevada looks to get back on track in conference play, Wyoming aims to achieve a winning record in the conference.

Key Players to the Game:

G Kenan Blackshear–Nevada

23-24 Stats: 16.3 PPG, 4.7 APG, 5.3 RPG, 1.5 SPG & 51.4% FG

Last time out: 14 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals on 6-12 (50%) shooting, including 2-5 from the line, at San Diego State.

Kenan Blackshear is an all-around player for the Wolf Pack. He leads the team in assists and steals and is second among starters in scoring, rebounds and shooting percentage. His four highest-scoring games have all come this season, with a career-high of 31 points at Washington in November. 

Both guards — Blackshear and Jarod Lucas — are prominent players for Nevada, but the stature of Blackshear may pose difficulties for Wyoming’s defense. His passing vision and abilities can help propel the Wolf Pack while drawing attention away from others.

F Caden Powell-Wyoming

23-24 Stats: 7.2 PPG, 1.0 APG, 5.9 RPG, 0.9 BPG & 50% FG

Last time out: 2 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and a block on 0-2 shooting against Fresno State.

The obvious answer for the Pokes is leading scorer Griffin or Kot with the buzzer-beaters and scoring double digits in all but one game this season. However, Powell must be a dominant force on the glass. As Nevada has allowed over 40 rebounds in their last two games, it’s central for the Cowboys to continue that trend.

Powell also makes half the shots he puts up, and while playing the best scoring defense in the conference, throwing up the most efficient shots is vital. Since MWC play started, Powell has yet to post double figures, only averaging 4.8 points on 46.2%. A dominant big-man performance can send Wyoming into the driver’s seat of this game. 

Keys to the Game

For Nevada:  Control the glass. Improve shooting efficiency. Get back on defense.

The game plan must focus on rebounds after allowing over 40 rebounds in back-to-back games. The Wolf Pack has been outrebounded in half of its games this season. Additionally, the team’s rebound margin is even at zero, ranking 193 in the NCAA. The combination of Nick Davidson and Blackshear must be highly prominent in the paint, offensively and defensively. 

The Wolf Pack also must find efficient shots to take. Since MWC play started, the team’s field goal percentage has dropped 4.4 percentage points. Nevada shot 36% against Boise State. Additionally, the team has become less effective at the line, dropping nearly six percentage points in that same time. The goal is always to have more points than the opponent, and decreasing numbers is not a good sign for winning. 

Against San Diego State, Nevada gave up 15 fast break points. In MWC games, the average Nevada has allowed is 7.75, but it has only scored 7.83 on the season. It is pertinent to ensure that the Cowboys can’t get fast points against an unset defense, notably when Wyoming is ranked 19th lowest in fast break points.

For Wyoming: Get to the charity stripe. Box out and snag the rebounds. Beyond the arc action.

The Cowboys are one of the best from the line in the league. At 75.3%, Wyoming only trails Colorado State in free throw percentage. In addition, Nevada fouls the third most in the MWC, sending San Diego State to the line for 34 shots. Not a single player for Wyoming shoots under 50% from the line, with seven players shooting 80% or better.

Rebounding is a fundamental key to winning games. As a middle-tier rebounding team in the conference, Wyoming posts a 6-3 record when winning the rebound margin while 3-5 when opponents outrebound the Pokes.

Wyoming is one of the best from beyond the arc. Despite the low number of shots beyond the arc per game, the team shoots 38.6% from three and is ranked 16th in the NCAA. Wyoming has shot over 40% in eight games this season and won seven of them. Even when the team shoots above its average, it holds an 8-2 record while 1-6 when below. The magic number for the Pokes is 38.6%.

Prediction:

Nevada 68, Wyoming 60

Wyoming will cover the spread of +8.5 but ultimately come up short. While Nevada has not been able to grab a board the past two games, this came against the conference’s top teams. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, they are neither a top team in the MWC nor prolific at grabbing boards. The Wolf Pack will also clean up some of their foul troubles and return to the win column. Nevada will halt the Pokes’ domination over them and move to 16-3.

Kaycee Clark-Mellott covers college football and basketball for the Mountain West Wire, mainly covering the Wyoming Cowboys.

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Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl: Game Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Key Players, Who’s Out and Predictions

The Wyoming Cowboys look to take home an Arizona Bowl win against the Toledo Rockets in Craig Bohl’s final game as head coach.

 

Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl: Game Preview, How to Watch, Odds, Key Players, Who’s Out and Predictions

The Wyoming Cowboys travel to Tucson for the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl, taking on the MAC runner-up Toledo Rockets. For the Cowboys’ head coach, Craig Bohl, it will be his final game before retirement, where the Pokes hope to seal its first nine-win season since 1996.

Contact/Follow @KayceeClark and @MWCwire

Mountain West bowl season ends in the desert.

BARSTOOL SPORTS ARIZONA BOWL: Toledo Rockets (11-2, 8-0 MAC) vs. Wyoming Cowboys (8-4, 5-3 MW)

WHEN: Saturday, December 30 — 2:30 PM MT

WHERE: Arizona Stadium (50,782)

TV: CW Network/Barstool Sports

RADIO: Cowboy Sports Network

SERIES RECORD: Series tied 1-1

LAST MATCHUP: Toledo won 34-31 on Sept. 8, 2012, in Laramie, Wyo.

WEBSITES: GoWyo.com, the official Wyoming athletics website; UTRockets.com, the official Toledo athletics website.

GAME NOTES: Wyoming | Toledo

ODDS: Wyoming -3.5

OVER/UNDER: 44.5 points

SP+ PROJECTION: Toledo by 7.8

FEI PROJECTION: Toledo by 1.4

PARKER FLEMING PROJECTION: Wyoming 58.99% win probability (27.04-24.03)

In only the third meeting between programs, the Toledo Rockets and Wyoming Cowboys enter the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl with sizeable record differences. The Rockets are 11-2 after falling to Miami (Ohio) in the MAC Championship Game and losing out on the chance to play in a New Year’s Six bowl game. A 5-1 start for the Cowboys had the team rolling with predictions of a Wyoming New Year’s Six bowl game. However, the Group of Five bid became unimaginable as the Pokes finished the season 3-3. 

The announcement of Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl’s retirement following the game has become one of the commanding storylines of the Wyoming team and Arizona Bowl. After a decade at the helm of the Cowboys, Bohl’s departure allowed the program to promote defensive coordinator Jay Sawvel as the 33rd head coach of Wyoming. The game’s outcome will also determine whether Bohl concludes his career with a winning or losing record for the Cowboys.

On the opposite sideline, the Rockets will be without quarterback DeQuan Finn — after five years in the program — as he has entered the transfer portal and committed to Baylor. The absence of Finn leaves a question mark at quarterback and offensive production. Assumingly, Tucker Gleason will be under center for Toledo. 

The Rocket’s offense has demonstrated its explosiveness all season long, scoring 30 or more points in eight games. They have also averaged 426.2 yards a game through its 13 games thus far. With backup Gleason, the team’s offense will still be able to count on running back Peny Boone, the seventh-leading rusher in FBS with 1,400 yards.

In comparison, Wyoming has only managed 324.8 yards per game, which ranks 107th nationally. However, in the final two games, the Wyoming offense averaged 440.5 yards per game against Hawaii and Nevada, including 42 points in each game and holding opponents to single digits. 

Both teams also enjoy the athletes’ accomplishments, with multiple all-conference players on each team. Toledo boasts 10 All-MAC First Team players, including Finn and Boone, and 14 total players awarded. Wyoming has two All-Mountain West First Team players, offensive lineman Frank Crum and linebacker Easton Gibbs. The Pokes also had six others make the all-conference teams. 

With the Rockets and Cowboys’ all-star-caliber players, there are significant players on both sides of the ball for both sidelines. 

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Key players and pieces (and those missing)

Toledo

With Finn’s transfer to Baylor, the question is whether Gleason will produce at levels similar to Finn’s. The backup stepped in last season for two games while Finn was injured and outperformed Finn against Western Michigan. However, Gleason has had limited opportunities this season, only appearing in three blowout victories. This season, he is 14 of 21 for 199 yards and four touchdowns against Texas Southern, Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan.

Having Finn under center, the offense operated using a dual-threat style of play for the quarterback. However, Gleason has only rushed the ball significantly once last season against Bowling Green. How will the transition work from a dual-threat quarterback to Gleason’s pocket presence?

Expect Toledo’s game plan to heavily emphasize the rushing attack, as it has all season long. However, Boone announced on Dec. 26 that he would enter the transfer portal. Instead, running back Jacquez Stuart, the All-MAC First Team kick returner, will be the presumed starter. Stuart finished the season with 475 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. The rushing game could falter for the Rockets as Stuart has not demonstrated the explosive runs like Boone.

The offense also lacks all-conference offensive lineman Vinny Sciury, who has announced his transfer to Texas Tech.

Defensively, the Rockets can also contain and sack the quarterback, heavily assisted by defensive tackle Judge Culpepper. On the season, Culpepper leads the team in sacks, with nine, and tackles for loss, with 10.5. The team has 35 sacks on the season, tied for 17th best in the nation.

Wyoming

Unlike previous seasons, the transfer portal has not heavily impacted the Cowboys. Thus far, the Pokes have only had four players enter the portal, with only one being a starter, cornerback Kolbey Taylor.

Instead, Wyoming enters the Arizona Bowl with nearly all talent available. This includes several players’ last game for the Cowboys, such as quarterback Andrew Peasley. In the most efficient season of his career, Peasley threw for career highs in yards, touchdowns, completion percentage, touchdown-interception ratio, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns. The quarterback also received an honorable mention to the All-Mountain West team. The Cowboys’ captain threw for a career-high 319 yards against Hawaii on only 14 completions. 

Despite only averaging 167 yards through the air, Peasley has contributed to several Wyoming victories this season, including three-touchdown games against Texas Tech, Portland State, Fresno State, Hawaii and a four-touchdown game at Nevada. 

In addition, Wyoming’s transfer running back from last year, Harrison Waylee, has given a spark to the Pokes’ rushing attack. Waylee’s average of 95 rushing yards a game is 23rd at the FBS level, and 5.8 yards per carry ranks 34th. 

Waylee introduced himself to Pokes fans with his first appearance at No. 4 Texas, where he would break a 62-yard touchdown and finish with 110 yards. He would post a season-high of 191 yards against New Mexico. Waylee only dropped under four yards a carry in two losses this season, Boise State and UNLV.

While the offense isn’t missing its regular pieces, it will be without offensive coordinator Tim Polasek as he transitions to the head coaching job at North Dakota State. 

On the other side of the ball, Gibbs leads the team in tackles and will play a critical factor in the game on Saturday. The All-Mountain West First Team linebacker plays a pivotal role on defense by stopping the run. Gibbs has forced the second most turnovers on the team — behind safety Wyett Ekeler —with two forced fumbles and an interception.

The special teams of Wyoming can undoubtedly be special. Kicker John Hoyland has had a stellar career with the Cowboys, but around halfway through the season, he found himself in his worst statistical year. Hoyland missed his first extra point of his career and was one for seven on field goals in the second half of the season. If the Arizona Bowl comes down to a field goal, will the red shoe be able to come through?

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Cowboys or Rockets?

The Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl will not be a barn-burning shootout whatsoever. With both teams taking hits on the offensive side of the ball due to the transfer portal and coaching changes, it is unlikely that either team will explode for 30 or more points. Toledo only allows about 20 points per game, while Wyoming gives up about 23, both teams within the top 50 of FBS. The Cowboys and Rockets possess solid defenses that have helped them win games. Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell — an All-American Second Teamer by AP, FWAA, AFCA and Sporting News — will be an influential factor in the passing game as he is second in the country in passes defended. 

Wyoming does not have just one player who stands out on defense but a combination of many. The all-around player Ekeler’s presence offers potential for lost yards and sacks with blitzes, pass coverage and interceptions, and stripping the ball away from carriers. Defensive back Wrook Brown leads the team in interceptions, and Devonne Harris and Braden Siders can get the quarterback as they have the most sacks on the team. 

This season was a challenge for the Cowboys defense. They have already faced three top-20 rushing yards per game backs in Jacory Croskey-Merritt (New Mexico), Jonathon Brooks (Texas) and Ashton Jeanty (Boise State). Even with the absence of Boone for Toledo, Wyoming has proven to limit the rushing attack of backs. 

In addition, the combination of defensive proficiency and offensive efficiency has allowed the Cowboys to be up 10 in the turnover margin this season. Compared to Toledo at two below even, it is more likely to see a player in brown and gold get a takeaway. 

As a wild prediction, with a turnover for one of the teams, there will be a defensive score in this bowl game. Whether it is a pick-six or a scoop and score, a tight game will be decided by a defensive touchdown. Based on the turnover margin and lack of turnovers by the Wyoming offense, a particular team is more likely to be the one to get it.

The bowl game could also become the staple for Bohl’s tenure at Wyoming. Currently sitting at 60-60 in his career for the Cowboys, a victory gives him a winning record, while a loss ends his career in poor taste. This game means more for Bohl, and while he has always preached the mantra of taking a season game by game, his final game will feel better with a win. The Pokes know it is his final game and will play with more intensity and desire to win a bowl for Bohl. In a storybook ending for the season, some players’ careers and Bohl, the game will be close but end in a Wyoming victory.

Wyoming 23 – Toledo 20

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