Cowboy Open

Hosting AF tonight- time of the match has changed to 5:30

I booked a Cowgirls bball player to come to my daughter's team's practice. She seems excited about it and I'm sure the girls will absolutely love it. There's plenty of cool stuff on there and seems like a good way to support our athletes.

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Coach Linder and his staff ink the 2023 Long Beach PG today.

LARAMIE, Wyo. (Nov. 7, 2022) –The Wyoming Cowboys put on a show with contributions from veterans and newcomers in a 102-69 win over Colorado Christian on Monday evening in the season opener in the Arena-Auditorium. Six players scored in double figures for the contest, as the 102 points was the most in an opener since scoring 113 against Denver during the 1987-88 season.



“Give credit to CCU (Colorado Christian) and Coach (Liam) Simmons,” UW Head Coach Jeff Linder said. “They do a good job. It was good to play a team like them who runs some good action and they run with a good pace and they have a plan. It made our guys have to play hard, and I knew that was going to be the case coming in.”


The Pokes were led by forward Jeremiah Oden, as he tied a career best with 17 points in only 18 minutes of action. Guard Max Agbonkpolo added 16 points off the bench along with six rebounds. Forward Hunter Thompson added 15 points for the Pokes with a team-high four three pointers. Guard Hunter Maldonado added 13 points and seven assists, as he moved into the top-five in career assists in the Mountain West with 520. Guard Noah Reynolds added 12 points just two points shy of his career high. Guard Jake Kyman added 10 points for the Pokes. Guard Ethan Anderson added seven points with eight assists and tied for the team high in rebounds with six alongside Agbonkpolo.


The Pokes shot 51 percent from the field and held the Cougars to 39 percent, as UW shot 59 percent from the field in the second half. Wyoming knocked down 14 threes in the game with seven in each half. The cowboys held a 41-39 advantage on the glass and recorded 11 fast break points. The Cowboys added 21 assists and scored 50 points off the bench.


“I thought our guys did a really good job of focusing one possession at a time, understanding that we wanted to put some more pressure on the opponent than what we would normally do,” Linder said. “I thought our pressure really caused them problems. And then our depth, which we don’t have all our guys, we were without Graham (Ike), without (Brendan) Wenzel and JO (Jeremiah Oden) missed most of the second half and then Noah (Reynolds) missed some time, when you are playing at 7,220 (feet) at the pace we were playing it puts a lot of pressure on your opponent.”


“I think it was a really good start,” Linder said. “Without Graham (Ike) right now, we need to get Maldo (Hunter Maldonado) in some more dribble-down situations. I think our skill level and our ability to use our depth to get out and play a little bit faster and play a little bit freer in the long run will make us harder to guard.”


Thompson opened the scoring for the season with a pair of threes for a 6-0 lead for the Pokes in the opening three minutes of the contest. Oden added a pair of free throws before CCU got on the board four minutes in for an 8-2 contest.


Agbonkpolo got on the board for the Pokes with a drive to the hoop for a 15-6 advantage at the 14-minute mark of first frame. His former high school teammate Kyman would score his first points with the Pokes with a triple for a 20-8 Wyoming advantage a minute later.


The Cougars would add a trio of baskets to make it a six-point game at 20-14, but Reynolds sunk a three for a nine-point lead halfway through the half. The Pokes would go 1-of-10 from the field during a stretch until a bucket from Anderson made it a 27-16 game with over eight minutes remaining in the half.


A slam from Oden and layup from Maldonado made it a 36-23 game with under four minutes in the opening stanza. The Pokes would hit a couple threes for a 42-28 lead with two and half minutes left in the half, but the Cougars added a 5-0 run for a 42-33 game.


Agbonkpolo added a rim rattling slam and a jumper to close the half and give Wyoming a 50-35 lead. Wyoming held the Cougars to 35 percent from the field in the opening twenty minutes.


Both teams got off to a hot start in the second frame each shooting 60 percent or better, but the Pokes maintained a 58-44 advantage in the half’s early goings. Colorado Christian would go on a 6-0 run and cut the lead for Wyoming to 58-47 three minutes into the half.


Maldonado got into double figures with a slam and triple to give Wyoming a 66-49 lead with just over 14 minutes remaining in the game. Guard Kenny Foster, who is back from injury last season added a triple to push the lead to 20 points at 69-49 at the 13:28 mark.


Thompson would cap a 6-0 run with an and-one play for a 77-51 lead halfway through the half. The Pokes would hit 5-of-7 field goal attempts and build the lead to 84-56 with under eight minutes remaining. Kyman added a triple on the run for the Pokes.


The Pokes pushed the lead to 30 points at 90-60 on a fast-break slam from forward Caden Powell with under seven minutes left in the contest. Agbonkpolo went on a 6-0 run himself for a 96-62 lead with under five minutes remaining. He later got the Pokes to the century mark with another slam.


The Pokes would cruise from there and take the contest by a score of 102-69.


Colorado Christian was led by Noah Kon with 16 points on the night going 5-of-7 from the field.


The Cowboys host defending Southland Conference regular season champion Nicholls on Thursday at 8 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium.

-WYO-

A few thoughts on the Pokes season opener:

1. It's great to have Poke hoops back. The Ike injury is very tough for everyone, but this is still going to be a special season.

2. MVP - Co-MVP's awarded to Jeff Linder, Sundance Wicks, Ken DeWeese, Marc Rodgers, Shaun Vandiver, and the staff overall for assembling the deepest collection of talent I can remember. Who is our 12th guy? Caden Powell, who looks to be one of the best young bigs we have seen in a long time outside of Nance/Ike? Kenny Foster, a proven MWC starter on a mid-level MWC team 2 years ago? I mean, it's kind of ridiculous.

3. LVP - Empty seats disguised as Poke fans. More on this in a minute.

4. Good/Bad/Ugly:

a. The Good - Depth, pace, student section

b. The Bad - Injuries, weak opponent

c. The Ugly - Fan support (non-student division) - I know it's Monday night against a D2 school and I know I am a hypocrite since I am a season ticket holder that wasn't there (among many downsides of living in Texas, not being able to make it to the A-A often is near the top of the list), but for the love of god this team is freaking awesome. Where the hell is everyone? I saw some highlights from CSU's win over Gardner-Webb and while G-W is a more reputable opponents than CCU, you can't convince me folks turned out for the opponent. They have a team with more modest expectations and their best player injured and they clearly had a better crowd. I don't want to belabor it, but I think we drew more for Colorado Christian when we played them under AE than we did last night. I don't get it.

5. The Players - Overall, what a great group. Is there such a thing as too much talent? Obviously we don't really have a replacement for Ike (more on that in a minute), but aside from that, we are so deep overall. A few thoughts on those that played:

Newcomers:

Ethan Anderson - Pretty much as advertised, Strong and physical in ways we haven't really had on the perimeter much for a long time. Looks like he could play for SDSU. Shaky at the foul line and I felt he got caught out of position on defense a little bit, but he can really get into the heart of the defense and create open shots for others. He had some great finds in transition as well. The Pokes were vulnerable to ball pressure last year playing without a true PG. The combination of Anderson and development of Reynolds really addresses that weakness.

Max Agbonkpolo - Best bench player since Justin James in AE's first season. The difference here is that Max came off the bench because we are loaded, whereas JJ came off the bench because AE...well, I still have no idea what the hell that was about. Anyway, back to Max. He really jumps (literally) out at you when you watch this team. His length, athleticism, and fluidity really stand out.

Jake Kyman - Good looking shot and showed the ability to put the ball on the floor a little bit. I apologize in advance for this comparison on a number of levels, but Kyman is like a bigger, more athletic, more skilled version of Jake Hendricks. I know, I know. But, my point is that we are only a few years removed from Jake Hendricks being our second best player and a much better version of that player is now 10th or 11th. I can't stop thinking about how deep this roster is.

Caden Powell - He's good, right? I was pretty excited when we signed him. He played in a really good division down here and held his own against a lot of high level recruits and you can see why. Obviously needs to get stronger and he looked a little lost at time (to be expected), but he clearly showed he can impact the game defensively and I was really impressed with his ability to run the floor. Loved that transition dunk on a great feed from Anderson.

Returnees:

Maldo - He needs no introduction. He kind of took a backseat last night at times, which makes sense. When it comes right down to it in a close game in the Pit or the Spectrum in February and we need a bucket, you know where the ball will go.

HT - I thought he looked pretty good. Obviously he isn't going to magically become a physical force in the paint, but I thought he played well within the context of his role. His shot looks great to start the season.

JO - I am a card carrying member of the Jeremiah Oden fan club and have been since he was a freshman. He was aggressive last night and he continues to get a little stronger. He has all the tools. If he can hit the perimeter shot at a high percentage, his ceiling is really high.

X - Kind of invisible last night. There are only so many shots. I still have a high level of confidence in his shot if he gets a good look and he makes the right play the majority of the time.

Noah Reynolds - Hopefully he is fine after that fall. He seemed ok later on. He looked really solid taking it to the rim a few times and we know he can shoot.

Kenny Foster - He looked like the Kenny Foster from 2 years ago. Perimeter shot looked good, solid on on D, smart on offense.

6. Concerns - Playing a weak opponent can paper over a lot of concerns, and I do think we will have some issues in the paint until Ike comes back. Powell has a bright future, but it's a lot to ask of a true freshman and we have 5 years of experience with HT.

7. Tempo - Pokes had 82 possessions last night. Most in a game in regulation since 2019. This team can really get up and down the floor with long athletic wings like Oden and Max and even HT hustled down the floor for a transition bucket. Will be interesting to see how they play when Ike is back, but right now they were really pushing the pace and Linder was pushing them to go faster. Last year we didn't have enough ball handling, but I thought Anderson was really good in transition and Reynolds is really solid now as well.

8. Next - Nicholls - Really good team with a good young coach. Should be at or near the top of the Southland this year. Not a pushover by any means. We need a good crowd and good energy.

In the not so recent past, but not really all that long ago either, basketball teams would piss down their legs just thinking about having to come to Laramie and playing our good Cowboy teams in the 7220 ft. above sea level Dome of Dome.

I believe those times have once again returned!

Anderson will be a problem for MWC guards. Agbonkpolo is long and athletic! Powell will help on Defensive end. A lot of weapons on O and missing Ike and Wenzel. Definitely faster on O! There won’t be just one guy an opposing D can focus on,,,,,all guys can score! Thompson played well, hope he continues. Dusell took maybe one shot! Going to be a fun year!!

Wonder who else is coming in to replace USC and UCLA.

Where is the CBJC tailgate in Fort Collins for the CSU game, can someone let me know please.

Sheep Week.
Let's keep it up with wins against teams we should beat in 2022. This is one of those games plus their QB got rung up nicely by his team's OL..great video clip. Stupid sheep. Rates right up there with Brian Hill flattening a CSU defensive back player. I am thinking it was 2016!!

Pokes flatten the Sheep.
CSU Canvas Stadium becomes War Memorial South on Saturday.

UW 31
CSU 13

GAME NOTES:

LARAMIE, Wyo. (Nov. 8, 2022) – The Cowboys continue their opening home stretch Thursday. They play host to Nicholls at 8 p.m. inside the Arena-Auditorium for the first meeting since the 1997 season. It is the second of a three-game homestand to open the season for the Brown and Gold.



Fans can listen to the watch the contest, as well as follow stats on GoWyo.com. The contest will be broadcast live on radio over the 26 affiliate stations of the Cowboy Sports Network, as Reece Monaco will have the call with Kevin McKinney on color.



The contest can be seen on the Mountain West Network with David Settle on the call alongside Brian Burton and Bridget Howard on the sidelines.



To secure your seat in the Arena-Auditorium, purchase your tickets TODAY by calling the Wyoming Athletics Ticket Office at (307) 766-7220 or visit Gowyo.com/tickets.



About The Teams

The Pokes shot 51 percent from the field and held the Cougars to 39 percent, as UW shot 59 percent from the field in the second half in the season opener on Monday. Wyoming knocked down 14 threes in the game with seven in each half. The Cowboys held a 41-39 advantage on the glass and recorded 11 fast break points. The Cowboys added 21 assists and scored 50 points off the bench for the most in a game since scoring 57 against New Mexico in 2018.



The Colonels opened the season Monday night, as well. They fell at Arizona, 117-75. Nicholls was picked to finish second in the Southland Conference Preseason Poll, a year after winning the regular-season title.



About The Players

The Pokes were led by forward Jeremiah Oden, as he tied a career best with 17 points in only 18 minutes of action in the season opener. Guard Max Agbonkpolo added 16 points off the bench along with six rebounds. Forward Hunter Thompson added 15 points for the Pokes with a team-high four three pointers. Guard Hunter Maldonado added 13 points and seven assists, as he moved into the top-five in career assists in the Mountain West with 520. Guard Noah Reynolds added 12 points just two points shy of his career high. Guard Jake Kyman added 10 points for the Pokes. Guard Ethan Anderson added seven points with eight assists and tied for the team high in rebounds with six alongside Agbonkpolo.



Nicholls is led by Micah Thomas who came off the bench to pace the team with 20 points and three assists at Arizona. Latrell Jones added 16 points, while Caleb Huffman and Pierce Spencer chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively. Manny Littles led the attack on the glass with seven rebounds.



The Colonels shot 40.3 percent from the floor, and that included a 38.9 percent clip from beyond the 3-point arc, against the Wildcats. Nicholls struggled from the charity strip, connecting on just 45.5 percent of its freebies. The Colonels allowed Arizona to hit 71.7 percent of its field goal attempts and 61.1 percent of its shots from 3-point land.



About The Series

Wyoming is 1-0 all-time against Nicholls, earning an 84-69 win over the Colonels in Casper on December 27, 1997.



Up Next

The Cowboys continue playing the Southland Conference, as they host Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Arena-Auditorium.

Here is their write up of last nights game with Arizona. Link

Looks like Arizona hit an amazing 72% from the field. 11 of 18 from 3 and 27 of 35 from inside the 3. 48 pts in the paint; 18 points off of turnovers and 14 second chance points. They ran, scoring 33 points off fast break. I think we'll look to play similar Thursday. I'd like to see us hit the offensive glass a bit more than we did last night.

Nicholls two guards combined for 10 steals (the team had 17) so we're going to have to take care of the ball. This will be a good test of Anderson. Arizona outrebounded Nicholls by 19.

Gatorade up!

If CSU could beat the Cowboys, that win would make their entire year, regardless of their record.

This will be their bowl game and they will bring their “A” game.

The Cowboys better be ready for a tough game.

Cowboys 20 Rams 13.

4 MW teams in the bottom 10 of the 25

Looks like Ike, Wentzel and Barnhart all in street clothes.

The MWC's only loss last night was AFA

Can anyone assist with the best parking options for the game Saturday? I understand there are numerous lots up and down College Drive to park and then shuttle to Canvas. What are the best options and do you just buy passes at the lot for the shuttles?

Josh 18/34 - 205 yards - 2 rushing td's - 0 passing td's - 2 INT's

Hopefully a wake up call for Bills & Josh,.... it takes your "A" game every friggin week....

Go Josh - Go Bills - Go Pokes

The realignment rumors are roiling again:CLICK THIS

Army 7 AF 3 after 3rd