As we approach the MWC season, I thought it would be interesting to take a look around College Basketball at coaches and players with Wyoming ties (former coaches/players, recruits, etc.). Here are a few of interest:
Coaches:
Steve McClain - Steve is in his first season at UIC after a long stint as an assistant under Tom Crean at IU. The flames are off to a tough start at 2-8 (0-8 against D-1 competition). Chris McMillan is an assistant for McClain after a period spent as an assistant at CSI.
Heath Schroyer - Everybody's favorite former Poke has led UTM to a 6-7 start and a RPI of 249. Yep, sounds about right. Of more interest is the fact that Anthony Stewart is on his staff as Associate Head Coach. Stewart's son Parker is a high major recruit that the Pokes have been pursuing.
Players of Interest:
Keonta Vernon - As a RS Sophomore at Grand Canyon University, Vernon is averaging 7.3 ppg and 6.0 rpg in about 19 minutes of play for a very good GCU team (12-2, won the tourney in Vegas that the Pokes finished last in). He turned out about like he was projected. High activity, undersized 4 man. Not very dynamic offensively (no real perimeter shooting, poor FT%), but a dominant rebounding rate.
Austin Haldorson - We saw Austin in the exhibition game. He is a starter on a good D2 team as a senior. He is averaging 6.5 ppg and 5.2 rpg. He hits a few three's as well. D2 was probably a better fit for Austin. Nice to see him find a good fit.
Shakir Smith - Averaging 22 ppg as a senior at Adams State (D2 RMAC School, like Ft. Lewis). Very good scorer (41% 3PT, 90%FT) who probably would have been a solid D1/MWC player if not for off the court issues.
Tyrell Williams - Currently a RS Fr. at Western Nebraska JC where he is averaging 11.6 ppg and 7.0 rpg (2nd on the team in points, 1st in rebounding). Would seem to project as a D1 players based on his freshman JC production. I don't pretend to know the reasons for his departure from UW, but assuming he gets his academics in order and earns his AA he should be able to follow Vernon's path and sign with a D1 school.
Diontae Jones - Currently a So. at Garden City JC where he is averaging 7.1 ppg and 6.1 rpg as an undersized 4 man. I would guess low major D1 as his best case scenario, possibly D2. Most likely not someone that would have had a significant MWC impact had he stayed.
Erik McCree - I am kind of stretching it in terms of players of interest, but I like to keep tabs on players that the Pokes were in the mix for during recruiting. Erik was a class of 2012 recruit and visited UW with Josh Adams, Jason McManamen, Austin Haldorson and Staphon Blair (more on him in a moment). McCree ended up signing with Murray State instead and had a modest freshman year before transferring to La. Tech. At La. Tech he has blossomed into a force. Currently averaging 16.3 ppg and 6.9 rpg as a 6'8" 220 lb. forward on a very good LTU team (11-2). Could be an All-CUSA type player.
Staphon Blair - Mentioned him with McCree. Blair is a true big man at 6'9" 255 and is now a senior at UCF (where he signed out of HS, both him and McCree are Florida natives). Unlike McCree, Blair's collegiate career has been pretty modest. He is currently a bench player averaging 3.9 ppg and 3.2 rpg playing behind a 7'6" Freshman named Tacko Fall (was a big time recruit for UCF). He did have more production last year when he averaged 7.8 ppg and 5.2 rpg in about 25 minutes. Probably would have been a solid rotation guy for the Pokes especially considering the fact that we signed Matt Sellers as our big that fall after Blair chose UCF.
Grandy Glaze - Visited UW last spring before signing with Grand Canyon (mentioned them earlier). Currently averaging 13.4 ppg and 6.9 rpg in 23 minutes. Would have been very productive for the Pokes this year, but was only a one year player as a grad transfer.
Ghassan Nehme - Nephew of Bill Garnett, was someone we recruited for a while but I think we went another direction. He signed with Montana State but decided to go Prep for a year before eventually signing with Farleigh Dickinson. He is currently a bench player for FDU averaging about 4 ppg. Probably not a MWC player.
Michael Daum - One of the more interesting names on this list. The son of Michelle Hoppes and Mitch Daum, he grew up in Kimball, NE and was someone the Pokes recruited at one time although it appears that the Pokes backed off (per Tom Lacock's article at the time). We signed Jonathan Barnes that summer instead. Daum is a 6'9" 245 lb RS Freshman for South Dakota State where he is averaging 11.7 ppg and 5.1 rpg in only 16.5 mpg for a very good South Dakota State team. I watched him play a couple of times this year and my prediction is that there will be some Carroll-esque discussions regarding Daum in the next few years among Wyoming fans. Not a big time athlete necessarily and probably not as big as he is listed, but watching his offensive skill set and confidence as a RS Fr. is jarring after watching our young bigs flounder around on the court. The only downside I see is that he has no conscious. SDSU plays a little more uptempo than we do, but he definitely appeared to have a quick trigger (to give you perspective, he takes more shots and scores more per minute than Josh Adams). Of course, he made them too as he is shooting over 50% from the field, 40% from 3, and 77% from FT.
Coaches:
Steve McClain - Steve is in his first season at UIC after a long stint as an assistant under Tom Crean at IU. The flames are off to a tough start at 2-8 (0-8 against D-1 competition). Chris McMillan is an assistant for McClain after a period spent as an assistant at CSI.
Heath Schroyer - Everybody's favorite former Poke has led UTM to a 6-7 start and a RPI of 249. Yep, sounds about right. Of more interest is the fact that Anthony Stewart is on his staff as Associate Head Coach. Stewart's son Parker is a high major recruit that the Pokes have been pursuing.
Players of Interest:
Keonta Vernon - As a RS Sophomore at Grand Canyon University, Vernon is averaging 7.3 ppg and 6.0 rpg in about 19 minutes of play for a very good GCU team (12-2, won the tourney in Vegas that the Pokes finished last in). He turned out about like he was projected. High activity, undersized 4 man. Not very dynamic offensively (no real perimeter shooting, poor FT%), but a dominant rebounding rate.
Austin Haldorson - We saw Austin in the exhibition game. He is a starter on a good D2 team as a senior. He is averaging 6.5 ppg and 5.2 rpg. He hits a few three's as well. D2 was probably a better fit for Austin. Nice to see him find a good fit.
Shakir Smith - Averaging 22 ppg as a senior at Adams State (D2 RMAC School, like Ft. Lewis). Very good scorer (41% 3PT, 90%FT) who probably would have been a solid D1/MWC player if not for off the court issues.
Tyrell Williams - Currently a RS Fr. at Western Nebraska JC where he is averaging 11.6 ppg and 7.0 rpg (2nd on the team in points, 1st in rebounding). Would seem to project as a D1 players based on his freshman JC production. I don't pretend to know the reasons for his departure from UW, but assuming he gets his academics in order and earns his AA he should be able to follow Vernon's path and sign with a D1 school.
Diontae Jones - Currently a So. at Garden City JC where he is averaging 7.1 ppg and 6.1 rpg as an undersized 4 man. I would guess low major D1 as his best case scenario, possibly D2. Most likely not someone that would have had a significant MWC impact had he stayed.
Erik McCree - I am kind of stretching it in terms of players of interest, but I like to keep tabs on players that the Pokes were in the mix for during recruiting. Erik was a class of 2012 recruit and visited UW with Josh Adams, Jason McManamen, Austin Haldorson and Staphon Blair (more on him in a moment). McCree ended up signing with Murray State instead and had a modest freshman year before transferring to La. Tech. At La. Tech he has blossomed into a force. Currently averaging 16.3 ppg and 6.9 rpg as a 6'8" 220 lb. forward on a very good LTU team (11-2). Could be an All-CUSA type player.
Staphon Blair - Mentioned him with McCree. Blair is a true big man at 6'9" 255 and is now a senior at UCF (where he signed out of HS, both him and McCree are Florida natives). Unlike McCree, Blair's collegiate career has been pretty modest. He is currently a bench player averaging 3.9 ppg and 3.2 rpg playing behind a 7'6" Freshman named Tacko Fall (was a big time recruit for UCF). He did have more production last year when he averaged 7.8 ppg and 5.2 rpg in about 25 minutes. Probably would have been a solid rotation guy for the Pokes especially considering the fact that we signed Matt Sellers as our big that fall after Blair chose UCF.
Grandy Glaze - Visited UW last spring before signing with Grand Canyon (mentioned them earlier). Currently averaging 13.4 ppg and 6.9 rpg in 23 minutes. Would have been very productive for the Pokes this year, but was only a one year player as a grad transfer.
Ghassan Nehme - Nephew of Bill Garnett, was someone we recruited for a while but I think we went another direction. He signed with Montana State but decided to go Prep for a year before eventually signing with Farleigh Dickinson. He is currently a bench player for FDU averaging about 4 ppg. Probably not a MWC player.
Michael Daum - One of the more interesting names on this list. The son of Michelle Hoppes and Mitch Daum, he grew up in Kimball, NE and was someone the Pokes recruited at one time although it appears that the Pokes backed off (per Tom Lacock's article at the time). We signed Jonathan Barnes that summer instead. Daum is a 6'9" 245 lb RS Freshman for South Dakota State where he is averaging 11.7 ppg and 5.1 rpg in only 16.5 mpg for a very good South Dakota State team. I watched him play a couple of times this year and my prediction is that there will be some Carroll-esque discussions regarding Daum in the next few years among Wyoming fans. Not a big time athlete necessarily and probably not as big as he is listed, but watching his offensive skill set and confidence as a RS Fr. is jarring after watching our young bigs flounder around on the court. The only downside I see is that he has no conscious. SDSU plays a little more uptempo than we do, but he definitely appeared to have a quick trigger (to give you perspective, he takes more shots and scores more per minute than Josh Adams). Of course, he made them too as he is shooting over 50% from the field, 40% from 3, and 77% from FT.
