For the first time in 26 years, Wyoming will kick off its conference schedule against its archrival.
Fresh off a topsy-turvy nonconference slate, the Cowboys will open Mountain West Conference play against Colorado State tonight at the Arena-Auditorium.
If that feels awkward to you, you?re not alone.
?I think everybody on the team would rather it be later in the season when we played them,? UW sophomore guard Afam Muojeke said. ?But it is what it is.?
The latter was the message by coaches and players alike to open this week.
Perhaps fearful of a league reprimand, all parties involved on both the men?s and women?s sides -- the Cowgirls played at Colorado State on Tuesday -- opted to shy away from complaining about the early-season matchup which will pit rivals in front of crowds that won?t include many students, who are still on winter break.
?You?ve got to play [every team] twice so they?re going to come at different times,? UW coach Heath Schroyer said. ?We obviously wish the students would be back ? but you can?t control how it all goes and you?re going to play everybody twice, once at home and once on the road.?
Awkward scheduling or not, the game must go on.
And it will pit two teams that admittedly aren?t where they?d like to be -- either on the floor or in terms of standings -- as they enter conference play.
The Rams? 9-5 record looks decent, but they have yet to win a road game and continue to be bothered by injuries, an issue that has hamstrung coach Tim Miles since his arrival following the 2006-07 season.
?Well we?ve been OK,? Miles said. ?We?ve won our home games, we?ve not won a road game and that?s disappointing. I think we?ve shown some progress, but at the same time we?re not where we want to be in terms of where we?re trying to go with our program.
?And because we?re going to be short [injury-wise] all year, I?m not sure when we?re going to get there.?
That?s a question that has certainly crossed the minds of many Cowboys fans, and perhaps Schroyer as well.
His team boasts a less-impressive 7-7 mark against a slightly tougher schedule and, while they haven?t been as severe, has been hampered by injuries as well.
The good news for the Pokes is that -- aside from freshman Daylen Harrison?s bout with pinkeye -- they should be almost completely healthy as they open the MWC slate.
?We need a whole team,? Schroyer said. ?We?re not good enough to not have everyone playing on all cylinders to be good. There?s a lot of talent in this league and a lot of experience in this league.?
The Cowboys will get their first look at that tonight.
Because it?s a snowy weeknight without school in session, most of UW?s fans will probably have to skip the biggest home rivalry game of the year and wait to get their first glimpse.
Fresh off a topsy-turvy nonconference slate, the Cowboys will open Mountain West Conference play against Colorado State tonight at the Arena-Auditorium.
If that feels awkward to you, you?re not alone.
?I think everybody on the team would rather it be later in the season when we played them,? UW sophomore guard Afam Muojeke said. ?But it is what it is.?
The latter was the message by coaches and players alike to open this week.
Perhaps fearful of a league reprimand, all parties involved on both the men?s and women?s sides -- the Cowgirls played at Colorado State on Tuesday -- opted to shy away from complaining about the early-season matchup which will pit rivals in front of crowds that won?t include many students, who are still on winter break.
?You?ve got to play [every team] twice so they?re going to come at different times,? UW coach Heath Schroyer said. ?We obviously wish the students would be back ? but you can?t control how it all goes and you?re going to play everybody twice, once at home and once on the road.?
Awkward scheduling or not, the game must go on.
And it will pit two teams that admittedly aren?t where they?d like to be -- either on the floor or in terms of standings -- as they enter conference play.
The Rams? 9-5 record looks decent, but they have yet to win a road game and continue to be bothered by injuries, an issue that has hamstrung coach Tim Miles since his arrival following the 2006-07 season.
?Well we?ve been OK,? Miles said. ?We?ve won our home games, we?ve not won a road game and that?s disappointing. I think we?ve shown some progress, but at the same time we?re not where we want to be in terms of where we?re trying to go with our program.
?And because we?re going to be short [injury-wise] all year, I?m not sure when we?re going to get there.?
That?s a question that has certainly crossed the minds of many Cowboys fans, and perhaps Schroyer as well.
His team boasts a less-impressive 7-7 mark against a slightly tougher schedule and, while they haven?t been as severe, has been hampered by injuries as well.
The good news for the Pokes is that -- aside from freshman Daylen Harrison?s bout with pinkeye -- they should be almost completely healthy as they open the MWC slate.
?We need a whole team,? Schroyer said. ?We?re not good enough to not have everyone playing on all cylinders to be good. There?s a lot of talent in this league and a lot of experience in this league.?
The Cowboys will get their first look at that tonight.
Because it?s a snowy weeknight without school in session, most of UW?s fans will probably have to skip the biggest home rivalry game of the year and wait to get their first glimpse.
