if your playing them, might look at 1st half...
Wyoming tries to combat lack of depth against Utah State
'We just got fatigued, and we didn?t have any more legs'
Some wounds can't be concealed.
Right now, the Wyoming Cowboys are thin. Scary thin. So thin that Larry Shyatt's five starters can safely assume they'll each play 30-40 minutes, regardless of their effectiveness.
And as the game bleeds on, Shyatt's horses slow down. Their jumpers find iron, as do their free throws. They get beat to the boards on the defensive end, and challenged shots in the first half become uncontested layups in the second.
It isn't a matter of effort, or desire, or the want-to to keep pushing. Simply put, the Cowboys run out of gas a few miles short of the finish line.
Take away Larry Nance Jr. and Charles Hankerson Jr., and this is what you get:
Three consecutive losses, and a team plagued with tired legs.
?It?s not that we don?t have a good game plan," senior guard Jerron Granberry said. "We jumped up 15-zip [in Saturday's loss to Boise State]. We were tied up with CSU.
"We just got fatigued, and we didn?t have any more legs.?
The proof is in the numbers. Against Colorado State on Feb. 22, Wyoming was tied 31-31 at halftime before hemorrhaging 51 second-half points in an eventual loss. At home against Boise State on Saturday, Wyoming led 21-4 before surrendering the lead and allowing the Broncos to shoot 60 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes.
In the first half of those two games, Wyoming (17-12, 8-8) held a collective 69-63 advantage. In the second half, the Cowboys were outscored 91-61.
Shyatt understands the problem, as well as where to place the blame.
?You have to look at the 'why' in the second half, as well as complimenting Colorado State and Boise," Shyatt said. "But I do think that factor remains somewhat in the area of fatigue.?
So, how do you fix depth in the middle of a season? Instead of agonizing over recent personnel losses, Shyatt is working to preserve the resources he has. He's shortening practices and avoiding drills that involve excessive contact. He's preaching for his players to get plenty of rest and stay off their feet.
Essentially, he's putting a band-aid over a shotgun wound. But that's where the Cowboys are, and they have to deal with it and move forward.
The best course of action is still what it's always been: defense.
?When you talk about defense, you can talk about intellect, toughness, competitiveness and understanding what you do and don?t want to give up," Shyatt said. "I?d rather rely on that and not let luck come into play.
"I really think that?s been our common component all year, home and away, and I think that?s what these guys have to focus on rather than looking for a couple new-found heroes on offense.?
Wyoming's defensive challenge on Wednesday centers on limiting Utah State senior forward Jarred Shaw. Shaw scored only four points in the two teams' first match up this season, hitting early foul trouble and never finding a rhythm.
But coming off a 19-point, 17-rebound performance against San Jose State, Shaw is as dangerous as ever. And Nance isn't there to defend him.
Instead, it'll be Derek Cooke Jr.'s job to harass Shaw in the paint. And each time the 6-foot-10 center catches an inbounds pass, another defender will likely collapse on him and try to force a steal.
Without Nance and Hankerson, the Cowboys are adjusting everything they do -- playing time, practice habits, how they defend each opponent. The end goal, for a team lacking troops, is to win in a different way.
Wyoming is thin, but it's still trying to turn one strong half into two.
It's still trying to win, regardless of the circumstances.
Wyoming tries to combat lack of depth against Utah State
'We just got fatigued, and we didn?t have any more legs'
Some wounds can't be concealed.
Right now, the Wyoming Cowboys are thin. Scary thin. So thin that Larry Shyatt's five starters can safely assume they'll each play 30-40 minutes, regardless of their effectiveness.
And as the game bleeds on, Shyatt's horses slow down. Their jumpers find iron, as do their free throws. They get beat to the boards on the defensive end, and challenged shots in the first half become uncontested layups in the second.
It isn't a matter of effort, or desire, or the want-to to keep pushing. Simply put, the Cowboys run out of gas a few miles short of the finish line.
Take away Larry Nance Jr. and Charles Hankerson Jr., and this is what you get:
Three consecutive losses, and a team plagued with tired legs.
?It?s not that we don?t have a good game plan," senior guard Jerron Granberry said. "We jumped up 15-zip [in Saturday's loss to Boise State]. We were tied up with CSU.
"We just got fatigued, and we didn?t have any more legs.?
The proof is in the numbers. Against Colorado State on Feb. 22, Wyoming was tied 31-31 at halftime before hemorrhaging 51 second-half points in an eventual loss. At home against Boise State on Saturday, Wyoming led 21-4 before surrendering the lead and allowing the Broncos to shoot 60 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes.
In the first half of those two games, Wyoming (17-12, 8-8) held a collective 69-63 advantage. In the second half, the Cowboys were outscored 91-61.
Shyatt understands the problem, as well as where to place the blame.
?You have to look at the 'why' in the second half, as well as complimenting Colorado State and Boise," Shyatt said. "But I do think that factor remains somewhat in the area of fatigue.?
So, how do you fix depth in the middle of a season? Instead of agonizing over recent personnel losses, Shyatt is working to preserve the resources he has. He's shortening practices and avoiding drills that involve excessive contact. He's preaching for his players to get plenty of rest and stay off their feet.
Essentially, he's putting a band-aid over a shotgun wound. But that's where the Cowboys are, and they have to deal with it and move forward.
The best course of action is still what it's always been: defense.
?When you talk about defense, you can talk about intellect, toughness, competitiveness and understanding what you do and don?t want to give up," Shyatt said. "I?d rather rely on that and not let luck come into play.
"I really think that?s been our common component all year, home and away, and I think that?s what these guys have to focus on rather than looking for a couple new-found heroes on offense.?
Wyoming's defensive challenge on Wednesday centers on limiting Utah State senior forward Jarred Shaw. Shaw scored only four points in the two teams' first match up this season, hitting early foul trouble and never finding a rhythm.
But coming off a 19-point, 17-rebound performance against San Jose State, Shaw is as dangerous as ever. And Nance isn't there to defend him.
Instead, it'll be Derek Cooke Jr.'s job to harass Shaw in the paint. And each time the 6-foot-10 center catches an inbounds pass, another defender will likely collapse on him and try to force a steal.
Without Nance and Hankerson, the Cowboys are adjusting everything they do -- playing time, practice habits, how they defend each opponent. The end goal, for a team lacking troops, is to win in a different way.
Wyoming is thin, but it's still trying to turn one strong half into two.
It's still trying to win, regardless of the circumstances.
