While Monday marked the first official practice of the 2022-23 men’s basketball season, University of Wyoming coach Jeff Linder says the nature of summer and fall workouts make it seem like the Cowboys have roughly 40 practices under their belts already.
Today will be a different scene, however, as the Pokes play in front of fans at the Arena-Auditorium for the first time since early March. UW is set to hold a scrimmage at 3 p.m. that will be free and open to the public.
There will undoubtedly be some changes for the Cowboys this season, with three Pac-12 transfers – Max Agbonkpolo, Ethan Anderson and Jake Kyman – and a three-star big man in Caden Powell being added to the mix. However, with 85% of their scoring returning, including the All-Mountain West duo of senior guard Hunter Maldonado and junior forward Graham Ike, some things will remain the same.
One aspect that excites UW coach Jeff Linder about this group is its depth, something that was missing down the stretch of a 25-win season that included an NCAA tournament appearance. The Cowboys have 11 players that have played significant minutes in college games before, a stark difference from last year.
“We had to play the way we played last year in order to give ourselves a chance to win,” Linder said. “Those guys created a lot of advantages and opportunities for those other guys on the floor, but what’s best for us (is) to take some pressure off (Maldonado) and Graham, to where late in the season, they have more energy and the other team can’t focus on them as much.
“If we can get to a little more ball movement and player movement, and, as opposed to sometimes playing seven guys last year, I tell our guys it’s up to them for me to play them, can we use that depth to where, as the season goes, especially come February, we’re not just running on fumes.”
Linder jokingly compares Ike and Maldonado to NFL stars Derrick Henry and Deebo Samuel, respectively.
Ike shot 51% from the field last season, while averaging 19.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Only two other players in college basketball achieved these numbers. Maldonado, meanwhile, was the nation’s only player to average more than 18 points, five rebounds and six assists. Linder expects him to fill a variety of roles, from running the point to playing in the post.
Ike and Maldonado ranked third and 36th in the country, respectively, in usage rate last season. Linder acknowledges the pair’s usage rate will likely drop a little, but also adds that “it would be foolish to go away from what made us one of the toughest teams in the country to guard.”
The Cowboys’ added depth will allow them to play more uptempo at times, though. According to KenPom.com, they ranked 295th in average possession length last season.
“We will try to play a little bit faster,” Linder said. “I always tell the guys, ‘Everybody wants to play fast until you actually have to play fast,’ so we’re not going to try to be the Paul Westhead Nuggets of back in the day. But I do think with the depth we have this year … (it will allow) us to play a little bit faster and be able to create a few more possessions to where hopefully we’re not in as many close games.
“I tell our guys all the time, as much as we won 25 games, we could also have won 18. We were in a lot of close games. People tell us how good we are right now, but we have to realize that we have a lot of work to do – especially the way we finished last season.”
While the arrival of three Power Five transfers has been a source of excitement for the Cowboys fan base this off-season, Linder is quick to note those individuals will still have to earn their playing time like everyone else on the roster.
“It’s one of those deals where they know your playing time is going to come by what you do in practice,” Linder said. “I don’t care (whether you’re) from a Pac-12 school or a Southland school or a D2 school. Ultimately, you’re going to have to come in and compete and earn minutes. I have seven or eight guys on that floor and in that locker room that won 25 games for me last year, so I have a lot of trust in those guys to do the things I want them to do.
“It’s those new guys’ job to (make me play them). Just because you came here from there, that doesn’t mean anything to me. Yeah, great and all, but nobody cares. What you do on a daily basis is the reason why we’re good. For them, it’s just trying to understand that. You can’t have one good day and one bad day the next. You have to put together days, and I think that’s what they’re trying to figure out right now.”
As far as UW’s returning contributors, Linder has been particularly impressed with the progression of sophomore guard Noah Reynolds and junior wing Brendan Wenzel.
Wenzel and Reynolds averaged 22.8 and 11.3 minutes per game last season, respectively, with their playing time increasing down the stretch. Linder says Reynolds has had “a really good off-season,” while adding Wenzel has gone from “being the 11th man” at this point last year to “probably one of our top three players.”
Linder also notes the players that came back from last year have embraced the new additions.
“For us to take the next step, wherever you go in life and whatever you decide to do, you’re going to have to compete against somebody,” he said. “Those guys know that they’re competing against each other for minutes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a good teammate or you’re not pulling toward the same goals.”
Similar to Reynolds last season, Linder believes Powell has a chance to make an impact as a true freshman. The 6-foot-10 Waco, Texas product has provided Ike with a higher level of competition than he’s faced in practice over the past couple years, while also grasping UW’s offense faster than anticipated.
“If you would have asked me that question before he got here, I probably would have said no,” Linder said of the possibility of Powell cracking the Cowboys’ rotation. “To be honest, he’s a lot further ahead than I thought he would be. He’s a really smart kid. He’s an engineering major. His mom is super, super smart, a law professor at Baylor University.
“He’s a super sharp kid, and sometimes because you’re super smart academically doesn’t mean you’re super smart on the court. But he’s a guy who really picks up things. When he makes one mistake, he can figure it out and not make the same mistake twice.”
UW made some changes to the coaching staff this off-season, with perhaps the most notable being Marc Rodgers getting promoted from director of recruiting to assistant coach. Rodgers, 27, is the youngest assistant coach in the MW.
The Central Washington alum and former Long Beach State assistant is entering his second year with the program. Linder views one of Rodgers’ greatest assets as his ability to communicate and relate to players.
“He doesn’t have a wife and kids, where when guys want to get in the gym, he’s able to get in the gym with them,” Linder said. “He’s done a good job, and he has room to grow. He’s only 27 years old, but he’s a guy that has a good feel for people, and he knows where he wants to get to and that there’s no shortcuts getting there.
“He wants to do the work and put in the time to become not just a good assistant coach, but hopefully become a head coach one day.”
The Cowboys have a unique nonconference schedule ahead, which features six home games, six neutral-site contests and no true road games. Part of this is a reflection of the challenges that come with trying to fill out a schedule as a mid-major program on the rise.
“We’ve called every Power Five school in the country, saying that we’ll come play you on your home court, and nobody wants to play us,” Linder said. “That’s just the facts. It’s always hard to get games here. We have this conversation every year when the schedule comes out. But when you’re perceived to be who we are going to be this year – we’re perceived to be really good – it makes it almost impossible.”
As of right now, the Cowboys’ first road game isn’t slated to come until the Dec. 28 MW opener at Fresno State. Still, Wyoming will have opportunities to be tested while continuing to build its brand.
In addition to home games against Louisiana Tech and Grand Canyon, the Pokes will play Dayton, Santa Clara and Saint Mary’s on neutral courts. All five of these teams finished in the top 100 of KenPom’s rankings last season.
“Hopefully, as we continue to grow as a program, we can continue to get those games,” Linder said. “As much as I’d like to have those games here, that’s just not the reality right now. If we can go and continue to build the brand, so to speak, it allows us to continue to be able to attract those type of teams on neutral courts.
“I’d much rather play those teams on a neutral court, as opposed to having to travel and go play them on their home court.”
