The Cowboys big but
With three home games in their first four, the Wyoming Cowboys needed to hold serve to get out to a decent Mountain West Conference start.
Instead, the Cowboys lost two of the three home games and are off to a 1-3 MWC beginning.
The reward for the start? Improved play, head coach Heath Schroyer said.
Reality, however, has the Cowboys still just 1-3 and BYU on tap Wednesday night in Provo. BYU of course, is now the lone Top 25 conference team and arguably now the best team in the league.
Did I say the game was in Provo? Yeah, I did.
“We are getting better," Schroyer said. "A month ago, we wouldn’t have been in this game. If we can continue to make strides like we have, we’re going to be a tough team the rest of this season."
Schroyer is right. The Cowboys are better than they were a month ago. The only problem, though, is the 'Pokes were pretty bad a month ago or so. Losses to South Dakota State, Hampton and Monmouth will attest to that.
Many Wyoming fans will add Colorado State to the bad loss category. Any loss to CSU, in Brown and Gold glasses, is bad.
But, if you give Wyoming wins in those three early losses, the Cowboys would stand at 11-7, instead of 8-10.
To go a little further, if the Cowboys somehow managed to make the plays necessary in the two-point loss to New Mexico and the three-point loss to TCU in Fort Worth earlier this week, and the Cowboys would be 3-1 in league play and (add the three early losses) and 13-5 overall.
As Pee Wee Herman said, "Everyone I know has a big but." None of that has happened and the Cowboys big but is that they are 1-3 in league play and 8-10 overall.
I did say that the Cowboys are at No. 18/17 BYU on Wednesday, didn't I?
The glass is half full reasoning does say that, just one-fourth into the league season, the Cowboys have been close lately, but not able to quite break through. They're close. If they play like they did in the upset win over San Diego State, they can play with anybody.
"We're a heck of a lot better now than we were a month ago. ... It doesn't make people feel any better, but it doesn't matter to me," Schroyer said. "The guys that matter to me are my coaches and the guys in the locker room. I'm not really concerned with wins and losses as much as I am getting better. The wins will take care of themselves."
The glass is half empty reasoning says that the Cowboys, other than the win over San Diego State, they can't win the close game and can't energize themselves to beat their biggest rival, CSU. The rest of the league season -- now with more road game than home games -- isn't very promising.
Basketball certainly can be a cruel game. Close isn't good enough. Winning is what matters in the end.
We'll see what happens.
Instead, the Cowboys lost two of the three home games and are off to a 1-3 MWC beginning.
The reward for the start? Improved play, head coach Heath Schroyer said.
Reality, however, has the Cowboys still just 1-3 and BYU on tap Wednesday night in Provo. BYU of course, is now the lone Top 25 conference team and arguably now the best team in the league.
Did I say the game was in Provo? Yeah, I did.
“We are getting better," Schroyer said. "A month ago, we wouldn’t have been in this game. If we can continue to make strides like we have, we’re going to be a tough team the rest of this season."
Schroyer is right. The Cowboys are better than they were a month ago. The only problem, though, is the 'Pokes were pretty bad a month ago or so. Losses to South Dakota State, Hampton and Monmouth will attest to that.
Many Wyoming fans will add Colorado State to the bad loss category. Any loss to CSU, in Brown and Gold glasses, is bad.
But, if you give Wyoming wins in those three early losses, the Cowboys would stand at 11-7, instead of 8-10.
To go a little further, if the Cowboys somehow managed to make the plays necessary in the two-point loss to New Mexico and the three-point loss to TCU in Fort Worth earlier this week, and the Cowboys would be 3-1 in league play and (add the three early losses) and 13-5 overall.
As Pee Wee Herman said, "Everyone I know has a big but." None of that has happened and the Cowboys big but is that they are 1-3 in league play and 8-10 overall.
I did say that the Cowboys are at No. 18/17 BYU on Wednesday, didn't I?
The glass is half full reasoning does say that, just one-fourth into the league season, the Cowboys have been close lately, but not able to quite break through. They're close. If they play like they did in the upset win over San Diego State, they can play with anybody.
"We're a heck of a lot better now than we were a month ago. ... It doesn't make people feel any better, but it doesn't matter to me," Schroyer said. "The guys that matter to me are my coaches and the guys in the locker room. I'm not really concerned with wins and losses as much as I am getting better. The wins will take care of themselves."
The glass is half empty reasoning says that the Cowboys, other than the win over San Diego State, they can't win the close game and can't energize themselves to beat their biggest rival, CSU. The rest of the league season -- now with more road game than home games -- isn't very promising.
Basketball certainly can be a cruel game. Close isn't good enough. Winning is what matters in the end.
We'll see what happens.
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