2014-15 Wyoming Basketball Schedule

[POKE FAN]

https://twitter.com/wyoathletics/status ... 3737630720 http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/wyo ... hedule.pdf

[POKE FAN]

Comments from Shyatt:

"When we returned three years ago we stated that as our program improved, so to would our schedule," Shyatt said. "What we've tried to do is prepare a nonconference schedule of home and road games against some high-level programs that will help prepare us for the Mountain West. That includes traveling to Cal and SMU and hosting Colorado, New Mexico State and Denver. I especially appreciate [SMU coach] Larry Brown and [former Cal coach] Mike Montgomery giving us an opportunity to play a return game in Laramie, which is important for our loyal fans."

"When looking at our conference schedule, we're pleased that this year we are scheduled twice to play some of the top finishers in the league over the last few seasons," Shyatt said. "That can only help bolster our RPI as we are considered for postseason play."

http://www.gowyo.com/sports/m-baskbl/sp ... 14aaa.html

[McPeachy]

Pretty decent schedule - glad to see Shyatt working to make the schedule stronger!

Would love to see Nowhere Poke's breakdown...???

[POKE FAN]

Circle your calendar for 11/22/14. Two teams I'd love to see the Pokes trounce in Laramie: Boise State at the War and CU in the AA.

[Cowduck]

This is f-word poop. As Vorel noted on Twitter, classes don't resume until Jan. 26. That means students will be on break for the home games vs. UNLV, Boise St., San Diego St., and New Mexico - only the four main contenders for the MWC title and likely NCAA teams. Not to mention the road game at CSU. This is a deliberate f-word by the MWC office and they need to be taken to task for it.

[wyopig]

That's a tough draw regarding the start of spring classes. Before I realized that the students don't come back until after the goddamned Super Bowl, I loved our schedule. Now I just like it.

The Pokes will have enough opportunity before Christmas break to generate some pretty good support. With a new arena and some marquee non-conference games, if the Pokes take care of business, both students and non-students will make sure the team is well supported during the Christmas break MWC games.

The CU game will be huge for the fan support this year. With a football game that night, it'll be the first opportunity for a large crowd to see the renovated AA. If the Pokes can impress, the fans will come back all year.

[POKE FAN]

This is f-word poop. As Vorel noted on Twitter, classes don't resume until Jan. 26. That means students will be on break for the home games vs. UNLV, Boise St., San Diego St., and New Mexico - only the four main contenders for the MWC title and likely NCAA teams. Not to mention the road game at CSU. This is a deliberate f-word by the MWC office and they need to be taken to task for it.

The MWC office has also emphasized the importance of rivalries. Both WYO-CSU games will be played on Wednesdays. Go figure.

How much longer until the academic ass-clowns push Christmas break out into the first week of February? January 26th, are you kidding me? We were back in class within the first week-to-ten-days of January. What a f*cking joke.

[McPeachy]

This is f-word poop. As Vorel noted on Twitter, classes don't resume until Jan. 26. That means students will be on break for the home games vs. UNLV, Boise St., San Diego St., and New Mexico - only the four main contenders for the MWC title and likely NCAA teams. Not to mention the road game at CSU. This is a deliberate f-word by the MWC office and they need to be taken to task for it.

The MWC office has also emphasized the importance of rivalries. Both WYO-CSU games will be played on Wednesdays. Go figure.

How much longer until the academic ass-clowns push Christmas break out into the first week of February? January 26th, are you kidding me? We were back in class within the first week-to-ten-days of January. What a f*cking joke.

January 26th - what the hell. So break this year is 44 days this year? DAMN I am jealous. Seems way back when I went to school it was around 20 days.

[soccerhead15]

This is f-word poop. As Vorel noted on Twitter, classes don't resume until Jan. 26. That means students will be on break for the home games vs. UNLV, Boise St., San Diego St., and New Mexico - only the four main contenders for the MWC title and likely NCAA teams. Not to mention the road game at CSU. This is a deliberate f-word by the MWC office and they need to be taken to task for it.

The MWC office has also emphasized the importance of rivalries. Both WYO-CSU games will be played on Wednesdays. Go figure.

How much longer until the academic ass-clowns push Christmas break out into the first week of February? January 26th, are you kidding me? We were back in class within the first week-to-ten-days of January. What a f*cking joke.

January 26th - what the hell. So break this year is 44 days this year? DAMN I am jealous. Seems way back when I went to school it was around 20 days.

No its still the same length. Starting this year everything is getting shifted later, school doesn't start tell September.

[WestWYOPoke]

Something to note: it used to be that after Thanksgiving break students had 1 week of classes and then Finals week. With this new schedule, there will be 2 weeks of classes after Thanksgiving and then Finals Week. Which means that the Fall semester won't end until December 19th instead of a week earlier like in the past (Dec. 13 in 2013).

So, as was mentioned, everything is getting pushed back a week.

FYI: First day of fall classes is September 3.

[WyoExpat]

This is f-word poop. As Vorel noted on Twitter, classes don't resume until Jan. 26. That means students will be on break for the home games vs. UNLV, Boise St., San Diego St., and New Mexico - only the four main contenders for the MWC title and likely NCAA teams. Not to mention the road game at CSU. This is a deliberate f-word by the MWC office and they need to be taken to task for it.

On the other hand, Jan. 26 is an absurdly late date to start 2nd Semester. If U.W. brings the students back a week after New Year's, there is no problem whatsoever.

[WyoExpat]

Something to note: it used to be that after Thanksgiving break students had 1 week of classes and then Finals week. With this new schedule, there will be 2 weeks of classes after Thanksgiving and then Finals Week. Which means that the Fall semester won't end until December 19th instead of a week earlier like in the past (Dec. 13 in 2013).

So, as was mentioned, everything is getting pushed back a week.

FYI: First day of fall classes is September 3.

There is logic to this. Still, I would bring the kids back in the first half of January just the same.

I am curious if there is something else going on like a study abroad program that necessitates a break that lasts over a month.

[WestWYOPoke]

I know some schools with a bigger Christmas break will do a brief winter session where you can knock out a 3-4 credit hour class in 2 weeks. Don't think UW does this though.

[BeaverPoke]

I know some schools with a bigger Christmas break will do a brief winter session where you can knock out a 3-4 credit hour class in 2 weeks. Don't think UW does this though.

Yes they do.

Football players take it to keep their GPA up.

[ProudWYOAlum]

Very solid schedule from top to bottom. Gets me even more excited for hoops season!

I know where I'll be spending New Years Eve!

[NowherePoke]

A few thoughts on the schedule:

1. Exhibition games - Obviously the staff and administration are concerned about the AA being ready in time for the season as they have not scheduled any exhibition games. I assume the team will participate in at least one scrimmage against another D1 team (similar to what they did with Utah recently), but I would have liked to have seen one actual exhibition game.

2. Composition - In the end, it's pretty much what we expected. We knew 8 games and expected that the last 5 would consist of (2) non-D1 games and 3 home games against low major opponents. In the past few years those home games have been courtesy of some type of exempt tournament (BCA, etc.), but that doesn't appear to be the case this year. Not that it matters either way.

3. Schedule Strength - Mixed feelings on this one ( more on that in a minute). If you look at the winning percentages last year then the 14-15 schedule comes out significantly stronger than the 13-14 (cumulative winning percentage of 53% vs. 49% from last year's). However...

4. What it means - Here is my gripe, this is a NIT schedule. It's not awful, but it is not a typical at-large NCAA schedule. That would normally not be of great concern to me (we haven't played an OOC schedule of that caliber in nearly a decade), but this is the one season that I believe the NCAA tournament is a realistic expectation. Why aren't we scheduling like it? We simply are not listening to what the selection committee is saying. Nobody received an at-large bid last year with a SOS below 100 (it was a primary reason SMU missed out, as they finished with a SOS of 114, primarily due to a very weak OOC SOS). Last year our SOS was 132. This year's schedule is better on paper, as I noted above, but still projects to a SOS in the 90's or so (lot of variables obviously and this is just using last year's performance for the opposing teams, so don't take my projection as gospel). That isn't awful, but it is certainly not taking the bull by the horns and getting noticed in the one season we should be doing so.



I think we can still make the NCAA with this schedule, but we have to hope the MWC performs closer to 12-13 than 13-14 and we have to take care of business in the OOC. Pokes need a quality win (either CU or SMU) and need to avoid bad losses (pretty much every OOC game except at Cal. NMSU is a quality opponent, but can't afford a home loss).

One item that will help us from a SOS perspective is that we skip one game against AFA. Last year we skipped a game against both SDSU and UNLV, so our conference schedule was slightly weaker than the true conference SOS.

Of course, the Pokes could just win the MWCT and make it a moot point.

[TSpoke]

I think it is a very solid schedule and one that can get us into the tournament if we take care of business. Of course I plan on use winning the conference so of course we will make the tournament. It is too bad that we have so many big games before school starts back up but the if the team is playing well then the students should come back early for the games. I know I did when I was in school during the early 2000's. Plus hopefully the rest of the fanbase is starting to come around and we can carry them through those games. Win and it won't matter much.
If you look close enough every team can have a reason to bitch about their schedule so I don't think it is a way to screw us over. UNLV has to play us in laramie on NYE sandwiched between Arizona and Kansas. Thats a dangerous game and they could be looking past us.

[McPeachy]

No its still the same length. Starting this year everything is getting shifted later, school doesn't start tell September.

So every year, students get 37 days off then during Dec / Jan (not 44 as I originally calculated)?

As I said, wasn't that way when I went to school. That's all.

[McPeachy]

A few thoughts on the schedule:

1. Exhibition games - Obviously the staff and administration are concerned about the AA being ready in time for the season as they have not scheduled any exhibition games. I assume the team will participate in at least one scrimmage against another D1 team (similar to what they did with Utah recently), but I would have liked to have seen one actual exhibition game.

2. Composition - In the end, it's pretty much what we expected. We knew 8 games and expected that the last 5 would consist of (2) non-D1 games and 3 home games against low major opponents. In the past few years those home games have been courtesy of some type of exempt tournament (BCA, etc.), but that doesn't appear to be the case this year. Not that it matters either way.

3. Schedule Strength - Mixed feelings on this one ( more on that in a minute). If you look at the winning percentages last year then the 14-15 schedule comes out significantly stronger than the 13-14 (cumulative winning percentage of 53% vs. 49% from last year's). However...

4. What it means - Here is my gripe, this is a NIT schedule. It's not awful, but it is not a typical at-large NCAA schedule. That would normally not be of great concern to me (we haven't played an OOC schedule of that caliber in nearly a decade), but this is the one season that I believe the NCAA tournament is a realistic expectation. Why aren't we scheduling like it? We simply are not listening to what the selection committee is saying. Nobody received an at-large bid last year with a SOS below 100 (it was a primary reason SMU missed out, as they finished with a SOS of 114, primarily due to a very weak OOC SOS). Last year our SOS was 132. This year's schedule is better on paper, as I noted above, but still projects to a SOS in the 90's or so (lot of variables obviously and this is just using last year's performance for the opposing teams, so don't take my projection as gospel). That isn't awful, but it is certainly not taking the bull by the horns and getting noticed in the one season we should be doing so.



I think we can still make the NCAA with this schedule, but we have to hope the MWC performs closer to 12-13 than 13-14 and we have to take care of business in the OOC. Pokes need a quality win (either CU or SMU) and need to avoid bad losses (pretty much every OOC game except at Cal. NMSU is a quality opponent, but can't afford a home loss).

One item that will help us from a SOS perspective is that we skip one game against AFA. Last year we skipped a game against both SDSU and UNLV, so our conference schedule was slightly weaker than the true conference SOS.

Of course, the Pokes could just win the MWCT and make it a moot point.

Nowherepoke...SPOT ON POST - thanks man!!!

[POKE FAN]

I think it is a very solid schedule and one that can get us into the tournament if we take care of business. Of course I plan on use winning the conference so of course we will make the tournament. It is too bad that we have so many big games before school starts back up but the if the team is playing well then the students should come back early for the games. I know I did when I was in school during the early 2000's. Plus hopefully the rest of the fanbase is starting to come around and we can carry them through those games. Win and it won't matter much.
If you look close enough every team can have a reason to bitch about their schedule so I don't think it is a way to screw us over. UNLV has to play us in laramie on NYE sandwiched between Arizona and Kansas. Thats a dangerous game and they could be looking past us.

I agree. For Shyatt's fourth year in rebuilding this program, this is a good, solid schedule. If the Pokes take care of business, this schedule can get them a Dance ticket. We'll see if Mr. Nance's claim that this team is "special" holds true. He sees these guys nearly every day, so he is obviously confident in the overall makeup so far. Of course, Larry will need to be 100%, physically, for this team to really excel.

We'll hold Papa Shy to his promise to continue to upgrade the schedule as the program continues to ascend. As noted in the past, many/most "power" conference teams WILL NOT come to Laramie for any amount of money -- and it takes lotsa money to even get others' attention.