Since this year is long gone...

Sun Feb 07, 2010 1:56 pm

Honestly what do we have to look forward to next year? Sure, we have Afam coming back, but after having been injured and likely still with turnover issues. I really struggle with how we get any better next year. This league is getting extremely competitive. UNM, BYU, UNLV, SDSU can flat out play. Utah is in a down year. CSU is getting better - as much as I hate to say it. TCU will beat us 9 out of 10. AFA is down...but still beat us. With the talent that will remain at a lot of these schools and the overall dearth of talent - and absolutely no hope of developing it any further with the folks we have running the show - I can see no way we stay out of the pigtail game this year and next. At that point, I would guess Burman's hands would be tied and he would have to make a move.

I know this is rehashing all of what has been said - so I guess I am saying...add me to the growing group that has no faith in Heath. We'll be lucky to win one or two more this year and next year will be worse.

Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:22 pm

I have a hunch that Afam will not be back, it will be a combination of knee injury and already having the desire to leave. It is possible that Desmar turns into a superstar next year which could change our outlook. (That depends if Heath is willing to play his best player if he falls in love with a new player coming in.) I really doubt that Desmar takes that next step under Heath and he would have to develop some resemblances of an outside shot.

For the record I never thought Heath would do poop as a coach. I also hated him for coaching at byu, what a d bag.

Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:33 pm

Rest assured that the team will have a winning record next year.
My bet is we will play an even weaker non-confernece schedule next year than we did last when not one team that we played in the AA had a winning record, a key to us being able to win 19 games.
We'll roll through the nonconhfernece and build up one of those 11-2 records like a year ago, but Burman can talk about the progress and a winning season and then he and he and his buddy Schroyer can laugh all the way to the bank on how they bambozzled the Wyomingfans.

Sun Feb 07, 2010 3:00 pm

They can't bamboozle all of us!!

Mon Feb 08, 2010 8:37 am

We wont be good next year the only guy htat plays hard is Waddell

Mon Feb 08, 2010 11:03 am

marcuswyo, you could be right about Afam but who knows. Seems he was considering leaving before. But might be hard for him to go anywhere now that he is "damaged goods." Lets face it, rarely does a guy come back from major knee surgery to have a stellar career. If he does come back, Shroyer has to make better use of him, and Afam has to learn to play with in the confines of a team concept. Jackson is our best hope now. We need to have Mbaye or someone else really start to step up as well and yes, we HAVE to get a real shooter. We have to face the fact that Shroyer will be back next year. Economics pretty much guarantees that. Its easy to say "well i'm not going to anymore games this year". However I've decided I will make the last home games. Give a chance to see the attitude and effort of some of the guys. When there really isnt anything left to play for put pride, you can tell a lot about a guy's heart.

Mon Feb 08, 2010 12:45 pm

cheypoke wrote:marcuswyo, you could be right about Afam but who knows. Seems he was considering leaving before. But might be hard for him to go anywhere now that he is "damaged goods." Lets face it, rarely does a guy come back from major knee surgery to have a stellar career. If he does come back, Shroyer has to make better use of him, and Afam has to learn to play with in the confines of a team concept. Jackson is our best hope now. We need to have Mbaye or someone else really start to step up as well and yes, we HAVE to get a real shooter. We have to face the fact that Shroyer will be back next year. Economics pretty much guarantees that. Its easy to say "well i'm not going to anymore games this year". However I've decided I will make the last home games. Give a chance to see the attitude and effort of some of the guys. When there really isnt anything left to play for put pride, you can tell a lot about a guy's heart.

I'll be there too barring a blizzard or something bad happening. I agree we have some players to build the team on. Waddell (if we can keep him healthy) will be a force next year, Afam (we'll have to wait and see how he rehabs and buys into the team concept), Jackson (if he gets over the freshman mistakes, he will be hard for anybody to match up with him), M'Baye (he needs to bulk up a little and get physical - has good moves), Harrison (may be our best shooter right now - not much pt so far), Thiam (can play pf or #5 - he could also stand to bulk up a little especially if he fills in at #5). We desperately need improvement in our shooting, but not at the expense of being able to play at a high level and playing smart.

Mon Feb 08, 2010 1:12 pm

I have misjudged talent before. Waddell has improved a great deal from last year. I didn't see it in him. But I'm continually amazed at those on this board who think we have "talent to build on". Mbaye has shown no skills regarding ball handling, defense, or shooting. He's a terrible foul shooter. Thiam has simply disappeared this year. He was better last year. Harrison has also shown nothing. Luster probably would not play or see significant minutes on any other team in the league. Nor would Sylla. Jackson is a good penetrator and ball handler but he cannot shoot from the field or the free throw line. THIS is what we're building on?

By the way, every team has injuries. Arguably csu's best player, Jesse Carr, has missed the entire season with a stress fracture. He has more ability than anyone we have.

Schroyer will have to bring in a whole new team next year for us to be competitive. You think just by getting a year older, these guys will improve? Brandon Ewing as a freshman took us to the MWC championship game. His running mate was a sophmore (Brad Jones).

You think we have anything like that now? This group will get us nothing but play-in games. Contrary to the popular opinion on this board, this guy cannot recruit for #hit!

Mon Feb 08, 2010 1:40 pm

Bladerunner is absolutely correct. We have exactly 2 Division 1 ball players as we speak, Waddell and Jackson. Beyond that, none of this roster would be playing for another team in the Mountain West. We hear all about what great athletes we have on this roster, but I really don't see any athleticism out of this group. Long and lean players don't equate to athleticism much less basketball skills. We also hear about how young this team is and that the future is bright. Bullsh!t. Every team in this conference is young and we ain't going to catch the teams above us with this rag tag bunch. UW has the worst basketball talent, worst basketball IQ, worst recruiting, and worst coaching in the Mountain West right now. Nothing is going to change that without new leadership and new direction.

Mon Feb 08, 2010 2:21 pm

I know it is the "in-thing" to pile on at this point, but come on guys. M'Baye became eligible about 10 games ago. He has had some growing pains, but he has also shown signs he can be a good player. Same with Bouedo. Both are essentially true freshman. Can anybody tell me more than 2 true freshman who were big time players their freshman year?

Thiam has game, but is a little timid at times. He can handle the ball and can hit a jumper or two.

Add is Waddell and Jackson, and yes, we do have some players we can build around.

Mon Feb 08, 2010 3:07 pm

bladerunnr wrote:I have misjudged talent before. Waddell has improved a great deal from last year. I didn't see it in him. But I'm continually amazed at those on this board who think we have "talent to build on". Mbaye has shown no skills regarding ball handling, defense, or shooting. He's a terrible foul shooter. Thiam has simply disappeared this year. He was better last year. Harrison has also shown nothing. Luster probably would not play or see significant minutes on any other team in the league. Nor would Sylla. Jackson is a good penetrator and ball handler but he cannot shoot from the field or the free throw line. THIS is what we're building on?

What do you expect from true freshman? Beside Straight and Ewing, I can't think of one other former player who excelled their true freshman year. Give them at least until next year until we cast them off as being useless.

By the way, every team has injuries. Arguably csu's best player, Jesse Carr, has missed the entire season with a stress fracture. He has more ability than anyone we have.

Don't agree. He is a good player, but doesn't have more ability than anyone we have. I'd say losing Afam was much worse for the Pokes than CSU losing Carr. Afam was FOY and the reason we beat SDSU this year. While not always a team player, he has the good Carr doesn't. Jackson is now showing he does too.

Schroyer will have to bring in a whole new team next year for us to be competitive. You think just by getting a year older, these guys will improve? Brandon Ewing as a freshman took us to the MWC championship game. His running mate was a sophmore (Brad Jones).

I don't agree and think we do have some players to build around. But, something needs to change. I would also like to point out that team led by Ewing and Jones had a losing record and a few upperclassmen to help. This team has Dermody. Big difference.

You think we have anything like that now? This group will get us nothing but play-in games. Contrary to the popular opinion on this board, this guy cannot recruit for #hit!