San Diego State is the class of the Mountain West and they proved it last night in Laramie.  The Aztecs didn't make Sweet 16 last year by accident.  They have a deep, talented roster and a legendary coach.  Wyoming is not on their level...yet.  But the Cowboys still have a legitimate shot to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 13 years...if they can improve in 5 areas.

1.  Protect the Ball - San Diego State's full court pressure forced 13 turnovers and left the Cowboys offense scrambling to beat the shot clock all night.  Wyoming also has a tendency to look for the "highlight reel" play instead of aggressively attacking the basket.

2.  Find a Perimeter Scoring Threat - Larry Nance Jr. and Josh Adams can't do it all.  Riley Grabau has to rediscover his confidence and start knocking down three pointers.  Charlie Hankerson Jr. needs to put it up more too.  His shot isn't pretty, but he can fill it up when he's hot.

3.  Get More Production from the Bench - Last night, Wyoming's bench tallied 0 points, 6 rebounds and 6 fouls.  The glaring lack of depth has forced Larry Shyatt to use a 7 man rotation.  Freshman forward Alan Herndon has the potential to hit mid-range jumpers, but needs to be more assertive.  Same goes for Jason McManamen.

4. Let Josh Adams Run the Point - Adams is a dynamic play maker and he's at his best when he's creating off the dribble.  He needs to have the ball in his hands, especially early in the shot clock.  Opponents will continue to press the Cowboys backcourt until they can attack the defense and turn that pressure into easy baskets.

5. Run More Set Plays To Free Up Nance Jr. in the Post - Larry Nance Jr. is a force in the paint.  However, the Cowboys often struggle to get him the ball, and when they do, he is immediately double teamed.  Larry Shyatt needs to find more ways to feed the beast.  Adding more set plays with backscreens, pick and rolls, hi-low post passes, and isolation could give the team's star player more room to operate.  Nance Jr. could also benefit from going to his left hand more often and adding a fadeaway to his offensive arsenal.

The Mountain West will likely receive between two and four bids to the Tournament.  We know San Diego State will get one of them.  New Mexico and Colorado State will also contend for a March Madness invitation.  Luckily for Wyoming fans, Boise State and UNLV have struggled early on in conference play.  If the Pokes can get more offensive production from the backcourt and the bench, there's still a really good chance that they'll have a date to the Big Dance.

Want to see the cheer on the Cowboys next Saturday when they host New Mexico at the Dome of Doom?

 

 

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