Cowboy Basketball Team Starts Practicing

The Wyoming Cowboy Basketball Team officially starts preparing for the 2014-2015 with a two-hour practice today.

Team practices will be closed to the public and the media until renovations to the Arena-Auditorium are completed. Tuesday is the first day the NCAA allows regular team practices for the upcoming basketball season.

Last year's team finished 18-15 overall and 9-9 in Mountain West play, good for fifth place in one of the country;s better basketball conferences. This year's team will feature  four returning starters--Larry Nance Jr., Riley Grabau, Josh Adams and Derek Cooke Jr. Coach Larry Shyatt says he is pleased with the attitude and unselfishness he sees from his players so far.

Nance was named to the All-Mountain West First Team, and All-MW Defensive Team. despite suffering a season-ending injury February 18. Grabau had a great shooting season from his guard position, shooting 42 percent from the field, 42 percent from beyond the arc and 89 percent from the free throw line.

Senior Guard Charles Hankerson Jr. may join the returning players as the fifth starter after being the top guard off the bench last year.

Wyoming opens it's season at home against Northern Colorado on November 16th.