DLARAMIE, Wyo. (Jan. 24, 2018) – The Wyoming Cowboys fended off No. 23 Nevada by a tally of 104-103 on Wednesday evening in Arena-Auditorium for the Pokes' first win against a ranked opponent since downing No. 25 Boise State in the MW Tournament in 2015. Junior guard Justin James scored a career-high 33 points, as he celebrated his 21st birthday with the win. "Give credit to Nevada and Coach Muss (Eric Musselman)," Wyoming head coach Allen Edwardssaid. "They're a heck of a team. We knew we had to come out and give them the best punch we could to come away with the win. Our guys hung in there and sustained their level of play. I commended our guys afterward, because I think we got down four points at one point in one of the overtimes. Obviously, H.D.'s (Hayden Dalton) three-point shot was big down the stretch, and Cody's (Kelley) pass to Al (Herndon) down low for a bucket was big. Free throws late were also big for us. It was another one of those group efforts that made it possible for us to come away with the win." Wednesday's game also marked the first home win against a ranked opponent since downing No. 5 San Diego State on Feb. 11, 2014. The Pokes have won five of their last six home games against ranked foes dating back to 2012. Wyoming moves to 13-7 overall and 4-3 in the conference with the Wolf Pack falling to 18-4 and 7-1 in the league. "The crowd definitely helped us tonight," Edwards said. "I'm always bragging about our atmosphere here for home games. When the student section shows up the way they showed up tonight with all of our regulars, it is special. Down the stretch when Nevada missed some free throws, I thought our crowd got really, really loud and had an affect on Nevada and gave our guys energy. I am excited our fans were here to experience this tonight. I know it was a late game -- it's already after midnight. We thank them all for coming out." Wyoming is 4-0 this season in overtime, as they certainly have garnered the nickname the Heart Attack Kids. Wyoming's 104 points were the most for the Cowboys since pouring in 123 points against Adams State on Jan. 2, 2010. James led all scorers with a career-high 33 points. He drained a career-high 14 field goals on 22 attempts for his third 30-plus scoring game of the season. He added in 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the year. Senior forward Hayden Dalton poured in 25 points, including a perfect 8-of-8 at the free throw line. It was the first game with two Pokes scoring 25-plus points since Feb. 15, 1996. Senior forward Alan Herndon matched James' 10 rebounds and tacked on eight points. Freshman Hunter Maldonado added 13 points for back-to-back double digit scoring games for the first time in his young career. The Pokes shot 48 percent from the field on the night including 70 percent in overtime. Wyoming held Nevada to 43 percent from the field and 33 percent from behind the arc. Wyoming dominated the glass with 46 rebounds and holding Nevada to 37. The Wolf Pack went 30-of-38 from the line with the Pokes hitting a season-high 34 freebies. Nevada was 25-of-27 from the line in regulation. The Pokes raced out to an early 10-0 lead on the Wolf Pack in the first three minutes of the first half. UW used back-to-back threes from James and Maldonado and went to the paint with points from Herndon and James. The Wolf Pack went on a 14-4 run to tie the contest at 14-14. The Martin twins led the comeback combing for 12 points in the opening seven minutes. Nevada enjoyed a brief two-point lead until six straight points from senior guard Louis Adams gave UW a 20-16 lead with 11:53 left in the half. The two teams exchanged the lead over the next six minutes until Jordan Caroline scored four-straight points to give Nevada a 33-31 lead, as the Pokes went scoreless for nearly four minutes until redshirt-sophomore Brodricks Jones hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at 33-33 with 2:20 left in the frame. James closed out the half on a 5-0 run himself with a steal and thunderous fast-break slam that brought the Cowboy student section into a frenzy. He followed that with a deep three pointer to give UW a 38-35 halftime lead. The Pokes opened the second half on a 6-0 run to take a 44-35 lead on the Wolf Pack. Sophomore guard Cody Kelley opened the half with a triple, with Herndon adding a freebie and Dalton with a layup in the opening minutes of the half. The Cowboys went without a field goal for nearly six minutes that allowed the Wolf Pack to come within one at 51-50 with 12:49 left in the half. Nevada would take the lead at 55-54 on a pair of free throws from Hollis Cook with 11:10 left in the second frame. To that point in the contest the Wolf Pack were a perfect 16-of-16 from the free throw line. The Pokes went on a 9-0 run after that to build a 63-55 lead with 9:08 left in the contest. The run was highlighted by five free throws including a three-point play from James, as he went over 20 points in the contest. The Wolf Pack battled to tie the contest at 72-72 on a jumper in the paint from Caroline with four minutes left in the contest. The Pokes went 1-of-8 from the field late in the half, but James tied the game with a layup with 21 seconds left making it a 74-74 game. Both teams had a shot late, but failed to convert sending the game into overtime. The two teams exchanged blows to open the first overtime period, but a three point play by Caleb Martin off a Cowboy turnover gave the Wolf Pack an 84-81 lead with 2:14 left. The Pokes battled back in the final minute with four points from Adams to give UW an 89-88 lead with 21 seconds left. Caroline tied the game with a free throw and each team once again got a chance to take the game, but the same result as regulation led to a second extra frame. Another back-and-forth affair was on display in the second overtime, but the Pokes built a four-point lead on a Dalton triple from the corner for a 98-94 lead with 1:31 remaining. He would later give UW a six-point advantage on a pair of free throws, as the Pokes hit the century mark for the first time this season. Free throws from redshirt-junior guard Nyaires Redding and Adams pushed the lead to 104-100. Nevada sank a late triple, but time expired to give the Pokes to 104-103 win. Caroline led the Wolf Pack with 29 points on 9-of-22 shooting and 9-of-11 at the charity stripe. He also led Nevada with nine rebounds. Cody Martin added 27 off the bench, sinking 8-of-16 shots, and dished out a game-high six assists. The Cowboys return to action on Saturday heading to San Jose State to take on the Spartans at 3 p.m. MT on the Mountain West Network.
Back to back 30+ James Leads Wyoming to 90-86 Overtime Win at San Jose State JOSE, Calif. - Junior guard Justin James tied his career-high with 33 points to lead the Pokes (14-7 overall, 5-3 MW) to a 90-86 overtime win in the Events Center in San Jose, Calif. on Saturday afternoon. It marked the fifth overtime win for Wyoming this season, a school record. It was also the second-straight overtime game for the first time since the 2014-15 season. "It speaks volumes about our conference and how tough it is playing on the road no matter how much you're up or down," UW head coach Allen Edwards said. "Our guys have shown good character by being able to withstand punches from our opponents and finding a way to win. Again, I give their coach great credit for what he's done with this program. They're tough at home and he's doing a great job. I'm just glad we had the opportunity to get one on the road." James scored 33 points tying his career-high he poured in on Wednesday against Nevada. It is the first 30 point performance by a Poke in back-to-back games since Josh Adams in 2015-16. He was 12-of-20 from the field and 11-of-12 from the free throw line. The Pokes bench added 37 points with senior guard Louis Adams adding 13 points and fellow senior guard Alexander Aka Gorskipouring in 11 points. "You always try to find a bright spot when you get a win on the road," Edwards said. "We found a way to win despite some players having maybe their worst games of the season. It was good to see [Alex] Aka Gorski make some shots, and obviously Louis Adams did a great job as well." The Pokes shot 44 percent from the field with the Spartans shooting 48 percent. The Pokes forced 21 turnovers tying for the second most this season. The Pokes were 21-of-27 from the charity stripe for 78 percent. James opened the contest scoring the first five points for the Pokes and assisted on another bucket to give UW a 7-4 lead in the opening minutes. But one of the MW's top scores in Ryan Welage scored five straight points for SJSU for a 9-7 lead. The Pokes and Spartans would battle until a 12-0 run by the Cowboys saw UW build a 29-16 lead. Four different Pokes scored during the run with all of the players coming off the bench. The run lasted over three and a half minutes. Wyoming would build the lead to 16 points at 36-20 with 5:15 left in the half. James got to double-figures during the run, as it was a part of a defensive stand that saw UW hold the Spartans to 1-of-10 from the field. The Cowboys went into the half with a 47-33 lead. The UW bench poured in 29 points in the opening frame, as UW shot 49 percent from the field in the first half in back-to-back games. The Pokes offense started slow in the opening four minutes of the second half going 2-of-8 from the field. But the Cowboys forced three turnovers to open the half to still enjoy a 51-39 advantage. SJSU used a 9-2 run on the Pokes to pull within seven points at 53-46 with under 14 minutes left in the contest. Both teams were already in the double bonus nine minutes in to second half. Welage cut the lead to five points on an and-one play to make it 62-57, but freshman guard Hunter Maldonado hit a triple to push the lead back to eight at 65-57 with under 10 minutes remaining. Sophomore Andrew Moemeka and Maldonado helped the Pokes build the lead back to as much as eight points again with six minutes left, but Welage and the Spartans pulled within one point on a 7-0 run to make it a 73-72 game with 3:17 left in the game. A dunk from senior forward Alan Herndon gave UW a 75-72 lead, but Welage tied the game at 75-75 with a triple with 1:44 remaining. Neither team could find the bucket until Justin James threw down a dunk with five seconds remaining, but Jalen James, who Justin James recorded the steal on went the length of the court to tie the game at 77-77 with under a second left and send the game to overtime. Both teams exchanged punches in overtime with James giving UW the upper hand to make it an 82-80 game only to be responded with a tough layup by Ashtin Chastain halfway through the extra period. James added a layup with 2:04 left for an 86-84 game. James then added a smooth jumper for a 88-84 contest late and UW finished the game off for the 90-86 win. Wyoming continues their road swing next Wednesday heading to Colorado State for the second edition of the 'Border War'. That contest is set for a 7 p.m. start on AT&T SportsNet.
JUSTIN JAMES NAMED MOUNTAIN WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK Junior guard Justin James was named the Mountain West Player of the Week on Monday. It is the second time this season that he has earned the award and third time this year a Wyoming player has garnered the honor, as Hayden Dalton won after his performance in the season opener. James scored a career-high 33 points in a pair of overtime wins last week. He now ranks 26th in career scoring at Wyoming with 1,126 career points. James shot 59 percent from the field for the week and averaged nine rebounds per game. James helped lead the Cowboys past No. 23 Nevada on Wednesday, as he hit a career-high 14 field goals and grabbed 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. He shot 64 percent from the field against the Wolf Pack. Against San Jose State, James scored nine of the Pokes' 13 points in overtime to help UW move to 5-0 in extra time this season. He also went 9-of-12 from the free throw line and dished out five assists. Wyoming continues their road swing next Wednesday heading to Colorado State for the second edition of the 'Border War'. That contest is set for a 7 p.m. start on AT&T SportsNet.
Wyoming's Justin James and Hayden Daltonhave been named All-District 17, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced Tuesday. James was a First Team selection with Dalton garnering Second Team honors. The award is voted on by member coaches of the NABC. James, a native of Port Saint Lucie, Fla., was a First Team All-Mountain West selection this season averaging 18.9 points per game to go along with 6.0 rebounds per night and 3.1 assists per game. In conference play, James averaged 20.8 points per game ranking second in the MW. James scored 20 or more points 15 times this season including a career-high 33 points on two occasions. He shot 48 percent from the field going 207-of-430. James recorded six double-doubles on the season scoring 20 or more points in all six performances. Dalton, a native of Parker, Colo., was a Second Team All-MW selection by the league's coaches and First Team by media members from around the conference. Dalton averaged 17.7 points per game to go along with a team-high 7.8 rebounds per game. Dalton led the team with 85 three pointers for fifth in single-season history at Wyoming. Dalton scored 20 or more points 15 times this season including a career-high 36 points against San Diego State in the MW opener on Dec. 27. He led the Pokes with eight double-doubles on the season. District 17 First Team Chandler Hutchison, Boise State Caleb Martin, Nevada Justin James, Wyoming Deshon Taylor, Fresno State Jordan Caroline, Nevada Second Team Hayden Dalton, Wyoming Brandon McCoy, UNLV Shakur Juiston, UNLV Koby McEwen, Utah State Ryan Welage, San Jose State
James to Test NBA Draft Process He has until May 30 to remove his name Justin Jamesannounced on Monday that he has submitted papers for early entry to the 2018 NBA Draft to test the process and determine interest of NBA franchises. James has not hired an agent, leaving the door open for a return to the Cowboys for the 2018-19 season. James has until May 30 to remain in or remove his name from the draft "This has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid and I have to thank my coaches and teammates that helped put me in this situation," James said. "There is definitely a long road ahead of me, but this is the first step in the right direction and I'm excited for the opportunity to show my talents to NBA scouts." "This is a tremendous opportunity for Justin and the program to be put in this situation," UW head coach Allen Edwards said. "It shines a positive light on some of the things we are doing here. If he is not ready the option of coming back and being a part of this team helps him long term in knowing what he needs to do to get to that level of play. Last year, Chandler Hutchison at Boise State went through the same process and knowing coach Leon Rice at Boise State and having his input on the process and the positives was a great asset in the decision. This whole process will benefit Justin long term and benefit the program." James, a native of Port Saint Lucie, Fla., was a First Team All-Mountain West selection and was named All-District by the National Association of Basketball Coaches averaging 18.9 points per game to go along with 6.0 rebounds per night and 3.1 assists per game. In conference play, James averaged 20.8 points per game ranking second in the MW. James scored 20 or more points 15 times this season including a career-high 33 points on two occasions. He shot 48 percent from the field going 207-of-430. James recorded six double-doubles on the season scoring 20 or more points in all six performances.
JAMES SET TO RETURN TO COWBOYS FOR SENIOR SEASON LARAMIE, Wyo. (May 30, 2018) – University of Wyoming guard Justin Jameswill return to the Cowboys for his senior season. James filed the paper work to withdraw his name from the NBA Draft Wednesday, and will now prepare for his final collegiate season. "I'm extremely excited to announce I will be returning to Wyoming for my senior season," James said. "I'm very grateful for the opportunities and feedback I have received from NBA executives over the last month. But now I will focus on leading the Brown and Gold in competing for a Mountain West Championship in my final season." James announced he was declaring for the NBA Draft on March 26, without signing with an agent. He participated in private workouts with numerous NBA franchises before deciding to return to Wyoming. "I received some very promising feedback from around the NBA," James said. "I will continue to grow my game here in Laramie and put myself in position to live my dream and play at the next level following one more season playing for the Cowboys."
Cowboy Cagers Tabbed Seventh in MW Preseason Poll James Named to Preseason All-MW Team Justin James was named to the Preseason All-MW team. Nevada was tabbed the preseason favorite to win the 2018-19 regular-season title by capturing 18 of 19 first-place votes for 207 points. San Diego State received 181 points to finish second with one first-place votes, followed by New Mexico with 153 points for third place. Boise State received 139 points to finish fourth, followed by Fresno State (138 points) and UNLV (122). The Pokes garnered 88 points for seventh, Colorado State collected 80 points for eighth. Utah State (78), Air Force (42) and San Jose State (19) rounded out the poll. Nevada senior guard Caleb Martin was named the MW Preseason Player of the Year, while Nevada freshman Jordan Brown is the Freshman of the Year. New Mexico's Vance Jackson was named the Newcomer of the Year. The Preseason All-MW team features James for the second-straight season. James was a First Team All-Mountain West selection this season averaging 18.9 points per game to go along with 6.0 rebounds per night and 3.1 assists per game. In conference play, James averaged 20.8 points per game ranking second in the MW. James scored 20 or more points 15 times this season including a career-high 33 points on two occasions. He has 1,355 career points with the Cowboys, as the senior has averaged 13.7 points per game in his career. Others on the Preseason All-MW team include Jordan Caroline, Caleb Martin and Cody Martin of Nevada along with Fresno State's Deshon Taylor. The Cowboys faceoff against Colorado Christian on Thursday, Nov. 1 in an exhibition game in the Arena-Auditorium, before tipping off the regular season against UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday, Nov. 6 in Laramie. Fans can purchase season tickets by calling the Wyoming Athletics Ticket Office at (307) 766-7220 or going online at GoWyo.com. 2018-19 Preseason All-Conference Team: Jordan Caroline, Nevada Deshon Taylor, Fresno State Caleb Martin, Nevada Justin James, Wyoming Cody Martin, Nevada 2018-19 Preseason Player of the Year: Caleb Martin, Nevada 2018-19 Preseason Freshman of the Year: Jordan Brown, Nevada 2018-19 Preseason Newcomer of the Year: Vance Jackson, New Mexico 2018-19 Preseason Predicted Order of Finish: School Points (First-Place Votes) Nevada 207 (18) San Diego State 188 (1) New Mexico 153 Boise State 139 Fresno State 138 UNLV 122 Wyoming 88 Colorado State 80 Utah State 78 Air Force 42 San Jose State 19 It’s time for Justin to step up and be someone on the hardwood. Go Wyo!
Cowboys Have Nice Mix of Veterans and Newcomers Pokes open season on Thursday Allen Edwards said. "I thought we really used the eight weeks in the preseason to get better. Our guys are excited to get to work in preparation for the season." Wyoming returns two starters and five letterwinners from last season. The Pokes welcomed nine new players to the lineup this season. That group includes a redshirt, three junior college players and five prep school freshmen. "This group is very balanced on both sides of the ball," Edwards said. "When I look at our size, length and ability we have players that are capable scorers, but also have ability and athleticism on the defensive end. As we prepare for the season is to take advantage of the opportunities to season themselves at this level of basketball." Edwards became the only coach in Cowboy history to win at least 20 games in his first two seasons as head coach. Wyoming was once again a potent offense last season averaging 79.8 points per game, as UW hit 304 three pointers for the third-most in school history. Wyoming also tied an NCAA record a season ago going 6-0 in overtime joining Chattanooga (1989) to go 6-0 in overtime in a single season. James and Returners Set Tone Wyoming returns two starters in senior guard Justin James and sophomore guard Hunter Maldonado. James was a First Team All-Mountain West selection last season averaging 18.9 points per game to go along with 6.0 rebounds per night and 3.1 assists per game. In conference play, James averaged 20.8 points per game ranking second in the MW. James scored 20 or more points 15 times this season including a career-high 33 points on two occasions. Maldonado averaged 5.3 points per game and 2.2 rebounds per night. "I think we have a good mixture of veterans and new players entering the program," Edwards said. "I thought the veterans did a good job of setting the tone and leading. The new guys did a good job of understanding that they needed to learn our philosophy and culture." Other returners include senior guard Nyaires Redding (3.7 PPG, 1.3 APG), senior forward Jordan Naughton (2.0 PPG, 1.2 RPG) and sophomore forward Austin Mueller (1.1 PPG, 0.5 RGP). Redshirt freshman Hunter Thompson earned valuable experience last season redshirting for the Cowboys. "With having Justin James back, he leads this team with what we have developed. I'm very excited about the development of Hunter Maldonado and having guys like Nyaires (Redding) and a healthy Jordan Naughton and a glue guy like Austin Mueller. The excitement of Hunter Thompson, just excited with what this team is capable of doing." Eight newcomers Edwards added eight newcomers to the 2018-19 roster in the offseason. Wyoming added three junior college players: A.J. Banks (Pratt CC, Kan.); He averaged 11.2 points per game last season in 25 games. Banks added three rebounds per game and 3.3 assists per game. Jake Hendricks (College of Southern Idaho); He set the CSI school record in career three pointers with 191. This past season, Hendricks averaged 12.7 points per game adding 3.8 rebounds per night. Lwal Dung (Neosho CC, Kan.); He averaged 12.1 points per game last season at Neosho County. He averaged 7.0 rebounds per game to rank fourth in the Jayhawk Conference. Five Prep School Players are Featured on Roster: Wyoming added five prep school players to the roster. Bradley Belt (Washington Academy); . Belt is ranked as a three-star recruit by Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports. Tariq Johnson (Mt. Zion Prep); He received scholarship offers from East Tennessee State, Siena, Wagner and James Madison. Brandon Porter (Washington Academy); At Washington Academy, Porter added 23 points per game to go along with 8.7 rebounds per night this past season. Trevon "TJ" Taylor (Hillcrest Prep); He was also recruited by Utah State, New Mexico, Weber State and San Francisco. Trace Young (MT. Zion Prep) Coming out of high school, Young had recruiting interest from DePaul, Kansas State, UMass, South Florida, Texas Tech and USC. "It was a calculated decision by our staff to get players that were removed from high school," Edwards said. "We have guys that are older by age. They understand that the competition and the speed of the game is faster and they are adjusting well." The Schedule Wyoming will host seven non-conference home contests paired up with nine home conference match ups. The Pokes will also play non-conference tournaments at the Fort Myers Tip-Off and the Sun Bowl Invitational hosted by UTEP. "Every year as we approach scheduling we want it to be competitive and I think that it can only help a program long term," Edwards said. "I think one of the things we look for in the schedule is a chance for our guys to get better. We are excited for the non-conference schedule to get us ready for the tough conference slate." The non-conference schedule is highlighted by South Carolina visiting the Arena-Auditorium on Wednesday, Dec. 5. South Carolina made the Final Four in 2017. In fact, the Gamecocks were the last team from the Southeastern Conference to play in the Arena-Auditorium, as Wyoming defeated South Carolina 77-63 on Dec. 19, 2002. "To be able to have South Carolina come here into our building is something special," Edwards said. "Coach Martin is a mentor of mine and for him to come out here and give our fans an opportunity to come out and support against a team of that quality is special." Other non-conference home contests include the season opener on Tuesday, Nov. 6 against UC Santa Barbara. The Pokes will also host Grambling State on Wednesday, Nov. 14 and Niagara on Friday, Nov. 16. In the month on December, Wyoming welcomes regional foes Northern Colorado on Saturday, Dec. 1 and Denver on Tuesday, Dec. 11. Wyoming closes the non-conference schedule with Dixie State on Saturday, Dec. 29. The Pokes will visit Oregon State for the second-straight season on Saturday, Nov. 10. Wyoming will play at Evansville as a part of the Mountain West/Missouri Valley Conference Challenge on Nov. 28. The Cowboys will play in the Sun Bowl Invitational from Dec. 21-22. Teams at the invitational include: UTEP, East Tennessee State and Norfolk State. Wyoming is also slated to play in a tournament Thanksgiving week with a site, opponent and time to be announced. Wyoming will also take part in the Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans Fort Myers Tip-Off from Nov. 19-21. The Pokes will face Boston College in the opener and face either Final Four participant Loyola-Chicago or Richmond in the second game. The Pokes open the conference schedule by hosting Boise State on Wednesday, Jan. 2. Key contests in the Arena-Auditorium in conference play include Saturday match ups against Utah State (Jan. 12), Colorado State (Feb. 9) and MW Regular Season Champion and Sweet 16 participants Nevada (Feb. 16). The Pokes only face the Wolf Pack once this season. Wyoming closes out the home schedule with back-to-back Saturday home games against Air Force on March 2 and New Mexico on March 9. The Cowboy road slate opens at UNLV on Saturday, Jan. 5 and follows with the Pokes' only meeting with San Diego State on Wednesday, Jan. 9. Other road highlights include a Saturday match up at New Mexico on Jan. 19. The Pokes follow that trip up the following Saturday (Jan. 26) at Boise State. The Cowboys will also play a Saturday contest at Colorado State for the final "Border War" match up of the season on Feb. 23. Wyoming will make a run at a MW tournament title on March 13-16 at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The first round will be contested on Wednesday, March 13, followed by the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 14, the semifinals on Friday, March 15 and the title game on Saturday. The players according to Edwards The following is Coach Edwards' player-by-player analysis of the 2018-19 lineup: Seniors Justin James • Guard "Justin (James) was great this summer and has really worked on his body. He did a great job being a leader with coaching up the new guys. He has taken steps as a leader and continued to develop his skills."
Cowboys Welcome UCSB for 2018-19 Season Opener Contest will be televised on AT&T SportsNet at 9:00 Ch. 639 Needless to say, I’m pretty jacked for this year!
