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Cowboys Looking to Slow Down the Lobos in Big Mountain West Clash

Mason Riding by Mason Riding0

Tomorrow’s Mountain West matchup between the Wyoming Cowboys and New Mexico Lobos is going to be a clash between night and day, comparable to mixing oil and water.

That’s how different these two teams are.

The statistics back it up, as well. According to teamrankings.com, New Mexico is the third fastest paced team in the nation, averaging around 79 possessions per game. Wyoming, in contrast, ranks 326th in the nation in pace, only averaging around 67 possessions per game.

Even yet, that’s not where head coach Sundance Wicks wants his team at.

“We’re creeping closer to those 360s, that’s the goal here,” Wicks said.

For reference, there are only 364 teams competing at a D-I level in college basketball. That is just how slow Wicks wants his team to play.

Playing as one of the four slowest teams in the nation is going to be a monumental task with the Lobos coming to town, however.

Get to know New Mexico

As mentioned, the Lobos are one of the fastest teams in the nation. Their offensive numbers back up that pace of play, as well, as the Lobos currently rank ninth in the nation in scoring offense, averaging around 87 points per game.

Again, if you compare that to the Cowboys (and the comparison is once again VERY stark), you’ll find yet another night and day difference–as the Cowboys rank only 256th in the nation in points per game, averaging only 71.9 points per game.

The Lobos will be looking to speed the Cowboys up defensively and disrupt their half-court offense by generating turnovers, and taking care of the basketball has definitely been something the Cowboys have struggled with this season, as they average 13.5 turnovers per game–which ranks them just at 299th in the nation. Wicks knows his team will have to take care of the ball if they want a chance against the Lobos, who force an average of 16.6 turnovers per game–good for 12th in the nation.

“Ultimately, I think that comes down to our ability to either take care of the basketball and make good decisions in the half court [and] handle some of their pressure,” Wicks said of keeping the possessions down.

The Lobos are led by Donovan Dent, who currently leads the Mountain West in both scoring and assists per game. While Wicks did note guarding the talented junior point guard will be a handful, he didn’t elude much to their true game plan to stop him.

“I think what he’s really good at is getting into the paint, and when he gets into the paint, that’s where he makes a lot of his plays, that’s where he’s most productive.” Wicks said.

While Dent seems like a good three point shooter on paper–he shoots around 40% from beyond the arc–that’s only because he isn’t a high volume three point shooter. Dent has only made nine of 22 attempts from beyond the arc–and that’s because of what Wicks said: most of his damage is done in the paint.

Furthermore, limiting one of Dent’s top running mates in the paint, Nelly Junior Joseph, will also be a crucial key to the Cowboys finding a win. Joseph, who averages a double-double, leads the Mountain West in rebounding and might prove to be a thorn in the Cowboys’ side, seeing as they’ve struggled against talented big men this season–see the performance of ex-Lobo J.T. Toppin when the Cowboys played Texas Tech, for example.

“He’s big, he’s athletic, he blocks two shots a game. He’s a load,” Wicks said.

The Lobos come to Laramie with tons of momentum, currently holding a 4-0 record in conference play after they defeated Nevada in an overtime thriller off a miraculous buzzer beater.

How will the Cowboys’ chances fare if Obi Agbim isn’t available?

If you were looking for good news on the Obi Agbim injury front, then you might just want to cover your eyes here and hope for the best come tomorrow.

At this point, that’s what this Cowboys’ staff is doing as well.

“It’s still day-to-day,” Wicks said of Agbim’s status. “We’ll see how he laces up tomorrow and gets in practice.” 

Wicks also mentioned it comes down to how Agbim perceives himself to come time–but knowing Agbim, he’s likely to want to be out there competing for his team in a huge contest such as this.

Still, even if Agbim is ready to go, the Cowboys will need some big performances from the rest of their supporting cast if they are to find a win. And if the Cowboys’ road win at Air Force is telling of anything, it’s that some of that supporting cast is beginning to find its footing.

AJ Wills, who never came out of the game once against Air Force, manned the point guard position at a high level and handled the ball well against Air Force’s pressure. The Cowboys will need him not only to handle the pressure, but score against the Lobos, especially if Agbim isn’t ready to go.

“He’s got some good wiggle, I think he can defeat a hard hedge, which is rare. He can hunt a hip and defeat a hard hedge and kind of blow up some of that ball screen coverage,” Wicks said of Wills’ emerging skillset. “I think, tomorrow, he’s really going to have to showcase his ability to get through that first line of defense and then kind of crack the shell and make plays for others.”

Matija Belic, who missed the Cowboys’ first nine games of the season with an injury, has really begun to come into his own of late. He had 13 points against Air Force, his career high against a D-I opponent. His ability to score has brought a new dimension to the Cowboys’ offense, something Wicks has noted.

The shooting of Dontaie Allen and Kobe Newton also needs to come on strong as the Cowboys’ progress in conference play, as the two combined for 8/9 shooting from deep against Air Force, despite the two struggling with consistency from beyond the arc all season.

With all these factors at play, the Cowboys certainly have a shot against the Lobos. Just prepare yourself for yet another rough, gritty and definitely not pretty contest on the high plains, as this one will be a battle no matter what the end result is.

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