Wyoming Cowboys men's basketball
Encyclopedia
The University of Wyoming
men's basketball program, which currently competes in the Mountain West Conference
, has a lengthy tradition dating back to 1905. Cowboys fans can claim something that few other teams' fans can: an NCAA Championship, won in 1943
under Hall of Fame coach Everett Shelton
and behind star guard Ken Sailors
, who pioneered the jump shot that is now the standard in basketball
. Among other star players that played at Wyoming, there are Theo Ratliff
, Flynn Robinson
, Reggie Slater
, Fennis Dembo
, and Tony Windis
. Wyoming has made a total of 14 appearances in the NCAA Tournament
, though the closest it has come to the lofty heights of the 1943 team was a Sweet 16 appearance in 1987
. Since the Mountain West was formed in 1999, Wyoming has won two conference titles, including an outright championship in 2002. Prior to that, Wyoming won five championships in the Western Athletic Conference
, eight championships in the Skyline Conference, and one championship in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
.
After Witte stepped down in 1939, Everett Shelton
took over the team and went on to become the winningest coach in Wyoming history in his 19 years in Laramie. Although Shelton went just 6–10 in his first season, his teams would win 20 or more games seven times during his career. In 1943, the Cowboys went 31–2 and won the NCAA Tournament
. That team was led by Ken Sailors
, who scored 16 points in the championship game victory over Georgetown
on his way to being named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. In addition, Sailors was named college basketball's Player of the Year in 1943 and again in 1946 after returning from fighting in World War II
. In all, the Cowboys made eight NCAA tournament appearances under Shelton, though they only won one game aside from the three-game run in 1943.
After Shelton retired in 1959, Wyoming basketball lay dormant for some time. Including Shelton's last four campaigns as head coach, the Cowboys endured nine consecutive losing seasons from 1956 to 1964. Coach Bill Strannigan, who succeeded Shelton, had just six winning seasons in fourteen years as head coach and made one NCAA Tournament appearance in 1967
in which the Cowboys were handed a lopsided loss at the hands of eventual national champion UCLA and its All-American center Lew Alcindor, who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Again from 1971 through 1978, the Cowboys had one winning season, a 17–10 campaign under Don DeVoe
in 1976–77.
In 1978, Jim Brandenburg became the Cowboys' head coach and the program experienced a resurgence. In his nine seasons, Wyoming did not have a single losing season and made four NCAA Tournament appearances. In 1981, the Cowboys were 24–6 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament
. In addition to being the Cowboys' first tournament appearance since 1967, it was their first 20-win season since 1952–53 and first NCAA Tournament victory since 1952. After guiding the Cowboys to the Sweet 16 in 1987
, however, Brandenburg left the Cowboys to become the coach at conference rival San Diego State
. He was replaced by Benny Dees
, who went 26–6 in his first year with the Cowboys and returned them to the NCAA Tournament where they lost in the first round of the 1988 NCAAs to Loyola-Marymount.
Larry Shyatt
went 19–9 in 1997–98, his only season in Laramie before becoming the head coach at Clemson University
. After his departure, Steve McClain
took over the head coaching job and had three consecutive 20-win seasons from 2001 to 2003, including conference titles in 2001 and 2002 and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2002
. On March 22, 2007, Wyoming hired former Portland State
head coach Heath Schroyer
to become its next head coach. Shyatt was hired yet again as Wyoming's head coach after the 2010–11 season ended due to the firing of Heath Schroyer
. The 2010–11 team's top two scorers left the program afterwards, with Desmar Jackson and Amath M'Baye transferring to Southern Illinois University
and the University of Oklahoma
, respectively.
Wyoming's first home court was a small, red brick building known as the "Little Red Gym." That was followed by the Half Acre Gym
, which served as the Cowboys' home from 1925 to 1951 and seated just over 4,000; the Cowboys had a record of 222-44 in the building. The Cowboys moved into War Memorial Fieldhouse
in 1951 and remained there until the Arena-Auditorium
opened in 1982.
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
men's basketball program, which currently competes in the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
, has a lengthy tradition dating back to 1905. Cowboys fans can claim something that few other teams' fans can: an NCAA Championship, won in 1943
1943 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
-External links:* on Shrp Sports * , source for much of the information on this page....
under Hall of Fame coach Everett Shelton
Everett Shelton
Everett F. Shelton was a well-known college men's basketball coach in the 1940s and 1950s. Shelton played quarterback for the Phillips University football team. The Cunningham, Kansas native coached 46 years at the high school, college and AAU levels and compiled an 850-437 record...
and behind star guard Ken Sailors
Ken Sailors
Kenneth L. Sailors is an American former professional basketball player. A guard, he is notable for popularizing the jump shot as an alternative to the two-handed, flat-footed set shot....
, who pioneered the jump shot that is now the standard in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. Among other star players that played at Wyoming, there are Theo Ratliff
Theo Ratliff
Theophilus Curtis Ratliff , better known as Theo Ratliff, is an American professional basketball player who last played with the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers. Primarily a center, he was an excellent shot-blocker who has led the league three times in blocks per game...
, Flynn Robinson
Flynn Robinson
Flynn James Robinson is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'1" guard from the University of Wyoming, Robinson played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association and one season in the now-defunct American Basketball Association...
, Reggie Slater
Reggie Slater
Reginald Dwayne Slater is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'7" forward from the University of Wyoming, Slater was never drafted by an NBA team but did manage to play in 8 NBA seasons from 1994–1999 and 2000-2003...
, Fennis Dembo
Fennis Dembo
Fennis Marx Dembo is a retired American professional basketball player for the 1989 National Basketball Association champion Detroit Pistons. A small forward position, he only played in the NBA for one season, averaging 1.2 points and 0.7 rebounds in 31 games...
, and Tony Windis
Tony Windis
Tony Windis is a former NBA basketball player for the Detroit Pistons. Windis played college basketball at the University of Wyoming, where he ranks 2nd all time in the school's career scoring average with 21.2 ppg. He was drafted with the second pick in the fifth round of the 1959 NBA Draft...
. Wyoming has made a total of 14 appearances in the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
, though the closest it has come to the lofty heights of the 1943 team was a Sweet 16 appearance in 1987
1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1987, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
. Since the Mountain West was formed in 1999, Wyoming has won two conference titles, including an outright championship in 2002. Prior to that, Wyoming won five championships in the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
, eight championships in the Skyline Conference, and one championship in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the western United States, mostly in Colorado with some members in Nebraska and New Mexico...
.
History
The Wyoming basketball program began in 1904 when a group known as the "Laramie Town Team" challenged a team from the university to a basketball game; Wyoming won that game by a score of 17–5. The team became a powerhouse in the 1930s under coach Willard "Dutch" Witte, who led the 1934 Cowboy team to a 26–3 record. In those days before the NCAA Tournament had begun, college basketball's national champion was determined by a set of poll voters for the Helms Foundation, which selected Wyoming as its national champion. Witte coached a total of nine seasons in Laramie and compiled a 134–51 record.After Witte stepped down in 1939, Everett Shelton
Everett Shelton
Everett F. Shelton was a well-known college men's basketball coach in the 1940s and 1950s. Shelton played quarterback for the Phillips University football team. The Cunningham, Kansas native coached 46 years at the high school, college and AAU levels and compiled an 850-437 record...
took over the team and went on to become the winningest coach in Wyoming history in his 19 years in Laramie. Although Shelton went just 6–10 in his first season, his teams would win 20 or more games seven times during his career. In 1943, the Cowboys went 31–2 and won the NCAA Tournament
1943 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
-External links:* on Shrp Sports * , source for much of the information on this page....
. That team was led by Ken Sailors
Ken Sailors
Kenneth L. Sailors is an American former professional basketball player. A guard, he is notable for popularizing the jump shot as an alternative to the two-handed, flat-footed set shot....
, who scored 16 points in the championship game victory over Georgetown
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
on his way to being named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. In addition, Sailors was named college basketball's Player of the Year in 1943 and again in 1946 after returning from fighting in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In all, the Cowboys made eight NCAA tournament appearances under Shelton, though they only won one game aside from the three-game run in 1943.
After Shelton retired in 1959, Wyoming basketball lay dormant for some time. Including Shelton's last four campaigns as head coach, the Cowboys endured nine consecutive losing seasons from 1956 to 1964. Coach Bill Strannigan, who succeeded Shelton, had just six winning seasons in fourteen years as head coach and made one NCAA Tournament appearance in 1967
1967 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1967 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1967, and ended with the championship game on March 25 in Louisville, Kentucky...
in which the Cowboys were handed a lopsided loss at the hands of eventual national champion UCLA and its All-American center Lew Alcindor, who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Again from 1971 through 1978, the Cowboys had one winning season, a 17–10 campaign under Don DeVoe
Don DeVoe
Donald E. "Don" DeVoe is a former American college basketball coach and former player. DeVoe played college basketball for Ohio State University, and later served as the head coach for Virginia Tech, the University of Wyoming, the University of Tennessee, the University of Florida and the U.S...
in 1976–77.
In 1978, Jim Brandenburg became the Cowboys' head coach and the program experienced a resurgence. In his nine seasons, Wyoming did not have a single losing season and made four NCAA Tournament appearances. In 1981, the Cowboys were 24–6 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament
1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1981 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1981, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
. In addition to being the Cowboys' first tournament appearance since 1967, it was their first 20-win season since 1952–53 and first NCAA Tournament victory since 1952. After guiding the Cowboys to the Sweet 16 in 1987
1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1987, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, however, Brandenburg left the Cowboys to become the coach at conference rival San Diego State
San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball
The San Diego State Aztecs basketball team is the basketball team that represent San Diego State University Aztecs in San Diego, California. The school's team currently competes in the Mountain West Conference, and play their home games in Viejas Arena...
. He was replaced by Benny Dees
Benny Dees
Benny Dees is an up and coming DJ star. Born in Sydney, NSW Australia in 1995 he specializes in under 18's music festivals. He has played a such concerts as XOX Parties, Super Nova and soon will be performing at Breakout on the 2/12/2011 and I.D Some time during December.Benny Dees is a retired...
, who went 26–6 in his first year with the Cowboys and returned them to the NCAA Tournament where they lost in the first round of the 1988 NCAAs to Loyola-Marymount.
Larry Shyatt
Larry Shyatt
Larry Shyatt is the men's basketball coach at the University of Wyoming. He previously served as the head coach at the University of Wyoming and Clemson University. He also previously served as an assistant coach at the University of Florida....
went 19–9 in 1997–98, his only season in Laramie before becoming the head coach at Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
. After his departure, Steve McClain
Steve McClain
Steve McClain is an assistant men's basketball coach at Indiana University. He had spent the previous three seasons on the staff at Colorado, including two years as associate head coach ....
took over the head coaching job and had three consecutive 20-win seasons from 2001 to 2003, including conference titles in 2001 and 2002 and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2002
2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 2002, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Atlanta, Georgia...
. On March 22, 2007, Wyoming hired former Portland State
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
head coach Heath Schroyer
Heath Schroyer
Heath Schroyer is an American college basketball coach, currently an assistant under Dave Rice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas...
to become its next head coach. Shyatt was hired yet again as Wyoming's head coach after the 2010–11 season ended due to the firing of Heath Schroyer
Heath Schroyer
Heath Schroyer is an American college basketball coach, currently an assistant under Dave Rice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas...
. The 2010–11 team's top two scorers left the program afterwards, with Desmar Jackson and Amath M'Baye transferring to Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois Salukis men's basketball
The Southern Illinois Salukis basketball team represents Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Carbondale, Illinois. The Salukis compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Salukis are currently coached by Chris Lowery who led the team to the NCAA tournament in 2004 thru 2007. Lowery was...
and the University of Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball
-1908-1980:The Sooners enjoyed moderate success on the court during this era, posting only 16 losing records in their first 72 seasons. They were coached by 9 different coaches during this period, beginning with Bennie Owen , and ending with Dave Bliss in 1980...
, respectively.
Coaching records
| Coach | Seasons | Record |
|---|---|---|
| John Corbett | 1916–24 | 37–41 |
| Stewart Clark | 1925–28 | 43–24 |
| George McLaren | 1929–30 | 28–10 |
| Willard Witte | 1931–39 | 134–51 |
| Everett Shelton | 1940–59 | 328–201 |
| Bill Strannigan | 1960–73 | 179–187 |
| George Radovich | 1974–76 | 24–55 |
| Don DeVoe | 1977–78 | 29–25 |
| Jim Brandenburg | 1979–87 | 176–97 |
| Benny Dees | 1988–93 | 104–77 |
| Joby Wright Joby Wright Joseph Wright is an American former college and professional basketball player who was men's basketball head coach at Miami University and at the University of Wyoming.... |
1994–97 | 53–60 |
| Larry Shyatt | 1998 | 19–9 |
| Steve McClain | 1999–2007 | 157–115 |
| Heath Schroyer Heath Schroyer Heath Schroyer is an American college basketball coach, currently an assistant under Dave Rice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas... |
2008–2011 | 49–68 |
| Larry Shyatt | 2011–present |
Post-season tournaments
| NCAA TOURNAMENT | ||
| Year | Finish | Coach |
| 2002 | Second Round | Steve McClain Steve McClain Steve McClain is an assistant men's basketball coach at Indiana University. He had spent the previous three seasons on the staff at Colorado, including two years as associate head coach .... |
| 1988 | First Round | Benny Dees Benny Dees Benny Dees is an up and coming DJ star. Born in Sydney, NSW Australia in 1995 he specializes in under 18's music festivals. He has played a such concerts as XOX Parties, Super Nova and soon will be performing at Breakout on the 2/12/2011 and I.D Some time during December.Benny Dees is a retired... |
| 1987 | Sweet 16 | Jim Brandenburg |
| 1982 | Second Round | Jim Brandenburg |
| 1981 | Second Round | Jim Brandenburg |
| 1967 | First Round | Bill Strannigan |
| 1958 | First Round | Everett Shelton Everett Shelton Everett F. Shelton was a well-known college men's basketball coach in the 1940s and 1950s. Shelton played quarterback for the Phillips University football team. The Cunningham, Kansas native coached 46 years at the high school, college and AAU levels and compiled an 850-437 record... |
| 1953 | First Round | Everett Shelton |
| 1952 | Elite Eight | Everett Shelton |
| 1949 | First Round | Everett Shelton |
| 1948 | First Round | Everett Shelton |
| 1947 | First Round | Everett Shelton |
| 1943 | Champions | Everett Shelton |
| 1941 | First Round | Everett Shelton |
Arena
The Arena-Auditorium, which seats 15,000, serves as the home court for the Cowboy basketball team. Since its opening in 1982, the Cowboys have enjoyed a strong homecourt advantage at the AA.Wyoming's first home court was a small, red brick building known as the "Little Red Gym." That was followed by the Half Acre Gym
Half Acre Gym
Half Acre Gym was a 4,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Laramie, Wyoming. It opened in 1928. It was home to the University of Wyoming Cowboys basketball team from 1928 until 1951 when it was replaced by the War Memorial Fieldhouse. The size of the arena was about a half acre, hence its name. When...
, which served as the Cowboys' home from 1925 to 1951 and seated just over 4,000; the Cowboys had a record of 222-44 in the building. The Cowboys moved into War Memorial Fieldhouse
War Memorial Fieldhouse
War Memorial Fieldhouse is a 5,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Laramie, Wyoming. It opened in 1951 along with War Memorial Stadium. It was home to the University of Wyoming Cowboys basketball team from 1951 until 1982 when it was replaced by the Arena-Auditorium.Its highest attendance was 10,580...
in 1951 and remained there until the Arena-Auditorium
Arena-Auditorium
Arena-Auditorium is a 15,028-seat multi-purpose arena in Laramie, Wyoming. The arena opened in 1982 and has since been the home of the University of Wyoming Cowboys basketball team, as well as home to the Cowgirls basketball team since 2003...
opened in 1982.