Thiam ready for first action

Richard Anderson photo
Wyoming transfer Djibril Thiam works on defense in a recent practice.

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

Djibril Thiam is an old hand at being patient, even if he really isn’t all of the time.

The transfer from Baylor will play his first game in a Cowboy uniform Saturday as Wyoming hosts Northern Iowa in the second game of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Wyoming Shootout at 3:30 p.m. at the Casper Events Center.

After playing just four games in his freshmen season at Baylor, Thiam suffered a season-ending knee injury. He had to sit and watch the rest of the season. Last year, he played seven games at Baylor before transferring at semester time to Wyoming. More sitting and watching.

Sitting out a full year because of NCAA transfer rules, Thiam sat and watched again this fall in the Cowboys first seven games.

The first semester is now over and Thiam, a 6-foot-10 forward/wing, will now get his chance.

“I sat out my first year at Baylor after I was injured. That was pretty hard. Sitting out again this time was less hard because I experienced it before,” Thiam said. “I just sat down and observed and learned. It was really helpful because, when you transfer, you are not just going to come in and learn the new system right away. Being able to sit out and observe really helped me, knowing what the coaches were looking for and bonding with the team.”

It’s also not like this is Thiam’s first time out at the Division I level -- he played 11 games for Baylor.

“I’ve been playing this game for a while. It’s not like it is my first game or something,” he said. “I’ve been out before with injury and I got back. This is not that new to me. Certainly, it is exciting to play for a new team, Wyoming, being able to play with the guys.”

While Wyoming head coach Heath Schroyer plans to ease Thiam into the game, he’ll still likely get about 25 minutes against Northern Iowa.

“My expectations for him is to just get his feet wet, to find himself and find his rhythm with the team,” Schroyer said. “I’ve told him all week to just relax and just let it come. He’s going to make some mistakes and he’s going to play through some mistakes. There’s no question that when you add Djibril to this team, looking long-term to the rest of the year, that he is obviously going to help us.”

For much of his time at Wyoming, Thiam has practiced with the scout squad. Although he will come off the bench initially, Schroyer has tried this week to mix him in with the first team.

“We’ve tried to make a conscious effort, especially early this week in practice, to give him reps with the brown team, just anticipating this day,” Schroyer said. “I think he is just excited to play. He gives us another dimension. He’s a guy who can really rebound the ball and he’s our most versatile defender.”

Wyoming senior guard Brandon Ewing is also excited to see Thiam on the court when it counts.

“If fans think we are athletic now, just wait until they see Djibril get up and down the court,” Ewing said. “He’s going to add another aspect to our game.”

While Schroyer has mentioned Thiam’s name for much of the season when talking about depth and the future, he said on Thursday to not expect “LeBron James to come in here and turn the world upside down.”

“He’s a sophomore, he sat out for a year,” Schroyer said. “There’s no question that four or five games under his belt, that he is really going to help this basketball team.”

Thiam also said that it will take him some time to get into a rhythm, but he is looking forward to contributing by the time the Mountain West Conference season begins on Jan. 3.

“These first couple of games will definitely help me get the chemistry with the team,” Thiam said. “Off the court, we already have that. I don’t think the basketball chemistry will be too hard.”

To ease Thiam into the game, Ewing said he has a plan.

“What I am going to try to do is get an early steal and get him a dunk, try to get him going that way,” Ewing said.

Thiam has been busy this week, not only with finals and practice, but interviews with the local media.

Is there some pressure on the Senegal native? He doesn’t think so.

“I’ve been playing basketball for a while now. I’ll just go out there and do what I do,” Thiam said.