Cowboys ready for Tennessee challenge

by Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

About this time last season, the Wyoming Cowboys went on the road for one of those games a young program can't pass up, when they faced UCLA at historic Pauley Pavilion.

On Tuesday, the Cowboys will get another of those road games, as they take on ninth-rated Tennessee in Knoxville at 5 p.m.

Did the young returning Cowboys learn anything from last year's tough 113-62 loss to the Bruins?

Maybe yes, maybe no. What the Cowboys do know is that they have a tall task ahead once again against one of the better teams in the country.

With that being said, that's just fine with them.

"We know the caliber of this team, so we're going to come out and play hard," UW sophomore center Adam Waddell said. "It's going to be an exciting atmosphere and we're all excited to go and we're all excited to try to make a statement."

Tennessee, who is currently ranked No. 8 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll and No. 9 in the AP Poll, will enter Tuesday’s game with a 7-1 overall record. The Vols have also won three straight games after losing to Purdue (73-72) in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam Championship Game. Those wins have come over College of Charleston (86-69), East Tennessee State (78-66) and Middle Tennessee (75-54).

"You're always getting ready when you are playing the No. 9 team in the country," Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer said. "All of these are experiences that you want to go through and have before you go into league play.

"We're obviously going to have to play very, very well. We're looking forward to the challenge just because it is going into that type of environment. It can do nothing but help these young guys grow up."

While the Tennessee game is the biggest game on the cowboys schedule, as was last year's UCLA contest, that's about where the comparisons end, the Cowboys say.

"That's last year. We have a whole new group of guys, with just a couple who played in that game," Waddell said. "We're going to be ready to go."

Said Schroyer: "They are two different teams that we are playing and two different teams that are in the locker room right now."

Schroyer also said that when they scheduled UCLA last season, when they did it, they thought it would be good for the young team. That's the case again for Tennessee.

"Our schedule has definitely been upgraded this year," Schroyer said. "With a young team, to throw challenges at them against one of the best teams in the country ... they don't get much better than Tennessee, potentially a Final Four team. We'll go there and compete the best that we can."

Tennessee’s lineup features four players who are averaging double figures. Sophomore guard Scotty Hopson leads the team with 13.9 points per game and is followed by senior wing Tyler Smith (12.5 ppg), senior center Wayne Chism (11.5 ppg) and sophomore guard Cameron Tatum (10.3 ppg).

"We're not worried about the name in front of their jersey," Luster said. "It's just basketball. We're going to give it our all. That's why you play basketball, for the challenge. It's definitely a big challenge, and a challenge that we can all come together for."

Muojeke said playing in big games like this are what you dream about as a kid.

"I think we're ready," Muojeke said. "We're just going to focus on what we do and try to get a win."

Game notes
-- Tuesday’s game will be televised live by ESPN U and will be called by Carter Blackburn and Mike Gottfried. ESPN U is available on both DIRECTV (channel 609) and Dish Network (channel 148). Cable subscribers should check with their local providers for ESPN U availability.

--This will mark just the third meeting between Wyoming and Tennessee on the basketball floor. Both of those previous meetings came during the 1958-59 season. The Cowboys opened that season with a tough 72-71 loss at Tennessee on Dec. 2, 1958. The two teams then faced off four days later in the Midwestern Invitational in Kent, Ohio. The Vols won that meeting 90-69.

-- The Cowboys have not played a team from the Southeastern Conference since defeating South Carolina 77-63 on Dec. 19, 2002 in Laramie.

-- Wyoming leads the nation in made free throws (234) and ranks third in attempted free throws (316). Through the 2008-09 regular season, UW led the nation in made free throws and ranked second in attempts.

-- After returning from Tennessee, the Cowboys will host South Dakota Sunday at 5:30 p.m. The game will follow the Cowgirl basketball team’s home game with Oregon, which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.