The University of Wyoming men’s basketball program is dealing with a full blown makeover in the wake of coach Heath Schroyer’s untimely exit. 

To make matters worse, UW will be losing their two leading scorers from this past season. Sophomore guard Desmar Jackson will be suiting up for the Southern Illinois Salukis next season. Jackson led all UW scorers and was fifth in the Mountain West Conference this past season averaging 14.6 points per game. 

UW’s top rebounder and second leading scorer Amath M’Baye will be taking his talents to Norman, Okla. next season to suit up for the Sooners. M’Baye hauled in an average of 5.7 rebounds and 12 points per game this past season. 

To top it all off, bench players Daylen Harrison and Brian Gibson have withdrawn from the university. Neither has revealed their transfer plans for next season.

So how can the men’s basketball program bounce back from such a mass exodus of talent? That’s where head Coach Larry Shyatt comes into the picture. 

Shyatt was formerly the head coach at UW from 1997-98 before joining the coaching staff at the University of Florida. As associate head coach, Shyatt helped the Gators win back to back NCAA Division I National Championship titles in 2006 and 2007. With a resume like his, recruiting power is without a doubt Shyatt’s best shot at a winning season next year. 

He’s only been in Laramie for a few months, but the man has been busy constructing the next generation of UW men’s basketball. 

In only the third month of his second tenure as head coach, Shyatt has been able to lock down five up and coming stars to next year’s roster. 

Larry Nance Jr. of Richfield, Ohio will be entering the program as a true freshman next season. At 6’7” and 205 pounds, Nance averaged 18.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 2.6 steals and 2.3 assists per game during his senior season. Nance’s father, Larry Sr., spent 13 seasons in the NBA and won the first official dunk contest in 1984. 

Joining Nance next season, Colorado Player of the Year Riley Grabau will be suiting up in brown and gold as well. The 6’2” guard from Boulder, Colo. averaged 20.8 points, 4.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.8 rebounds a game this past season, earning him the Denver Post’s Colorado Player of the Year award.

ESPN’s No. 24 ranked center, Lekan Ajayi will also be a key element in Shyatt’s efforts to rebuild the program. While still recruiting for the Gators, Shyatt came across Ajayi and was fortunate enough to convince the 6’11”, 235-pound center from Lagos, Nigeria to follow him out west. Ajayi averaged 9.5 points, 15.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game during his senior season.  Shyatt also added junior college transfer Derrious Gilmore to the roster. While attending Jones County Junior College, Gilmore put up 12.3 points, 6.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game as a guard this past season.

The final addition to Shyatt’s master plan comes in the form of a 6’8”, 195-pound senior forward from George Washington High School in Denver, Colo.  Tyrone Marshall averaged 15 points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots per game his senior season.

Overall, the Cowboys were 10-21 last season, finishing second to last in the Mountain West with a conference record of only 3-13. It is safe to say that something was obviously not working last season, and perhaps a “face-lift” is just what this program needs to be successful. Young talent can be a risky investment for head coaches due to the fact that it is unclear how these players will handle the transition to such a large stage. 

However, the old system was far from perfect, so what other choice does he have?   

Shyatt seems almost unphased by it all as he continues to build what will eventually be a force to be reckoned with in the Mountain West Conference for years to come.  

Email: Phil Smith