Texas Tech takes on Wyoming in basketball on Wednesday night at the United Supermarkets Arena, Tech's third non-conference game of the season.
The Red Raiders will meet a team that has a major connection to the newest member of the coaching staff, Jeff Linder, who was the head coach of the Cowboys before coming to be Grant McCasland's lead assistant in the offseason.
Another matchup that the Red Raiders should be able to come out on top of, and one that should continue to provide learning points for Tech as the season gets underway, but RedRaiderSports.com caught up with Alex Taylor of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle ahead of Wednesday night's game.
RRS: Who are the players to watch for on Wednesday for Wyoming?
First-year Wyoming coach Sundance Wicks has said the Cowboys need three of their four top guards to play well on a given night. That includes Obi Agbim, Jordan Nesbitt, Kobe Newton and Dontaie Allen. Agbim has been the top scorer out of the bunch so far, averaging 24.5 points through the Cowboys' first two games this season. Allen shot poorly in their win over Tennessee State on Sunday, so I'd expect him to shoot a little bit, as well.
RRS: What has been the formula for the Cowboys for the first two games under Sundance Wicks?
Wicks has utilized several different lineups already this season to try to figure out the winning formula, and his top priorities have been defense and rebounding. Defense has been a major issues for the Cowboys for the past couple years, and they have more size on the roster this year to help defend more in the paint. Surely, that strategy will be tested by J.T. Toppin on Wednesday, who the Cowboys are plenty familiar with in the Mountain West.
RRS: Has there been any chatter about seeing the former HC Jeff Linder on the sidelines this week?
Yes, Wicks gives all the credit in the world to Linder for hiring him on his staff at Wyoming in 2020 and giving him a chance to coach at the Division I level. Wicks worked under Linder for three seasons before becoming a head coach at Green Bay. The Cowboys only returned three scholarship players from Linder's team last year, but one in particular - Kobe Newton - said in a joking manner: “I’m excited to see Jeff. I’m excited to tell him his guys are doing their (explicit) job on rebounds. I’m excited to tell him that.”
RRS: How did Wicks attack building a roster this offseason with the relatively late coaching change?
Wicks had his back against the wall recruiting, since Linder left Wyoming so late in the recruiting cycle. He recruited experienced guys in the portal who have played college basketball at all different levels, but he's already said he'll shift his focus to recruiting at the high school level after this first season. It's kind of a placeholder year in a sense with so many of these new players on the roster only having one or two years of eligibility remaining.
RRS: Expectations for Wyoming basketball this season?
The Cowboys were picked ninth in the MW preseason poll, and for good reason. The MW continues to be one of the most loaded basketball conferences in the country, and Wicks was one of the last coaching hires in the country after Linder departed for Texas Tech in May. Expectations are definitely lower compared to the rest of the conference, but they definitely have the size and experience to surprise some teams once league play kicks off next month.
RRS: If there is a way for Wyoming to win this game, what would it be?
Defense wins rings, as Wicks always says, so that'll be the first step. They'll need to shoot efficiently from 3-point range to stay in this game and keep up with Texas Tech's high-powered offense. The Cowboys were actually out-rebounded by Tennessee State on Sunday, which is definitely another point of emphasis for Wicks.
