Diary Series: Jeremy Shyatt, Asst. Coach - Wyoming

All around the country, conference play has finally arrived!!  Because our league, the Mountain West, is going through a transitional period with only eight teams this season, we started league play on January 14th with a tough loss to New Mexico.  While we felt like we played good enough to win the game, the Lobos were terrific, hitting on 8-14 from  three-point range, to complement their impressive front line.

The Cowboys are currently 14-3 overall and while we do not practice the cliché, “Guys, play each game like you are 0-0,” we do tell our players to live each day, each practice, each game, “In the moment.”  Never do we want to dismiss our accomplishments, nor our failures.  We can learn from “each chapter” of our season as we like to say, and nobody can take any of those chapters away from us.  So far we have written 17 chapters of our book.  Each chapter has nothing to do with what outsiders like to write about (past seasons, streaks, or trends).  This team has the makeup of a unique collection of players, coaches, and managers that has never been together as a group for more than this season.

Our league is going to prove quite challenging.  The Mountain West currently ranks 6th in the nation in the RPI and is one of only three conferences I believe that all of our teams had double digit wins heading into conference play.  Each game will be an absolute war – both home and away – which is why we are constantly trying to focus our guys on “the moment.”

All across the nation from about January 15th – February 15th, teams will fight both complacency and adversity.  Freshmen will “hit walls,” members of your team will not get the minutes he wants, and tough times are bound to arise.  We ask our guys, “how would you feel if it was all taken away from you in an instant.”

To attempt to keep our guys grounded, we are constantly preaching, “You don’t know what you have until you don’t have it any longer.”  There are numerous examples around the country where players are hit with life changing situations that are unplanned.  Season ending injuries, off the court struggles, academics, etc., can hit your team at any time.  You never think it is going to happen to you…what if it did?  How would you feel?  What if something happened to your teammate – your basketball “family member.”

By giving our guys examples of other teams bit by the adversity bug, hopefully they will get a daily reminder of how fragile their basketball lives can be.  So much emphasis is made during the grind of the season of X’s, O’s, and opponent prep, that we sometimes forget about how crucial it is to prepare their minds.

While we all have aspirations of post-season goals, how we are going about getting there is much more important in our eyes.  Instead of looking ahead to future opponents and scenarios, are we staying true to the defensive habits that have created our past success?

Hopefully, by taking one day at a time, we can attempt to keep our guys’ attention and focus.  We are excited for what lies ahead for what could be a special ride for our six seniors!!

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