Photo by Ernie Gonzalez
By Matt Weiner (@MattWeiner20) — MBB Beat Reporter
Snapping an 11-game losing streak against the biggest dark horse in the nation is about as difficult as a dog trying to solve a rubix cube. But, that’s where the San Jose State Spartans (7-16, MW 0-11) find themselves as they take on the Wyoming Cowboys (20-3, MW 9-1).
In the first installment of this matchup, the Spartans showed some bright flashes as they knotted the score up at 55 at the 12:34 in the second half before the Cowboys used a 7-0 run to pull away, eventually winning the contest 84-69.
Since then, the Spartans have dropped seven-in-a-row, losing by an average of 14.9 points, while the Cowboys have gone 6-1, currently on a five-game winning streak and are perched at the top of the Mountain West.
Know Your Foe
What do you get when you mix the clutch gene of Moses separating the Red Sea and the Wild Wild West? Wyoming’s recent wins over Utah State, Fresno State, Colorado State and Boise State, two of which came in OT.
They are led by guard Hunter Maldonado and center Graham Ike who has been a monster of late, but didn’t play in the teams first matchup.
Maldonado has been fantastic recently, averaging 25 points in his last five games. His play has the delicate nature of sipping tea with one pinky up while having a lethal mid range game.
Then there is potential All-American and Mountain West first-team Graham Ike, who is a virtuoso of bully ball, scoring at least 25 points in six games this year and 28 in two of his last three.
In the clip above, he slides through both defenders like a credit card and finishes at the rim with ease. The Spartans can learn from this play and make sure their double teams are sealed tight so he doesn’t dart his way through.
Putting multiple bodies on Ike is a necessity that will eventually open up 3-point marksman Drake Jeffries who’s 46% clip from three leads the Mountain West by 11 percentage points.
Jeffries’ ability to hit from three makes the Cowboys dangerous because they have production from afar, in the middle and down low. Take him out of the assembly line and the quality of the product takes a turn for the worst.
Spartans Route to Victory
“Without pain, without sacrifice we would have nothing.”
This quote is from “Fight Club” whe- … nevermind I’ve already said too much.
Facing a blue-flame-like team like Wyoming will provide some painful and frustrating moments for the Spartans. The Spartans’ weaknesses on defense down low align perfectly with Cowboys’ strength around the rim. Now the question is can the Spartans bounce back on offense when things aren’t falling their way on defense?
The genesis of a potential upset or back-and-forth game begins with Myron “MJ” Amey Jr. and whether or not he can keep his recent scoring hot streak going.
He’s scored 20 points in back-to-back games for the first time in his young career, shooting 59% from the field and 56% from three. When he’s able to full swiss army mode on offense it, space opens up for Omari Moore, something that SJSU head coach Tim Miles has been trying to do all year. Moore has had no problem getting the bag as his 13.1 points and 4.7 assists lead the team, but there are moments when the offense comes to a standstill if he’s not hitting pay dirt.
With Amey Jr.’s rodeo bull-like mentality when driving downhill and ability to shoot threes, Moore now has more real estate to operate. When Moore starts hitting shots, he requires more attention, which then frees up Tibet Gorener in the corner and Trey Smith on the wing creating a euphoric domino effect.
The Spartans’ young core building resilience against an excellent team like Wyoming is how productive futures are built.