By Haddy Barghouti (HB_SportsBeat) – Senior Staff Writer | SJSU head coach Tim Miles looks on during the Spartans’ 82-68 loss to Fresno State on March 3. (Photo by Alex Stoev — The Spear)
The San Jose State men’s basketball team (8-22, 3-16 MW) will close out its regular season Saturday, hosting Wyoming (17-13, 8-11 MW) at 2 p.m. at Provident Credit Union Event Center.
The Spartans will honor seniors Sadraque NgaNga and Yaphet Moundi in a pregame Senior Night ceremony before turning their focus to a Cowboys team facing similar late-season urgency. Both teams enter the matchup on two-game losing streaks, and SJSU will also be looking for revenge after falling to Wyoming 66-62 on Jan. 24 in a tightly contested game.
SJSU head coach Tim Miles said slowing down Wyoming’s perimeter attack will be key.
“You’ve got to do a good job on their perimeter players, we’ve got to do a good job in the screen and roll defense, and we’ve got to get off to a quick start,” Miles said. “If we can sustain a defensive effort, I like our chances.”
The Spartans will need to pay close attention to Cowboys junior guard Khaden Bennett, who averages 10.8 points per game on 52.3% shooting and leads the team with 5.1 rebounds per game.
Bennett also leads Wyoming in steals at 1.5 per game, presenting a challenge for an SJSU squad that has protected the ball well this season, averaging just 10 turnovers per game.
Rebounding could also play a major role. SJSU ranks second-to-last in the conference in rebounds, while Bennett’s ability to crash the boards from the guard position adds another layer of difficulty for the Spartans.
Despite its struggles, SJSU holds a statistical edge from beyond the arc. The Spartans rank fourth in the Mountain West in 3-point shooting, while Wyoming ranks ninth.
However, SJSU has cooled off during its recent losing streak, shooting 5-of-22 from deep against Fresno State on March 3 and 7-of-21 against Colorado State on Feb. 28.
Miles said ball movement will be critical if the Spartans want to rediscover their shooting rhythm.
“We always shoot well when we share the ball,” Miles said. “When we’re shooting off assist passes or we’ll play a half and have 10 or 12 assists, we shoot it really well. There’s a reason one leads to the other. You’ve got to pass the ball well to shoot the ball well.”
Wyoming enters ranked fourth in the conference in 3-point defense, while SJSU sits near the bottom in defending the perimeter.
If the Cowboys limit open looks, the Spartans may need to rely more heavily on inside scoring, led by junior guard Colby Garland.
Garland leads SJSU with 20.1 points per game and has scored 20 or more in nine consecutive games.
He has shown the ability to score in the paint and get to the free-throw line, an area that could become crucial against a defense focused on taking away perimeter shots.
“Just coming out with confidence,” Garland said. “Wyoming’s a very good team. They play hard, so we just got to match their intensity, even go over the level of their intensity for us to pull this one out.”
SJSU will also look for additional production from redshirt sophomore forward Adrian Myers.
In the Spartans’ last loss, Myers struggled from 3-point range but found success attacking inside, scoring 17 of his points in the paint after starting 0-for-6 from deep.
Defensively, the Spartans must also account for Wyoming senior guard Leland Walker, who averages 13.9 points per game, and freshman guard Nasir Meyer, who ranks second on the team in rebounds.
With the Mountain West tournament set to begin Wednesday at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev, SJSU has one final opportunity to build momentum.
“If we win this game, it gives us confidence going into the tournament,” Garland said. “No matter who we play, we just want to come out and play on.”
