Wyoming hopes to build off first postseason title since 1943

Note: This is the 10th in a series of 10 season previews of Mountain West basketball teams.

Two seasons ago, UNR won the College Basketball Invitational and followed that a year later with Mountain West regular-season and tournament titles and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Now Wyoming comes into this season after winning the CBI, the Cowboys’ first postseason title since 1943. That doesn’t mean they are necessarily this season’s UNR, but perhaps their success will provide some sort of springboard.

“One of the things when we were talking about playing in the CBI, we used the past success of multiple teams that played in it and what they were able to do the following year,” Wyoming coach Allen Edwards said. “Going into this year, my thing with the guys is, last year was last year. Now we have a new set of cards, and we’ve got to play them as best possible.”

Wyoming brings back three players who averaged in double-figure scoring last season — 6-foot-7-inch junior guard Justin James (16.0), 6-foot-8-inch senior forward Hayden Dalton (12.1) and 6-foot-9-inch senior forward Alan Herndon (11.2).

The Cowboys, though, were mostly known for their defense. They were second in the conference and 19th nationally in holding opponents to 40.1-percent shooting.

Even with nine players back, the league media picked Wyoming to finish seventh.

“I think at the end of the day after coming off a championship, sometimes you have to be humbled a little bit as a ballclub,” Edwards said. “Last year when we were picked (10th), it’s a prediction. That’s not something that I base what we’re doing on.”

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.