Air Force at Wyoming - 3 Things to Watch
AIR FORCE at WYOMING
3 THINGS TO WATCH
1. WYOMING G DESMAR JACKSON
The 6-foot-5 freshman has been on a tear in recent weeks. In the nine games since Cowboys leading scorer Afam Muojeke went down with a season-ending knee injury, Jackson has averaged 19 points. In his past two games – against BYU and at Utah – Jackson scored 26 and 31 points, respectively, on combined 22-of-36 shooting from the floor. “He’s extremely quick and explosive off the dribble,” UNLV coach Lon Kruger said. “He’s very, very good mid-range and finishing at the rim. And he’s starting to shoot the 3 a lot better.”
2. AIR FORCE’S SHOOTING
In their 70-63 victory over Wyoming on Jan. 30, the Falcons scored 70 points – by far the most they’ve scored in any Mountain West Conference game – in large part because of good shooting. They made 45.1 percent of their shots from the floor, their second-best shooting performance in league play, and matched a season-high with 11 3-pointers. They also made 13-of-16 free throws, their best shooting percentage from the line (81.3) in league play.
3. WYOMING C ADAM WADDELL
The Cowboys were without the 6-9 sophomore center in their Jan. 30 loss to Air Force because of a sprained left ankle. Waddell still is hampered by that ankle and a right knee that was surgically repaired prior to the season, both of which “swell up,” according to Wyoming coach Heath Schroyer, each time the Cowboys play. Still, Schroyer said, Waddell is “a gutty kid, and he’s giving everything he can give us.”
Quote to Note: “He’s been as hard to guard as any of the top scorers in the league. He was as difficult to guard as (BYU Player of the Year candidate Jimmer) Fredette was for us.” – Utah coach Jim Boylen on Wyoming freshman guard Desmar Jackson, who scored a career-high 31 against the Utes on Saturday.
Note to Quote: Wyoming has lost eight straight games, starting with its 70-63 loss at Air Force on Jan. 30. The Cowboys’ past seven losses have come by an average of 19.6 points, including four losses of 22 points or more.
