Cowboys Sign 3 PAC-12 Transfers to Bolster Roster
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Jeff Linder brings in 3 PAC-12 Transfers to put the LA in (LA)ramie.
Fresh off of receiving a new contract Jeff Linder went to work, improving a Wyoming team that made it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since Larry Shyatt led the Cowboys there in 2015. After losing several players to the transfer portal Jeff Linder got commitments from three PAC-12 players and drastically changed the Offseason for the Cowboys.
After a surprise run to the NCAA tournament, the Wyoming Cowboys faced a lot of uncertainty about the future of the Basketball program as the season came to a close. How would the Cowboys be affected by the transfer portal? Would Hunter Maldonado and Drake Jeffries return for one more year? What about Jeff Linder? Would the coach that turned the program around in two years return to Laramie? One by one those answers started to come. Four players entered the Transfer Portal: John Grigsby, Deng Dut, Ben Bowen, and Eoin Nelson.
Wyoming will almost be a Pac-12 basketball team in 2023: 2 Trojans, 1 UCLA Bruin
Drake Jeffries announced that he would not be returning to the Cowboys in order to pursue a professional career in basketball. Hunter Maldonado announced that he would go through the NBA Evaluation process, and retain his last year of eligibility. Jeff Linder signed a new contract for a significant pay raise making him the head coach for the Cowboys until 2027. Fresh off of his new contract Jeff Linder hit the recruiting trail and pulled off arguably one of the best transfer hauls in all of college basketball this weekend.
On Friday, April 8th Ethan Anderson (USC), Max Agbonkpolo (USC), and Jake Kyman (UCLA) visited Laramie. Ethan Anderson posted on his social media stories a video of him outside of the Arena-Auditorium, and within an hour Jeff Linder and his tweeted out:
Great day to be a Cowboy!!! #LetsRideForTheBrand🤠#CowboyTough🤜🏼🤛🏾#OneWyoming1️⃣#GoWyo📍 pic.twitter.com/5IKJLo6elJ
— Jeff Linder (@jefflinder) April 8, 2022
GREAT DAY TO BE A COWBOY!!!#RideForTheBrand🤠#CowboyTough🤜🏼🤛🏾#OneWyoming🔴⚪️🔵#HTBAG🟤🟡 #GoWyo📍 pic.twitter.com/PonDRyiAkO
— 𝙎𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 “𝙎𝙐𝙉𝙉𝙔” 𝙒𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙨 (@CoachSundance) April 8, 2022
WYOMING BASKETBALL GOT BETTER TODAY!
— Marc Rodgers (@CoachRodg1) April 8, 2022
Within the hour Ethan Anderson posted this:
Gods plan pic.twitter.com/xxY47IpbR1
— Ethan anderson (@Nolomit_e) April 9, 2022
The Wyoming sphere on Twitter was buzzing. Ethan Anderson filled a big need for the Cowboys going into next year at the point and will take a huge load off of Hunter Maldonado if he decides to return. Optimism going into next year was starting to simmer when Jeff Linder and his Staff took to Twitter again:
Great day to be COWBOYS!!! #LetsRideForTheBrand🤠#CowboyTough🤜🏼🤛🏾#OneWyoming1️⃣#GoWyo📍 pic.twitter.com/Z06iof7bCV
— Jeff Linder (@jefflinder) April 8, 2022
WYOMING BASKETBALL JUST GOT BETTER PT. 2! https://t.co/vFywIhyL18
— Marc Rodgers (@CoachRodg1) April 8, 2022
Within the next hour Max Agbonkpolo posted this to his Instagram account:
Agbonkpolo and Anderson both bring tremendous athleticism and defensive prowess to the Cowboys, as well as Chemistry they have built over several years as teammates. The Buzz around Cowboy Basketball began to roar as the night came to an end. Jeff Linder, however, had one more trick (or player) up his sleeve and come Saturday Morning he and his staff took to Twitter again:
Great day to be a Cowboy!!! #LetsRideForTheBrand🤠#CowboyTough🤜🏼🤛🏾#OneWyoming1️⃣#GoWyo📍 pic.twitter.com/uZBHk1NAK8
— Jeff Linder (@jefflinder) April 10, 2022
WYOMING BASKETBALL JUST GOT BETTER PT. 3!!!!!!
— Marc Rodgers (@CoachRodg1) April 10, 2022
ITS AN EVEN GREATER’ER DAY TO BE A COWBOY!!! 🤯🤯🤯
𝙒𝙃𝘼𝙏 𝘼 𝙁𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙆𝙄𝙉 𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙆𝙀𝙉𝘿 😈#RideForTheBrand🤠#CowboyTough🤜🏼🤛🏾#OneWyoming🔴⚪️🔵#HTBAG🟤🟡 #GoWyo📍 pic.twitter.com/VKQd9aLvei
— 𝙎𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 “𝙎𝙐𝙉𝙉𝙔” 𝙒𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙨 (@CoachSundance) April 10, 2022
Shortly thereafter Jake Kyman tweeted this out
I’m a Cowboy!🤠 pic.twitter.com/vDqsSO8RzS
— Jake Kyman (@jakekyman13) April 10, 2022
In less than 24 hours Jeff Linder got three players to leave the sun and beaches of Los Angeles for the High Plains of Laramie. Anderson, Agbonkpolo, and Kyman all figure to contribute for the Cowboys immediately next year, and the depth that they provide will help to push the Cowboys to the next level. College Basketball writers across the country are taking notice too, not just those who follow the Cowboys:
If Hunter Maldonado returns next season as expected, Wyoming is a consensus Top-25 team.
Palpable Buzz in Laramie. https://t.co/HC0SAafx3z
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 10, 2022
Jeff Linder is getting PAC 12 talent to Laramie, Wyoming. Truly an outstanding recruiting job, once again.
To get these guys to buy in coming from LA to Wyoming is mind blowing. Two completely different places
Remember the coaches name. Remember the program. It’s only the start
— Mid-Major Madness (@mid_madness) April 10, 2022
Wyoming Basketball and Jeff Linder aren’t sleeping on their laurels going into next season. Jeff Linder and his staff are positioning the Cowboys as potential conference favorites, and setting up for a potentially deep post season run.
Time will tell, but it certainly seems that Jeff Linder is earning every bit of his new contract.
