Wyoming coach: Team has 'opportunities' against NDSU in CBI

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CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Wyoming coach Larry Shyatt sees nothing to be ashamed of by playing in the College Basketball Invitational tournament.

“There are opportunities in front of us, and I think that's the approach that this team will take,” Shyatt said Monday.

When the Cowboys (20-11) host North Dakota State (17-13) on Wednesday night in the first round, it will be Wyoming's first postseason game in three years and give the team the chance to win 21 games for the first time since the 2002-03 season.

Shyatt said the CBI is a “high level tournament despite what might be written or might be said by others.”

He noted that teams playing in the CBI in the past have included Cincinnati, Oregon, Oregon State and Stanford.

“I would dare say it's not bad company,” Shyatt said.

Butler. Coming off two straight Final Fours appearances, is among the 16 teams in this year's tournament.

Shyatt said the Cowboys are focused on winning the CBI, which features a unique best of three series between the final two teams for the championship.

“We just want to earn everything that we can, and so whatever group invited us we're going to play as hard as we can,” he said. “I mean that's really been their disposition from the get-go.”

Senior center Adam Waddell said the team obviously preferred to get an NIT invite but the seniors are excited for the CBI nonetheless.

“I think the mindset is going to be how it's been all year,” Waddell said. “Like coach said we haven't asked for anything all year and to get this opportunity to play one more time, if not a couple more times maybe, here in Laramie is something that we're going to cherish.”

Wyoming appeared in the 2009 CBI tournament, losing to Northeastern in the first round.

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