The Marcus Dawson Story

[coachdubs]

December 12, 2022

@PokePride--Wyoming keeps the streak alive! The Pokes dominate on the road, securing a 71-58 win against Denver to extend their undefeated run to 8 games. Sean Esherick led the charge with 24 points. Keep it up, Pokes! #GoPokes #UnleashTheBeast

@CowboyFandom--Unstoppable. Unbelievable. The Cowboys are a force to be reckoned with on the Front Range! Another incredible win on the road, 8 wins in a row to start the season best start in 12 years! #PokesOnFire #GoPokes #RideWithTheCowboys

@TheMWC--Marcus Dawson from high school coach to DI Prodigy! Are you kidding me?! Is it too early to vote for the MWC Coach of the Year Award--give it to DAWSON! #8-0 #MWC #CoachOfTheYear #WyomingBasketball

[coachdubs]

Friday, December 16, 2022
Marcus Dawson is interviewed by Jim Rome on the Jim Rome Radio Show

Jim Rome: Marcus Dawson, welcome to the show, Coach! Your Cowboys have been crushing it on the court this season. How does it feel to lead a team that's on fire?

Marcus Dawson: Jim, thanks for having me, I've been a big fan of yours for years. I guess you could say I'm a long-time listener and now a first-time caller. Hopefully, you'll "Rack Me"

Jim Rome: (laughter) I'm sure that won't be a problem!

Marcus Dawson: Anyway, to answer your question, it's been a blast. The energy in Laramie is electric, and seeing our players execute and buy in completely to our system has been what's made it all work. We've worked hared to get to this point, and the results are beyond our expectations. But it's still early and there's a lot of basketball left to be played. It's an exciting time for Wyoming basketball though.

Jim Rome: No doubt, Coach. Your team has been dominant in every aspect. What do you believe has been the key to this incredible success?

Marcus Dawson: It all comes down to the foundation we've laid over the last three months. Our players understand the value of hard work and the importance of playing for the name on the front of the jersey rather the the one on the back of the jersey. We've instilled a culture of selflessness and accountability. It's not just about individual stats but how each player contributes to the collective success. That has been the key driver of our remarkable start to the season.

Jim Rome: Coach, your defense has been lockdown the last couple of game. What's been the secret to their success, and who are the standout players we should know about?

Marcus Dawson: Defense has been our mantra. We emphasize tough, disciplined defense, and our guys have fully embraced it. I don't want to single any individual players out because the whole team has bought in and the way we're playing now doesn't happen without the entire team buying into the mindset, and that's what is making us special early on in the season.

Jim Rome: Lastly, Coach Dawson, any last thoughts?

Marcus Dawson: Honestly, I just wanted to come on, say hi, and get a little Jungle Karma ahead of our next game against a tough Tulsa team before we head out for the JAG Holiday Tournament. Every little bit helps.

Jim Rome: Big thanks to Marcus Dawson for joining us today. Best of luck as you guys keep tearing up the court! Rack Him!

Jim Rome: Excellent interview with the new Wyoming men's basketball head coach Marcus Dawson. Come back anytime, I'd do that interview again.

[coachdubs]

December 20, 2022
@coachdubbs--Jungle Karma is alive and well! Cowboys secure upset victory in Tulsa, 89-86. The Jungle Karma train keeps rolling thanks to @jimrome! #JungleKarma #WyomingBasketball #UpsetWin

[coachdubs]

December 23, 2022
Laramie Boomerang
Pokes Open Play in the JAG Holiday Invitational Tournament
Ryan Mathews

The undefeated Wyoming Cowboys are in Phoenix, Arizona for the JAG Holiday Invitational, where they will face the Penn State Nittany Lions this evening. The tournament also features the likes of Mississippi, UTEP, Pittsburgh, South Florida, Old Dominion, and Oregon State.

Wyoming with a 9-0 record will be looking to continue their winning ways against Penn State, who currently sits at 5-3. The winner will advance to play Mississippi or UTEP on Christmas Eve with the tournament concluding on Christmas Day.

The Cowboys will close out their pre-conference schedule on December 26, with a home game against North Florida. As such, Wyoming could potentially play four games in as many days to close out their non-conference slate, making the JAG Holiday Invitational a crucial stretch for the team.

[coachdubs]

December 24, 2022
Laramie Boomerang
Pokes Defeat Nittany Lions in First Round of the JAG Holiday Invitational

Phoenix, Arizona--The Cowboy basketball team got off to a great start in the JAG Holiday Invitational, defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions 71-64. The win increases the Pokes winning streak to 10 games to start the campaign. The best start for a Cowboy team since the 2013-14 team coached by Larry "Papa Shy" Shyatt who started 13-0 before faltering down the stretch only winning 7 more games the rest of the season to finish 20-13.

Paul Rivers was the standout performer, leading all scorers with a game-high 17 points for the Cowboys. He also added 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks to his impressive performance. His clutch shooting at the free-throw line down the stretch helped guide the Pokes to the win and secure their place in the semi-finals against Mississippi tomorrow night.

Marius Baxter also made a significant contribution for Wyoming with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Sean Esherick also had a solid game with 12 points and 6 rebounds. Germaine Fields continues to play at a high level in the absence of point guard Branden Moody, who is still recovering from a broken bone in his lower leg. Fields contributed 8 points and 5 assists to facilitate the Cowboy offense.

"The team showed great toughness, and it was great to see contributions from multiple players; that has happened each and every night. When you have multiple scoring threats the defense has to play you honestly and can't cheat. We new Penn State would be a tough opponent, but our guys never backed down, and it showed in the outcome," Coach Dawson said.

Dawson also praised the impressive individual efforts, "Paul was outstanding again on both ends of the floor, and his presence was essential to our win. Marius and Sean's contributions were also crucial, and I'm proud of the way Germaine is filling in for Branden. It's a total team effort."

[coachdubs]

December 25, 2022
Laramie Boomerang
Cowboys Suffer First Loss of the Season to Mississippi in JAG Holiday Invitational; Coach Dawson is Human After All!

Phoenix, Arizona--The Wyoming Cowboys' unbeaten run ended Saturday night at the hands of the Mississippi Rebels in the JAG Holiday Invitational by a score of 77-68. Coach Marcus Dawson's team made valiant efforts to battle back from a 20-point deficit in the second half but ultimately fell short against a quality opponent.

Trey Robinson proved to be the thorn in Wyoming's side, scoring 25 points, and demanding answers from every defensive attempt from the Cowboys. Despite the comeback attempt, the Cowboys couldn't generate a consistent answer to Robinson's sharp-shooting.

Coach Dawson acknowledged the loss, recognizing that his team was unable to find an answer for Robinson's stellar play. "We knew Mississippi was going to be a formidable opponent, and despite our best efforts, we didn't have an answer for Robinson. He's a real game changer, and his performance tonight was exceptional."

Dawson also noted that he might have leaned too heavily on his starters in the game. The Cowboys' starters looked drained towards the end of the game, and Dawson admitted that might have been a factor. Nonetheless, Wyoming's core starters played well, with Sean Esherick leading the team with 19 points, followed by Rivers with 15 points and 6 rebounds, and Baxter with 10 points.

Germaine Fields was impressive in spurts but registered eight of the Cowboys' 18 turnovers, which led to critical missed opportunities. Dawson believed the turnovers were costly. "Germaine played well, but we had too many turnovers, and that played a role in our loss. Germaine had been solid up until now with his decision-making, and today, it didn't come together. Credit the Rebels tough-nosed defense that forced us to do things we haven't done all season."

Despite the setback, Coach Dawson remains optimistic and excited about his team, recognizing that one loss doesn't define a season. "We always knew we weren't going to win every game, so we knew this was coming eventually. Our focus now is to get back on track and restore our winning ways. We have another tough opponent coming to Laramie in North Florida ahead of us, and our conference is one of the toughest in the nation. We can't afford to dwell on this loss; we have to put it behind us and move forward."

This reporter believes this loss is actually a good thing, it allows the Cowboys to get a day of rest before they play North Florida and start their conference schedule. The potential for four games in four days was daunting now that's off the books and the Pokes can prepare for North Florida and their conference play.

[coachdubs]

Christmas Day
Dawson Residence, Laramie, Wyoming

Christmas morning dawned in Laramie. Marcus had arrived home early in the morning on Christmas after the loss to Mississippi at the JAG Holiday Tournament. The team stayed one more night, but Marcus wanted to surprise Sarah and the kids for Christmas, giving them the best gift he could imagine. Marcus had only slept three hours when Jake and Lily jumped into bed waking Marcus and Sarah up.
"Dad! You're home!" Shouted Lily and Jake in unison.
"Yeah, and I'm not a figment of your imagination either!"
Sarah looked at Marcus, "What time did you get home, I didn't even realize you got home until I got up at 5:30 to let the dog out."
"It was around 2:30 when I finally got to bed, so I'm running on a few hours of sleep, but it's very well worth it to be here with my family for Christmas."

As Sarah, Lily, and Jake gathered around the Christmas tree after all the gifts were opened, the conversation eventually shifted toward basketball. Lily was curious and asked her father why the Cowboys had lost the game; this was normal for her whenever his teams lost- which was rare, but she always wanted to understand why.

Marcus smiled at his daughter and explained, "Lily, as I always tell you, losing is an essential part of life, and it's no different in basketball. But the why in this game was turnovers and a really good player on the other team that we struggled to stop."

Jake playfully chimed in, "But Dad, you're still the best coach in the world, right?" Marcus laughed, patting Jake's head and ruffling his hair. "Thanks, buddy. But we have to keep working hard and learning from our mistakes. That's how we get better.

Sarah also chimed in, saying it was a blessing to have her husband home for Christmas, and the family could now enjoy the holiday together.

"You're right," Marcus added. "It's great to be home with family, celebrating the joy of the season, and the real reason we celebrate. While the loss to Mississippi is disappointing, it's not the end of the world. It actually allowed me to get home to you guys."

[coachdubs]

January 1, 2023
A view from the outside:

The injury to Branden Moody, hasn't seemed to affect the Cowboys too much as they went 5-1 in the month of December with their only loss to a quality Mississippi team in the JAG Holiday Invitational. Moody's physical therapy has been going well and Dr. Dennison expects that he should be able to start doing some light jogging in the next week and he hopes he'll be back by the end of January if not sooner.

The Cowboys have a NET Ranking of 26 to go with their 11-1 record in the non-conference part of their schedule. The Cowboys have five players averaging double-digit scoring, led by Sean Esherick at 13 points per contest, Marius Baxter is averaging 12.4, Paul Rivers is averaging 12 per game, Brendan Moody is averaging 11.4 and Robinson McFall is averaging 10.4. Esherick leads the in 3-point shooting at 44%, Paul Rivers is shooting 84% from the free-throw line, and Robinson McFall leads the team in shooting from the field at 72%. McFall leads the MWC and is fourth nationally in field goal percentage. As a team, Wyoming is 12th nationally in FG% at .488.

We'll see what this team is made of when they get into Mountain West Conference play, every team except Colorado State and Air Force have winning records at the start of conference play and five teams have 10+ wins (San Diego State 12, Wyoming 11, New Mexico, Boise State and Nevada all with 10). San Diego State is ranked #12 in the nation, and there are seven teams in the league with NET rankings better than 50.

Things are going well for the Dawson family as Lily is the starting point guard on her 5th-grade basketball team and has won all but one game so far this season. Jake has started to play with the Lil' Cowboys basketball skill development program and his basketball skills are improving every day. Sarah has enjoyed getting to know some of the ladies in the neighborhood and at work and has really enjoyed the Christmas break; her favorite activity is watching Marcus roam the sidelines during games and helping him reflect on the games to figure out how he can be better. The old adage "behind every successful man is a great woman" is very accurate in this situation.

[coachdubs]

January 2, 2023

@PokePride--Cowboy fans, IT"S GAME DAY!
It's time to show San Jose State what the #CowboyUp spirit is all about! Pack the Arena-Auditorium and cheer our Pokes to victory in their MWC opener tonight! Let's create an electric atmosphere and send the Spartans packing! #GoPokes #RideForTheBrand

[coachdubs]

January 2, 2023
University of Wyoming Athletic Department
AD Emily Thompson's Office
Mid-Season Meeting to Review Season Goals

Emily Thompson: Marcus, thanks for coming in today, I don't want to take too much of your time with your busy schedule and prepping for the conference home opener tonight against San Jose State. I wanted to touch base on the team's progress and our goals for the season. You have your team playing well and have had an incredible 11-1 start. How do you feel about the team's performance so far?

Marcus: Thank you, Emily. It's been a fantastic start. The team's chemistry is building, and we're seeing real commitment and buy-in from the team on the court. Our offense is clicking, and defensively, the guys are stepping up. Losing Moody to injury was tough, but the team rallied and Germaine Fields has really stepped up in his absence.

Emily Thompson: Moody's injury was unfortunate. Any update on his recovery?

Marcus: I spoke with Dr. Dennison just the other day and he assures me that his recovery is slightly ahead of schedule and he may be ready to return before the end of January.

Emily Thompson: Despite that setback, the team's been performing admirably. Now, our goals for the season included finishing in the top half of the conference and improving the school's prestige. What's your assessment?

Marcus: Absolutely, those goals are within reach. The Mountain West is tough, but we're confident. As for the school's prestige, we're garnering attention with our performance. Media coverage and fan engagement are up.

Emily Thompson: That's great to hear. I heard your interview with Jim Rome a couple of weeks ago and thought it went really well. The team's success is generating positive buzz. Are there any specific areas you feel need more attention or improvement?

Marcus: Our bench depth is something we're focusing on. With Moody out, we've needed to refine our rotations and boost our bench's confidence. Tightening up our defense as we get into conference play will be key.

Emily Thompson: Thanks, Marcus. Keep up the good work and good luck tonight. I appreciate your dedication to the team's success.

Marcus: Absolutely, Emily. Thanks for your support.