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Wyoming had not made the NCAA tourney for more than a decade…and then Josh Adams showed up and changed all that. He played in all 34 games as a freshman in 2013 while studying hard enough to be named to the MWC Academic-All Conference team. In 2014 he started 32 games for the Cowboys and led the team in assists. In 2015 he took it up a notch by being named conference tourney s MVP and helping Wyoming make its 1st trip to the NCAA tourney since 2002. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Josh about making the shot to win a high school state championship and the pressure of being the Cowboys’ only returning starter.
At Chaparral High School you made the game-winning shot in the 2012 Colorado state title game: what did it mean to you to win a title? At the time it was the biggest achievement I had ever been a part of, but we have been something even greater here at Wyoming.
What made you choose Wyoming? A lot of other coaches would only call me once a month, but Coach Shyatt would call me as often as the NCAA allowed, and it has worked out pretty well for me so far.
Your 26 starts in 2013 were the most by a true freshman at Wyoming since 2006: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I just bought into the program. There were a series of events (injuries/suspensions) that allowed me to have the opportunity, so I took full advantage of it.
Take me through the 2013 CBI:
You found a wide-open Nathan Sobey who made a corner 3 at the buzzer in a 2-PT win over Lehigh: what is the key to making game-winning shots? Confidence. He was actually struggling a bit that year but he never lost his confidence. You just have to know that the ball is going to go in.
You played 41 minutes but David Brown made a 3 at the end of regulation in an OT win by Western Michigan: what is the key to preventing game-winning shots? You have to know where every shooter is on the court. We lost a little focus, gave him a little window, and he took advantage of our mental lapse.
In March of 2014 you scored a career-high 29 PTS (3-6 3PM) in a 9-PT loss to Boise State: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? My teammates did a great job of getting me open off of screens, and it was just 1 of those times when my shot was going in.
Last year you finished in the top-10 in the conference in PPG/APG/SPG: what is the key to being a good PG? You have to get the team involved to give them the utmost confidence. You have to keep running things smoothly as far as scoring but you also have to set the tone on the defensive end and have the most intensity.
In the 2015 MWC tourney title game you were named MVP after scoring 10 PTS including the go-ahead 3 in the final minute of a 2-PT win over San Diego State: what did it mean to clinch your school’s 1st NCAA tourney bid in 13 years, and what was the reaction like when you got back to campus? The reaction was incredible: everybody was supportive. We had thousands of fans at the game in Vegas, which was nice because we had overcome so much to get there. The school and coaching staff has done so much for us that it was just the icing on the cake to do something that the team has not been able to do for a long time.
In the 2015 NCAA tourney you had 6 AST in a loss to Northern Iowa: what did you learn from that game that you think can help you this year? I have to get the guys in the right spot at the right time and make the right decisions. There will be some games where I have an off-night like I did against Northern Iowa, so I need to get everyone involved.
You are the only senior on the team and the only returning starter: how much pressure is there on you to be a leader this year? Coach has helped me a lot with that: it is a lot of pressure so I just need to embrace it. We are coming out with a vengeance and we will not accept anything less than last year, but my teammates will help take some of the pressure off my shoulders.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? We have the same expectations as last year. We built the program up from 4-5 years ago when we only won 10 games and have brought in some good recruits. We are just going to play our game and we are going to win some games.