Alex Taylor: Taylor UW's Griffin, Kot and Walters did what they were recruited to do

Mar. 16—It's hard for fans to get to know players when their careers at the University of Wyoming span just nine months.

That was the case for graduate transfers Sam Griffin, Akuel Kot and Mason Walters this season. The trio transferred to the Cowboys with one season of eligibility remaining, and they each played in their last college game in UW's loss to Fresno State in the first round of this week's Mountain West tournament in Las Vegas.

Griffin (Tulsa/University of Texas at Arlington), Kot (Fort Lewis College) and Walters (University of Jamestown) all spent the majority of their college careers elsewhere. So, why would UW fans care about them moving on from the program?

UW coach Jeff Linder recruited the three players to put last year's disastrous season as far into the rearview mirror as possible. While the Cowboys didn't shock the college basketball world by any means this season, they marginally exceeded expectations after being picked 10th in the MW preseason poll.

The Cowboys churned out eight wins in one of the best leagues in the country this winter, including upsets over Nevada and Colorado State in Laramie. A big factor in the end results were Griffin, Kot and Walters.

Griffin had the best season out of any Cowboy, earning third team All-MW honors from league media and was an honorable mention from the coaches after leading UW with 16.8 points and 3.4 assists per game.

"(Griffin has brought) the ability to be a guy that had the ball in his hands the majority of time and to be a primary ball-handler and to be a one," Linder said earlier this week. "As the season has gone on, he's definitely gotten a lot better in terms of understanding what the game calls for instead of thinking, 'Hey, I have to score, score, score.'

"(He understands) what's going to allow us to win the game, and maybe that's not (him) scoring 15, 18 or 20 points. Maybe the game dictates where he scores eight, but he has seven or eight assists. That's what he's gotten a lot better at."

Kot proved his scoring ability at the Division II level before coming to UW. He finished his lone year at UW second on the team in scoring at 14 points per game to go along with 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

"As I look back at being a Cowboy, it was an amazing year, just for the opportunity," Kot said after the MW tournament loss. "... It was a blessing, and I enjoyed every single day. I was looking forward to every single day. We enjoy being around each other.

"I would just say we had a lot of great moments as a team. Like coach said, we've just been trying to go up in the right direction. And that's what this program has been doing this past year. That's been a goal going in, so, yeah, it's been great."

Walters had the most frustrating start to his final season out of the three, missing the majority of the nonconference schedule with a thumb injury. The 6-foot-9 forward eventually made his debut in December and played a vital role for the Cowboys in the paint, averaging 12.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, two assists and one steal in 22 games.

"I'm very thankful," Walters said at the MW tournament. "I've loved all my teammates and coaches, and I can't thank them enough for this opportunity.

"Being a kid from Jamestown (North Dakota), out of high school, I had three scholarship offers — one DI and two NAIA — so, being here playing in the Thomas & Mack Center for the University of Wyoming has been a blessing. I'm very grateful to be surrounded by great people."

This season can be looked at as a transitional year to bridge the gap from last year's nightmare. But in the current college landscape — and UW's position in that landscape with lacking name, image and likeness dollars — could every year be transitional in Laramie?

The coming weeks will be telling for the future of men's basketball at UW. The transfer portal officially opens Monday and will remain open until May 1. With having five players participate in the senior night ceremony earlier this month, will Linder try to bridge the gap with more one-year transfers?

There are no right or wrong answers in terms of recruiting in this day and age. Linder has proven to be a skilled recruiter, nabbing players like Graham Ike, Noah Reynolds and Marcus Williams out of high school. Linder's problem — which is a problem for all mid-major universities now — has been retaining the recruits who have blossomed into star players.

"You have to have some money, because if not, you're not going to be able to retain guys," Linder said earlier this month. "... Hopefully, we can find a way to be able to retain the better players that we have.

"The reality of it is, it's not changing anytime soon. If you're a good player in this league, it's going to cost you to keep him."

Seniors Brendan Wenzel and Kenny Foster both participated in senior night, and both have another year of eligibility to use if they choose. If both decide to leave UW, Linder will be tasked with replacing five seniors this offseason, including four in the starting lineup.

Of course, that doesn't count any potential outgoing transfers.

Linder will have his hands full again over the next two months. While it might not be the most popular choice with the fans, Griffin, Kot and Walters proved the one-year rental can be a temporary solution as college coaches continue to adapt to today's recruiting landscape.

"It's obviously a new world," Linder said. "You are constantly adapting to it. We'll go back and see. Hopefully, it won't be like last year where you have to go out and get 10 new guys, but obviously, we're going to have to add a few pieces.

"We'll have to continue to get the guys that do stay. We just have to continue to get those guys better. That's the biggest thing in this day and age — the insanity that is college basketball — is that, yeah, can you have the ability to retain guys? The ability to retain to where they can develop the discipline — the habits, the discipline and the effort that's required to put yourself in a position to really compete for championships.

"So, that's where — at least going into this offseason — you'll have a core group of guys coming back that they can build off of this season, add a few more pieces and then give yourself a chance next year."

Alex Taylor is the assistant editor for WyoSports and covers University of Wyoming athletics. He can be reached at ataylor@wyosports.net. Follow him on X at @alex_m_taylor22.