Wyoming basketball schedules series with South Carolina, Oregon State

The Wyoming Cowboys have landed a pair of series from power conference teams in Oregon State and South Carolina, and both are coming to Laramie. Getting quality teams to come to Arena-Auditorium has been very difficult for the Cowboys and that is likely the reason why these series are two-for-one games.

Both of these series for Wyoming will begin this next year by traveling to both South Carolina and Oregon State, in 2018-19 the Cowboys will host the Gamecocks but make a second consecutive trip to play the Beavers and then the final year of the series flips to Wyoming going to the East Coast and then finally hosting Oregon State in 2018-19.

South Carolina made the Final Four this past year before losing to Gonzaga in the national semifinal. Playing this type of team will definitely help the Cowboys strength of schedule and RPI and indirectly the conference as well.

Even though Oregon State won just five games last year, and 1-17 in Pac-12 play, it is a winnable game against a power conference team. With RPI being part of who a team plays and who their opponent plays could give the Cowboys a boost in the RPI. For the Cowboys sake they would rather have the Beavers not have a repeat this past year and get an RPI that is not 281 as it was for the 16-17 year.

Wyoming last played Oregon State in the 2000-01 season and overall the Cowboys are just 3-8 against the Beavers. Against the Gamecocks, the Cowboys are 1-1 and last played over a decade ago in the 2002-03 season.

This is a step in the right direction for Mountain West teams who have been directed from the league to improve their basketball slate. Wyoming has done just that — maybe Oregon State will get better in the next few years — by being creative by taking a two-for-one to get quality teams at home.

Maybe the rest of the Mountain West should take note and schedule like this to get a better home slate, and schedule overall.