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Mountain West suspends Wyoming guard one game

Wyoming New Mexico Basketball

Wyoming’s Josh Adams (14) drives around New Mexico’s Elijah Brown (4) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, in Albuquerque, N.M. (AP Photo/Juan Labreche)

AP

There are few players in college basketball as important to their team as Wyoming senior guard Josh Adams. Adams, averaging 24.2 points per game, leads the Cowboys in points, rebounds, assists and steals on the season and is a candidate for Mountain West Player of the Year honors. Unfortunately for head coach Larry Shyatt, Adams won’t be available when the Cowboys welcome of the conference’s best teams in Boise State Saturday.

The Mountain West announced Friday afternoon that Adams has been suspended one game for his actions in the Cowboys’ loss to Nevada earlier in the week. According to the conference there were multiple violations of the league’s rules on sportsmanship, resulting in the suspension.

Adams, who was assessed a technical foul in the game, wasn’t the only player to receive some kind of discipline from the Mountain West. Nevada’s Cameron Oliver was reprimanded for his being ejected from the game after receiving two technical fouls within just over a minute of game action.

Chris Murray of the Reno Gazette-Journal provided the details on the incident that led to both Adams and Oliver receiving technical fouls.

After being raked across the face by Wyoming’s Jason McManamen during a battle for a loose ball, Oliver pushed McManamen, who fell to the ground. Oliver was one of three players assessed a technical foul on the play (the others were Wyoming’s Trey Washington III and Josh Adams).

Oliver picked up a second technical foul 64 seconds later when he clapped following a Wyoming timeout aimed to quell a 12-1 Nevada run. The second technical, with 12:48 remaining in the game, triggered an automatic ejection. The MW said Oliver being assessed two Class A technical fouls violated provisions of Mountain West Rule 4-Sportsmanship.

Oliver will be available to play in Nevada’s game against UNLV, but Adams was not as fortunate. Without Adams, who coach Shyatt planned to bring off the bench as a result of his technical foul, Wyoming has a lot of production to account for against a team that includes the likes of James Webb III, Nick Duncan and Anthony Drmic.