Which Wyoming hoopster wore it best? No. 45
LARAMIE -- Do you ever see a number on a Wyoming basketball jersey and think of all the great players to wear it?
Yeah, me too.
In this summer series, I’ll give you my take on which Pokes’ hoopster was the best ever to don each number. The criteria are simple: How did he perform at UW? What kind of impact did he have on the program?
No. 45 - JAMAL HOSEY
Forward, 1982-85, Oakland, Calif.
Résumé in Laramie
* 88 games played at UW
* 9 points per game
* Career-high 11.3 ppg in 1984-85
Why Hosey?
You have to hit your free throws.
With seven seconds remaining in regulation, Baylor's Robert McLemore stepped up to the stripe inside the Casper Events Center and calmly buried his first attempt to tie the game at 84-84. One more would swish and the home-state team was heading to the loser's bracket of the annual Cowboy Shootout.
That didn't happen.
After McLemore clanked his second freebie, Wyoming senior Jamal Hosey skied for the rebound and immediately raced up the court. Around the top of the key -- with roughly three seconds left -- the California product arched a jumper that would eventually find the bottom of the net and drain the clock, lifting the Cowboys to an 86-84 buzzer-beating victory over the Bears.
UW was 7-3 overall, its lone losses coming on the road at USC and Nebraska. Boise State got them in Laramie, too. Still, this appeared to be Hosey's best chance to reach the postseason during his three-year career in Laramie.
Dropping six of the final eight games of that 1984-85 campaign did the Pokes no favors.
Despite that disappointment, fans got a glimpse of the future that season. A pair of freshmen named Eric Leckner and Fennis Dembo were beginning to emerge. After Hosey graduated, over the next three seasons, the program would make a run to the NIT Championship game, earn a berth in the Sweet 16 and make the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season. The Cowboys also won a regular season WAC title and a pair of conference tournament championships.
Hosey, unfortunately for him, became the bridge between the Bill Garnett and the Dembo eras.
The 6-foot-6 forward averaged double figures scoring during his final two seasons at UW, including sinking better than 13 points per game as a senior. He also averaged eight rebounds and nearly three assists.
Hosey might be best remembered for his youngest sibling, Paul Pierce, who played 19 seasons in the NBA after a standout career at the University of Kansas. Hosey's brother, Steve, went on to become a first-round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians.
Who else wore No. 45
Clarence Lively (50's), Richard Bowers (60's), Steve Frenchik (60's), Ken Collins (60's), Stan Dodds (60's), Mike Larkin (70's), Greg Thesenvitz (70's), Rod Tyson (80's), Bienvenu Songondo (00's)
Look who wore the No. 44 best right HERE.
Check out our "Who Wore it Best" football series right HERE.
* All available rosters provided by the University of Wyoming Athletics Department. If we missed a player who wore this number, please email cody@7220sports.com
* A number of players wore different jersey numbers during their careers. From the 1930's through the 50's, players were issued a home and an away jersey.
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