He wore number 44 for the Cowboys, and was one of the deadliest shooters I've ever seen at Wyoming, especially from the deep the corners

He also was one of the best maybe five Wyoming natives ever to play basketball for the Cowboys, and probably the most underrated of the group.  His name was Stan Dodds, and he was the pride of Green River where he starred for the Wolves before Head Coach Bill Strannigan brought him to Laramie.

I so enjoy reaching out to Cowboys who helped shape the tradition of Wyoming athletics during days gone by, and Stan was one of them. I had the opportunity to speak with him by phone not long ago, and our visit and reminiscing transported me to one of my favorite eras of Cowboy basketball, the mid-to-late 1960's

Stan is now enjoying retirement in Montana, after a tremendous career as a high school teacher and coach. He coached basketball for many years at the high school level in Wyoming and Utah, and, at one point in his career, coached boys basketball and girls volleyball at Laramie High School, among the stops along his teaching legacy.

That Strannigan era of Cowboy basketball during the 1960's was a wonderful time for me.  I was in college here, working for Bill Young in Sports Information.  The games were on the raised floor of War Memorial Fieldhouse, which I always thought was way cool. It was an exciting, high scoring and entertaining period of Cowboy hoops.  I like good defense in the game as much as anybody, but this was the era of offense.  Strannigan brought us players like Flynn Robinson, Leon Clark, Mike Eberle and during Stan's time, Carl Ashley, Harry Hall, Willie Roberson, Steve Popovich, Eli Bebout and Stan himself.  

Before I give you these numbers, remember during that period there was no three-point shot in the game, and student-athletes were only allowed three years of varsity eligibility (freshmen were not eligible).  No matter where one shot from, it counted for only two.  Had there been an arc, I have a feeling guys like Robinson would have scored 3,000 points, and Stan may have scored in the 2,000's.  As it was, Flynn scored 2,049, Ashley tallied 1,598, Clark 1,497 and Dodds, 1,333.  Most shots by Robinson and Dodds came from areas that would have been beyond the arc in today's game.

During Stan's three years with Wyoming (1968 through 1970), Strannigan's Cowboys averaged 85.6 points per game (sophomore), 82.2 (junior) and 83.9 (senior).  There wasn't a whole lot of defense—there was some for sure—because basketball was an offensive game.  It was flat fun to watch, especially in the Fieldhouse which I believe was one of the best home courts in the country at the time. There was no shooting background (no fans behind either basket, just huge light blue curtains).  Here was a basketball floor in the middle of that huge space.  Don't forget to add the 7,220 feet of elevation.  Suffice it to say, it was a very difficult place to play for an opponent. Nobody wanted to come to Laramie then, just as they don't want to come here now!

I remember Dodds as a star basketball player at Green River High School.  I only got to see him at the state tournament which UW hosted each winter. He led the Wolves to a Wyoming State Championship his junior season when all classifications (C through AA) would come to Laramie to play the prep post-season tournament.  It involved long hours but we loved hosting it.  Dodds was among the best prepsters I ever. Watching him play during those tournaments in the Fieldhouse, you could tell he would be perfect for the Strannigan system at Wyoming.  Sure enough he became a Cowboy, and he didn't disappoint.

Yet, when folks talk about great Wyoming natives who hooped for the Cowboy, Stan's name is rarely mentioned.  That is a gross oversight, and an unfortunate one.   Rightfully so Kenny Sailors (the most famous of course), Marcus Bailey (who ironically also wore the number 44) and Dick Sherman are usually mentioned as the best Wyoming products to play for the Brown and Gold.

But Stan's name should always be included in that group.  He played so much bigger than 6-4, 190, as listed in the 1969 media guide.  He was an outstanding rebounder and defender, but he was the deadliest shooter from the corners that I ever saw. His stroke was buttery smooth.

To this day Stan's name remains in the Poke record books.  As mentioned earlier he is among Wyoming's list of 1,000-point scorers.  He is still third all-time in career field goal percentage (behind post players Eric Leckner and Reggie Slater).  For his career he shot .562 from the field, and most of that came from beyond the arc!

Stan is still ninth on the all-time Wyoming career-scoring-average list at 16.7 per game. I can only imagine what that might have been if the three-point line had entered the game.  

Stan and I had fun talking about his night against Arizona State in February of 1970.  It was one of the three best offensive performances by a Cowboy I've ever had the pleasure of seeing in person. It is still the fifth-best scoring night in Wyoming history. He poured in 45 points on February 28, 1970, in a victory over the Sun Devils.  He was 19 of 31 from the field, 7 of 9 from the free throw line and grabbed 14 rebounds.  The Cowboys won the game 112-94.  Ashley added 27 that night.  Two nights earlier, against Arizona, Dodds had scored 23.  He poured in 68 points in the two-game series, and might have scored 100 with a three-point arc, not a bad weekend!

Stan, who was actually born in Cheyenne, was All-Western Athletic Conference his junior and senior seasons (along with Ashley).  He led the league in shooting percentage, and was ninth in the country his junior season.

Wyoming was a good basketball team during his era as well.  During Stan's three seasons, the Cowboys were 18-9, 19-9, and 19-7 and made two National Invitational Tournament appearances. Unfortunately for Dodds, he missed the first NIT game against Villanova his sophomore year (1968), breaking his ankle in practice two days before the Pokes were leaving for New York.  He was healthy his junior season for Wyoming's second NIT game appearance, and led the team in scoring against Army in 1969 NIT.

Stan told me he thinks about his days at Wyoming often and has so many great memories of teammates and games, especially in the Fieldhouse. I passed it right back to him, those were great memories for me too, especially watching number 44.