No. 22 Wyoming aims to extend expectations-defying rise

By AARON BEARD
AP Basketball Writer

Wyoming has gone from being picked to finish at the bottom of the Mountain West Conference to playing this week with a rare national ranking. The Cowboys are ranked No. 22 this week in the AP Top 25. They’ll play with their first national ranking since 2015 when they visit New Mexico on Tuesday. They also host Air Force on Saturday. Second-year coach Jeff Linder says, “it’s good to have validation” with the improvement to earn a national ranking. The week also includes Gonzaga’s return to No. 1 and a top-10 Big East matchup between No. 8 Providence and No. 10 Villanova.