The highs and lows of college basketball.
Sundance Wicks led the Wyoming Cowboys into Thomas & Mack Center last Tuesday – marking the first time that the Pokes have won against the Rebels in Las Vegas since 2003.
Team leader Obi Agbim led the charge with 19 points and five converted three-pointers.
The Cowboys shot 14-28 from distance, accounting for 42 of their 63 points.
One could argue that it is the biggest win of the season.
However, during the first year of a new regime and chalked with young personnel, inconsistency can rear its ugly head.
After a headline-grabbing win in Sin City, Wyoming fell to San Jose State by nine in California.
Not a single starter reached double-digit scoring as the entire starting five accumulated a mere 21 points.
In 17 minutes, bench big man Scottie Ebube scored 22 points – a career-high.
What changed in San Jose?
The Pokes shot 6/31 from three – equating to 19.4%.
Wyoming kept shooting…and they kept missing.
Free throw shooting also hurt their efforts – going 6/14 from the line.
Playing at the Provident Credit Union Event Center is not for the faint of heart.
You will not encounter 10,000+ screaming fans, making life for the next 40 minutes a nightmare.
The chants of “airball” and referee criticism will not rain down from the rafters to the hardwood.
No.
Playing at the PCUEC is no different than playing ball at your local church.
If you are taking names and kicking butt, the crowd won’t be silenced.
Because there is no silencing to be had.
Conversely, if you fall behind and can’t find a rhythm, San Jose’s emptiness and lack of atmosphere only amplify your woes.
It is one of the strangest environments in the Mountain West and all of college basketball.
Projected NCAA Tournament participants make the winter trek and face the greatest test of all: themselves.
Up Next
Wyoming returns to Arena-Auditorium and welcomes Fresno State to town.
The Bulldogs have lost eight of their last nine – their lone win coming against Air Force on January 17th.
Head coach Sundance Wicks, Obi Agbim, and the rest of the Cowboys are on the precipice of facing their most brutal stretch of Mountain West play.
Starting February 1st, Wyoming will play:
- At San Diego State (2/1/25)
- Vs. Utah State (2/4/25)
- Vs. UNLV (2/8/25)
- At New Mexico (2/12/25)
- At Colorado State (2/15/25)
Wicks has mentioned how he views each part of the season in five-game segments.
His goal is to go 3-2 or better in each.
The Pokes will have gone 2-3 or 1-4, depending on Tuesday’s result.
Ten games follow.
Can they exceed expectations in the final stretch?
That’s why we play the games.
