In the final moments before Wyoming’s home finale, first-year head coach Sundance Wicks wasn’t focused on X’s and O’s or delivering a fiery speech, University of Wyoming Athletics reports.
Instead, he turned to poetry, reading Rudyard Kipling’s If to his team.
“It gave me peace,” Wicks said. “There are things you can control and things you can’t.”
That sentiment summed up the Cowboys’ 72-69 loss to San Diego State, their 11th single-digit defeat of the season and seventh by four points or fewer. Despite a resilient effort, the team once again fell just short against one of the Mountain West’s top contenders.
“This is the irrational confidence team that can go and almost beat anybody,” Wicks said. “I won’t say beat anybody because we haven’t. We may go down in history as the team that almost beat everybody.”
Wyoming has been competitive against the best teams in the Mountain West, but the results haven’t followed. The Pokes are 0-10 against the conference’s top five teams—New Mexico, Colorado State, Utah State, San Diego State, and Boise State—yet seven of those games were decided by single digits.
With the regular season wrapping up Tuesday against Fresno State, Wicks’ team will soon enter the Mountain West Tournament, where one win could provide the momentum needed for a postseason run.
“There’s been a lot of ‘ifs’ this season,” Wicks said. “You want to be the team competing at this time of year.”
Despite the tough losses, there are clear signs of growth within Wicks’ program. Against San Diego State, several players stepped up:
- Obi Agbim led with 21 points and six rebounds.
- Dontaie Allen added 16 points.
- Matija Belic contributed 12 points and six rebounds.
- Scottie Ebube had a strong inside presence with nine points and five rebounds.
“His culture is just starting,” Agbim said. “Down the road, it’s only going to grow. I’m super glad I was part of it at the beginning.”
Even in a rebuilding year, Wyoming has shown it can compete with the Mountain West’s best. If the Cowboys can build on these performances, Wicks’ vision for the program’s future may soon turn those “almost” wins into actual victories.
