As the Wyoming Cowboys prepare for their Mountain West home opener against Nevada on Saturday at the Arena-Auditorium, the focus is clear: protect their home court, University of Wyoming Athletics reports.
Under first-year head coach Sundance Wicks, the team is embracing a philosophy reminiscent of legendary coach Jim Brandenburg’s approach to success in conference play.
Brandenburg, who led Wyoming to four WAC championships and three NCAA Tournaments, used a unique formula to measure a team’s performance. Home wins earned no points, road wins were worth one, and home losses subtracted one. This system emphasized the importance of defending home turf while securing critical victories on the road.
Wicks has adopted a similar mindset, urging his team to create a dominant identity at home.
“We’re a hard place to get to; we have to be a hard place to win at,” Wicks said.
He pointed to Wyoming’s historical success with a 75% or better home court winning percentage.
Wyoming enters the game with a 7-5 overall record (0-1 in conference play) and a perfect 5-0 home record during non-conference matchups. Their narrow loss at Utah State in the Mountain West opener demonstrated their potential, and a 73-69 victory over Cal State Fullerton added momentum heading into Saturday’s game.
The Cowboys’ scoring depth was on full display against Fullerton, with Kobe Newton (20 points), Obi Agbim (16 points), Touko Tainamo (13 points), and Jordan Nesbitt (11 points) leading the way. Now, they’ll look to build on that success against a formidable Nevada team.
Nevada (8-4, 0-1) seeks redemption after dropping their Mountain West opener at home to Colorado State. Despite their stumble, the Wolf Pack boasts impressive wins over Washington and Oklahoma State and ranks fifth nationally in 3-point shooting (.416).
Key players include Kobe Sanders (15.2 ppg) and Nick Davidson (15.0 ppg), along with former Wyoming shooting guard Xavier DuSell, who leads Nevada in 3-point shooting at 43.1%. With five players standing between 6-foot-10 and 7-foot-1, the Wolf Pack is the fourth tallest team in Division I and brings a balanced inside-outside offensive attack under head coach Steve Alford.
For Wyoming, containing Nevada’s efficient offense will be critical. Wicks has emphasized the importance of defending the 3-point line and maintaining a physical defensive presence.
“I’m excited to see our guys test their mettle out there,” Wicks said.
While the Cowboys and Wolf Pack share a loss to Loyola Marymount earlier in the season, the matchup offers a chance for Wyoming to assert its dominance at home and climb the conference standings.
