Wicks Hopes to Give Aztecs Two Parting Gifts Tonight in Laramie

LARAMIE -- Goodbyes are never easy.

This one, though, might just be welcomed.

San Diego State, the perennial bullies of the Mountain West, is packing its bags, heading to the new-look Pac-12 along with four other defectors: Boise State, Utah State, Fresno State and Wyoming's Border War rival, Colorado State.

That all becomes official in July.

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Tonight could, and likely will be, the final time the Aztecs pay a visit to the high plains. Sundance Wicks wants to make it a memorable one, in a number of ways.

"I'll have a present for (SDSU head coach) Brian Dutcher when he arrives in the handshake line," Wyoming's bench boss said, that ever-present and sly grin creasing his cheeks. "You know, a lot of these guys, when they come for the last time, I really want them to remember the experience and the good times they've had in Laramie. I don't want them to go home empty handed."

What is this gift? Wicks isn't saying.

SDSU has had plenty of those aforementioned good times inside the Arena-Auditorium of late, winning four straight in the series, dating back to 2018. While that might not seem like a lengthy streak, that number is deceiving. These two have met on the hardwood 13 times since that 82-69 victory in Allen Edwards' second season at the helm.

Wyoming hasn't won once.

Eight of those setbacks have come inside Viejas Arena. Another, a 69-66 loss in the opening round of the 2020-21 conference tournament in Las Vegas.

SDSU has won the regular-season championship three times in that span. It has also claimed two league tournament titles. Six times this program has made an appearance in the Big Dance. In 2023, Dutcher's Aztecs marched all the way into the National Championship game before eventually falling to UConn.

Will this team actually be missed?

"We understand the task that's in front of us," Wicks said, referring to what some are calling a "down" Aztec program this winter. "But San Diego State is, they're a model of consistency ... I appreciate the way they built it. I got a lot of respect for them.

"Now, we got to show respect by showing no respect."

SDSU arrived in Laramie with a perfect 4-0 record in league play. Led by guards BJ Davis and Reese Dixon-Waters, three of the four losses so far this season have come against the who's who of college basketball: Michigan, Baylor and top-ranked Arizona.

Down? Ha.

"This is a good San Diego State team, as good as they've always been," Wicks said, adding, like always, the Aztecs feature a Top-30 defense. "Them and Utah State are the bells of the ball right now. Both of those teams are really, really good in this league. So, it's a formidable opponent. I'm looking forward to the challenge and opportunity they present."

Balanced scoring has also been a strength for the visitors.

Seven-footer Magoon Gwath is averaging a tick under 10 points per game. So is guard Miles Byrd. Elzie Harrington hovers around nine a night. Forward Pharaoh Campton does, too.

This game all marks the return of Jeremiah Oden, who suited up for the Cowboys from 2020-23 before transferring to DePaul and eventually Charlotte. He's netting 6.1 a night. The 6-foot-8 Chicago product helped lead Wyoming (11-5, 2-3) to a berth in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament during his sophomore season. Wicks, you might recall, was an assistant on Jeff Linder's staff.

"I love JO, man," Wicks said. "We had a lot of spiritual conversations when we were here, a lot of deep conversations. He's one of those cats that, he's really smart. He thinks things deeper and thinks differently. Always appreciate guys' journeys, you know?

"I wish he was a Cowboy. I wish he was a Cowboy all the way, through and through. I wish all those guys were Cowboys. But I understand everybody's got a journey and a race to run, and you got to run your own race. I'll always love that guy, man."

This gift for Dutcher, Wicks joked, he hopes ends up on the coach's mantle. He wants everyone to be surprised.

"It's a good gift. You guys will like it," he added. "You'll understand the meaning behind it when you see it."

The real keepsake is what the scoreboard reads after the final buzzer.

"It'd be great to give anybody a loss on their way out the door," Wicks continued. "You know, loss of oxygen and a loss in the loss column would be great. And our guys know that."

Tipoff tonight is scheduled for 6 p.m. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.