Wyoming Basketball Loses Fourth Player to Portal

LARAMIE -- The "Lithuanian Lambo" is cruising right out of Laramie.

Jonas Sirtautas entered the NCAA Transfer Portal Friday, becoming the fourth Wyoming basketball player this week to leave the program. Guards Brendan Wenzel and Jacob Theodosiou, along with forward Caden Powell, have also announced their intentions to hit the open market.

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Sirtautas, a 6-foot-10, 185-pound forward, was ruled ineligible in 2023-24, his lone season in Laramie. Despite his size, Jeff Linder raved about his athleticism and ability to handle the ball.

"Jonas comes from one of the premier programs in Europe in Zalgiris and is an explosive athlete Wyoming fans will enjoy watching for years to come," Wyoming's fourth year head coach said after signing Sirtautas last August.

The Kaunas, Lithuania product was listed as a guard on his club team and was also selected to take part in the NBA Academy.

"He is probably as good of an athlete that I've ever coached," Linder told WyoSports.com in November. "You watch him in warmup lines, he is an elite athlete. I think he touched (12 feet, 4 inches) when we tested his vertical. He literally can touch the top of the backboard.

"... He's a guy that has a lot of upside and is kind of a late bloomer. He didn't grow until here late, but he has a lot of upside."

Sirtautas comes from a basketball family.

His father, Darius, was a professional player and coach, currently known as one of the nation's top player developers in Lithuania. Ugne, his sister, appeared in 27 games last season as a freshman at Providence, averaging 2.5 points and 1.6 rebounds per game from the forward spot.

Linder and Co. now have three available scholarships and a possible fourth if Kenny Foster doesn't come back for his final season in Laramie.

The transfer portal is open until May 1.

Division-I programs are allowed up to 13 full-ride players on the roster. Here are Wyoming's scholarship players as of March 21, 2024:

Oliver Faubert

Dominic Pangonis

Jehvion Starwood

Dylan Warlick

Oleg Kojenets

Kael Combs

Cameron Manyawu

Kobe Newton

Nigle Cook

* Kenny Foster

* Undecided on returning to program next season