Wicks’ Message to Matija Belic: ‘I Believe In You’

LARAMIE -- "I believe in you."

That was Sundance Wicks' ultimate message to Matija Belic during what the head coach called a man-to-man conversation early this week inside his office.

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Though the senior netted 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting in last Monday's lopsided 99-75 season-opening victory over visiting Northern State, Wicks said he expects more from Belic in a number of areas, mainly when it comes to mentality.

"He has to put together a senior year that he's proud of," Wicks said of the 6-foot-7, 239-pound forward/ guard combo. "We're gonna put him in the spots to be successful, he's got to go finish better. He understands that."

It's been a "slow drip" for the Serbian, according to Wicks. Offseason ankle surgery served as a setback. His rhythm is out of whack, at times. The psychological effects, the head coach added, have played a main role in that.

Belic's task is to go to the "dark places" and become a scarier version of himself in the competitive realm.

He scratched the surface against the Wolves, but just barely.

"We just got to be more urgent coming into the game. Maybe we were relaxed a little bit," Belic said Monday during the postgame press conference. "No matter who we play, it's how we play. That's what we said in a meeting room before the game, and that shouldn't change no matter who we face."

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Sure, that's a team-wide message, but it is also squarely aimed at Belic, one of two players, including forward Abou Magassa, to return to Wyoming for a second season.

What exactly does Wicks expect?

"He's got to go finish through contact better," he said bluntly. "He's got to be more of a vocal leader, and he's got to be the ultimate connector for us. I want to start seeing him shoot the ball more. I told him he's a guy who's so unselfish, I need to see him shoot the ball more. When he gets a good look, he's got to take it. He's one of our best offseason shooters, and then when the season rolls around, he kind of gets a little bit gun shy.

"I want him to have the confidence to know, I want you to shoot the ball more. I want you to believe in yourself, because you're a guy who deserves it and has earned it."

Belic, who transferred from UC Santa Barbara before the 2024-25 campaign, averaged 5.6 points per game last winter while appearing in 22 games. He shot a career-low 41.9% from the field while averaging nearly 24 minutes per night.

Again, it was a shoulder injury that limited that production.

His best outing came in a narrow loss to Mountain West heavyweight San Diego State last March. Belic netted 12 points. He hit four of his six shots from the floor. He also pulled down six rebounds and dished out a pair of assists. There was a steal and zero turnovers on his final stat sheet, too.

He was aggressive. He was a facilitator. He was relentless.

Wicks wants to see that version again this Saturday afternoon when the Cowboys play host to Cal State Fullerton.

"I got your back," Wicks said. "I'm proud of him, just because of who he is as a human being. He's got all A's and he's a high-character human being. Now, I just want him to go have fun and play the way he knows how to play it, on the floor."

Tipoff between the Pokes (1-0) and Titans (1-0) is slated for 2 p.m. inside the Arena-Auditorium.

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