LARAMIE – I've seen the enemy, and it is me.
 
Sundance Wicks uses the phrase when describing the seemingly unlimited potential the Wyoming coaching staff sees in Scottie Ebube.
 
The 6-foot-10 center averaged 6.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.6 blocks while shooting 69% from the field in 31 games at Southern Illinois. However, due to a lack of conditioning and foul trouble, Ebube averaged under 12 minutes per appearance with the Salukis.
 
UW's head coach wants to see Ebube on the floor a whole lot more in the Arena-Auditorium this winter.
 
"He has all the gifts, all the tools," Wicks said. "He has immaculate touch around the rim. I don't know if I've seen a guy with as good a touch through contact as Scottie. He's got feet, he's got hands, he's got physicality, he's got heart. It's the head that must come together. That's the only thing that stops him from being great."
 
Ebube has already had a productive summer and early fall with the Cowboys. After playing at 286 pounds as a freshman and arriving in Laramie weighing about 275 pounds, the junior is down to about 254 pounds.
 
Admittedly, Ebube said it took a week or so to catch his breath at 7,220 feet following his move from Carbondale, Ill., to the High Plains. Now he's in the best shape of his life after going through sports performance coach Jimmy Edel's strength and conditioning program.
 
"My first year at SIU I was overweight," Ebube said. "Obviously, I'm still learning but I have a lot of experience from SIU. I want to really thank SIU for helping me get to the place I am now."
 
UW assistant Pat Monaghan was on the SIU staff during Ebube's freshman season and the relationship led to mutual interest when the developing when the big man decided to put his name in the transfer portal.
 
Monaghan was also on Wicks' staff at Green Bay when they helped the Phoenix improve from three the season before their arrival to 18 wins last season.
 
"I had a trust in Coach Wicks," Ebube said. "That's the most important thing. I was looking for a relationship with a coach, someone I could talk to on and off the court, and Coach Sundance was the best option for me. His energy is always through the roof.
 
"Pat pretty much took care of me at SIU when I was a freshman, and I trust him a lot. I wanted to be with a coaching staff that I trust and believe in. That's why I chose Wyoming."
 
Wicks wants the Pokes to be an inside out team, which means the offense will run through Ebube, 6-9 senior Cole Henry and 7-foot junior Oleg Kojenets in the post. The trio are competing daily during practices, and each bring something different to the table.
 
Henry, a graduate transfer from Northern Iowa, is an excellent passer and has championship experience. Kojenets has skill, which he flashed in limited minutes last season, and is being coached to use his size in the post on both ends of the floor.
 
Ebube has the physical tools to compete in the paint with his soon-to-be Mountain West counterparts at Boise State and San Diego State, the likely preseason favorites.
 
"Scottie is way more talented than me. I say that with confidence in my own ability," Henry said. "This man is a freak of nature in the weight room. He has the team record in dead lift and I'm sure he could break the other records in squatting and bench press. I think he has the ability to be one of the best players in the country. I didn't say conference, I said country. He is that talented.
 
"The way we get him to tap into that is to have him realize that. When Scottie is at his best it's when he's pissed off or he's locked in. The biggest thing for Scottie is to get him locked in more often and to find triggers that can get him locked in on his own."
 
Ebube said he isn't worried about how many minutes he plays or how many points he scores with the Cowboys. The dominant all-state prospect from Illinois, who led Mundelein High School to a 43-6 record over his junior and senior seasons, wants to help Wicks get UW basketball back on the map.
 
"I just want to win. That's the most important thing for me," Ebube said. "We have a lot of talent, and we are all competitive. We have a good bond, and I think we can prove people wrong."
 
If the Pokes can mold Ebube into a more productive player, the Dome of Doom will be enemy territory again for MW posts.
 
"Jay Sawvel would be drooling over him if he was on the football field," Wicks said. "He'd run the 40 as fast as a running back and you could see him playing tight end or defensive end. He's got those types of physical capabilities about him. So, for him it's understanding smart defensive pressure, using your physicality without fouling and then keeping your wits about you when you're on the floor."
 
If you are interested in learning more about NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) or would like to support our student-athletes, please visit 1wyo.org. 1WYO was created out of Wyoming's culture of neighbor helping neighbor. The mission is to promote and strengthen local charitable organizations and develop Wyoming student athletes. 
 
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