LARAMIE – The Cowboys revamped roster includes a strong French connection.
 
Abou Magassa, a 6-foot-7 forward from the Paris suburb of Morsang-sur-Orge, signed with Wyoming in late May after spending his freshman season redshirting at Saint Louis.
 
When the Billikens made a coaching change last spring, Magassa returned home. UW assistant Nick Whitmore reached out to see if he would consider returning to America for a new opportunity to play for head coach Sundance Wicks at 7,220 feet.
 
"My coach got fired so I was thinking about staying in France or keep playing college basketball. At the last minute I decided to come here," Magassa said. "Coach Whitmore called me, and I had a good feeling with all the coaches. That's why I chose to come here.
 
"It's the first time I've had a coach like (Wicks), so I have to bring the juice like he says."
 
Magassa, who has four years of eligibility remaining, has carved out a role in this year's rotation based on his defensive prowess. Through UW's first 10 nin-conference games he was averaging 4.0 points on 76.2% shooting from the field and 5.0 rebounds.
 
While playing for the club team Chorale Roanne Basket in Roanne, France, prior to Saint Louis, Magassa averaged 11.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.3 assists per game.
 
"He's a monster defensively," Wicks said. "He rebounds and defends at a high major level and that's going to get him on the floor. We're going to play a physical brand of basketball, and your fours and fives have to be physical."
 
Magassa gets one season to learn from skilled 6-9 forward Touko Tainamo, a Denver graduate transfer from Helsinki, Finland, who averaged 15.2 points and 7.7 rebounds last season for the Pioneers. Junior forward Matija Belic joined the rotation at BYU after recovering from a shoulder injury.
 
UW also has good daily competition in practice at center between 6-9 Cole Henry, 6-10 Scottie Ebube and 7-footer Oleg Kojenets.
 
"Abou and Touko are a great one-two punch combination at that four spot with their physicality. Touko with a little more skill, Abou with a little more athleticism," Wicks said. "Abou has underrated length and underrated finishing ability around the rim. He has a chance to really grow into something special as far as a kind of Keshad Johnson type of player."
 
Johnson helped lead San Diego State to the national championship game in 2023 and is currently a member of the Miami Heat. Magassa knows he has a lot of development to do to reach those heights.
 
The recent Paris Olympics have a lot of the country's basketball talent dreaming big as Victor Wembanyama pushed the U.S. during a classic gold medal game that Steph Curry sealed for the Americans in the closing minutes.
 
"I was very hyped about the game. Everybody watched it. I was disappointed with the ending, but it was a great game," Magassa said. "In France basketball is growing because we have a lot of big names coming here. Everybody knows Wembanyama in France and America."
 
Moving from France to St. Louis was difficult emotionally for Magassa, but being part of Wicks' eclectic team with players from 10 different states and five different countries has made him feel right at home inside the Arena-Auditorium.
 
"Honestly, last year I was more homesick. I had to redshirt so not playing, being in a new country and speaking another language was very hard," Magassa said. "You get used to it. Now I take what's in front of me and enjoy it. I like France but I'm not homesick anymore. …
 
"One thing that is nice here since day one everybody tried to talk to everybody. We are all included, even European players, so that is nice. It's easier to play with people that are your friends outside of basketball."
 
UW players from France in the past included 6-9 forward Mory Correa (2002-04) of Fontenay Le Fleury, 6-2 guard Arthur Bouedo (2008-12) of Aix en Provence, 6-7 forward Mahamoud Diakite (2008-09) of Paris, 7-2 center Boubacar Sylla (2008-10) of Paris and Amath M'Baye (2009-11) of Bordeaux.
 
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