LARAMIE – Take it easy on me, take it easy on me.
 
Those were the words Jordan Nesbitt said after sitting down in front of a microphone for a press conference following Wyoming's 86-69 victory over Utah Tech on Saturday night at the Arena-Auditorium.
 
The well-traveled 6-foot-6 senior guard was in the spotlight after posting his second double-double of the season with 12 points and a team-high 12 rebounds to lead the Cowboys (3-1) to an impressive bounce back win following a rough road trip to Texas Tech.
 
Senior guard Kobe Newton was tougher on Nesbitt than the local reporters after joining his teammate for questions.
 
"When Jordan wants to be he can be one of the best rebounders in the country," Newton noted.
 
UW head coach Sundance Wicks chimed in: "Say it again!"
 
"When Jordan wants to be he can be one of the best rebounders in the country," Newton repeated. "He had two (rebounds at halftime) and then 10 (expletive) rebounds (in the second half). … He's a problem though, he's different. When he's right and he has the right mindset, he adds a completely new facet to our team and a completely new level to our team."
 
Nesbitt, who started his career at Memphis and had stops at Saint Louis and Hampton before transferring to UW in the spring, grabbed 16 rebounds during the opener against Concordia-St. Paul.
 
But the former top 100 recruit finished with four points and four rebounds during the Pokes' humbling loss to the Red Raiders last week.
 
"That's my role," Nesbitt said of being a versatile tone setter for this team. "I'm just trying to be a winning guy, a winning plays guy, whatever it takes to win. That's what I want. That's why I felt like the Texas Tech game I should have been better at that. I did that in the second half, but I felt like if I would have done that in the first half, we would have had a different outcome with it."
 
Through four games, several players have started to carve out defined roles.
 
Point guard Obi Agbim leads the team in scoring (19.0 ppg) and assists (3.5 apg). Cole Henry gives the team a presence in the post while mentoring bigger centers Oleg Kojenets and Scottie Ebube.
 
Newton is a steady shooting guard who is second on the team in scoring (12.3 ppg) and made 3-pointers (seven) behind Agbim. At forward, Abou Magassa is a reliable defender and Touko Tainamo is a skilled scorer.
 
Nesbitt, who is averaging 10.5 points and 9.8 rebounds, is the X factor. That's why Wicks has been relentless in coaching him so hard to make the most of his all-Mountain West level physical talent.
 
"I love seeing guys get an ah-ha moment. The more Jordan sees it from me I think the more Jordan becomes it. It's a manifestation of this process," Wicks said. "It's not always about basketball as it is the psychology of the human being and then psychological conditioning you have when you go into games and how you approach these things."
 
Nesbitt has said Wicks' belief in him has "changed my life." He averaged 1.0 points and 1.0 rebound in three games at Memphis before returning home to St. Louis after learning he was going to be a father. He averaged 8.2 points and 4.3 rebounds during his lone season at Saint Louis and 12.9 points and 3.7 rebounds over his two seasons at Hampton.
 
The somber flight back from Lubbock to Laramie was followed up with a couple intense practices before the Utah Tech game.
 
"It was rough, man. Practice was hard," Nesbitt said. "That's what comes with it and that's what I love about this coaching staff. Everybody cares. Coming from where I came from it wasn't like that, so to see that everybody cares, I love it. I love my guys, love my team, got to keep moving forward."
 
The Cowboys host Southeastern Louisiana on Friday at the Arena-Auditorium (6:30 p.m., MW Network).
 
UW will need Nesbitt to not take it easy on the Lions, a team that won at 7,220 feet two years ago.
 
"Because he can really make that much of a difference just being on the glass, getting on the floor, doing the dirty work, getting to the rim, getting to the foul line," Newton said. "When he's right we're a whole better team."
 
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