LARAMIE – The gritty-not-pretty gang hits the road to deal with a Princeton-style offense.
 
Sundance Wicks was asked jokingly during his Friday press conference if Wyoming's matchup with Air Force would result in a game played in the 30s.
 
"Let's bring the Roaring 20s back if we could," UW's head coach quipped. "Air Force is 359^th in pace. I'm jealous, to be honest with you. I'd like to be up there, too."
 
The Cowboys (8-6, 1-2 Mountain West), who controlled the tempo in their first three conference games, will face the disciplined, patient Falcons (3-10, 0-2) on Saturday at Clune Arena (3 p.m., Altitude/MW Network).
 
Joe Scott, who had some classic battles with Steve McClain's Pokes two decades ago during his first stint at Air Force, is in his ninth season overall with the Falcons after temporarily leaving the program to coach at his alma mater Princeton and Denver.
 
"He's a godfather, man," Wicks said of his counterpart. "I've got a lot of respect for coaches that can last and have longevity. It's so hard to stay in this profession. He has carved out a niche. And to me, you're trying to find an identity all the time, all these teams are trying to find identities.

"They have an identity, and it's ingrained into their DNA, it's who they are. I've got a lot of respect for coaches who can do it their way as long as he has."
 
Wicks, who signed 10 players in 28 days after being hired to replace Jeff Linder late in the cycle, has determined the best way for this version of the Cowboys to win games is by limiting possessions.
 
Despite a 2-for-20 start from the field, UW clawed back to take the lead midway through the second half against preseason MW favorite Boise State. If not for some critical missed free throws, the script could have played out for the Pokes like the dogged 66-63 victory over Nevada.
 
"There's always something to learn," senior guard Dontaie Allen said after scoring eight points off the bench against the Broncos. "Take our first 12 minutes of the game. Our team goes and scores five points, our energy is not there. That's one thing that you can't start out like that, not in the Mountain West."
 
Obi Agbim, currently ranked second in the MW in scoring at 18.5 points per game, is questionable with a sprained ankle. If UW's starting point guard can't play, A.J. Wills will fill the role against Air Force.
 
Wicks lamented Wills only getting 14 minutes against Boise State. The sophomore led the team with 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting, including 5-for-7 on 3-pointers.
 
"It's really these guys that give me that type of confidence and boost," Wills said of his teammates after sparking UW's comeback from an early 13-point deficit. "They keep giving you great compliments in the huddles and picking you up. I really feed off my teammates."
 
Allen found himself riding the bench at the end of non-conference play until getting his number called in crunch time against Cal State Fullerton. He calmly knocked down a clutch 3 to help the Cowboys hang on for a 73-69 road win.
 
The 6-foot-6 senior guard was 5-for-8 behind the arc during the recent home stand with seven rebounds off the bench. Allen, who started his career at Kentucky, certainly has the skill set to help replace some of Agbim's scoring if necessary.
 
"He showed up with a good energy about him and a more steely-eyed focus," Wicks said of Allen. "That's what you look for as a coach, you look for kids to respond in the right way."
 
The Pokes must execute the scouting report at a high level to expect to beat Air Force. As is the case every season with the Falcons, that means defending the arc and backdoor cuts late into the shot clock.
 
Senior guard Ethan Taylor (14.8 ppg), the program's first 1,000-point career scorer since AJ Walker, and senior forward Beau Becker, who is returning from injury and averaged 13.8 points last season, lead Air Force's methodical offense.
 
"There are very few coaches that can teach it, and Coach Scott is a master at it," Wicks said. "There's very few that can teach it and there's very few that have the patience to run it and very few players that have the discipline to execute it."
 
Larry Shyatt, whose defensive-minded Pokes won the MW Tournament a decade ago, has been admiring Wicks' squad from afar.

The former UW head coach should truly enjoy this rock fight with Air Force.
 
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