LARAMIE – Sundance Wicks has said Wyoming needs to play "Moneyball" in this era of programs sharing revenue with players.
 
The Cowboys believe they have found extraordinary value in Damarion Dennis that not many others could see when the efficient point guard entered the portal.
 
According to the analytics Wicks and his staff use in evaluating prospects, Dennis was a top 100 player nationally in offensive rating and top 80 in turnover rate as a freshman at Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
 
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Dennis was also impressive picking up his counterparts for the full 94 feet of the court while helping lead the Islanders to 20 wins last season.
 
"He is the guy that if you had to have someone demonstrate something, he's the prototypical demonstrator," Wicks said of Dennis' fundamentals. "He can see the skill and repeat the skill. When you are tight with your game and efficient with your movement patterns and there's no wasted movement that stuff translates. You can't have a lot of wasted movement at this level. What we've seen is his efficiency has translated."
 
Why did Dennis, who is the all-time leading scorer at Veterans Memorial High School in San Antonio, Texas, decide to leave the Lone Star State for Laradise?
 
"My mom knew it was far but that this was a great school and a great opportunity," Dennis said. "My pops knows this is a great staff. That was it."
 
Dennis averaged 6.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 17.8 minutes per game with 34 appearances at Texas A&M Corpus-Christi. He is expected to have an expanded role at UW after shooting 38.7% from 3-point range, 48.3% from the field and 79.4% from the free throw line with 44 assists and 18 turnovers last season.
 
"He's the guy that suddenly you look back and are like, that guy has got to be on the floor. Because he defends, he's really long and he's efficient in all that he does," Wicks said. "He is who we thought he was. Honestly, I think he's better than I thought he was. … It was just a matter of, man, we value and appreciate who you are as a player. I'm not saying that Corpus-Christi didn't, but I think there was more of a role for him. You want to find ways for this guy to play more."
 
Dennis said during his recruiting visit to Laramie in the spring "it was snowing and raining in the same day. It was crazy." He has not only embraced the climate at 7,220 feet but has been hiking, horseback riding and bonding with his new teammates since arriving on campus last month.
 
"I knew I had to be a leader coming here. They told me to talk more and really bring out my leadership traits," Dennis said of the transition. "I feel like I have done that. We've all been doing a good job connecting off the court, eating with each other, watching games, little stuff like that."
 
Dennis has played well through the first two and a half weeks of summer workouts. After Tuesday's practice he stayed on the court shooting with several teammates for over an hour.

Wicks has a vision for how to use an aggressive, effective point guard who can impact the game on both ends of the court.
 
"His film (session) for me was crazy," Dennis said. "He was telling me what he wanted to do with me when I got here, how he was going to use me, and no other coaches were doing that in the portal. No coaches were showing me my film or what I could be. He showed me how I could be a better player."
 
One of Dennis first starts in college was against Houston, the eventual Big 12 champion and national runner-up. Now he is preparing to elevate his game to help make the Cowboys a contender in the Mountain West.
 
"Coach Wicks was telling me we have winners here. That's what he went to recruit and that's what he brought in. I see it right now," Dennis said. "That's the goal. Coming out here I know it's going to be different. The Mountain West is way harder, so I must be more efficient than I was in the Southland (Conference). I'm just coming out there and working on my game, working on my shots."
 
(Editor's note: This is the second in a 12-part series introducing fans to UW's new men's basketball players. Next up: Gavin Gores).
 
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. 
 
Follow Ryan for more stories on Wyoming athletics on X at @By_RyanThorburn on Facebook at Wyoming Athletics and Instagram at wyoathletics. Also follow him at Pokes Insider at Gowyo.com/pokesinsider.