Following a 25-9 campaign good for a fourth-place finish in the Mountain West during one of the conference’s most competitive seasons to date, Wyoming has built on its exciting roster with the addition of former top-100 prospect Max Agbonkpolo.
Agbonkpolo arrives in Laramie with three seasons at USC under his belt averaging just 4.9 PPG and 2.5 RPG for his career while struggling to earn consistent time off the bench for the Trojans. However, with improved minutes as a junior came improvement on the court for Agbonkpolo who averaged 7.7 PPG and 3.5 RPG to cap off his career in Los Angeles.
While undoubtedly just as challenging as some of the nation’s top conferences, the step down from the Pac-12 to the Mountain West will be massive for Agbonkpolo who will find more playing time and a fluid positional system under head coach Jeff Linder greatly benefit the 6-foot-8 guard/forward’s skill set.
A versatile offensive and defender contributor, Agbonkpolo is an effective shooter who has developed three-point range and a strong rebounding ability while guarding multiple positions on the other end. And despite struggling for minutes, it hasn’t been a fluke either as Agbonkpolo showcased his growth last season with several standout performances including 14 points and 3 rebounds in a loss to No. 2 Arizona and a career-high 17 points and 6 rebounds over Utah Tech.
To be an important piece to this Cowboys lineup, improvement will continue to be the key for Agbonkpolo over his two remaining seasons of eligibility as he looks to further develop his three-point shot, passing abilities, and defensive skills. But with the great staff at Wyoming and the complete roster they’ve built, Agbonkpolo’s addition could be a huge difference-maker as they look to recapture the Mountain West crown for the first time since 2002.
