Former USC players dismissed from Wyoming basketball program

It has simply been a disastrous year for Wyoming men’s basketball, and for Ethan Anderson and Max Agbonkpolo.

You haven’t heard much about former USC basketball players Ethan Anderson and Max Agbonkpolo this season. Why? They haven’t played well. The Wyoming team they played on hasn’t performed well. It’s one of those situations in which a transfer decision simply didn’t work out for anyone and everyone involved.

Anderson and Agbonkpolo have not transferred out of Wyoming. They were dismissed from the program on Tuesday — not for any scandalous behavior or unwelcome incident, but simply because Wyoming coach Jeff Linder didn’t like how they were playing. This was an unhappy collaboration between a coach and new players. The arrangement is over, as reported by Ryan Thorburn of the Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune:

“I know what right looks like and I know what wrong looks like,” Linder said Tuesday on evaluating his struggling team down the stretch. “As we move forward, we just want to make sure we have the guys who want to be everyday dudes and who want to show up and work and put the time in and do the little things.”

Yikes. Linder obviously thinks Anderson and Agbonkpolo didn’t fit that description, which is really surprising given how workmanlike Anderson and Agbonkpolo were under Andy Enfield. They had their weaknesses as players, but laziness was not a trait either of them displayed at USC.

It is also worth noting that UCLA transfer Jake Kyman was also dismissed from the Wyoming program. All three Pac-12 transfers to the Cowboys were shoved out the door. That’s how bad this season has been for a Wyoming team which lost on Wednesday night at home to UNLV, and sits at the bottom of the Mountain West standings.

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Andy Enfield could reunite with former USC players before Colorado State game in Phoenix

Wednesday in Phoenix, #USC – Colorado State is preceded by #Wyoming vs Saint Mary’s. Former Trojans Ethan Anderson and Max Agbonkpolo play for the Cowboys.

Andy Enfield’s USC Trojans face the Colorado State Rams at approximately 8 p.m. Pacific time on Wednesday night in Phoenix. Before the game, he might have a chance to say hello to a few of his former players.

There are three games inside the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Wednesday. USC is in the nightcap, but before the Trojans play Colorado State, the Wyoming Cowboys face Saint Mary’s. (Notably, Colorado State beat Saint Mary’s on Sunday.)

You might recall that Ethan Anderson and Max Agbonkpolo, two members of USC’s 2022 NCAA Tournament roster, transferred to Wyoming to play for coach Jeff Linder. They will lead the Cowboys against Saint Mary’s.

Andy Enfield had to look at Saint Mary’s game film because the SMC-Colorado State game involves USC’s Wednesday night opponent. Enfield will surely take a brief look at Wyoming-Saint Mary’s. Maybe he’ll be able to say hi and give a hug to two former Trojans.

He might also look at how Saint Mary’s adjusts its offense, a few days after being shut down by Colorado State. Enfield might be able to carry some information into the Colorado State game, which USC urgently needs in order to boost its odds of making the NCAA Tournament.

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