by Keith Kelley–12 May ’21
Wyoming basketball’s latest signee is expected to come in right away and fill the void left by Marcus Williams at point guard. Deng Dut comes to Laramie from the College of Southern Idaho, where he was a First-Team All-American and the Region 18 Player of the Year. Originally signing at Portland, Dut asked for his release when the coach that recruited him was fired. He actually gave the new staff a chance, but in the end felt like reopening his recruitment was the best decision for him, and that Wyoming was the best place for him.
“When the recruitment process happened, I just felt that Wyoming was the best fit for me,” said Dut. “Coach (Jeff) Linder and coach (Shaun) Vandiver are great coaches, and there style of play suits my game perfectly. I’m a guy that likes to come off of ball screens and make plays. And it’s definitely in a great league. The Mountain West is one of the top mid-majors. A lot of things fell into place in why I chose Wyoming.”
Dut never took an official visit, but the College of Southern Idaho has a tradition–for both men’s and women’s teams–that if they make the NJCAA national tournament, they will stop in Laramie for a practice, on their way to Hutchinson, Kansas. As far as replacing Williams at PG, Dut says that he’s up for the challenge.
“It’s definitely exciting knowing there was a great player last year, but I’m definitely looking forward to that challenge. I always love challenges, and being able to go out an practice and be in games and compete every single day makes the game so much fun.”
Dut shot 51% from the floor last season, and 48% from three-point range. He averaged 16 points, five rebounds and five assists per game.
