Cowboys basketball goes abroad with trip to Greece

The Wyoming Cowboys men’s basketball team is going abroad. The team left on July 24, 2022, for Greece for a 12-day trip, including three games against Greek teams from the A1 and A2 divisions.

The team will also partake in different sight-seeing activities such as a bike tour around Athens, visiting Acropolis and its associated museums, kayaking, and boat tours. They also will attend a Champions League soccer match and a mythical Greek quest.

“It’s really immeasurable to get an opportunity to see your team, especially those new kids that came [here], in game-like conditions,” Kevin McKinney, the play-by-play commentator for UW football and men’s basketball, said.

McKinney has covered basketball for 54 years and has worked in UW athletics since 1967 as a student and full-time starting in 1972. He also is the former Senior Associate Athletics Director, External Affairs.

He believes the trip to Greece is a great opportunity, especially for new transfers and freshmen.

“You see how they react in a game, how they’ve assimilated to what you’re teaching them; the Wyoming way,” he said.

“Not everybody gets to start, so how do you come off the bench, and how do you perform when you’re not starting.”

The Pokes played their first game on July 27 against Panerythraikos BC of the A2 division, the second tier of professional basketball in Greece. The Cowboys won 73-68 after a block late in the fourth quarter by junior forward Jeremiah Oden prevented a Panerythraikos layup from taking the lead. Panerythraikos wouldn’t score for the remainder of the game.

Wyoming followed that win by playing Panathinaikos Select on July 28. No score or statistics were reported from this game.

The final game was between Prometheus Patras on July 30. 

Playing in Greece was planned and anticipated to be done before the COVID-19 pandemic; however, travel became unsafe and wasn’t available until the summer of 2022.

“Guys like [Hunter] Maldonado or some of those veterans, they were excited about that, and then to have it delayed is kind of a bummer, but the fact that it is happening is exciting for them,” McKinney said.

“I guarantee they’re having a great time.”

The Cowboy Joe Club played a significant role in funding the trip to Greece.

The men’s basketball teams aren’t the only ones traveling internationally this summer. The Cowgirls basketball team leaves for Australia on July 31. The Cowgirl volleyball team traveled to Croatia and Greece in early June.

These trips aren’t entirely about the games and competition for the players and coaches but also allow them to have new experiences.

“It’s pretty hard not to have a wonderful cultural experience,” McKinney said.

“They go see a lot of things. They see how another country operates and how people live. What an experience that is for these kids!”