Cowboys add 6-foot-9 forward from Denver

Apr. 26—LARAMIE — The University of Wyoming men's basketball team added some much-needed size Friday afternoon.

The Cowboys signed 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward Touko Tainamo from the transfer portal. Tainamo averaged 15.2 points and 7.7 rebounds for the University of Denver while earning an All-Summit League honorable mention as a junior.

Tainamo led the Pioneers to the Summit League championship game and started all 34 games last season. He comes to UW with one year of eligibility remaining.

Tainamo, a Helsinki, Finland, native, spent three seasons at Denver. He ranks third in career rebounding at 630 and 14th in career scoring at 1,094 points.

Tainamo has two of the top eight rebounding games in school history at Denver, including 20 against Oral Roberts and 18 against UC San Diego. His 517 points last season was sixth in single-season school history, and his 262 rebounds ranked third in a single season.

Tainamo has appeared in 98 career games, with 82 starts. He averaged 10.6 points and 6.4 rebounds as a sophomore.

"We are thrilled to add Touko to the Cowboy basketball family," UW coach Jeff Linder said in a news release. "Touko is a highly skilled and versatile player who presents mismatch problems for opponents with his ability to score effectively from both the perimeter and the paint.

"He is a proven winner who brings with him tremendous character and enthusiasm."

Tainamo joins incoming transfer guards Matija Belic (UC Santa Barbara), Tyree Ihenacho (North Dakota) and Obi Agbim (Fort Lewis College). The Cowboys also have four incoming freshmen, including: 6-9 wing Olver Faubert (Ottawa, Ontario), 6-5 guard Dominic Pangonis (Burlington, Ontario), 6-3 guard Jehvion Starwood (Oswego, Illinois) and 6-5 forward Dylan Warlick (Edmond, Oklahoma).

The Cowboys lost guards Kael Combs, Brendan Wenzel and Jacob Theodosiou, and forwards Cam Manyawu, Caden Powell and Jonas Sirtautas to the transfer portal this offseason. UW also graduated starters Sam Griffin, Mason Walters and Akuel Kot.

The transfer portal remains open until May 1.