LARAMIE -- It took JayDee Luster exactly three possessions to make his presence felt.

By the end of the game, Wyoming's new point guard had thoroughly shown off a new brand of fast-paced basketball.

Luster got his first assist on UW's third possession, had four in his first five minutes and helped the Pokes showcase an up-tempo offense that outscored Regis 24-0 on the fast break in a 78-60 exhibition victory on Saturday night.

"I've always said I'm a big JayDee Luster fan," UW coach Heath Schroyer said. "I think he's really good for this team. He's a guy that really pushes the tempo. It was his first game in a long time, too, so he was jittery and nervous, but you can tell [he's] infectious.

"Our guys really like to play with him because they know if they run and they space the floor the right way, he's going to get it to them. He's the most unselfish kid I've ever been around."

Luster sat out last season after transferring from New Mexico State.

Now that the show is his, the pass-first sophomore won't be wasting any time getting UW's offense going.

Luster finished with 11 assists in 32 minutes, but also added eight points, shot 3-for-3 from the field and added a pair of steals.

"We condition all year, a lot, because of JayDee," UW sophomore Afam Muojeke said. "No offense to [former UW point guard Brandon Ewing], but he's a different kind of point guard than Brandon. He just wants to run and get everyone going and that's a big plus for us going into the season."

Nobody seemed to benefit more from Luster's addition than forward Djibril Thiam.

The junior played the second half of last season with inconsistent results, but could be poised for a breakout season.

Thiam went 9-for-9 from the floor and two thirds of those buckets came off of assists from UW's new point guard.

"He's so unselfish," Thiam said. "Coach usually talks about our strength is him, his speed on the court. We've got to utilize him all the time and get out and run."

They utilized Luster and the fast break perfectly in pulling away against Regis.

Up just 12 with under six minutes left, UW scored on the break on four consecutive possessions, increasing their lead to 20 points and never looking back.

"I think JayDee makes a huge difference," Schroyer said. "Our spacing in our transition game is obviously better and that's the whole key when you want to be a fast-break team. It's all about your spacing."

And in Laramie, now it's all about the fast break.

Contact sports reporter Eric Schmoldt at eric.schmoldt@trib.com. Check out his blog at tribtown.trib.com/ESchmoldt/blog

COWBOYS TRACKER

SATURDAY: The Wyoming men's basketball team won its only preseason exhibition game, beating Regis 78-60.

FAST AND FURIOUS: The Cowboys put the Rangers away with fast-break points on four straight possessions late in the second half. They won the battle of the break 24-0.

HE SAID IT: "We've got to utilize [first-year point guard JayDee Luster] all the time and get out and run." -- UW junior Djibril Thiam.

NEXT: Wyoming opens its regular season on Friday, hosting South Dakota State at 7:30 p.m.