Fennis Dembo was college basketball’s best player in 1988.

OK, that Danny Manning fella was pretty good. But in Wyoming, Dembo was the man.

I was in fourth grade in Cheyenne, Wyo., when the University of Wyoming forward graced the cover of the 1987-88 Sports Illustrated college basketball preview issue in full cowboy garb, basketball tucked under his arm, as the headline proclaimed him “A Dazzling Dude.” The year before Dembo had scorched a Reggie Miller-led UCLA team for 41 points as the Pokes advanced to the Sweet 16.

Bigger things were expected of Wyoming in 1987-88. Dembo was going to lead Cowboy country to the national title. UW finished with a 26-6 record but was ousted in the NCAA Tournament by Loyola Marymount and its chuck-it-up offense.

Ever since, UW fans have been waiting for the next Dembo — or rather, the next great Cowboy team.

Imagine the ecstasy last year when the Pokes, at 21-8, snuck into the tournament as an 11-seed, surprised mid-major darling Gonzaga — making pool entrants around the country curse them — and gave Arizona all it could handle before losing, 68-60.

So months ago, when Kansas University’s men’s basketball team completed its schedule, I received the call.

“You couldn’t schedule this game last year, could you? That’s fine. We’ll beat you this year, even without Josh Davis,” my friend Joe said.

Joe is a huge Wyoming fan, as are most of the Pokes’ faithful. All my old friends bombarded me with calls and e-mails last year, telling me how badly UW would beat KU if the two ever played.

When Wyoming surprised Gonzaga in the tournament, my friends went nuts. They started talking Final Four, half-jokingly, half-serious.

These are Wyoming fans. They are crazy.

I am no longer one of them after 20 years of living in Wyoming — my cheering for the Jayhawks is tolerated only because I graduated from KU and still live in Lawrence — but I still share their passion.

I was in Wyoming during the holidays and met no fewer than 30 people who told me they were coming to Lawrence. We’ll no doubt head to the Cowboy Joe Club gathering this afternoon at Abe & Jake’s, where at least 250 devoted fans will be prepping.

We’ll talk about how Nick Collison matches up with Uche Nsonwu-Amadi, if Donta Richardson can get his points, if Jay Straight can run the point better than Aaron Miles and how much better Wyoming’s chances would be with senior Marcus Bailey, likely out for the year with a torn ACL.

We’ll talk about the great games we’ve seen UW play, and how many teams they’ve upended. If it happens tonight, I’ll be shocked. KU is playing marvelously and is near unbeatable at Allen.

Still, we’ve seen miracles before.

Four years before Duke’s Christian Laettner used the same move against Kentucky in the 1992 NCAA Tournament, Eric Leckner burned Colorado State in the 1988 WAC Conference tournament.

The Cowboys were losing to the Rams — Wyoming’s equivalent to Kansas State for a Kansas fan — when a late bucket tied the game at 58-58. UW got the ball back with fewer than five seconds remaining when Clauzell Williams launched an in-bounds pass to the 6-foot-11 Leckner at the free-throw line.

He caught it, spun and nailed the shot at the buzzer.

I have few sports memories as fond as that one. I was 11 years old.

Time for another fond memory.

Tonight, go Pokes.