Just as he suspected, assistant coach Marty Wilson will leave the Utes before the end of the season.

Before their next game, as a matter of fact.

Coach Jim Boylen said after practice today that Wilson will not join the Utes when they play at Wyoming on Saturday, allowing him instead to get started on his new job as associate head coach at Pepperdine. The move will let Wilson avoid having to try to concentrate on two jobs at once, and allow Boylen to avoid worrying that one of his assistant coaches is distracted.

Wilson did participate in the workout, however, which is more than can be said for Tyler Kepkay.

The junior point guard sat out with an ankle injury, though Boylen said he's expected to return to practice Friday and play against the Cowboys at the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Boylen said he will wait until probably May to hire a replacement for Wilson. He wants to take his time -- a luxury he did not feel he had when he took the job last year -- and study his options during the spring recruiting period.