LARAMIE, Wyo. (Oct. 16, 2025) – The Wyoming Cowboys open the season with an exhibition contest against Northern Colorado on Saturday at 4 p.m. inside the Pronghorn Center in Gillette. It is the first of two preseason contests for the Brown and Gold, as it features former college teammates facing off in UW head coach Sundance Wicks, a Gillette native and UNC head coach Steve Smiley.
 
Wyoming Athletics is anticipating a sell out as fans can still purchase tickets by clicking here. Fans can listen to the action on The Cowboys Sports Network with Erick Pauley on the call. The game will also feature no live stats or stream.
 
The title sponsor of the event is Cyclone Drilling, Inc. Game sponsors include White's Frontier Motors, Campbell County Health, Summit OBGYN & Rodney Biggs MD, PC, Luke and Spring Wilkins Family, M & K Oil Company, Hand & Physical Therapy and First National Bank - Gillette.
 
Contributing sponsors include ERA Priority, Lubnau Law, Earth Work Solutions, Dental Care Center, Inc. and Holiday Inn Express and Candlewood Suites – Gillette. Proceeds from the event benefit Cowboy Basketball.
 
The Cowboys return a pair of players from last season's team in Forwards Matija Belic and Abou Magassa.  Wyoming welcomes 12 newcomers with seven transfers and five high school additions. The seven transfers come from three different levels of college basketball with four division I transfers, two from Division II and one from junior college.
 
Notes on the Pokes
 
- Head coach Sundance Wicks enters his second season with the Cowboys. He returns two regulars from the lineup last season along with a redshirt. Wicks welcomes 12 newcomers to the roster with seven transfers and five incoming freshmen.
- The seven transfers to the program from three levels of college basketball with four Division I transfers along with two from Division II and one from Junior college.
- Wyoming's top returning scorer is Matija Belic. He averaged 5.6 points per game last season for the Cowboys. He appeared in 22 games with 16 starts, as he is the lone returning starter for the Brown and Gold.
- Wyoming's top returning rebounder is Abou Magassa. He averaged 3.7 rebounds per game for second on the team last season. He appeared in 31 games with 14 starts.
- Transfer Leland Walker has scored 1,125 points in his collegiate career. He is averaging 11.1 points per game in three seasons and has record 375 assists.
- Khaden Bennett averaged double-figures last season at Quinnipiac with 10.3 points per game. He knocked down 39 three-pointers last season in 33 games.
- Adam Harakow, a Division II transfer added 11.8 points per game last season leading his team to a run to the Elite Eight in NCAA Division II.
- Wicks added a trio of new coaches for this season. Chris McMillian returns to UW after a stellar career in the late 90's and early 2000'2. Will Martin comes to UW after serving as head coach at Missouri Western. Chris Thomas brings international head coaching experience.
 
Northern Colorado earned the regular season Big Sky Conference title last season and was 25-10 overall and 15-3 in conference play. Northern Colorado played in the NIT last season.