LARAMIE – The 2025-26 basketball season officially tips off Monday night at the Arena-Auditorium.
 
It has already been an emotional roller coaster for Sundance Wicks.
 
Wyoming traveled to Gillette, the second-year head coach's hometown, for an exhibition game against Northern Colorado, which is coached by his college roommate, Steve Smiley, to begin the campaign.
 
The Cowboys' second exhibition game against the College of Idaho supported the Jae Foundation, a cause Wicks, who has spoken openly about his own mental health struggles in the past, is passionate about.
 
Now UW hosts Northern State, Wicks' alma mater, in the regular-season opener at the Arena-Auditorium (6:30 p.m., Mountain West Network).
 
"I don't know why I schedule games I have emotional attachments to like playing my best friend Smiley or my alma mater," Wicks said with a smile. "It will always be a special place to me. I always give credit where credit is due. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for Northern State."
 
Wicks scored 1,174 points and led the Division II Wolves to back-to-back Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference titles in 2002 and 2003 before returning to begin his coaching career as a graduate assistant under legendary Northern State head coach Don Meyer.
 
Even though Wicks, the 1999 Milward Simpson Award winner after capping a remarkable prep career at Campbell County High School, was not offered an opportunity to play at UW when Larry Shyatt left for Clemson and was replaced by Steve McClain, playing for Meyer sent him on the path to leading the Cowboy program.
 
"It was the best thing that ever happened to me going to Northern State University," Wicks said. "I got to learn how to be a coach. We talked about it (last week) with our players about what standards look like, how to build a culture with a bunch of average guys trying to accomplish a big mission."
 
Meyer held the NCAA men's basketball record for career wins (923) at the time of retirement. What would Wicks' mentor, who died from complications with cancer in 2014, think of this year's Cowboys?
 
"I think when Coach would look at our team, he would see a team that really cares about the fundamentals. That's the one thing I always took pride in was trying to develop our guys to play the game the right way and share the basketball and do the things that everybody overlooks," Wicks said. "I think Coach Meyer would look down and say, you're doing it your way. I don't think he would say you're doing it my way, well done Sundance. He always told me to never be somebody else, never try to be like him. …
 
"It's really hard to do it better than somebody who was the best, right? Coach Meyer was the best at the time. If I can be 1/10^th of the coach he was I would be happy and I think he would see you've got a little Mad Dog Meyer. We push these guys; we push them crazy and Mad Dog Meyer would appreciate how hard we push it because those who work the hardest are the last to surrender."
 
The Pokes returned only two rotation players from last year's team, forwards Matija Belic and Abou Magassa. Wicks had a full recruiting cycle to put together a deep roster designed to compete in the Mountain West.
 
Leland Walker, one of UW's seven transfers, scored 20 points in the 69-65 win over UNC and Nasir (Naz) Meyer, one of the five members of the talented true freshmen class, had 18 points in the 111-63 win over the College of Idaho.
 
This will be the first of four homes games to open the season as the Cowboys look to build momentum for the MW gauntlet.
 
"This schedule was designed for us to be able to know we have a young team that needs to learn how to win at home and that we have a really grueling conference schedule," Wicks said. "I want to see if this team can protect its home court, take pride in playing at elevation and go out and play like level opponents and see if we can take care of business."
 
Another subplot to the opener, UW assistant Noah Reynolds will be coaching against his younger brother, Nelson Reynolds, a Northern State senior guard. Nic coached his other brother, former Cowboy standout Noah Reynolds, for one season as an assistant at Green Bay under Wicks.
 
"Nic's the oldest so I think he knows how to rib and jab and try to get at his younger brothers a little bit," Wicks said. "I don't want Nelson coming in here and shooting a bunch of 3s, I know that, he's a heck of a shooter. I'd like Coach Reynolds to use his art of advantage and get in his head a little bit."
 
This will be the first meeting between UW and Northern State. The Cowboys continue the homestand against Cal State Fullerton at 2 p.m. Saturday after beating the Titans 73-69 on the road last season.
 
Follow Ryan for more stories on Wyoming athletics on X at @By_RyanThorburn on Facebook at Wyoming Athletics and Instagram at wyoathletics. Also follow him at Pokes Insider at Gowyo.com/pokesinsider.
 
Don't just watch the game — change it. The most powerful way to support University of Wyoming student-athletes is by joining the Cowboy Joe Club. Your membership fuels scholarships, provides essential resources, and helps Cowboys and Cowgirls succeed both in the classroom and in competition. Your gift is not just support — it's access. As a member, you'll enjoy exclusive benefits that bring you closer to the action than ever before. Be a champion. Join our team. Visit CowboyJoeClub.com or call 307-766-6242.