LARAMIE – At times this summer Renars Sondors has been lost in space.
 
But during Thursday's practice in the Arena-Auditorium the 6-foot-9 forward was providing the gravity Wyoming needs.
 
Sondors, who averaged 10.7 points and made 26 3-pointers at Louisiana Monroe last season, buried shot after shot from the perimeter during the workout.
 
Sundance Wicks said Sondors has been thinking too much, and that's OK.
 
"I'm putting a lot of chaos on him because it's easy to shoot the ball when there's no weight on your ball, when you're up 20 (points) or down 20," Wicks said of the situational stress the Cowboys are trying to create. "We put a lot of pressure on our practices, have a lot of chaos in our practices, because we want guys to be comfortable in the chaos. You're going to struggle a little bit. …
 
"(Sondors) is still trying to find his rhythm here at our level in Wyoming."
 
Over two seasons at Louisiana Monroe, Sondors averaged 9.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 38 games. However, the Hawks were 11-53 during his time with the program.
 
UW is positioned to take another step forward in Wicks' third season as head coach after finishing 18-15 with an appearance in the NIT.
 
"I was looking for a winning program, and I think this is what we have here," Sondors said of his decision to transfer to UW. "We have a great coaching staff that works hard and helps the players out. We have great teammates. I was here on my visit, and I got to meet all the returners, so that was awesome. That was one of the reasons I came here.
 
"I've just seen the returners and how committed they are and how serious they are about the mission that we are on."
 
Those returning players include senior guards Uriyah Rojas (6-3) and Khaden Bennett (6-4), sophomore guard Nasir (Naz) Meyer (6-7) and sophomore forward Gavin Gores (6-10).
 
There is an opportunity for Sondors to fit nicely into the puzzle as a stretch four or five.
 
"I give some gravity," Sondors said. "I space the floor. Maybe that is what they lacked last year at the forward position. I definitely feel like I'm spacing the floor and that is opening up the pick and roll situations for Gavin or for drives for the point guards. I'm always there spacing the floor ready to shoot."
 
Sondors grew up in Riga, Latvia, in a basketball family. His father, Normunds, is 6-5, and Renars' growth spurt started when he was 14.
 
In 2023, Sondors was part of Latvia's gold-medal team at the FIBA U18 European Championship Division B.
 
"I just love the game. I love working out and that's what drives me, that's my passion," Sondors said. "It's always been a dream to come to play college basketball, that's what I kind of always have been aiming since I was about 13 or 14 years old. I feel like the national team definitely has helped me to get here, come to America, because the scouts, recruiters, they see international basketball as a big thing."
 
UW's newcomers also include 6-8 guard Mattia De Martin of Italy and 6-11 center Linus Ruf of Germany, who have been limited this summer by an injury and a late arrival, respectively.
 
Sondors is starting to make a splash with the Cowboys after a shaky start with his shooting. Wicks has been in his ear every step of the way.
 
"He's a crazy guy, but that's what I think makes him unique. It is just awesome to see his energy every day, and he brings it every freaking day," Sondors said. "The first two or three weeks were definitely hard. Of course, because of the altitude, but also getting to know him more."
 
Wicks believes if Sondors can consistently make two 3s a game it will stretch the defense thin. He is also capable of making five or six 3s in a game like Hunter Thompson did.
 
"I think sometimes going through a little bit of a struggle can really help you," Wicks said. "That's been his biggest thing this offseason is how hard he has to work to reinvent himself from a place where he didn't have a lot of winning habits."
 
Due to injuries, Sondors mostly played center at Louisiana Monroe. Now that the shots are starting to fall, he must prove to Wicks and the coaching staff that he can guard athletic forwards in the Mountain West.
 
The gravitational pull has to be there on both ends of the court.
 
"I feel like I'm getting better every week," Sondors said. "With our strength coach Jimmy (Edel), we're just working hard every day and I'm in the gym all the time getting better."
 
(Editor's note: This is the sixth in a 10-part series introducing Cowboy fans to Wyoming's new men's basketball players)
 
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.
 
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