LARAMIE — The Wyoming Cowboys will open their exhibition schedule Sunday against Northern Colorado at 2 p.m. at the Pronghorn Center in Gillette, with the matchup providing an early look at a retooled roster following an 18-win season and a return to postseason play.
The game marks the second consecutive season Wyoming and Northern Colorado have met in an exhibition contest in Gillette. The matchup also features a family storyline, as Wyoming freshman guard Madden Smiley will face his father, Northern Colorado head coach Steve Smiley, in his first collegiate action. Steve Smiley and Wyoming head coach Sundance Wicks also share a history as former college teammates.
Wyoming enters the season looking to build on last year’s success, when the Cowboys won 18 games and earned a berth in the National Invitation Tournament. It was the program’s first postseason appearance since the 2021-22 season and its first trip to the NIT since 2003.
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The Cowboys were picked to finish fifth in the Mountain West preseason poll, selected by conference media. New Mexico was picked to win the league, followed by Grand Canyon, Nevada and UNLV. Wyoming sophomore guard Nasir (Naz) Meyer also earned Preseason All-Mountain West recognition after an impressive freshman campaign.
Meyer appeared in 31 games, making 23 starts, and averaged 12.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He shot 46.3% from the field and 35.2% from 3-point range, finishing as Wyoming’s second-leading scorer while tying for the team lead in rebounding. Meyer scored in double figures 22 times, including a career-high 27 points at Nevada. He also recorded 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including four 3-pointers, along with seven rebounds against South Dakota State.
Wyoming returns Meyer and fellow guard Khaden Bennett, who averaged 10.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season. The Cowboys also welcome back forward Gavin Gores, who averaged 7.3 points and 3.4 rebounds, and guard Uriyah Rojas, who contributed 6.2 points and 1.7 assists per game. Redshirt forward Neil Summers is another returning contributor.
Despite those returning pieces, Wyoming will have to account for significant roster turnover. The Cowboys have 10 newcomers, including six transfers and four high school players, with one international player also joining the program. Four returning players account for more than 45% of last season’s scoring and 40% of its rebounding, giving the Cowboys an experienced foundation as the new roster takes shape.
Northern Colorado finished 20-12 overall last season and 10-8 in the Big Sky Conference. The Bears’ top returning contributor is Langston Reynolds, who spent his first three collegiate seasons at Northern Colorado before playing for Minnesota in 2025-26. Across 125 collegiate games, including 63 starts, Reynolds has totaled 1,171 points, 426 rebounds and 330 assists.
Sunday’s exhibition will give both teams an opportunity to evaluate their personnel ahead of the regular season, while Wyoming looks to establish continuity among its returning players and newcomers.
The game will not be televised or streamed. Fans can listen on the Cowboy Sports Network, with Keith Kelley handling play-by-play alongside Kevin McKinney.
