Welcome to Wyoming Hoops: Linus Ruf
LARAMIE -- "We recruit winners."
Sundance Wicks said that, referring to landing high school standouts Madden Smiley and Chris Pohl in the offseason. The latter could soon be a menace in the paint for the Wyoming basketball program. The other, leading the charge and manning the point.
This third-year bench boss wasn't just talking about success at the prep level, though, when he made that statement. Can't forget the NCAA Transfer Portal, which has been more of a foe to this university than a friend in years past.
Did Wicks flip the script in 2026-27?
It appears so.
The Cowboys return 50% of their offensive production from an 18-win squad that punched its ticket to the postseason for the first time since March of 2022. Promising freshmen Naz Meyer (12.9 ppg) and Gavin Gores (7.3) bought into the mission. So did transfer guards Uriyah Rojas (6.2) and Khaden Bennett (10.2). Those four, along with redshirt rookie Neil Summers, are all back in the mix this fall.
That group also accounted for 15.1 of the team's 35.5 boards per game. Meyer and Bennett each averaged nearly five a night.
Damarion Dennis and his 11.2 points an outing are gone. He's now at Texas Tech, lacing them up for former UW head coach Jeff Linder. Forwards Simm-Marten Saadi (Central Arkansas) and Abou Magassa (UNC Asheville) changed addresses, too. Adam Harakow (Western Michigan) and Jared Harris (Prairie View A&M) also entered free agency.
Outside of Dennis' production, the other four combined to net just 16.4 points per contest.
Wyoming lost its leading scorer, Leland Walker (13.5 ppg), along with Kiani Saxon and Matija Belic to graduation. That trio averaged 21 a game.
Let's meet the 10 new faces on this roster:
NAME | Linus Ruf
YEAR | Freshman
HT/WT | 6' 11", 230
HOMETOWN | Speyer, Germany
POSITION | Center
JERSEY NUMBER | 19
PREVIOUS SCHOOL | Artland Dragons
YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY | Four
NOTABLE | "Ein toller Tag, ein Cowboy zu sein!" Sundance Wicks penned that phrase on social media after inking Linus Ruf, followed by a German flag emoji. It means "A great day to be a Cowboy" in English, Wicks' favorite tag line on X. There's a reason for his excitement. The 6-foot-11 power forward averaged 7.1 points and nearly four rebounds a night in 21 minutes of work for Germany's Pro A team during the 2025-26 campaign. Ruf reached double figures a dozen times in 31 outings. The 20-year-old's best offensive output came in an 88-84 loss at Eisbären Bremerhaven in early November where he netted a season-high 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting. He also connected on one of his two made threes for the season. Ruf attempted just eight shots from deep all year. Arguably his best overall performance came six days prior when he poured in 12 points and reeled in eight rebounds in a rout of Baskets Paderborn. Natural centers with athleticism don't fall out of trees. Wicks thinks he found a real steal in Ruf.
QUOTABLE | "The Pokes went across the pond (Germany) once again to find one of the most important F.I.T.S. for next year's roster. Landing an experienced big man that can quickly assimilate to the Mountain West is no small task and we found that player in Linus Ruf. I love the person and player we got in Linus. Linus is already classically trained in a ball-screen dominant offense and does an excellent job of playing out of the different windows and reads that happen via the variety ball-screen coverages. Standing at 6-foot-11, he gives us an inside presence, defensively, that can disrupt opposing teams, as well as playing with his back to the basket when we need to get some man buckets. I believe Linus has an underrated skill set, playing out of open concepts and a beautiful shooting touch. We could not be more excited to have Linus and his fiancé (Samira) join our family here in Laradise," -- Wyoming head coach Sundance Wicks on the recruitment of German big man Linus Ruf, who was a late arrival in Laramie because of Visa waivers.
WELCOME TO UW BASKETBALL SERIES:
* Mattia De Martin
MORE UW HOOPS NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:
* 'Extremely Underrated': Wyoming's Basketball Staff Remains Intact
* What Heights Can Wyoming Basketball Program Reach This Season?
* Rojas' Under-The-Radar Re-Commitment 'Huge' For Pokes
* Wicks, Cowboys Sign Kansas 5A Player of the Year
* Pokes Add Another Big Man to 2026-27 Hoops Roster
* Cowboys Add Length at Guard Spot, Sign Former Gold Medalist
* Wick's Cowboys Sign 6-11 Forward to Frontcourt
* Cowboys Land 6-9 Stretch Forward in Transfer Portal
* Wyoming Adds Shooting Guard From Wazzu Via Transfer Portal
* 2026 Wyoming Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker
Just The Facts: Size Doesn't Matter For Wyoming's War Memorial Stadium
Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com
- Just The Facts: Size Doesn't Matter For Wyoming's War Memorial Stadium