Welcome to Wyoming Hoops: Mike Mora
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 | Mike Mora
YEAR | Junior
HT/WT | 6' 6", 210
HOMETOWN | Palo Alto, Calif.
POSITION | Forward
JERSEY NUMBER | 1
PREVIOUS SCHOOL | Cal State Monterey Bay
YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY | Two
NOTABLE | Need a three? Mike Mora hit 120 of those during two seasons at Cal State Monterey Bay, a Division II school in northern California. The Palo Alto product started all 56 games during that stint, averaging nearly 14.6 points per outing. His best production came during the 2025-26 season. Mora netted 17.2 points a night, which was tied for most in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. He was named first team all-conference. Mora, believe it or not, has a tie to Wyoming. That developed during his three prep seasons, more than 1,500 miles away at the Asheville School in North Carolina. There Mora played for current UW assistant Nick Whitmore. Twice he was named team captain.
QUOTABLE | "He didn't flinch. Mike Mora is like, 'Yeah, I'm ready to go compete. I want to come up to this level, I want to show that I'm built for this. He's been kicking butt every single day. He's a blue-collar, hard-playing dude that can shoot the crap out of the basketball," -- Wyoming head coach Sundance Wicks on Mora now being intimidated to join a roster that is returning 50% of its production from last season.
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