LARAMIE -- Green Bay wasn't looking for a new head basketball coach last offseason because of recent success.

Far from it.

The Phoenix won just three games a year ago. They ranked program 362nd out of 363 Division-I programs in the country. Ten of those teams are still in the process of transitioning from D2.

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Dire. To say the least.

Enter Sundance Wicks.

The former Wyoming assistant and Gillette native immediately did what he always did best: Bring the juice.

Wicks' way has led to a hoops resurgence in the shadows of Lambeau Field. Green Bay has already won 11 games this season, six of which have come in Horizon League play. The Phoenix currently sit in second place in the league standings, just one game -- and one in hand -- behind Oakland. Those two meet again at the end of this month.

There's another reason the Phoenix are on the rise, too ...

 

NOAH REYNOLDS

The former Wyoming guard has been a scoring machine in his first season in Wisconsin, averaging a team-best 19.1 points per game. The 6-foot-3 junior is also leading the team in assists (4.4) and blocks (0.5) an outing. In an 88-77 victory over Wright State, Reynolds poured in a career-high 39 points on 14-of-19 shooting. The Illinois product has scored in double-figures in all but two games this season and is coming off a 32-point outburst in a win over Cleveland. Reynolds averaged 14.5 points per game for the Cowboys last season.

 

GRAHAM IKE

After missing the entire 2022-23 season in Laramie, Graham Ike transferred to Gonzaga this offseason where he is netting nearly 15 points per game to go along with 7.7 boards. The Colorado native has landed five double-doubles through 16 games, including a 16-point, 14-board performance in a November win over Syracuse. The 6-foot-9 junior forward is coming off one of his least-productive outings of his young career in Spokane, scoring just five points and hauling in three rebounds in a 77-76 loss to Santa Clara.

 

JEREMIAH ODEN 

The Chicago product transferred back home to DePaul after the 2022-23 campaign. The 6-foot-8 senior forward is averaging nearly 10 points per game to go along with 4.1 rebounds. The Blue Demons, however, have lost five in a row and 12 of the last 14. Oden's best outing came in a 99-80 loss to Iowa State where he netted 25. He averaged 9.6 points per game last season at Wyoming.

 

ETHAN ANDERSON

Tonight in Spokane, a pair of former Cowboys will square off when Ethan Anderson's Pepperdine squad travels to Washington to take in Ike and Co. Anderson, who played just one season at Wyoming after transferring from USC, is averaging 5.9 points and nearly four assists an outing through 19 games. Anderson netted almost eight points per game for the Pokes before leaving the program in February.

 

JAKE KYMAN

Speaking of transfers who lasted just short of a season in Laramie, Jake Kyman is scoring nearly 10 points per game during his final collegiate season at Eastern Washington. The 6-foot-7 guard has finished in double-figures scoring seven times this year, including back-to-back 25-points outings against USC and Air Force. Kyman, who transferred from UCLA, averaged under five points per outing for the Cowboys last winter.

 

NATE BARNHART

Wyoming squared off against its former big man in a late December showdown in El Paso. The Cowboys came out on top 78-65 over Nate Barnhart's South Dakota State squad. He netted just eight points on 2-of-7 shooting that night in the desert. The 7-foot sophomore is averaging 5.1 points per game. He has finished in double-figures just three times. Barnhart scored just 2.6 points per outing during his lone season in Laramie.

 

XAVIER DUSELL

Xavier DuSell has also gone head to head with his former team this fall. Just last weekend, in fact. The sharp-shooting guard from Arizona scored 10 points -- his season average -- in a 68-67 loss to the Cowboys inside the Arena-Auditorium. DuSell is the Bulldogs' second-leading scorer and is shooting 41.3% from deep through 17 games. DuSell averaged eight points per outing during his final campaign in Laramie in 2022-23.

 

NATHANIEL TALICH

Nathaniel Talich, a Cheyenne product, is averaging 6.1 points per game during his first season at Casper College. The redshirt freshman is playing more than 14 minutes per night and is shooting 43.7% from the floor. Despite starting just one game, Talich has netted 92 points aided by 12 made 3-pointers.

 

MAX AGBONKPOLO

Appearing in just 10 games for Utah State this season, Max Agbonkpolo averaged 5.4 points per game to go along with nearly four rebounds. The 6-foot-9 senior, who spent just one season at Wyoming, suffered a season-ending foot injury. His best outing came in a win over Santa Clara where he scored 10 points and snagged seven boards. Agbonkpolo also averaged 5.4 points per game in 16 career outings for the Cowboys.

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