The University of Wyoming men’s basketball team has made its first addition from the transfer portal, with forward Buddy Hammer Jr. committing to the Cowboys.
Hammer, a 6-foot-7 transfer from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, announced his decision Monday. He has two years of eligibility remaining and will join a rebuilding Wyoming roster that has seen significant turnover this offseason.
Hammer earned NJCAA First Team All-Region II honors last season after averaging 12.6 points, 10 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. He shot 54% from the field and 43% from three-point range while posting a career-high 27 points against Western Oklahoma State College in January.
Before Hammer’s commitment, the Cowboys had just two scholarship players—Matija Belic and Abou Magassa—remaining on the roster. The team has already signed three high school recruits: forwards Neil Summers (Laramie, WY) and Gavin Gores (Cumberland, WI), and guard Naz Meyer (Los Angeles, CA).
Wyoming has lost six players to the transfer portal since the season ended, including guards Obi Agbim, AJ Wills, Nigle Cook, and Levi Brown, as well as forwards Scottie Ebube and Oleg Kojenets. Additionally, the program is set to graduate six seniors.
Head coach Sundance Wicks acknowledged the challenges of roster turnover but remains focused on rebuilding.
“We’re so much further ahead of the game right now than we were last year because you have a chance to see what’s coming down the pipe,” Wicks said after Wyoming’s Mountain West Tournament exit.
With Hammer now on board, the Cowboys still have nine available scholarships to fill. The NCAA transfer portal remains open until April 22, giving Wyoming more opportunities to add talent for the upcoming season.
With input from Wyoming Tribune Eagle and 7220 Sports.
