Alumni game to bring former Cowboys back together again

By Wyoming Sports.org

It will be turn back the Cowboy basketball clock day Saturday at the Arena-Auditorium.

Some of the greatest players in Cowboy basketball history will return to their old stomping grounds for an alumni basketball game.

The game, which was organized by Cowboy Hall of Fame basketball player Reggie Slater, is free to the public and will be after the Cowboy football game with Bowling Green.

The evening will begin with a 3-point shooting contest at 6:30 p.m. and the game is to tip-off after that at around 7 p.m. There will be an autograph session following the game and the players will also have a tent at Pepsi's Tailgate Park prior to the football game.

"I have always loved the University of Wyoming and have kept up with everyone in Laramie over the years," said Slater. "I try to come back to Laramie every year and be a positive influence on the current guys. While doing this, I have been fortunate enough to bring some other former players with me. All of those trips sprung the idea of bringing a big group of guys into Laramie and playing a game."

Some of the most notable names in Cowboy basketball history will be back in Laramie for this event, including seven Wyoming Hall of Fame inductees and one Hall of Fame coach. Those Hall of Fame athletes include Charles Bradley, Fennis Dembo, Bill Garnett, Eric Leckner, Theo Ratliff, Kenny Sailors and Slater, along with Hall of Fame coach Jim Brandenburg.

"I have been working hand in hand with the athletics department and we have a great group of guys coming back," said Slater. "With every guy I have talked to over the past few months, the reflection in their voices shows complete love and affection for Wyoming. The university is a part of who we all are."

The game will feature 21 former Cowboys split onto a Brown and Gold team. The Brown team roster will consist of Clint Bean, Justin French, Bill Garnett, A.J. Johnson, Brett McFall, Slater, Kenny Smith, Bobby Traylor, Ugo Udezue, Oliver Wilson and Mark Wrapp. The Gold team roster will consist of Mike Brown, Brad Enzi, Rick Henry, Tim Hunt, Sly Johnson, Eric Leckner, Kerry McIntyre, Gregg Sawyer, Roman Totta and Rod Tyson. Brandenburg will coach one team and Bradley and Sailors will coach the other. Dembo, Sean Dent, Mike Hamilton, Ratliff and Jon Sommers will also be in attendance but will not play in the game.

"I hope that this will be a fun experience for all of the fans," Slater said. "It will be fun for them to see all of these former players and find out what has happened to them. I also hope that this will be an exciting game atmosphere. It will be great to see everyone's competitive juices start flowing once the game tips off."

This alumni game is also raising funds for the Oliver Wilson Cancer Fund. Wilson was a big part of the Cowboy basketball team during the late 1980s and will be a member of the Brown team. Any donations for Oliver and his family can be made through UniWyo Federal Credit Union. There is also a website where donations can be made at www.owcancerfund.org