Seemingly every year, one lower division team upsets a Division I team in an exhibition, raising eyebrows around the country.

Heath Schroyer and the Wyoming Cowboys are glad that Syracuse already secured this year's upset.

The Orange's stunning loss to Le Moyne earlier this week refocused the drive of every Division I team, including the Pokes, who will host Regis University tonight in its lone exhibition game leading to Friday's season opener against South Dakota State.

That doesn't mean UW won't use the time to empty its bench in hopes of finding its most productive looks.

"We want to try to get as many of our guys as many minutes as we can," Schroyer said. "We're going to go deep in our bench and play a lot of people.

"Without [sophomore center Adam Waddell] there, there's only three guys that played full time last year."

The Cowboys played a closed-door scrimmage at Fresno State on Sunday, taking the place of their other allotted exhibition game.

Now, fans will get to see first-year captain and point guard JayDee Luster, sophomore center and the tallest player in school history Boubacar Sylla and a slew of others for the first time.

"So many of these new guys just have to play in front of the lights and experience what it's like to run out the tunnel and do all that," Schroyer said. "I'm sure we'll have some butterflies and throw the ball into the third row a couple times and off our feet a couple times.

"We need to go through all that."

The Pokes have displayed good chemistry in practice and say they are as close off the floor as on it.

That will likely be tested as roles and playing time are sorted out and that process begins tonight.

Luster will handle the bulk of the minutes at points guard, and there's no doubt reigning Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year Afam Muojeke will probably rarely leave the floor once the season is fully under way.

With Waddell out, Sylla will handle most of the duties at the center spot and junior forward Djibril Thiam -- who might be playing the best of any player so far in practice -- will be a mainstay at the forward spot.

The biggest spot available is the wing spot opposite of Muojeke, and sophomore A.J. Davis, junior college transfer Thomas Manzano, lone senior Ryan Dermody and freshman Daylen Harrison will likely all get their opportunity at that spot.

"There's a lot of places within the rotation that are really up for grabs right now," Schroyer said. "We've obviously evaluated every practice, we evaluated the scrimmage and this is a great opportunity for us to evaluate a game before we go into our [non-conference] season.

"For a lot of guys, it's time for them to do it with the lights on, and there's a lot of people who are competing for a lot of playing time in the rotation."

WADDELL ON SCHEDULE: Wyoming sophomore center Adam Waddell, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last week, is recovering well from the surgery.

He won't play tonight and probably won't be ready for the season opener, but could return for the Cowboys' second or third non-conference game.

"He's doing great," Schroyer said. "He's probably a couple days ahead of where we thought. That's a lot due to how diligent he's been with extra rehabs and things like that. I look for him back in a week and half, no later than two weeks from [Thursday]."

Contact Laramie-based UW sports reporter Eric Schmoldt at eric.schmoldt@trib.com. Check out his blog at tribtown.trib.com/ESchmoldt/blog

COWBOYS TRACKER

TONIGHT: The Wyoming men's basketball team will play its lone preseason exhibition game against Regis University at 5:30 p.m. at the Arena-Auditorium.

UP FOR GRABS: The Cowboys' biggest hole appears to be the wing spot opposite sophomore Afam Muojeke, but there will be plenty of early playing time on the line as the Pokes try out several different personnel packages.

HE SAID IT: "So many of these new guys just have to play in front of the lights and experience what it's like to run out the tunnel and do all that." -- UW coach Heath Schroyer.

NEXT: The Pokes open their regular season and non-conference schedule at 7:30 p.m. on Friday against South Dakota State.