GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) --- After playing two thrilling games during the regular season, No. 3 seed Green Bay will look to take the rubber match against No. 6 seed Oakland on Thursday night at the Resch Center in the 2020 Horizon League Tournament Quarterfinals. The two teams each held serve on their homecourt this year, with both games coming down to the wire with a four-point final margin, including a double-overtime game at Oakland just 11 days ago. The winner will advance to the Horizon League Tournament Semifinals on Monday night in Indianapolis. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and can also be heard on WDUZ The Fan with Brian Kuklinski and Bill Rabeor on the call.
2020 Horizon League Tournament Bracket |
Tournament Central
CATCH THE ACTION: Thursday, March 5, 7 p.m. // RESCH CENTER
Quarterfinal Matchup: No. 3
Green Bay Phoenix (16-15, 11-7 HL) vs. No. 6 Oakland Golden Grizzlies (14-18, 8-10 HL)
Previous Meetings:
Game 1: Green Bay 73, Oakland 69; January 16 | Game 2: Oakland 92, Green Bay 88 (2OT); February 23
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Where to Follow Stats: www.greenbayphoenix.com
Where to Listen: The Fan WDUZ 107.5 FM
Tickets: Buy Here ($10 Zone A and $5 Zone B/C)
Promotion: $3 Medium Bud Lights
Game Notes: Green Bay |
Oakland
For Live in-game updates, follow the Phoenix on social media: Twitter - @gbphoenixmbb, Instagram - @gbphoenixmbb
PROJECTED STARTERS
SERIES HISTORY
- OAKLAND: After Oakland's double OT win, Green Bay still owns the 11-9 all-time series edge, with the Phoenix having won four of the last six games. The two teams have never met in the postseason and Oakland will be playing its fourth game in 8 days.
ABOUT GREEN BAY...
ALL-LEAGUE MEMBERS
- Freshman Amari Davis and senior JayQuan McCloud earned themselves spots on the Horizon League All-League teams, announced by the league on Monday. Davis finished his impressive first season with the Phoenix as the Freshman of the Year in the conference and a part of the All-League Third Team after averaging 15.8 PPG while shooting over 50 percent from the floor. McCloud earned himself First Team All-League honors after leading the Phoenix in scoring at 17.4 PPG and leading the league in assists at 5.1 per game.
FOURMILIAR TERRITORY
- With 11 league wins this season, GB has now won 10 or more games in League play in eight of the last nine seasons, and the fourth time in five seasons under head coach Linc Darner. The team has finished fourth or higher in the HL in seven out of the last eight seasons as well, earning a postseason appearance in each of those six seasons, looking for a seventh this year. Under Darner, GB has finished 3rd, 4th, 7th, 3rd and 4th.
A PERFECT 10
- Amari Davis was once again named the HL Freshman of the Week for the 10th time this season, adding to his record for the most weekly awards by any freshman in the history of the Horizon League. Davis once again was key to the Phoenix's success, averaging 12.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG to help GB earn the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Horizon League Tournament. The Phoenix knocked off Youngstown State 102-92, with Davis scoring 15 points, which served as the ultimate battle for the top three seed. The Trotwood, Ohio, native then had 9 points against Cleveland State, finishing 9-for-20 on the week and playing 30 minutes in each game. Davis is second on GB in scoring with 15.8 PPG, and has scored the second-most points in program history as a freshman and the fifth-most in HL history.
HOLDING AT HOME
- Ready for its first Horizon League Tournament game after earning the No. 3 seed and a bye, the Phoenix will look to protect its home court, something all three HL teams did in the First Round. In the four seasons under Darner, GB has won at least one postseason game with the exception of 2016-17 when it was upset, ironically, as the No. 3 seed in the Quarterfinals.
BOOMIN' OFF THE BENCH
- Juniors Trevian Bell and PJ Pipes have been a major boost off the bench for the Phoenix over the past three critical games. The duo is averaging over 20 PPG as a pair: Pipes averaging a little over 11 PPG and Bell averaging 9 PPG. In addition, the pair is accounting for over 23 percent of the squad's offense in this span. With tournament time here, these two juniors will be vital for Green Bay over the course of the next few weeks..
FEED THE BIG FELLA
- Manny Patterson was a big reason the squad went 2-0 last weekend to secure the No. 3 seed. Patterson scored 14 against Youngstown State and 11 against Cleveland State while shooting a combined 11-12 from the floor. He was 6-7 from the floor against the Penguins and a perfect 5-5 from the floor against the Vikings. In the 8 games the big fella has reached double figures this season, the squad is 6-2.
HANKERSON STAYS HOT
- Over the last five games heading into the conference tournament, Kam Hankerson is averaging 15.8 PPG while shooting over 46 percent from the floor. The senior is sizzling from 3-point land as well, shooting a scorching 43 percent. Additionally, on the offensive side of the floor the guard is dishing out over 3 assist per game in that stretch.
JUST BELOW BENNETT
- Freshman Amari Davis is approaching 500 points as a true freshman, currently sitting on 491 this season, which accounts for the second-most points by a freshman in the history of the program. Davis is chasing all-time great Tony Bennett, who had 516 as a freshman in 1988-89, sitting 26 points away from setting the program record. He is also set to move into fourth in the Horizon League for most points by a freshman, and with 11 points will move into third all-time. He was name the HL's Freshman of the Year and has garnered national attention for his offensive output this season.
STELLAR SENIORS
- The four seniors of Kam Hankerson, JayQuan McCloud, Josh McNair and Cody Schwartz all play a major role for the Phoenix. Hankerson, McCloud and Schwartz start for coach Darner while McNair is one of the first off the bench for the squad. As a whole, the seniors account for over 50 percent of the Green Bay's top 4 scoring offense in the nation.
TOP OF THE STATS
Green Bay leads the Horizon League and ranks nationally in multiple key categories. Here is where Green Bay stacks up among the 10 Horizon League teams, and nationally in some stats:
- 1st in scoring offense (82.2 PPG) **Ranks 4th in the NCAA
- 1st in assists per game (16.4 APG) **Ranks 11th in the NCAA
- 1st in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.31-1) **Ranks 23rd in the NCAA
- 1st in 3-point field goal percentage (37.5%) **Ranks 20th in the NCAA
- 1st in turnover margin (2.10-1)
- 2nd in field goal percentage (46.1%)
- 2nd in free throw percentage (75.3%) **Ranks 42nd in the NCAA
- 3rd in steals (7.03 SPG)
STEALS ANS SWATZ
- Green Bay is top three in the Horizon League in both block shots and steals. The squad is averaging 3.26 blocks per game and 7.03 steals per game on the year. However, over the last 5 games where the Phoenix went 4-1, the team is averaging 4.8 blocks and 6.4 steals.
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MCBUCKETZ
- JayQuan McCloud has been balling all season long for the Phoenix. The senior is third in conference scoring by averaging 17.4 PPG and in 18 Horizon League games, he's been in double-figures for 17 of them. He's been playing his best in the month of February, reaching 20-plus points in five of his last seven games while shooting over 50 percent from the field. He had a double-double against Cleveland State with 12 points and 11 rebounds, and was two assists shy of a triple-double. The senior leader will be key to the team's postseason success.
PROTECTING THE ROCK
- The Phoenix continues to rank as one of the best teams in the NCAA in both sharing the basketball, and taking care of it. As of Feb. 26, GB ranks 11th in the NCAA in assists per game with 16.4 and ranks 24th in the NCAA in assist to turnover ratio, with both numbers leading the Horizon League. Additionally, GB is first in the HL in turnover margin with 2.07 to 1, continuing to value possessions despite its uptempo pace of play. The Phoenix, which has been standard under head coach Linc Darner, ranks 11th in adjusted tempo according to KenPom. GB is averaging 74.3 possessions per 40 minutes, which also leads the Horizon League. The team has six games with 21 assists or more as a team this year.
3X3U: McCLOUD AND HANKERSON
- Guards JayQuan McCloud and Kameron Hankerson are two of 10 Horizon League seniors named to the Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship Midseason Watch List, which was announced on Tuesday. The 2020 event is scheduled for April 3-5 at Atlanta's Atlantic Station, where it will be contested outdoors for the first time.
- In what is the single-largest gathering of draft-eligible talent in the months leading up to the NBA Draft, the Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship features 128 seniors from all 32 Division I conferences vying for one of the biggest purses at any FIBA-sanctioned 3x3 event. Teams will compete for $150,000, with $100,000 going to the tournament champions. The winning team will once again earn an automatic berth to the 2020 USA Basketball 3x3 Open National Championship in May.
- Both players are averaging in double-figures for the Phoenix this season, with McCloud averaging a team-best 16.0 PPG and Hankerson averaging 10.2 PPG. Both players have started in all 11 Horizon League contests this season, making up a formidable backcourt with freshman Amari Davis. McCloud and Hankerson have combined to score over 1,700 points in their GB careers.
CONNECTING WITH KENPOM
- After three games in the books, Green Bay has played at the 7th-fastest pace among all NCAA Division I teams, averaging 73.9 possessions per 40 minutes. In the four seasons under Linc Darner, here is where Green Bay has ranked in adjusted tempo:
- 2018-19: 13th
- 2017-18: 23rd
- 2016-17: 7th
- 2015-16: 6th
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