Green Bay, Wis. – Green Bay men's basketball is prepared to open Horizon League play with a pair of games this weekend. On Thursday, the Phoenix will host Robert Morris at the Resch Center, followed by Youngstown State coming to town for a Saturday game at the Kress. 
 
Thursday, Dec. 2 – 7 p.m. CT – RESCH CENTER
Robert Morris vs. Green Bay
Fleet Farm Military Appreciation Night: All active and veteran military members will receive two FREE tickets to the game.
Links: Listen | Watch | Live Stats | Tickets
 
Saturday, Nov. 4 – 6 p.m. CT – KRESS CENTER
Youngstown State vs. Green Bay
Bud Light Night: $2 and $3 Buds
Links: Listen | Watch | Live Stats | Tickets
 
SERIES HISTORY
Despite the Colonials joining the Horizon League before the 2020-2021 season, the Phoenix have never played them. As for Youngstown State, Green Bay has played them 50 previous times, winning 36 games. All-time, Green Bay is 22-2 at home against the Penguins, and have lost just one home game since 2007 against YSU. The Phoenix did not play at home versus YSU in the 2020- 2021 season.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Green Bay began their three-game homestand last Saturday with a 77-48 victory over UW-Superior. The Phoenix enjoyed a second-half surge as they outscored the Yellowjackets 37-17 en route to the win. Green Bay has won the last three meetings against the Yellowjackets, with the only loss coming in January of 1979.
 
BLOCK PARTY
Of Green Bay's 20 blocks, three players make up for 14 of them. Japannah Kellogg and Manny Ansong have four each, while Donovan Ivory leads the way with six. Averaging 3.33 blocks per game, the Phoenix is on pace to match last year's 90 blocks.
 
STEALING THE SHOW
Junior Manny Ansong is off to a fast start in 2021. In his second season with the Phoenix, Ansong has been a consistent player, scoring in double figures in all but one game (at Wisconsin) and recorded his first double-double of the season on November 19 against FIU. He leads GB in steals with seven, collecting three in the opener against Indiana State. Ansong is averaging 12.3 points per game and is shooting 51.9 percent overall.
 
HIDDEN GEM (CEM)
Freshman forward Cem Kirciman had a career-best outing against UW-Superior last Saturday. Kirciman played 16 minutes off the bench, scored 12 points, and registered three assists and three rebounds. The Turkey native shot 4-of-5 from the floor and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.
 
STEADY STIEBER
Redshirt-freshman Lucas Stieber has proved to be a steadying presence for the Phoenix this season. He's dished out a team-leading 30 assists and has coughed up only eight turnovers. His 3.75 assist-to-turnover ratio is tied for the 25th-best mark in Division 1.
 
IVORY IMPRESSES
Donovan Ivory, a Boise State transfer, continues to be a dominant presence for Green
Bay. Averaging a team-leading 14.2 points per game so far this season, Ivory also ranks on the team:
 
• 1st in minutes (27.2 mpg)
• 1st in free throw attempts (20-21, 95.2%) (13th-best % in D1)
• 1st in field goals attempts (60)
• 1st in three-point attempts and threes made (11-30, 36.7%)
• 1st in blocks (6)
• 2nd in assists (12)
• 2nd in rebounds (26)
 
FRESH PHOENIX FACES
GB welcomes a total of eight new members to the 2021-22 squad, including five transfers.
  
Mitch Listau, a 6-4 guard, is one of those aforementioned transfers, coming to the Phoenix after appearing in 50 games for Belmont the past two seasons. In 2020-21 with the Bruins, Listau shot 35-percent from three and 42-percent from the field.
  
Randy Tucker, a 6-4 guard, spent the past two seasons with the Vincennes Trailblazers - one of the nation's top junior college programs. During his time at Vincennes, Tucker led the Blazers to a 45-12 record, including two appearances in the NJCAA Men's National Tournament. He finished his career with 404 points, 179 rebounds, and 68 assists in 42 starts.
  
Donovan Ivory, a 6-6 guard hailing from Kaukauna, Wis., comes to the Phoenix following a season with Boise State. As a senior at Kaukauna, Ivory was named first-team all-state by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association and an honorable mention by the Associated Press after averaging 20.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.8 assists.
  
Forward Tutu Majok (6-8) is the fourth transfer GB added in the offseason. The Cairo, Egypt joins the Phoenix from Bossier Parish Community College where he averaged 10.5 points and 10.4 rebounds in 20 games.
  
The final transfer on the squad is guard Nate Jenkins (6-2), who spent the last two years at Iowa State. Jenkins saw action in 10 games last season for the Cyclones. He prepped at Kettle Moraine High School where he averaged 17.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals as a senior for the Laser.
  
The Phoenix also welcomes three true freshmen to the 2021-22 team, Kamari McGee, Cade Meyer, and Brayden Dailey. McGee, a native of Racine, Wis. prepped at Racine St. Catherine's, whom he led to the 2020 WIAA State Championship. Meyer prepped at Monroe Highschool, where he earned an All-State Honorable Mention nod. Dailey, a Cuba City native, was a three-time WBCA D4 First Team All-State selection.
  
RETURNING LEADERS
Green Bay returns four players that earned starts in the 2020-21 season, highlighted by Horizon League All-Freshman team selection Lucas Stieber as well as Emmanuel Ansong.
  
Last season Stieber was tasked with helping direct the Phoenix offense and ranked seventh in the Horizon League with 4.2 assists per game. The guard played in all 24 games for Green Bay and graced the starting lineup 17 times. Stieber also made a name for himself defensively, leading the team with 20 blocks and finishing fifth in the league with 1.0 blocks per game.
  
Ansong saw action in 19 games for the Phoenix last season, with seven starts along the way. The forward averaged 10.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and .95 steals in an average of 25.8 minutes per game.
  
Japannah Kellogg III and Ryan Claflin will also look to make large contributions this season after earning starts last year. 
  
 PRESEASON #HLMBB POLL
 Pl. School (1st-place) – Votes
 1. Cleveland State (30) – 502
 2. Wright State (9) – 463
 3. Northern Kentucky (1) – 406
 4. Milwaukee (2)– 396
 5. Detroit Mercy (2) – 350
 6. Oakland – 340
 7. Youngstown State – 214
 8. UIC – 204
 9. Purdue Fort Wayne – 169
 10. Robert Morris – 157
 11. Green Bay – 146
 12. IUPUI - 85
  
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