GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay men's basketball team will take the Resch Center floor for the first time this season tomorrow at 2 p.m. against St. Thomas. The Phoenix will look to avenge their 82-61 loss to the Tommies from a year ago.
Saturday, Nov. 24 – GREEN BAY, Wis. – Resch Center
Green Bay (2-3) vs. St. Thomas (3-3)
2:00 PM CT
Follow the action: Watch (ESPN+) | Listen (WDUZ The Fan) | Live Stats | Tickets
ABOUT THE TOMMIES
St. Thomas has started the year 3-3 and is coming into the matchup off of a 76-70 win against Portland State.
The Tommies have shot the ball well as a team, knocking down 47.5 percent of shots from the floor and 39.5 percent of shots from three-point land. That has helped them outscore their opponents by a 7.2-point margin. Three Tommies average in double figures, Parker Bjorklund (14.3), Raheem Anthony (10.0), and Kendall Blue (10.0).
LAST TIME OUT
Green Bay traveled to Montana earlier this week for a two-game set against Montana State and UC Riverside. The Phoenix knocked off the hosts Montana State in overtime 54-53 on Monday night. Noah Reynolds led GB with 19 points and seven rebounds with an efficient 7-of-12 from the floor. The nonconference road win was the first in program history since Dec. 21, 2019, at Northern Illinois GB dropped the second game of the week against UC Riverside on Tuesday, 74-68. Four Phoenix scored double figures, including Reynolds (19), Rich Byhre (14), Marcus Hall (12), and David Douglas, Jr. (12).
FINDING THE RANGE
Green Bay shot a season-best 54.2 percent from deep against UC Riverside on Tuesday on 13-of-24 shooting. The previous best was 28.0 percent against St. Francis (Ill.) In the phoenix home opener, Rich Byhre and David Douglas especially found their range, finishing 4-of-7 and 4-of-6 from deep, respectively.
GETTING IN A GROOVE
The freshmen duo of Marcus Hall and David Douglas Jr. Each poured in a career-high 12 points in GB's last game against UC Riverside. The two were efficient fromt the floor as well, with Hall finishing 4-for-7 while Douglas went 4-for-6.
WINNING AWAY FROM HOME
Green Bay grabbed a non-conference road win for the first time since Dec. 21, 2019, against Northern Illinois in Sundance Wicks' second try. It was also coach Wicks' first win against a Division I opponent at Green Bay.
REYNOLDS ON A MISSION
Noah Reynolds has been a leader on the court for the Phoenix this season. He is currently fourth in the HL in scoring, averaging 19.8 points per game. Reynolds also averages a team-high 4.8 assists per game and 4.6 rebounds per game.
EFFICIENT ELIJAH
The second-leading scorer for the Phoenix is Junior Forward Elijah Jones, who averages 8.8 points per game to go with a team-high 8.2 rebounds per game. Jones had a standout performance at Valpo earlier this season, scoring 13 points and pulling down a game-high 15 rebounds. His 15 rebound performance is the first from a Phoenix player since 2019.
OFFSEASON RECAP
A lot happened during the 2023 offseason. Let's get you caught up:
March 14 - Sundance Wicks was named the ninth head coach in Green Bay men's basketball history.
March 30 - The rest of the coaching staff is announced. Pat Monaghan, Zach Malvik, and Nic Reynolds are added as assistant coaches and Adam Owens is retained as the Director of Basketball Operations.
April 19 – Will Eames, David Douglas Jr., Preston Ruedinger, and Rich Byhre are added to the roster.
May 1 – Noah Reynolds, Elijah Jones, and Foster Wonders join Green Bay.
June 2 – Rahmon Fletcher joins the staff as the Director of Player Development.
IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN GB
Green Bay hired Sundance Wicks as the program's next head coach on March 14, 2023. Wicks comes to the Phoenix after three seasons as an assistant coach at Wyoming. In his first season with the Cowboys, Wicks helped revamp an offense that led the Mountain West in scoring at 76.5 points per game. Prior to his time with the Cowboys, he spent two highly successful years as the head coach at NCAA DII Missouri Western State in St. Joseph, Missouri. The Gillette, Wyo., native, led the Griffons to 18 wins in 2019-20, which was the most by the program in 10 years. In his first season at the helm of the program, his team doubled their win total from the year before. In his two seasons, Wicks mentored six All-MIAA players and an NABC All-District selection. Coach Wicks' first win at Green Bay came on Thursday, Nov. 9 against St. Francis (Ill.).
NEW LOOK ROSTER
The Phoenix underwent a roster transformation this past offseason. Of GB's 15 rostered players, three are returners, six are transfers, and six are incoming freshmen.
FAMILIAR FACES
Two of Green Bay's six transfers have played for coach Wicks prior to his time in GB. Will Eames played under coach Wicks at Missouri Western State in 2019-20 when he was the MIAA Freshman of the Year and All-MIAA honorable mention. Another Phoenix that has played for coach Wicks is Wyoming transfer Noah Reynolds. Reynolds was the second leading scorer on Wyoming last year, averaging 14.5 points per game in 19 games played.
PRESEASON #HLMBB POLL
PL. Team (1st-place votes) – PTS.
1. Northern Kentucky (18) - 435
2. Milwaukee (10) - 397
3. Wright State (12) - 392
4. Cleveland State (1) - 362
5. Youngstown State (3) -342
6. Oakland - 280
7. Robert Morris- 186
8. Purdue Fort Wayne- 166
9. Detroit Mercy- 132
10. IUPUI - 116
11. Green Bay – 96
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