GREEN BAY, Wis. – Following a loss on the road at nationally-ranked Oklahoma, the Green Bay men's basketball looks to recover in their final nonconference game of the season. The Phoenix will host the Milwaukee School of Engineering at the Resch Center tomorrow night at 6 p.m. CT.
 
Thursday, Dec. 21 – GREEN BAY, Wis. – Resch Center
MSOE (2-8) at Green Bay (5-7)
6:00 PM CT
Follow the action: Watch (ESPN+) | Listen (WDUZ The Fan) | Live Stats | Tickets
 
ABOUT THE RAIDERS
MSOE has struggled out of the gates, starting the 2023-24 season 2-8. Both of the Raiders wins came on the road, and they are coming into the game coming off of a close loss to No. 23 ranked (Division III) Illinois College, 72-68. MSOE averages 76.4 points per game, while allowing 81.6. They hold a field goal percentage of 46.4 which is sixth in the 13-team NACC Conference, and hold opponents to 47.5 percent from the floor.
 
Three Raiders average in double figures, led by Mason Dopirak at 19.0 points per game, which is the second-highest in the entire conference. Donovan Carter leads the Raiders in shooting, at 55.8 percent from the field, and 48.6 percent from three while scoring 18.1 points per game, fourth-best in the conference. Both Mason and Donovan lead MSOE in assists with 2.7 per game. Mason's twin brother Matus Dopriak is the third leading scorer for the Raiders with 10.2 points per game and only trails Donovan Carter as the highest percentage shooter from three-point range at 38.9 percent. Sophomore Chase Cummings is the leading board grabber for the Raiders, collected 5.3 rebounds per game.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Green Bay men's basketball team traveled to Oklahoma Saturday night but fell to the No. 11-ranked Sooners, 81-47. The Phoenix (5-7) had two players score in double figures, led by David Douglas Jr., who finished with 13 points. Noah Reynolds was the other, finishing with 11 points. Douglas has scored in double figures in three straight games. Oklahoma shared the ball well and had three players finish in double figures. Rivaldo Soares led the way with 13 points and five rebounds off the bench. Otega Oweh finished with 12 points, while John Hugley IV had 11 points and four rebounds.
 
REYNOLDS SQUARED
Green Bay is one of two schools in the country who have a brother duo as a coach and a player. Assistant coach Nic Reynolds and Phoenix lead guard Noah Reynolds are brothers. UConn's Mamadou Diarra (Director of Player Development) and Hassan Diarra (senior guard) are the other duo.
 
DJ FROM DEEP
Green Bay Freshman David Douglas Jr. had his third straight performance of double-digit scoring, which is now the second-longest streak on the team. In those three games, Douglas drilled multiple threes in each game, including 3-of-6 against UIC. The freshman is quickly emerging as one of Green Bay's go-to offensive options.
 
COUNT ON CUMMINGS
Since his return to the court on Nov. 29, Clarence Cummings III has been a big contributor to the Phoenix on both sides of the ball. Cummings has scored in double figures twice and is averaging 7.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. He has also shot well from deep, hitting on seven of his 19 attempts (36.8 percent) from three. Cummings played a season=high 32 minutes in his first start of the season at UIC. CC3 also led the Phoenix in rebounds against Oklahoma with four.
 
HISTORY VS MSOE
Green Bay and MSOE will cross paths for the first time this Thursday at the Resch Center, however, Green Bay boasts a 35-4 record against opponents from the Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference. MSOE has only faced one Horizon League opponent before, in 2016 against Milwaukee, dropping the contest 58-88. Green Bay last played a NACC team in 2019 where the Phoenix defeated Concordia-Chicago 126-64.
 
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 17.9 points per game. Reynolds is also second in the Horizon League in assists with 4.7 per game. The Phoenix guard scored a career-high 31 points in GB's 70-68 win over UIC, and is currently on a six game streak of double digit scoring.
  
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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