GREEN BAY, Wis. – There will be some mid-day basketball at the Resch Center on Thursday, as the first place Green Bay men's basketball team will host IUPUI at 11 a.m. Thursday is Education Day, where numerous elementary schools in the Green Bay area will descend on the Resch Center for a Phoenix basketball game.

Thursday, Feb. 1 – GREEN BAY, Wis. – Resch Center – Education Day presented by Cousin's Subs, Kids Dental Experts, and GoGo Squeez
IUPUI (6-17, 2-10 HL) at Green Bay (14-9, 9-3 HL)
11 AM CT
Follow the action: Watch (ESPN+) | Listen (WDUZ The Fan) | Live Stats | History

ABOUT THE JAGUARS
IUPUI is currently 10^th in the Horizon League with a 2-10 league record, with 6-17 overall.

The Jags are led by junior guard Jlynn Counter who ranks tenth in the HL in points per game with 15.1 and 12th in assists with 2.7 per game. Counter is ninth in the HL in both field goal percentage (47.5%) and free throw percentage (77.0%) and is also first on the team in three-point percentage at 35.3 percent. IUPUI's lead rebounder is senior forward Qwanzi Samuels, who grabs 5.4 boards per game and ranks 15th in the HL. The Jaguars' leading stealer is DJ Jackson, who ranks 12th in the Horizon League with 1.3 steals per game. Bryce Monroe is the other Jaguar averaging double figures in points at 10.8 per game.

HISTORY VS IUPUI
Green Bay is 7-9 all-time against IUPUI, and 5-4 at home. Green Bay has won five of the last six games, including the last three home games. Green Bay won their contest at IUPUI on January 10 by a score of 68-58 thanks in part to David Douglas Jr. having a career high 26 points and 6-10 from three-point range. The Phoenix will look to sweep the Jaguars for the first time since the 2021-22 season, and for the second time since IUPUI joined the HL in 2017.

LAST TIME OUT
The Green Bay men's basketball team won their ninth game of their last 11 against Detroit Mercy by a score of 78-64. Noah Reynolds notched his fifth 30-point game of the season with a team high 34 points. Reynolds also led the team with 5 assists and set a new career high for steals in a game with 3. Freshman of the week David Douglas Jr. added 22 points in 24 minutes and was nearly lights out from both three-point range (6-8) and the free throw line (4-4). Foster Wonders shattered a new career high in rebounds, as the 6-5 sophomore grabbed nine boards, and recorded his tenth game hitting at least three shots from beyond the arc. GB won the rebounding margin, shot a higher percentage from the field at 46.7%, and had one fewer turnover than the Titans to remain atop the Horizon League.

MOVING UP THE RANKS
After ending last season as #362 in the NCAA NET rankings, the Phoenix now sits at #196 with a 12-9 record against Division I opponents.

THIRD TIMES A CHARM
A key part of the Phoenix's rise to the top of the Horizon League has been their production of their key freshman players. Following another outstanding performance by freshman David Douglas Jr., he was named to his third Freshman of the Week award of the season. This marks the third consecutive week a player from Green Bay has won the award, with Douglas winning twice, and freshman forward Marcus Hall winning last week. The last time Green Bay won the Freshman of the Year award three times in a row was February 3-17, 2020 when Amari Davis won the award three straight times.

BALANCED ATTACK
In 11 conference games this season, Green Bay has four players averaging over 8.0 points per game. Noah Reynolds leads the way averaging 21 points per game, while Foster Wonders (9.9), Elijah Jones (8.8), and David Douglas Jr. (8.8) round out the top scorers for the Phoenix. GB is outscoring their opponents 73.6 to 67.3 in HL play.

GREEN BAY GRIT
The Phoenix allows the fewest points per game in the Horizon League at 67.1. Green Bay is also first in opponents' 3FG% at 28.1 percent and combined opponent rebounds at 29.1 per game.

REYNOLDS SQUARED
Green Bay is one of two schools in the country that 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.

EFFICIENT ELIJAH
Another standout for Green Bay this season has been Elijah Jones, who is eighth in the HL in rebounding at 6.3 rebounds per game and is tied for second in scoring on GB's roster at 8.8 points per game. Jones is one of the most efficient players on GB's roster, shooting 63.8 percent from the floor and 50.0 percent from three. Jones is shooting 72.9 percent from the field in HL games.

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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