GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay men's basketball team will wrap up the regular season with a pair of road games at Cleveland State on Wednesday and Milwaukee on Saturday. Green Bay's game against Milwaukee on Saturday will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU.

The Phoenix can lock up a top four spot and host a Horizon League Quarterfinal game by winning one of their last two.
 
Wednesday, Feb. 28 – CLEVELAND, Ohio. – Wolstein Center
Green Bay (17-12, 12-6 HL) at Cleveland State (17-12, 10-8 HL)
6:00 PM CT
Follow the action: Watch (ESPN+) | Listen (WDUZ The Fan) | Live Stats 
 
Saturday, March 2 – Milwaukee, Wis. – UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena
Green Bay at Milwaukee
5:00 PM CT
Follow the action: Watch ESPNU | Listen (WDUZ The Fan) | Live Stats
 
ABOUT THE VIKINGS
Cleveland State is currently tied for sixth in the Horizon League with a record of 10-8 and is 17-12 overall. The Vikings are strong on the boards, currently tied for second in the HL averaging 13.2 offensive rebounds per game. Tristan Enaruna leads Cleveland State in points averaging 20.0 per game, good for second in the Horizon League. Enaruna also leads the Vikings in rebounds per game at 6.6. Cleveland State is solid on both sides of the ball, coming in at fifth in the Horizon League averaging 76.5 points per game as a team. Cleveland State allows 73.6 points per game, good for sixth in the HL.

HISTORY VS CLEVELAND STATE
Green Bay is 52-36 all-time against Cleveland State, but 19-22 away from home in the matchup. Green Bay won the prior matchup between the two teams this season, 79-71 (1/14/24). Noah Reynolds had 32 points, including 13-of-14 from the free throw line. Foster Wonders made five threes for 15 points. Elijah Jones connected on a double-double, dropping 13 points and 10 rebounds. Tristan Enaruna led Cleveland State with 22 points and six rebounds.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS
Milwaukee is tied with Cleveland State for sixth in the Horizon League including a record of 10-8 and is 15-14 overall. The Panthers are fourth in the HL in team points per game at 78.7. Milwaukee's defense is eighth in the Horizon League allowing 79.1 ppg. The Panthers are led by guard BJ Freeman, who averages 20.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game.

HISTORY VS MILWAUKEE
The Phoenix are 42-31 all-time vs the Panthers, including a 16-15 record on the road. In its earlier matchup this season Green Bay defeated Milwaukee, 70-58. The Phoenix had four scorers in double figures: Noah Reynolds (17), Preston Ruedinger (12), Foster Wonders (10), and Rich Byhre (10). Markeith Browning II led Milwaukee with 25 points and was without leading scorer BJ Freeman in the loss.

LAST TIME OUT
Green Bay is looking for a win after losses last weekend to Purdue Fort Wayne and Youngstown State. The Phoenix fell 85-59 to PFW and 71-59 to Youngstown State.
 
NOAH'S NUMBERS 
Green Bay is led by Horizon League Player of the Year candidate Noah Reynolds. In Horizon League games, Reynolds is second in the league in scoring, at 21.4 points per game, and is third with 4.7 assists per game. Reynolds is one of three players in the HL to receive the Horizon League Player of the Week honor twice this season. The Peoria, Ill., native is the lone HL player to score 30+ points six times this season. In all games, the Phoenix guard averages 19.7 points per game. If the season ended today, that would be the eighth-most points per game a Phoenix player has scored in a season.
 
'RUDY'
In the absence of Green Bay's leading scorer Noah Reynolds against Youngstown State, Preston Ruedinger stepped up and had the best game of his career. 'Rudy' ended the evening with a career-high 26 points, including 10-for-11 from the free throw line, to accompany his team-high four assists. Ruedinger was awarded the Horizon League Player of the Week for his play. In road wins at Robert Morris and Youngstown State, Ruedinger averaged 21.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 48.0 percent from the floor and 57.1 percent from three.
 
GO DJ
David Douglas Jr. has won a total of four Horizon League Freshman of the Week awards this season, including his most recent coming on February 5. Since Jan. 6, Douglas is averaging 11.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. The Horizon League's leading scorer among freshmen, and Green Bay's second-leading scorer will be a big piece down the final stretch of the season.
 
WINNER WONDERS
Foster Wonders has emerged as one of the top offensive threats for the Phoenix. The sophomore is one of the Horizon League leaders from beyond the arc, ranking seventh in three-point makes per game with 2.2. Wonders has nine double-digit scoring outings, and the Phoenix boasts a record of 8-1 in those games. Wonders connected on a clutch game-winning three against Youngstown State to give the Phoenix a 84-83 victory.
 
RISING UP THE RANKS
After ending last season as #362 out of 363 teams in the NCAA NET rankings, the Phoenix now sits at #215 with a 15-12 record against Division I opponents.
 
BALANCED ATTACK
In 18 conference games this season, Green Bay has five players averaging over 8.0 points per game. Noah Reynolds leads the way averaging 21.4 points per game, while David Douglas Jr. (8.9), Preston Ruedinger (8.9), Foster Wonders (8.6), and Elijah Jones (8.0) rounding out the top scorers for the Phoenix. GB is outscoring their opponents 72.3 to 68.7 in HL play. 
 
GREEN BAY GRIT
The Phoenix allows the fewest points per game in the Horizon League at 67.6. Purdue Fort Wayne the second-best defense, allows 71.1 points per game. Green Bay is first in opponent 3FG% at 30.2 percent and combined opponent rebounds at 32.1 per game. The Phoenix is second in opponents' FG% at 43.1 percent.
 
EFFICIENT ELIJAH
Another standout for Green Bay this season has been Elijah Jones, who is one of the most efficient players in the Horizon League. In HL games, Jones is shooting 65.3 percent from the field and 61.5 percent from three. Jones is also eighth in the HL in rebounding at 6.4 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.
 
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. Before 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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