Phoenix

General Team Information:

Founded: 1969
Conference: Horizon League
Past Conferences: Midwestern Collegiate Conference, Mid-Continent Conference, Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), Independent
Arena: Resch Center/Kress Events Center
City: Green Bay, Wisconsin

Championships and Titles:

4 Conference Tournament Championships
4 Conference Regular Season Championships

Team History

As a relatively young men’s basketball program, the Green Bay Phoenix has had some successful runs in NCAA Division I. This team joined Division I in 1981 for one season as an independent. It then joined the Mid-Continent Conference, which became the Summit League.

Under coach Dick Bennett, the Phoenix became a competitive program. He turned what was a moribund team into a winning outfit, which culminated in its first 20+ win season in 1990 and its first NCAA Tournament appearance the following year.

Consider Tony Bennett, the Phoenix’s team stats leader, the program’s first bonafide star as he helped usher in a new era for the University of Green Bay-Wisconsin. This made Green Bay notable to the mainstream, and the school’s recruiting strengthened.

Nordgaard as Team Stats Leader

Jeff Nordgaard joined the program as Bennett exited in 1992. He would take over as Green Bay Phoenix’s team stats leader. The Phoenix won conference titles in both the Summit League and Horizon League, its new home conference, with him as their best player.

Green Bay also made three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament even winning its first and only game in 1994. In 1996, Nordgaard was named Horizon Player of the Year, as he led the Phoenix to a 25-4 record and a ranking as high as 22 on the AP Top 25.

However, once Nordgaard had left, the program went back to being an also-ran and an underdog on the NCAAB odds. While Green Bay was far from a terrible team, the Phoenix would not reach March Madness until the 2015-16 season. It would take a herculean effort from two-time Horizon Player of the Year Keifer Sykes to snap the school’s 20-year drought.

Now, Green Bay has seemingly entered a dark era. With the departure of coach Linc Darner, Green Bay has bottomed out in the conference and has yet to hit double digits in the win column. It may get better at some point, but for now, this program is the doormat of the Horizon League.

All-Time Green Bay Phoenix Records

Points Scored

• Tony Bennett: 2,285
• Keifer Sykes: 2,096
• Jeff Nordgaard: 1,911

Rebounds

• Jordan Fouse: 1,034
• Alec Brown: 800
• Terry Evans: 766

Assists

• Tony Bennett: 601
• Keifer Sykes: 522
• Gary Grzesk: 496

FAQs