Men's basketball: Green Bay still atop of the HL hierarchy

After Wright State won its Horizon League semifinal contest last March in Green Bay versus Cleveland State, everyone was expecting UW-Green Bay to defeat Milwaukee on its home floor to setup the Horizon League title game.

But the eventual league champs UW-Milwaukee put a huge dagger in Green Bay’s hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament by upending the Phoenix. For a week after the game, many thought Green Bay should be considered for an at-large bid to the Big Dance. That invitation never came and instead, Green Bay finished the season in the NIT.

Not much has changed in the Horizon League’s hierarchy since last March. The Phoenix is expected to win the Horizon League regular season this season and possibly challenge for an NCAA Tournament bid even if Green Bay fails to win the conference tournament.

If the non-conference was any indicator, Green Bay is poised to repeat as the Horizon League’s regular season champs. The Raiders stand as the Phoenix’s conference opener Monday evening. Wright State head coach Billy Donlon hopes to send Green Bay to the bottom of the league’s standings to start the season.

“We are going to play a team that has been terrific all season long,” Donlon said. “Brian (Wardle) is a great coach, and we’ll have our hands full but we’ll try to control what we can control.”

A Wright State win over Green Bay would be considered an upset, but WSU has confidence coming out of the Raiders’ 70-57 win on Friday night.

Three of the five Raiders in the starting lineup in Friday’s win have never played Green Bay. The Raiders’ inexperience is unusual in the league as teams in the Horizon League have a lot of familiarity with each other.

“I think the one thing for all the kids in the league is there is familiarity,” Donlon said. “Reggie Arceneaux and Keifer Sykes have played against each other for four years. There is familiarity with each other. And sometimes with teams that did not have great non-league (records), it gains confidence.”

Meanwhile, all five of Green Bay’s regular starters were on last year’s squad. Leading the bunch is Sykes who was named the league’s Preseason Player of the Year in October. He is averaging 17.2 points a game and leading the team with 50 assists this season.

Inside, the Phoenix is led by senior forward Jordan Fouse who is fifth in the league in rebounding with seven per game and is fourth in the league in blocked shots with 14.

Green Bay has picked up impressive wins this season at Miami (Fla.), Evansville and Drake.

For Monday’s contest, Wright State will be without forward Steven Davis. Davis suffered a foot injury in the 100-55 loss at Ohio State Dec. 27. Without Davis in the lineup Friday, forwards JT Yoho and Michael Karena stepped up in a big way shooting a combined 14-of-22 from the field and helping WSU dominate in the paint 38-18 for the contest.

Since missing the first three games of the season due to a suspension stemming from his drunk driving arrest, Yoho has 10 double-figure performances in 12 games. He also has a pair of double-doubles in that span.

Wright State junior guard Thomasson is shooting 57 percent from the field. He is the second best shooter in the Horizon League by percentage behind Valpo’s Corey Petros.