By: Joey Daniels (@GBPhoenixMBB)
GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – Continuing the five-game road trip with the second and third games of the swing, the Green Bay men's basketball team will visit Northern Kentucky (Thursday, Feb. 4) and Wright State (Saturday, Feb. 6) this weekend. Both games will be streamed on ESPN3, while Saturday's game will be televised on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel.
TIP-OFF at Northern Kentucky: Thursday, Feb. 4, 6 p.m. CT
TIP-OFF at Wright State: Saturday, Feb. 6, 6 p.m. CT
LOCATION: BB&T Arena (Highland Heights, Ky.); Nutter Center (Dayton, Ohio)
SERIES RECORD:
at Northern Kentucky: The two teams met for the first time ever on Jan. 2 in Green Bay, in what was the Horizon League opener for both teams this season. The Phoenix would run away with the 86-70 victory at the Resch Center. For the full game story click here.
at Wright State: After its 76-68 win on Jan. 4 over the Raiders, Green Bay improved to 29-24 all-time in the series and has now won five-straight games in the series. The Phoenix is 10-18 all-time in Ohio, but has won three of the last four meetings at the Nutter Center.
WATCH/LISTEN: Saturday's game will be televised live on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel and both games will be streamed live on ESPN3 (at NKU / at WSU). The game can also be heard on WNFL with Matt Menzl on the call. Fans can also follow live stats for both games (at NKU / at WSU).
UP NEXT: Green Bay will continue the long road stretch next weekend at Northern Kentucky (Thursday, Feb. 4, 6 p.m. CT) and Wright State (Saturday, Feb. 6, 6 p.m. CT).
GREEN BAY GAME NOTES: Northern Kentucky (PDF) | Wright State (PDF)
OPPONENT GAME NOTES: Northern Kentucky (PDF) | Wright State (PDF)
NOTES
FOLLOWING A LOSS
Since starting the season 0-3 with a loss at Georgia Tech on Nov. 19, Green Bay is 6-0 in games following a loss this season, averaging 92.8 PPG while making more free throws (145) than its opponents have attempted (142) in such contests. The Phoenix has not lost back-to-back games since its 0-3 start and has avoided consecutive four times since Jan. 14.
MORE THAN ONE MAN
Nine games into its Horizon League slate and having played each league team once, the Phoenix has four players averaging in double-figures in conference play, led by senior guard Carrington Love (17.9 ppg.) Green Bay has had eight players lead the team in scoring this season, while six of those eight have eclipsed the 20-point mark, five for the first time in their respective careers.
STEAL CITY
The Phoenix has generated 223 steals this season, tied with West Virginia for the NCAA lead this season As of 2/2, only WV (10.6) and Eastern Michigan (10.3), ranks ahead of Green Bay (10.3) in steals per game . Green Bay is tied for first in the country in steals-to-turnover ratio at 0.82 with VCU and EMU. Individually, senior Carrington Love ranks fourth nationally at 2.73 steals per contest.
FORMIDABLE FOUSE
After his 12 rebound performance at Milwaukee, Jordan Fouse has now grabbed 922 rebounds in his career, trailing only Dennis Woelffer by 25 rebounds for first on Green Bay's all-time career rebounding list. Woelffer finished with 947 rebounds in his career. Additionally, Fouse is now just five steals away from becoming the Phoenix's all-time leader in that category as well, sitting on 233 steals and trailing only Terry Evans who recorded 237 steals in his career. Fouse now ranks second in school history in steals, rebounds and blocks with a golden opportunity to move into first all-time in two of those three categories.
TURNING THEM OVER
While the Phoenix's calling card this season has been generating turnovers (17.8 forced per game), it has protected the ball just as well. Green Bay tied its season-low in turnovers with only eight in its last game at Milwaukee, and ranks fourth in the NCAA in turnover margin at +5.4, trailing only Stephen F. Austin (+6.4), Mount St. Mary's (+5.7) and Wichita State (+5.5).
FACING THE NORSE
Thursday's contest will be just the second meeting all-time between the two, with Green Bay winning 86-70 back on Jan. 2 in the Horizon League-opener for both teams. Four players finished in double figures in that Phoenix win.
NO. 2 IN POINTS
As of Feb. 2, Green Bay is averaging 86.5 PPG, which ranks second in the NCAA behind only The Citadel (89.4 PPG), while scoring 84 points or better in 13 games. To put that into perspective, the Phoenix has had 13 games of 84-plus points over the past five years combined, with seven of those 13 coming during the 2013-14 campaign alone.
PUTTING UP THOSE POINTS
Green Bay's 115 points scored against Detroit was its most scored in a single game in the program's Division I era, while its 49 free-throws attempted is the second most ever (prev. 50, vs. North Dakota State, 3/6/81). The Phoenix, who opened the overtime period against the Titans on a 14-0 run, tallied 20 points in an extra session, marking the most points it has scored in overtime since Dec. 13, 1995, when it also put up 20 to down the Oregon Ducks in Eugene, 81-71.
STARTERS DOING DAMAGE
Green Bay's starting unit of Carrington Love (21/24 pts), Khalil Small (18/11 pts), Charles Cooper (18/13 pts), Kenneth Lowe (16/12 pts) and Jordan Fouse (11/19 pts) have each finished in double figures in each of the last two games. Over the past three games, all five members of the starting unit have averaged double-digits in scoring (Love 24.3 PPG, Fouse 20.0 PPG, Cooper 16.3 PPG Small 15.7 PPG and Lowe 10.7 PPG).
LOVING WHAT WE GOT
Carrington Love needs just nine more steals to set the Green Bay program-record for steals in a season, set by teammate Jordan Fouse in 2013-14. Coupling his defensive presence, Love has also been the Phoenix's most prolific scorer this season, and the Milwaukee native poured in a team-high 24 points on 9-for-16 shooting, while registering 3 steals. Love became the 27th player in program to achieve the 1,000-point milestone back on Jan. 19 and is the first since Keifer Sykes in Dec. 2013. As of 2/2, the senior ranks third in the Horizon League in scoring at 18.9 PPG. With 415 points this season, Love needs to average 12.5 PPG over the last nine regular season games to finish 5th in total points in a season by a Phoenix senior all-time. He would need to average 21.1 PPG to finish 4th ahead of Tony Bennett and 22.1 to surpass Sykes for 3rd all-time.
GO-TO GUY FROM GARY
While the two seniors have stolen much of the spotlight this season, junior transfer Charles Cooper has quietly become one of Green Bay's most consistent offensive threats. Over his last six games, the native of Gary, Ind., is averaging 16.5 PPG on 53.8 percent shooting, while making vast improvements at the charity stripe as well. After connecting on just 60.0 percent (45-of-75) from the line over his first 15 games, Cooper has shot at a 75.5 percent (40-of-53) clip over his past six. His 15-of-19 effort at Valparaiso on Jan. 16 was the most free-throws made and attempted by a Phoenix player this season, falling one attempt shy of the program record set by Jeff Nordgaard (20, at Milwaukee, Jan. 15, 1995).
FOUSE OF CARDS
Green Bay forward Jordan Fouse joined an exclusive NCAA club against Detroit after posting a career-high 30 points with 14 rebounds. The Racine native became just the 15th player in the country to post a 30-10 game this season, and the only Phoenix player to do so in the last five years. Fouse, who has grown accustomed to big games this season, is the only player in the nation to have at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and 5 steals in two contests this season (Nov. 17 at East Tennessee State and Dec. 6 vs. Toledo), and one of just eight Division I players over the last five years have accomplished the feat multiple times, a list that includes current NBA players Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State, 2013-14, twice) and C.J. McCollum (2011-12, Lehigh, twice). Fouse has six double-doubles this year, while no other GB player has even one.
#RP40 EFFECTS
As of Feb. 3, here are some of Green Bay's team ranks nationally:
NCAA STATS RANKINGS
1st – Total Steals (223)
1st – Free Throws Attempted (656)
2nd – Points Per Game (86.5)
3rd – Steals Per Game (10.1)
4th – Turnover Margin (+5.4)
4th – Turnovers Forced Per Game (17.8)
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