GREEN BAY, Wis. (July 29, 2009) – Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball coach Tod Kowalczyk has announced his team's schedule for the 2009-10 season, one that features 29 regular season contests, including 14 at home.

The most highly-anticipated home contest falls on Wednesday, Dec. 9 when the Wisconsin Badgers come to town. The last time the instate rivals played in Titletown was Nov. 30, 2002. That occasion marked the home debut for the Phoenix under Kowalczyk and was Green Bay's inaugural regular season game in the Resch Center.

“I'm happy with how this year's schedule lays out,” Kowalczyk said. “The obvious highlight is the home game against Wisconsin, but we also have some other excellent nonconference opponents coming to Green Bay, including talented teams from Long Beach State (Nov. 21) and Buffalo (Dec. 22). I also like the fact that we start the season in a tournament format against some really good competition (UAB, Samford and Kent State). Our entire schedule will help us prepare for Horizon League play, which is going to be very strong and competitive again this year.”

Green Bay opens its new campaign at the Hispanic College Fund Classic at Kent State, a tournament that features three postseason teams from a year ago. The Phoenix, coming off a College Basketball Invitational appearance last year, squares off against a UAB team in the season opener (Nov. 13) that qualified for the 2009 National Invitation Tournament. Green Bay then faces Samford Nov. 14, followed by a meeting the next day with host school Kent State, which played in the CollegeInsider.com Post Season Tournament a year ago.

Following the road tourney, the Phoenix returns home for seven of its next 10 contests. Green Bay's home opener is scheduled for Nov. 18 against Northern Michigan, followed by a meeting with Long Beach State at the Resch Center Nov. 21.

The Phoenix travels to North Dakota for a pair of games in the Flickertail State. Green Bay will play North Dakota State on Nov. 27, followed by North Dakota Nov. 29 before beginning a three-game home stand.

Green Bay opens the conference slate with back-to-back home games against the Chicago schools of the Horizon League – Loyola on Dec. 3 and UIC on Dec. 5. Wrapping up the home stand is the meeting with Wisconsin Dec. 9.

On Dec. 13, the Phoenix travels to Oakland, Mich., to take on the Grizzlies for the fourth consecutive season. Green Bay then returns to the Resch Center to face Youngstown State (Dec. 19) and a Buffalo squad that played in the CBI last season (Dec. 22). 

Next on the schedule for the Phoenix is a four-game road trip. Green Bay first plays at Butler – the Horizon League regular season champions from a year ago – on New Year's Eve, then starts 2010 at Valparaiso (Jan. 2). The Phoenix continues the road trip at Houston Baptist Jan. 5 and at Milwaukee Jan. 9.

Following the long road swing, Green Bay is back on its home court Jan. 14 to take on Wright State, followed by another home meeting with Detroit Jan. 16. The Phoenix continues its Horizon League schedule by traveling to Cleveland State (Jan. 22) and Youngstown State (Jan. 24), then returns home for big matchups against Butler (Jan. 29), Valparaiso (Jan. 31) and Milwaukee (Feb. 2).

After the three-game home stand, Green Bay travels to Detroit (Feb. 11) and Wright State (Feb. 13) before hosting Cleveland State (Feb. 16), a team that won the Horizon League Tournament and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament at the end of last season.

The Phoenix is scheduled for a break in Horizon League competition on Feb. 20 when it hosts an ESPNU BracketBusters game against an opponent that is yet to be determined. It will mark the seventh straight year Green Bay competes in the BracketBusters event, and will be its fifth home game. Last season, the Phoenix defeated Long Beach State 86-75 on the road. After the BracketBusters contest, Green Bay wraps up the league slate and the regular season in Chicago, facing UIC on Feb. 25 and Loyola on Feb. 27.

The 2010 Horizon League Tournament begins March 2 with opening round action, while quarterfinal and semifinal rounds are scheduled for March 6-7. The championship game is set for March 9 at the site of the highest remaining seed in a game televised nationally by ESPN, with the winner earning an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.

In addition to Green Bay's 14 regular season home games, the Phoenix will also host a pair of exhibition contests, one against Minnesota-Duluth on Halloween and the other Nov. 7 against St. Norbert.

For ticket information, call (920) 465-2625.

--www.GreenBayPhoenix.com--

 

2009-10 Green Bay Basketball Schedule

Sat., Oct. 31      Minnesota Duluth (Exh.)

Sat., Nov. 7         St. Norbert (Exh.)

Fri., Nov. 13        vs. UAB#

Sat., Nov. 14       vs. Samford#

Sun., Nov. 15     at Kent State#

Wed., Nov. 18   Northern Michigan

Sat., Nov. 21       Long Beach State

Fri., Nov. 27        at North Dakota State

Sun., Nov. 29     at North Dakota

Thu., Dec. 3        Loyola*

Sat., Dec. 5          UIC*

Wed., Dec. 9      Wisconsin

Sun., Dec. 13      at Oakland

Sat., Dec. 19       Youngstown State*

Tue., Dec. 22      Buffalo

Thu., Dec. 31      at Butler*

Sat., Jan. 2           at Valparaiso*

Tue., Jan. 5         at Houston Baptist

Sat., Jan. 9           at Milwaukee*

Thu., Jan. 14       Wright State*

Sat., Jan. 16        Detroit*

Fri., Jan. 22          at Cleveland State*

Sun., Jan. 24       at Youngstown State*

Fri., Jan. 29          Butler*

Sun., Jan. 31       Valparaiso*

Sat., Feb. 6          Milwaukee*

Thu., Feb. 11      at Detroit*

Sat., Feb. 13       at Wright State*

Tue., Feb. 16      Cleveland State*

Sat., Feb. 20       ESPNU BracketBusters

Thu., Feb. 25      at UIC*

Sat., Feb. 27       at Loyola*

Tue., Mar. 2        Horizon League Opening Round

Fri., Mar. 5          Horizon League Quarterfinals

Sat., Mar. 6         Horizon League Semifinals

Tue., Mar. 9        Horizon League Championship