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Horizon League releases men’s preseason rankings

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Two-time defending Horizon League men’s basketball champion Wright State has been picked to win the regular season title for a third straight year.  Youngstown State and Northern Kentucky were picked to finish second and third in the preseason poll as voted on by head coaches, SIDs and media members.

Horizon League members Green Bay and Milwaukee were picked to finish 8th and 10th respectively.

After earning Horizon League Freshman of the Year honors and shattering the single-season record for all-time freshman of the week awards (10), Green Bay guard Amari Davis has landed himself a spot on the preseason All-League First Team.  The true sophomore earned an all-league third team nod after averaging 15.9 ppg and 4.0 rpg last season.

Wright State’s Loudon Love was picked Preseason Player of the Year.  Love and Amari Davis were joined on the first team by Detroit Mercy’s Antoine Davis, IUPUI’s Marcus Burk and Youngstown State’s Darius Quisenberry.

Milwaukee’s Te’Jon Lucas was named to the Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team.

Horizon League releases men’s and women’s 2020-21 schedule

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The Horizon League announced its 2020-21 men’s and women’s basketball conference schedules on Wednesday.  All teams are scheduled to play a 20-game league schedule.

Teams will play one League opponent twice each week with games taking place on consecutive days at the same location.  Schools will have five home weekends and five road weekends and will play 10 of 11 League opponents.

The HL Board of Directors is overseeing League-wide safety protocols focused on consistency and clarity for all League competition.  As part of these protocols, the Board of Directors determined that due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, all League games in the month of December will be played without fans.  The Board of Directors will reevaluate these changes at a later date.  Fan attendance policies for non-League games will be determined by each institution.

The men’s League schedule begins on Dec. 19 and will run for 10 consecutive weeks, while the women’s HL schedule will start on Dec. 12 and run for 10 weeks with no League games scheduled for Dec. 21-31.  Both schedules will conclude on Feb. 20. [Read more…]

Horizon League delays start of fall sports season

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The Horizon League Council decided on Thursday to delay the start of fall competition for all sports with the understanding that if competition occurs, it will not begin before October 1.

The league includes UW-Green Bay and UW-Milwaukee as two of its member institutions.

The decision allows each campus to further focus on ensuring return to competition protocols, uphold the Council’s principle of safety and can be reasonably implemented.  The delay in competition includes all exhibition, League and non-League contests in all sports (championship and non-championship).

Decisions related to training and practice will be left to members’ discretion.  Rescheduling of non-conference contests impacted by the postponed start of the fall seasons will be determined by each school.  The Horizon League’s Council will continue to monitor developments related to COVID-19, and will evaluate fall schedules and competitions with the understanding that there may be future changes.

 

Darner to receive a healthy settlement from Green Bay

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Linc Darner

Former UW-Green Bay men’s basketball coach Linc Darner will receive a healthy settlement after his departure from the program earlier this month.

According to a Green Bay Press Gazette story written by Scott Venci, Darner is guaranteed at least $720,000 as part of the settlement agreement he made with the school.

According to the report, Darner was paid $120,000 on May 21 and is set to receive $120,000 on the first business day in January.  He is also set to receive monthly payments of $20,000 from May 1, 2021, through April 1, 2023.

In addition, if Darner has not landed a head coaching or assistant job before that time, he will receive an additional $20,000 per month beginning May, 1, 2023, and going through April 1, 2024. [Read more…]

Darner leaving Green Bay men’s basketball (update)

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Linc Darner

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander confirmed today (Monday) that the University and men’s basketball coach Linc Darner have decided to part ways.

In a statement issued to the media this morning, no reason was given for Darner’s dismissal and the school is offering no further comment at this time.

Green Bay Athletics Director Charles Guthrie said a national search for a new head coach will begin immediately.

Darner was initially hired by former Athletic Director Mary Ellen Gillespie.  Gillespie put language in Darner’s contract which allowed for very sustainable extensions to be reached.  Darner could get a year added to his contract for finishing fourth or better in the Horizon League standings.  He also had built in protections that allowed for potential extensions in the event of changes in upper level leadership at the University. [Read more…]

UW-Green Bay fired men’s basketball coach Linc Darner

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Linc Darner

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is looking for a new head men’s basketball coach after firing Linc Darner over the weekend.

The Phoenix finished third in the Horizon League this past season and reached the semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament.  Green Bay is 92-80 in five seasons under Darner, making the NCAA tournament in his first season in 2016.

It’s unclear why Darner was fired or exactly when the decision was made, but it comes with six years left on his contract with a base salary of $230,000 per season.

If Green Bay has to pay Darner all six remaining years of the contract, the school would owe him more than a million dollars.  If he was actually fired because he violated NCAA rules, the school could get out [Read more…]

WIAC cancels spring sports season

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The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) announced on Monday that it is canceling the spring sports season, effective immediately, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

That includes the suspension of all sports-related practices.  All in-person athletic recruiting activities, on or off campus, are suspended indefinitely.  All in-person conference meetings are to be transitioned to telephone conference calls until further notice as well.

The Horizon League, which includes a pair of state schools, Green Bay and Milwaukee, is also canceling spring sports.

Green Bay women advance to Horizon League title game, men fall in semifinals

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Green Bay senior Frankie Wurtz scored on a drive to the basket with 3.1 seconds left to give the No. 2-seeded Phoenix a 50-49 win over No. 4 Northern Kentucky in the Horizon League Tournament semifinals.

The win sends Green Bay to its 10th-straight tournament championship game, where they will meet No. 1 seed IUPUI on Tuesday at 11 a.m. CT on ESPNU.

Northern Kentucky used an 11-0 run to their their first lead, then traded baskets with the Phoenix before Wurtz final shot heroics.

Green Bay held NKU to just 28.3% from the field and just 19.2% (5-of-26) from three-point range.  The Phoenix held the Norse to their fourth-lowest point total this season.

Green Bay will be going for its league-leading 17th Horizon League Tournament Championship victory on Tuesday and is now 63-10 all-time in the HL Tournament. [Read more…]

Green Bay & Milwaukee picked to finish down in Horizon League pack

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Wright State is the preseason favorite in the 2019-20 Horizon League men’s basketball championship.  A vote of the league’s coaches, media and sports information directors picked the Raiders ahead of second place Northern Kentucky.

Wright State captured 28 first-place votes.  Illinois-Chicago is third in the balloting.

The Green Bay Phoenix were picked to finish fifth and the Milwaukee Panthers ended up seventh in the voting.

Detroit’s Antoine Davis was tabbed as the Preseason Player of the Year.

 

Green Bay’s Cohen invited to Cleveland’s NBA Summer Camp

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Sandy Cohen III – Photo Courtesy of Green Bay Phoenix Athletics

Former Green Bay Phoenix guard Sandy Cohen III has been invited to the Cleveland Cavaliers mini-camp in preparation for NBA Summer League 2019.

Cohen will report to the Cavaliers on Thursday in Cleveland and then travel with the team to Salt Lake City, Utah for the Salt Lake City summer League.  The Cavs will play three games in Salt Lake, playing on July 1-3.  Cohen is then expected to head to Nevada with the Cavs for the Las Vegas Summer League July 5-15.

Cohen will be hoping to earn a roster spot with the Cavs for the start of training camp.

The Seymour, Wisconsin native set the Division I single season scoring record at Green Bay last season (666).  He earned First Team All-Horizon League honors and CIT All-Tournament team honors.  He was invited to participate in the Portsmouth Invitational and also took part in the 3X3U Tournament for the Horizon League at the NCAA Final Four.

Cohen averaged 17.5 points and 6.4 rebounds a game to lead the Phoenix.