NCAA Transfer Portal opens: Who’s in and who’s out for Green Bay men’s basketball?
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – The college basketball world has been flipped upside down in recent years due to the popularity of the transfer portal. Here’s what we know about the Green Bay men’s program as the season has reached its finish line.
This year’s transfer portal officially opened up on Monday, March 18, and will remain open for the next 45 days before closing on May 1.
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As the Green Bay men’s basketball program enters the offseason after an abrupt end to its first-year turnaround under Sundance Wicks, here’s what Local 5 knows as of Monday, March 18.
Players Entering the Transfer Portal:
Elijah Jones (Reported by PDT Scouting)
Clarence Cummings III (Reported by Verbal Commits)
Rich Byhre (Local 5 Sports)
THOUGHTS & ANALYSIS: The first domino to fall was junior Elijah Jones, who has one year of playing eligibility remaining. Jones was a part of the group of players that Sundance Wicks recruited after accepting the job at Green Bay. The forward played in 31 games for the Phoenix and started 29. Jones averaged 8.1 points per contest last season and was a key contributor during his first season at Green Bay.
According to Verbal Commits on X, Clarence Cummings III is putting his name in the portal after two seasons with the Phoenix. The redshirt junior was one of the very few players that stuck around after the program’s worst season in ’22-’23. Now, this is the second time in as many years that Cummings has tested the transfer portal. When former Green Bay head coach Will Ryan was dismissed, Cummings chose to see what kind of opportunities were out there for him, but ultimately came back to Green Bay after talking to Wicks for nearly two hours about life and basketball, which ultimately was the deciding factor.
Rich Byhre tells Local 5’s Kyle Malzhan that he has decided to enter the transfer portal after meeting with Wicks on Wednesday, March 19. Byhre averaged 5.8 points per contest this past season in his one year at Green Bay & is testing the portal for his his final year of playing eligibility.
Players Planning to Stay at Green Bay for the 2024-25 Season:
David Douglas Jr.
Foster Wonders
Preston Ruedinger
Marcus Hall
Mac Wrecke
Matt Blanton
Per Local 5 Sports
THOUGHTS & ANALYSIS: Continuity is always a plus, considering there’s a lot of promise with the core group at Green Bay entering year two under Wicks and building off an 18-14 season.
One key player that plans to stay is David Douglas Jr. DJ was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Year and was on the conference’s All-Freshman team. It took a little bit for Douglas to get going, but once he started to adjust to Division I basketball, it was a boost Green Bay needed to keep their offense going in certain games. Douglas started 16 contests for the Phoenix this year and averaged just over eight points per game, but also tallied three 20-point or more performances. There’s a lot to like in Douglas’ game, and that jump in year two could be exponential.
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It’s no secret Foster Wonders had the ability to change a game from long range, considering he knocked down a game-winner on the road late in the season to beat Youngstown State, with the odds against Green Bay. Wonders started just two games for the Phoenix but appeared in 30 while averaging 7.8 points per contest and shooting 38.6% from three-point range.
Preston Ruedinger continued to provide Green Bay with another option to get to the hoop and put points on the board. Ruedinger plays with a fire and edge considering this is the spot he wanted to be in all along after graduating from Lourdes Academy in 2021. It’s no shock that the redshirt sophomore plans to stay in his home state.
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Marcus Hall is an interesting player to watch heading into year two. He earned a spot on the Horizon League All-Freshman team this past season and should continue to fill the state sheet in his sophomore year.
Freshmen Mac Wrecke and Matt Blanton didn’t see any playing time for the Phoenix, but both plan to return to Green Bay for the 2024-25 season.
Players that Have Yet to Comment:
Noah Reynolds
Jacob Antshak
Amari Jedkins
Garrett Dutro
THOUGHTS & ANALYSIS: The biggest name of them all is Noah Reynolds. The Horizon League Newcomer of the Year made a splash with the Phoenix all season long, and was a big reason why Green Bay posted the results they did in year one with this new regime. His importance to the team was especially clear when he missed four straight games at the end of the regular season due to an ankle sprain, resulting in a 1-3 Phoenix record during that stretch. Reynolds returned in two weeks from the injury, just in time for Green Bay’s Horizon League Tournament quarterfinal game, and scored a team-high 27 points in a loss to Milwaukee.
Getting Noah Reynolds back for the 2024/25 season is going to be a key part of Green Bay’s success moving forward, and played a large role in the winning culture they established this past season.
The Phoenix will welcome in Arrowhead High School senior Bennett Basich for the 2024-25 season. Basich has appeared in the WIAA State Basketball Tournament two years in a row and scored over 1,500 points throughout his high school career (averaging 15.2 per contest).
This article will be updated with any new information in the coming days and weeks while the transfer portal is still open.
NOTE: Just because a player tests the waters and puts their name in the transfer portal doesn’t mean a return to their former team is out of the picture.
