'You don't overreact, you don't underreact, you just prepare': New coach Sundance Wicks ready as UWGB men tip off

GREEN BAY – The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men’s basketball team already knew the glaring issues to fix before watching film of its 65-63 exhibition win against St. Norbert College last Monday.

UWGB made former NBA great Shaquille O’Neal look like a hall of fame free throw shooter with its performance at the line. It also missed a few too many makeable shots near or in the paint, close to 15 by the count of first-year coach Sundance Wicks.

It would have been easy for the often energetic and colorful Wicks to approach his team in an intense fashion about the shortcomings.

His reaction instead was the exact opposite, and it didn’t surprise Noah Reynolds.

The junior guard spent the last two seasons at the University of Wyoming, where Wicks was an assistant coach before being hired by UWGB in March.

Reynolds transferred during the offseason, and after first committing to the University of Wisconsin, he reopened his commitment a short time later and reunited with Wicks in Green Bay.

“Games like St. Norbert are the games that remind me of why I’m here and why I chose Sundance,” said Reynolds, who instantly became one of the best transfers in program history when he signed with the Phoenix in April. “I feel like it could have been easy for him to come at us in a certain type of way after the way we played. We basically broke down the film and said we are not going to be negative. We are not going to be overly positive. We are going to be our own worst critic and sit back and evaluate and understand what we need to get better at moving onto the next game, understanding that every game is a challenge, every possession is a challenge, every day is a challenge.

“That’s what I love about him. I’m just so glad God gave me the ultimate wisdom to rock with my guy.”

UWGB will be tested in opener against Iowa State

The Phoenix was picked to finish last in the 11-team Horizon League in the preseason poll, which isn’t much of a surprise considering it was one of the worst teams in the nation in 2022-23.

Still, it’s difficult to make any meaningful predictions considering the massive turnover in the offseason.

The entire coaching staff is new. Only three players are back from the Will Ryan era, and just two who played any minutes in senior guard Ryan Wade and junior forward Clarence Cummings III.

But even if the Phoenix prove to be far more talented than the last couple of years, it could still take a while to see it translate to wins as the new faces develop the type of chemistry that only comes when playing games together.

Or, as Wicks put it, the Phoenix must find out what happens when its players get punched in the mouth a little bit.

UWGB won’t have the chance for a soft landing when it opens the season at Iowa State at 7 p.m. Monday.

The Cyclones generally are considered in the middle of the pack in a Big 12 league highlighted by a national championship contender in Kansas.

Iowa State is an inexperienced group, but UWGB will face the same type of stifling defense it did against St. Norbert while it attempts to establish its identity early in the season.

“Being in college a little bit, I know things like that take some time,” said Reynolds, who averaged 14.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season. “But, you know, I’m just really excited because we have got the group, the patience, the poise. We have the leadership to where as long as it might take, we have got really strong pillars to stand on.

“I’m here for however long it takes. I’m excited for that process.”

UWGB won’t be at full strength for the opener

Phoenix sophomore guard and former Oshkosh Lourdes standout Preston Ruedinger still was in a walking boot and on a scooter during practice Thursday while tending to an ankle injury, senior forward Will Eames injured an ankle against SNC and Cummings is dealing with a non-injury situation.

All three won’t play at Iowa State.

The good news for the Phoenix is senior forward Rich Byhre (upper body injury) is back after not suiting up against the Green Knights.

Wicks understands his team isn’t close to a finished product, but it’s about seeing progress with the players he does have on the floor.

“You don’t overreact, you don’t underreact, you just prepare,” he said. “You don’t sit there and if something crazy happens the first night and you beat Iowa State, you don’t sit there and go, ‘This is going to be an awesome year.’ Or if something crazy happens on the first night and you lose to Iowa State, ‘It’s going to be a terrible year.’

“You try to keep that even keel about yourself and understand you always have to go back to the tape and take the emotion out of the evaluation and see if you are progressing in the way you think you should be progressing.”

To redshirt or not

Wicks said Thursday there had been no official decisions on players redshirting this season and nothing likely would be decided until closer to opening night.

Freshman forward Amari Jedkins was the only Phoenix player to redshirt last season.

Among the true freshmen on the team this season are guards David Douglas Jr., Mac Wrecke, Matt Blanton and Garret Dutro, forward Marcus Hall and center Jacob Antchak.

There are at least some in that group, including Hall, who have little to no chance of sitting out.

The former D.C. Everest star and Mr. Basketball finalist appears to have a path to a role as a rookie.

“A lot of it is on the kid, it’s their choice, it’s their decision, it’s their career,” Wicks said. “Whether we try to paint a good picture for them, where they are at, where they stand, it’s full transparency and we go from there.

“Ultimately, I could have one view and they could have another view, but I am going to go with what they want to do. They are in charge of their career, and I respect the heck out of that.”

UWGB women's basketball: 'I think we've got a very competitive squad': Breaking down the 2023-24 roster

UWGB still paying off Will Ryan's contract

Although it’s a fresh start for the program, UWGB still is on the hook for the final three years of Ryan’s contract after the school fired him in January.

Ryan signed a six-year contract when he was hired in June 2020 that paid him a base salary of $175,000 per season.

The school is paying Ryan through the UWGB Foundation, which was set up several years ago.

Of note, no new fundraising dollars from when Wicks was hired is going to anything in the past. All new money is going to the direct elevation of the men’s basketball program, including UWGB Alston bonus money, coaching support, nutrition and facility updates.

UWGB was the first Horizon League school to give Alston academic bonus money to basketball commits. Alston bonus money stems from the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling granting schools the right to provide athletes additional financial support for academic achievements, up to a maximum of $5,980 per year.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Sundance Wicks era arrives for the UWGB men's basketball team