Wardle, Phoenix men in Top 10 in strength of schedule


Congratulations to Coach Brian Wardle and the Phoenix men’s basketball team. Green Bay beat Michigan Tech 69-61 Tuesday night at the Resch Center, yes, but they deserve as much or more credit for some of the ones they lost. Through games played through last weekend, the Phoenix had played the seventh-toughest schedule in all of Division I basketball, according to RealTimeRPI.com. The 5-6 record after the bulk of the non-conference schedule isn’t gaudy, but Wardle expects the preparation vs. tough competition will pay dividends in Horizon League play. (The ambitious schedule also means more attractive home games for ticketholders in future seasons.) UW-Green Bay has played six Top 100 teams thus far, winning at home vs. Wyoming (73 in RPI) and losing road games at Marquette (5), Wisconsin (15), Indiana State (32), Virginia (51) and North Dakota State (97).