It's been so long since the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men's basketball team has pulled off the Chicago sweep ? winning at both Illinois-Chicago and Loyola in the same season ? that no one currently associated with the team could remember exactly when it last happened.
That's because none of them ? players or coaches ? were around when it did.
It's been more than 11 years since the Phoenix won road games at the UIC Pavilion and Loyola's Gentile Center in the same season.
"Really, more than a decade?" junior guard Rahmon Fletcher said. "Wow. It's time. We've got to get that done."
That quest begins tonight against a UIC team that is 7-20 overall and 2-14 in the Horizon League. If ever there was a season the Chicago sweep should be expected, it's this one. UIC is tied for last place, while Loyola, where the Phoenix plays on Saturday, is in eighth place. To start league play, UWGB beat Loyola by 21 and UIC by 26 back in December.
However, strange things seem to happen to the Phoenix (19-10, 10-6) in the Windy City. Last season, it had little trouble winning at UIC, which was the better of the two Chicago teams, but then stumbled two nights later at Loyola thanks to a woeful shooting performance. Troy Cotton had a good look at a 3-pointer at the buzzer that rimmed out, and UWGB fell 62-60.
"That's something that's been in the back of my mind for a year now," Cotton said. "So when we go down there, we have to make sure we're not even in that position where we have to win the game at the end."
The Phoenix hasn't been swept in Chicago since 2002-03, coach Tod Kowalczyk's first season. It has managed a split the last six seasons. Four times in the past six years, UWGB has won the first leg of the Chicago trip but couldn't pull off the sweep. The last time it did was Jan. 16 and Jan. 18, 1999, when a team coached by Mike Heideman won 59-50 at UIC and 68-55 at Loyola.
There's nothing particularly difficult about the trip. It's only about a 3?-hour bus ride, the team stays at the same hotel the entire weekend and neither arena brings in overly hostile or large crowds. And the last few years, neither team has been particularly good. Not since the 2002-03 season have both UIC and Loyola finished with winning conference records in the same year."You know, it's tough to get two road wins in a row in this league," UWGB senior Cordero Barkley said. "I know we seem to have a hard time at Loyola, but we've got to come out ready to play and get both of them. That was one of the games last year that hurt when it came down to the end of the season, so we're definitely looking to go down and try to get two. We've got to take care of business."
UWGB has been solid on the road this season, going 7-5 overall in true road games. On every two-game conference trip this season, it has split. It lost its only single-game trip at UW-Milwaukee. Other than unbeaten Butler (8-0 in road league games heading into Friday's regular-season finale at Valparaiso), UWGB and Wright State are the only other Horizon League teams that have a chance to finish with winning road conference marks. Both are 3-4 with a pair of road games this week to finish. Valpo (4-5) is the only other team with more than three road league wins.
"Anytime you go on the road in our league, it's always a challenge," Kowalczyk said. "But I think this year's team has been pretty consistent on the road. I think we've played better on the road, at times, than we have at home."
Two victories this week will be a must for the third-place Phoenix to have a chance at the coveted No. 2 seed ? and the double bye into the semifinals ? in the Horizon League Tournament. UWGB needs to win both games, while second-place Wright State needs to lose both (at Youngstown State tonight and at Cleveland State on Saturday) for the Phoenix to overtake the Raiders. UWGB would lose the tiebreaker with Wright State because the Phoenix split with Valpo, which was swept by Wright State. Wright State also could sweep Cleveland State, which split with the Phoenix.
"I'm not going to look at that; I'm not going to talk about that," Kowalczyk said. "I just want to win these two games."
That's because none of them ? players or coaches ? were around when it did.
It's been more than 11 years since the Phoenix won road games at the UIC Pavilion and Loyola's Gentile Center in the same season.
"Really, more than a decade?" junior guard Rahmon Fletcher said. "Wow. It's time. We've got to get that done."
That quest begins tonight against a UIC team that is 7-20 overall and 2-14 in the Horizon League. If ever there was a season the Chicago sweep should be expected, it's this one. UIC is tied for last place, while Loyola, where the Phoenix plays on Saturday, is in eighth place. To start league play, UWGB beat Loyola by 21 and UIC by 26 back in December.
However, strange things seem to happen to the Phoenix (19-10, 10-6) in the Windy City. Last season, it had little trouble winning at UIC, which was the better of the two Chicago teams, but then stumbled two nights later at Loyola thanks to a woeful shooting performance. Troy Cotton had a good look at a 3-pointer at the buzzer that rimmed out, and UWGB fell 62-60.
"That's something that's been in the back of my mind for a year now," Cotton said. "So when we go down there, we have to make sure we're not even in that position where we have to win the game at the end."
The Phoenix hasn't been swept in Chicago since 2002-03, coach Tod Kowalczyk's first season. It has managed a split the last six seasons. Four times in the past six years, UWGB has won the first leg of the Chicago trip but couldn't pull off the sweep. The last time it did was Jan. 16 and Jan. 18, 1999, when a team coached by Mike Heideman won 59-50 at UIC and 68-55 at Loyola.
There's nothing particularly difficult about the trip. It's only about a 3?-hour bus ride, the team stays at the same hotel the entire weekend and neither arena brings in overly hostile or large crowds. And the last few years, neither team has been particularly good. Not since the 2002-03 season have both UIC and Loyola finished with winning conference records in the same year."You know, it's tough to get two road wins in a row in this league," UWGB senior Cordero Barkley said. "I know we seem to have a hard time at Loyola, but we've got to come out ready to play and get both of them. That was one of the games last year that hurt when it came down to the end of the season, so we're definitely looking to go down and try to get two. We've got to take care of business."
UWGB has been solid on the road this season, going 7-5 overall in true road games. On every two-game conference trip this season, it has split. It lost its only single-game trip at UW-Milwaukee. Other than unbeaten Butler (8-0 in road league games heading into Friday's regular-season finale at Valparaiso), UWGB and Wright State are the only other Horizon League teams that have a chance to finish with winning road conference marks. Both are 3-4 with a pair of road games this week to finish. Valpo (4-5) is the only other team with more than three road league wins.
"Anytime you go on the road in our league, it's always a challenge," Kowalczyk said. "But I think this year's team has been pretty consistent on the road. I think we've played better on the road, at times, than we have at home."
Two victories this week will be a must for the third-place Phoenix to have a chance at the coveted No. 2 seed ? and the double bye into the semifinals ? in the Horizon League Tournament. UWGB needs to win both games, while second-place Wright State needs to lose both (at Youngstown State tonight and at Cleveland State on Saturday) for the Phoenix to overtake the Raiders. UWGB would lose the tiebreaker with Wright State because the Phoenix split with Valpo, which was swept by Wright State. Wright State also could sweep Cleveland State, which split with the Phoenix.
"I'm not going to look at that; I'm not going to talk about that," Kowalczyk said. "I just want to win these two games."
