GREEN BAY, Wis. – As Northern Kentucky continues a five-game road swing, it has a chance to complete a regular-season sweep of Green Bay at 8 p.m. Friday at the Kress Center. The Norse defeated the Phoenix 79-74 at BB&T Arena on Dec. 30. NKU enters the Horizon League rematch with eight wins in its last 10 games. Green Bay has lost six straight.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky Norse (13-10, 9-5 Horizon League)
Green Bay Phoenix (4-19, 3-11 Horizon League)
Friday, Feb. 11 | 8 p.m. (ET)
Green Bay, Wis. | Kress Center (4,018)
TV: ESPN+
Radio: FOXSports1360
Stats: Live Stats
Digital Program: NKU Men's Basketball Weekly – Week 13
 
Fast Break Points
• NKU has waged an impressive start in 2022. After going 6-7 in November and December, the team has posted an 8-2 record thus far in January and February.
 
• NKU has shown multiple trends in its 13 wins this season. In those games, the team has held opponents to 61.3 points per game while out-rebounding them by 13.7 boards. The victories have been characterized by 9.5 steals, 45.2% shooting and 9.5 made 3-pointers.
 
• NKU has been an offensive rebounding juggernaut under Darrin Horn. The Norse were 117th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage (29.7) in 2019-20, Horn's first season at the helm. NKU ascended to No. 15 (34.9%) in 2020-21. Now, 23 games into 2021-22, the Norse rank ninth (36.6%) per KenPom.com. The payoff for attacking the offensive glass: NKU's 301 second-chance points this season. That's an average of 13.1 points a game.
 
• In the national statistical rankings, NKU is 11th in offensive rebounds per game (13.5), 12th in steals per game (9.4), 12th in total steals (217) and 31st in made threes per game (9.3).
 
• According to KenPom, NKU ranks ninth in offensive rebounding percentage (36.6%) and 13th in defensive steal percentage (13.2%).
 
• NKU was picked to finish third in a tightly contested #HLMBB preseason poll.
 
• NKU is riding a streak of five straight seasons with a winning percentage, beginning with the 2016-17 team. NKU has won the Horizon League regular season twice (2018, 2019) and league tourney three times (2017, 2019, 2020). The Norse have qualified for either the NCAA Tournament (2017, 2019, 2020) or NIT (2018) every year except 2021.
 
• G Marques Warrick, the reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year, leads NKU in scoring (14.4 ppg). He has averaged 16 points in NKU's last six games.
 
• G Trevon Faulkner, a Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team selection, contributes a team-second 13 points. He has made at least one 3-pointer in 19 of his 22 games this season.
 
• G Sam Vinson has been named Nike Horizon League Men's Freshman of the Week six times. He ranks 16th nationally in total steals (51) and 20th in steals per game (2.2).
 
• F Adrian Nelson, a Horizon League All-Academic honoree, has 669 career rebounds. He ranks seventh all-time in Norse rebounding and is 17 away from tying No. 6 Tony Faehr with 686.
 
• F Chris Brandon recorded his second Norse double-double Feb. 9 at Milwaukee (17 pts, 11 reb). His 3.3 offensive rebounds per game rank first in the Horizon League and  21st nationally.
 
• G Bryson Langdon tied a career high with nine assists at Milwaukee. His assist-to-turnover ratio (2.38) ranks second in the Horizon League and 41st nationally.
 
Last Time Out
Fueled by a 19-3 first-half run, Northern Kentucky routed Milwaukee 75-39 Wednesday at UWM Panther Arena. Chris Brandon led NKU with second double-double in the last three games (17 points, 11 rebounds). The Norse surged ahead by as many as 36 points and avenged a Jan. 1 home loss to the Panthers. Marques Warrick scored 15 points while Sam Vinson added 13 points and a career-high-tying eight rebounds. Bryson Langdon tied a career high with nine assists. NKU held Milwaukee to 25% second-half shooting and outscored them 45-17 after halftime.
 
Scouting Green Bay
Green Bay enters the NKU game on a six-game skid and has won only four games this season. Three were in the Horizon League (Robert Morris, IUPUI, Detroit Mercy). The Phoenix rank No. 336 among 358 Division I teams by KenPom.com and are 354th in 3-point percentage (27.2%). They've shot a lower percentage (25%) from the perimeter in their 19 losses. Kamari McGee scored a career-high 24 points Wednesday in a showdown with Wright State but it wasn't enough to stave off a 79-62 loss. The Phoenix surrendered 20 points off turnovers.
 
Series Stuff
NKU leads the series 9-5. The Norse defeated Green Bay 79-74 in their first meeting this season, Dec. 30 at BB&T Arena. NKU fell on the wrong side of a 20-9 run and trailed at halftime but waged a second-half comeback for the win. Marques Warrick led four Norse double-figure scorers with 20 points, including 12 in the second half.