In a stunning turn of events, the Green Bay Phoenix men’s basketball team suffered a shocking 72-70 home loss to Division II Michigan Tech on Wednesday night. The defeat comes just one week after controversial first-year head coach Doug Gottlieb made headlines for referring to potential weaker opponents as “Nobody U” when discussing his scheduling philosophy.
Gottlieb’s “Nobody U” Comment Comes Back to Haunt Green Bay
Last week, following a loss to Milwaukee, Doug Gottlieb raised eyebrows with his dismissive attitude towards scheduling lower-tier opponents:
“Part of the reason I want to play better teams is like, it’s 2 degrees outside, it’s snowing. I don’t really like the idea of Nobody U coming in here. What do we learn playing a game where we win by 20?”
– Doug Gottlieb
Those words proved prophetic, but not in the way Gottlieb intended. Instead of avoiding a meaningless blowout win, his Phoenix squad ended up on the wrong side of a monumental upset against a Division II foe.
Michigan Tech Stuns Green Bay with Second Half Comeback
Green Bay looked to be in control early, taking a double-digit lead into halftime. They extended the margin to as much as 13 in the second half before the Huskies mounted a furious rally. Michigan Tech took its first lead with under 8 minutes to play and never relinquished it.
The Huskies held a slim 70-68 advantage in the final minute when guard Marcus Tomashek drilled a clutch three-pointer to seal the upset. It was a fitting end to a game that will live in infamy for the Green Bay program.
Green Bay’s Nightmare Start Continues Under Gottlieb
The humiliating loss to Michigan Tech drops the Phoenix to a dismal 2-11 on the season, including an 0-3 start in Horizon League play. It also extends their overall losing streak to 8 games.
Hired in May despite no prior college coaching experience, Doug Gottlieb has endured a baptism by fire in his debut campaign. His team has been largely uncompetitive, with their last 3 Division I losses coming by an average margin of 20 points.
Gottlieb Defiant After Embarrassing Loss
In his post-game comments, Gottlieb acknowledged that his off-court persona and activity, including a recent Twitter spat with ESPN’s Adam Schefter, tends to draw outsized attention.
“Whatever I do is gonna draw a ton of attention. I have a certain tone sometimes to the way I speak and especially to the way I tweet, which can upset people. I promise you, even though it’s in the negative now, it’ll be in the positive soon.”
– Doug Gottlieb
Gottlieb went on to passionately defend his commitment to the job and program:
“I’m as dedicated to this job as any human being has ever been. And I’m going to see it through until we win a Horizon League championship. This is my dream job and I will not fall short of the 100% effort that’s required.”
– Doug Gottlieb
Only time will tell if Gottlieb can back up his bold words and turn things around in Green Bay. For now, the “Nobody U” debacle serves as the defining lowlight of a season already on the brink.
Key Takeaways from Green Bay’s Shocking Loss
- Division II Michigan Tech upset Division I Green Bay 72-70
- Comes one week after head coach Doug Gottlieb’s controversial “Nobody U” comments about scheduling
- Green Bay falls to 2-11 in Gottlieb’s first season, including 8-game losing streak
- Defiant Gottlieb vows to turn program around and win Horizon League title
As Green Bay looks to regroup, their challenging schedule offers no respite. The Phoenix travel to face undefeated Drake this weekend in what could be another harsh reality check. For Doug Gottlieb, the pressure is on to start backing up his bold rhetoric with on-court results.
