GREEN BAY, Wis. – Former Green Bay All-American and Phoenix Hall of Fame member Jeff Nordgaard had his No. 33 retired at Saturday’s men’s basketball game, joining Tony Bennett as one of only two players who have received this honor.

Nordgaard, who played for the Phoenix from 1992-96, ranks fourth on GB’s all-time career scoring list with 1,911 points. He also ranks second in field goals made (773), sixth in scoring average (15.9 PPG), seventh in rebounds (701) and eighth in free throws made (352). The Dawson native was named Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Year in 1995-96, and was an Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention.

“Having one’s jersey retired is the ultimate sign of the success of one’s team. Great players don’t get their jerseys retired – leaders from great TEAMS do,” said Nordgaard. “I am fortunate to have been a part of the two best teams in UWGB history, with teammates and coaches that helped elevate my level and create the memories from that era which can never be replaced.”

His efforts in the 1995-96 season, when he averaged over 22 points per game, led GB to a perfect 16-0 regular season conference record and a 25-4 record overall. That stands as the only undefeated conference season in program history, while the 25 wins are the most in the program’s Division I era. He played in the NCAA Tournament in three of his four seasons at GB, and was also inducted as a team member of the 1993-94 team which famously upset a Jason Kidd led California team in the First Round.

“I am thankful that I had such wonderful, unselfish teammates. The coaches talked about the importance of roles within our team. Without the unselfishness of guys like Jeremy Ludvigson and Eric LeDuc setting screens, and Gary Grzesk locking guys up on defense, and John Martinez and Eric Jackson creating easy shots for us, guys like Logan Vandervelden, Chris Westlake, Ben Berlowski and I would not have had the opportunity to have the success in our roles as scorers,” said Nordgaard.

“That all came from the leadership of THE icon of Green Bay Basketball – Coach Bennett. I am fortunate to have played for him and he had a large role in the success that I had as a player as well as, obviously, the success of our teams. I also want to give huge credit to Coach Heideman and Coach Wilson, who both recently passed away. The career that I/we had would not have been what it was without them.”

He was one of only five former Phoenix standouts to be selected in the NBA Draft, hearing his name called by the Milwaukee Bucks in ’96 Draft as the 53rd overall pick in the Second Round. Nordgaard (1996) is joined by Tom Anderson (1978), Ron Ripley (1979), Tony Bennett (1992) and Alec Brown (2014) as the program’s NBA draftees.

Nordgaard enjoyed a successful professional career overseas following his collegiate career, with stops in France, Spain, Italy, Poland and Greece.

“I am excited to be able to share the event with my family and friends. The timing of the jersey retirement allows me to share this with not just my parents and the UWGB family that I had in the few years after I graduated, but now I get to share it with my amazing wife, Alexis (Butler WBB player ’97), and my two boys – Dawson (15) and Langdon (13) – as well as the kids I coach in West De Pere and the close friends we have made since being back in the GB area,” said Nordgaard.

Current redshirt-junior and West De Pere native Cody Schwartz will be the final GB player to wear the No. 33, and Nordgaard is quite alright with that.

“It is also cool to see that No. 33 out on the court, being worn by a West De Pere grad in Cody Schwartz,” said Nordgaard. “I really wish this group the best as we continue to strive for excellence and get GB back to a spot where we are consistently battling for conference championships and NCAA tourney berths. As that is how mid-majors are ultimately judged.”

Nordgaard was honored at halftime, with his former players and coaches in attendance. Saturday’s game also served as the program’s annual Alumni Game, welcoming back past players from the program’s proud history. His No. 33 was unveiled alongside Tony Bennett’s No. 25 that currently hangs in the Resch Center rafters.

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