Despite not taking over the program until last June, the Green Bay Phoenix coaching staff was still able to land one of the most highly regarding recruiting classes in recent memory for the 2021 class.

The coaching staff has also been keeping an eye on 2022 prospects and on Thursday extended the program’s first scholarship offer for that class to Donavan Short, a 6’10” forward from nearby Denmark, Wisconsin.

“I am excited and grateful to receive an offer from head coach Will Ryan and UW-Green Bay,” Short announced via Twitter.

A highly regarded prospect, Short is a 3-star recruit according to 247 Sports and ranks as the 6^th best prospect in the state according to Mark Miller’s class of 2022 player rankings on WisSports.net. So far he holds scholarship offers from Virginia Tech, USC, Toledo, and UW-Milwaukee.

“The first thing you notice about Donavan Short is that he isn’t, well, short,” Miller wrote last month. “A sturdy 6-foot-10 hybrid forward, Short stands out because he is taller than anybody else on the court, a desirable trait when it comes to playing basketball.”

“He is a prototypical stretch four man for today’s basketball world. He can score in the post with his size, but he can also step outside and make perimeter shots.”

He averaged 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last season as a sophomore at Denmark High School and is putting up even better numbers this season as a junior scoring 24.5 points and grabbing 9.7 rebounds per game according to WisSports.net.

He has scored 40 or more points in a game twice so far this season and has made 18 three pointers so far, shooting 35% from beyond the arc including a whopping 7 for 13 performance against Luxemburg-Casco back on December 8^th.

Short’s offensive versatility and the ability to play both inside and out would be a perfect fit for Will Ryan’s swing offense where big men often end up with open looks out on the perimeter.

“I like to say I’m a stretch big and I’m working on evolving to a point forward,” Short recently told StockRiser.com. “I can play on the perimeter, and I can bang it down low. I can guard the 3-5 spots and I’m very versatile when it comes to passing, shooting, dribbling, and post moves.”

Short would add frontcourt depth to potentially pair with current 6’8” freshman Terrance Thompson or incoming 6’8” 2021 prospect Cade Meyer. He would also provide some much needed help in the rebounding department as well as defensive rim protection.

Green Bay’s new coaching staff has had early success recruiting the state of Wisconsin landing three of the state’s top ten 2021 prospects. Short would be another large feather in the cap for the staff and a program looking to rebuild back its past recent successes.  

It remains to be seen how many scholarships will be available for the 2022 class, especially with the NCAA granting an extra season of eligibility to all players for this season. Another potential complicating factor is that the NCAA is expected to pass legislation allowing players who transfer to be immediately eligible instead of sitting out a season first as is the case now, potentially setting up an offseason free agency-style frenzy with players transferring out and new players coming in.