With the NCAA Tournament now at the Sweet 16 and most teams’ seasons in the rear-view mirror, players from across the country are pondering their futures ahead of the transfer portal officially opening on April 7^th.

Hundreds of players have already announced their intent to enter the portal despite it not officially being open yet, including a pair of Green Bay players who played a significant role this past season – Caden Wilkins and CJ O’Hara.

Other players – including standout Marcus Hall, one of the heart and soul of the Phoenix program – are apparently considering hitting the portal as well.

Couple that with several players exhausting their eligibility – Preston Ruedinger, Justin Allen, Rob Stroud, and Dontrell Hewlett, though Hewlett would likely be an injury redshirt candidate – and it’s likely that the vast majority of the Phoenix roster will be newcomers again next season.

“That’s just the nature of the sport now,” head coach Doug Gottlieb said during a recent appearance on Palm Saturdays on 104.3 FM The Score in Chicago.  He estimated he’d have five to six players from the current roster back for next season. 

On Hall specifically, it seems his future hasn’t been decided yet but a return to Green Bay would likely be at a significant hometown discount. 

Gottlieb said the two spoke last week and it seems all parties are keenly aware of his value should he hit the open market.

“I can’t afford to pay him what he can make,” Gottlieb said. “So his decision is going to be, do I want to end up my career as one of the all-time greats at Green Bay? Or do I want to have a good career at Green Bay, everybody likes me, everybody respects me, but then I go and play my final season at a bigger school?  Where, probably a lesser role, but at 2, 3x, maybe even 4x what we can pay him.”

“We’re willing to do whatever we can to keep him. But there’s just a reality to what our budget looks like and how to form a successful team around him.”

Hall had the best season of his career this past season, starting all 30 games that he played in and averaged 13.9 points and a career-best 5.2 rebounds per game.  He also shot 47.1% from the floor and 40.6% from behind the arc, both career bests. 

A Wisconsin native and DC Everest High School graduate, Hall committed to Green Bay out of high school to then-head coach Will Ryan, played his freshman season for Sundance Wicks, and the past two seasons for Gottlieb.  He has been an integral part of two different Phoenix rebuilding projects. 

If he returns, he would be the first player since Kameron Hankerson from 2016-2020 to play all four seasons for the Phoenix.

Green Bay has momentum heading into the transfer portal for basically the first time in the portal era.  Still, at the mid-major level, it’s a tall ask even for foundational players like Hall – with several local connections and potential to be the face of the program next season – to turn down what could be life-changing money.

“I don’t know how you tell a kid, ‘Hey man, you know, we can pay a couple hundred thousand dollars, they can play a million dollars; turn down a million dollars that you’re never going to make playing basketball again to come back and play for old Green Bay,’ Gottlieb said.  “You have to be realistic as a mentor and father figure.”

So while Hall considers his future, how will the Phoenix try to fill the open roster spots this spring being vacated by outgoing players?

Green Bay already has four commitments from before the offseason began: a pair of in-state high school players in 6’9” forward Henry Gruetzmacher from Brookfield Central and 6’5” guard Matthew Kloskey from Wauwatosa West, as well as a pair of junior college transfers in 7’0” big man Mihailo Stijovic and JUCO Top 100 prospect Ahmere Carson, a 6’2” guard. 

As far as portal additions, expect the Phoenix to look for additional players with local connections to try and bring home. 

“We’re going to try and get as many Wisconsin kids, bring back as many Wisconsin kids,” Gottlieb said.  “There’s only four Division I programs in the state of Wisconsin, and at our level, there’s only two – us and Milwaukee. And we’re different than Milwaukee.”

“We’re going to be the home for Wisconsin kids,” Gottlieb added.  “We have two incoming freshmen, we’re probably trying to get one more. And then we’re going to try and get guys on bounce back and just, they want to play close to home.”

“You want to be loyal to a place, this is your place.”

Photo via Green Bay Athletics