Home on the road
Wisconsin Herd guard Sterling Brown drives to the basket past Windy City guard Mychal Mulder at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
The Wisconsin Herd’s first game in the state had all the hallmarks of a home opener.
There was a fan giveaway featuring replicas of the Herd’s court. There was a performance from a Menominee Nation drum group. Students from Menominee Indian High School sang the national anthem.
There was everything for the NBA G League team except, well, actually being at home.
Construction delays on the new $21 million Menominee Nation Arena in Oshkosh forced the Herd to play at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on Friday.
The Herd made the best of the situation with a 100-92 win over the Windy City Bulls in front of 4,129 fans.
“It’s not an inconvenience at all. For us, we don’t know how feels like to play up in Oshkosh yet,” said Herd head coach Jordan Brady, whose team plays the Maine Red Claws on Saturday.
“It’s exciting. For us it doesn’t really change how we prepare. Where we’re playing doesn’t make a difference.”
The team will play two additional “home” games at the Bradley Center. Those games on Saturday and Nov. 28 are not open to the public.
The Herd’s first game in Oshkosh is scheduled for Dec. 1.
James Young, who spent part of the preseason with Milwaukee Bucks, led the Herd (4-1) with 29 points. Sterling Brown, on assignment from the Bucks, added 25.
Former University of Wisconsin standout Vitto Brown had nine points.
“It just felt good to get up and down,” Sterling Brown said. “We just came out and tried to play hard and get the win and keep the team flow.”
The Herd were playing without Xavier Munford, who had 100 points in the team’s first four games. He is playing for Team USA in a FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifier.
Former Whitefish Bay High School standout Diamond Stone had 13 points for the Bulls. Ex-UW player Duje Dukan was inactive for Windy City.
Herd spokesman Mallory Steinberg said 383 people from Oshkosh took a bus to Milwaukee for the game. The team also provided 600 tickets to its Menominee Nation partner and about 2,250 to nonprofits, she said. Free tickets were also available to the public.
Jim Manske bought season tickets and was one of the fans on the bus from Oshkosh. He is excited about the state having a minor-league basketball team, especially when the Herd starts playing true home games.
“Oshkosh had a semi-pro team a number of years back called the Oshkosh Flyers, who were part of the CBA. They became the Wisconsin Flyers,” Manske said. “I had season tickets for them and my wife liked going to the games (even though) she’s not a big sports person.
“I figured that if I got (Herd) tickets she would go. I got them in the front row.”