When reigning Horizon League Player of the Year Keifer Sykes and the Green Bay Phoenix take the court Saturday in their opener against Division II Illinois-Springfield, the name "Sykes" won't appear on the back of his white jersey.
For Military Appreciation Day, the players will instead wear the names of fallen members of the military. So instead of "Sykes," the senior guard's jersey will read "Opicka," in honor of Lance Cpl. Dean Opicka, a Waukesha, Wis., native who died in April 2008 during combat operations in Iraq.
Green Bay's Military Appreciation Day uniforms (Green Bay Athletics)MORE: SN Preseason All-Americans | Louisville's Armed Forces Classic uniforms
The Green Bay website has the official listing of the players and the military personnel they will honor.
Many basketball programs honor the military at the beginning of the season with special uniforms, but what Green Bay is doing is absolutely tremendous. Far too often players are told to play for the name on the front of their jerseys instead of the ones on their back.
This is one instance where the entire team will be playing for the names on the backs of their jerseys.
