Preston Ruedinger has ‘full confidence’ that UWGB basketball can win again under Doug Gottlieb

• UWGB point guard Preston Ruedinger has decided to return for his final season, prioritizing his teammates and the program’s turnaround.
• Ruedinger, a former Oshkosh Lourdes star, has endured multiple losing seasons in college, contrasting his successful high school career.
• Despite injuries and team struggles, Ruedinger remains committed to winning and has been actively involved in recruiting new players.
• Ruedinger is confident in UWGB coach Doug Gottlieb and is optimistic about the team’s future.

GREEN BAY – Preston Ruedinger could have spent his final college basketball season somewhere else. He even could have made a little more money in his NIL deal.   

But the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay point guard and former Oshkosh Lourdes star had too much pulling him back to want to be anywhere else.

“My teammates that have stayed are some of my best friends in the world, and I don’t want to leave them,” said Ruedinger, who averaged 8 points and a career-high 3.1 assists this season. “I would also say I’ve got a good relationship with (UWGB coach) Doug (Gottlieb) and I feel like when I came here, I wanted to help turn around the program.

“We started in the right direction when I got here my first year, but then obviously, last year was a little downfall progression. But at the end of the day, I want to see Green Bay win. If I left, I would feel like I had unfinished business here.”

The 6-foot-2 Ruedinger had other reasons.

He didn’t want a fourth coach in five years. He spent his first two seasons playing for Matt Lottich at Valparaiso — he became just the second walk-on during the Lottich era to start a game — and the last two for Sundance Wicks and Gottlieb at UWGB.

Family is important to him. His mother, Kellie, is a teacher in Oshkosh and can attend games to watch her son play when she didn’t have much opportunity when he was at Valpo.

Gottlieb is happy Ruedinger stayed, just like Wicks was elated when Ruedinger decided to join the Phoenix in 2023.

Wicks loved Ruedinger’s passion and spirit on the floor.

Gottlieb admires his pupil’s leadership and desire to win in whatever role he puts him in, whether it’s playing every minute in a game or just a few.

Preston Ruedinger wants to return to winning ways

It’s those wins that have been difficult to come by for Ruedinger in college.

He’s mostly been on losing teams, except for the 18-14 mark in the only season Wicks was at UWGB before he left for the Wyoming job.

Valpo went 14-18 in Ruedinger’s first year and 11-21 in his second. UWGB fans don’t need to be reminded of the 4-28 record this season.

What might make it more gut-wrenching is how much Ruedinger won during his decorated prep career at Lourdes.

He played all four years on varsity and went a combined 92-18, rather notable considering he was part of a Phoenix team this season that endured a 21-game losing streak.

Ruedinger capped his high school career by leading Lourdes to the WIAA Division 4 state championship while playing for his father, Dennis.

He scored 2,349 career points, which still ranks 20th in state history despite six players from the 2025 class moving past him this season.

For a player who puts his body on the line every game and practice, who is willing to give up extra NIL money to perhaps help land a recruit, Ruedinger just wants to do whatever it takes to win again.  

“Something that has grounded me is just focusing on running my own race,” he said. “Obviously, not winning is not easy. But it’s your own race, and at the end of the day, my dream is to play in the NCAA Tournament. Sometimes, there are lessons in losses that you don’t learn in wins.

“Just run your own race. You never know what is going to happen next year. You never know what is going to happen tomorrow. Staying grounded in the day-to-day, getting better. And, hopefully, influencing my teammates and everyone to work a little harder to get us over the edge for next year.”

Phoenix is prepared for June workouts

UWGB fans can breathe a sigh of relief. The walking boot Ruedinger was wearing during the Phoenix-Packers Steak Fry on May 6 was just precautionary. He’s fine.

Ruedinger has dealt with several injuries during his career, the most serious during his sophomore season at Valpo when he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery that limited him to nine games after he had earned a scholarship and was named a team captain.

Ankle injuries have slowed him at times during his UWGB career, as did a bout with COVID-19 his first season that forced him out for a game and crushed his conditioning.

Ruedinger missed the final three contests this season with a torn oblique he sustained at Youngstown State on Feb. 23, when he attempted to box out 7-foot-3 center Gabe Dynes and took a hit from him that caused more damage than he originally thought.

Maybe take it easy out there, kid?

“At some point, it’s a little frustrating, for sure,” Ruedinger said. “But I pride myself on playing hard, and when you play hard and put yourself in those situations, it’s sports and you are going to get hurt. I wouldn’t change how hard I play or my intention for the game just to avoid some injuries.

“I play basketball, and it can get physical. It sucks, but I’m still going to play hard, and if injuries happen, it’s sports.”

Preston Ruedinger optimistic for senior season

UWGB was one of the worst teams in the nation in 2024-25, finishing 338th out of 364 teams in the Division I NET rankings. It was one of 16 teams with four or fewer wins.

But Ruedinger is doing his part to make sure his final season is a good one. He has met with as many recruits as possible while they are visiting campus. Gottlieb even said last week Ruedinger canceled weekend plans to make sure he was in Green Bay to meet a recruit.

UWGB hasn’t landed all of them, but Ruedinger has met most of his new teammates except perhaps incoming Lewis University forward Rob Stroud.

Along with Stroud, UWGB signed Vincennes University (Indiana) point guard LeBron Thomas, West Georgia forward Shelton Williams-Dryden and Carnegie Mellon University guard Justin Allen in a busy April.

“They are all amazing people,” Ruedinger said. “I like where we are going. I’ve never seen the team together on the court yet, but we will start up in June, so I’m excited. Just bringing the mentality that every day is your last, that’s the mentality I’m going to have going into the season.”

Ruedinger also believes in Gottlieb. Both are sons of basketball coaches and have been around the game their entire lives. He didn’t believe Gottlieb’s unique situation as both a coach and a national radio host was an issue for the team this season.

“It was definitely just like any other coach,” Ruedinger said. “There is a lot of, not flak from the media, but what Doug does as his job. I just feel like when Doug needed to be places and coaching our team, he was fully invested.

“You just kind of see some of the tweets and the other stuff come out that don’t really mean a whole lot to the team, just because we know that that’s another part of his job. Doug is totally invested in the right direction of this program, and I have full confidence that he is going to take us and Green Bay in the right direction.”

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