MILWAUKEE (0-0) vs. PARKSIDE (0-0)
Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015
7 p.m. – Klotsche Center
Radio: None
TV/Video: None
 
Milwaukee vs. Parkside Game Notes

THE STARTING 5:
• Milwaukee plays its lone exhibition contest of 2015-16 when it welcomes NCAA Division II power Parkside to the Klotsche Center. The Panthers closed out the 2014-15 campaign as one of the hottest teams in the Horizon League, winning seven of their final nine contests, including each of the last four. Milwaukee was picked to finish third in the 2015-16 Horizon League Preseason Poll according to the conference's coaches, media and sports information directors.
 
• The Panthers will be challenged right out of the gate by playing eight games in the season's first 13 days. Making that opening stretch even more difficult to navigate is that seven of those eight contests will be played away from UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, where Milwaukee went 10-4 a season ago.
 
• Once again, Milwaukee will play some of the nation's best teams during the nonconference portion of the schedule. After facing teams from the Southeastern (Auburn, Arkansas), Big 12 (Oklahoma State), Big Ten (Wisconsin) and Big East (DePaul) conferences a year ago, Milwaukee will take on Notre Dame (Atlantic Coast), Wisconsin (Big Ten) and Minnesota (Big Ten) this season, along with perennial Ohio Valley Conference contender Murray State.
 
• Off the court, the Panthers had a phenomenal year in 2014-15, achieving high marks in the classroom, while also earning the Horizon League's Community Outreach Award after performing nearly 1,000 hours of community service. Milwaukee men's basketball players posted a team grade point average over 3.0 during the 2014-15 academic year and the team's total of four individuals on the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll was the highest in the conference. Continuing with the academic theme, Milwaukee placed two student-athletes - Evan Richard and Cody Wichmann - on the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court and the Panthers also posted a perfect Academic Progress Rate (APR) score.
 
• As a team, Milwaukee was nearly automatic from the free throw line last season, draining foul shots at an impressive 73.7 percent clip, the second-best mark in program history. That percentage tied with UIC for the Horizon League lead and also ranked 32nd in NCAA Division I play.
 
TIBY TIDBITS
The Panthers' emotional leader and a Second Team All-Horizon League pick a year ago, Matt Tiby is poised for a monster season. Over the final 21 outings of 2014-15, the 6-foot-8 forward pitched in 15.6 ppg and 8.6 rpg after managing 7.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 1.9 apg through the first nine contests. A 2015-16 Preseason First Team All-Horizon League selection, the Urbandale, Iowa native ranked third in the conference with 7.8 rpg last season. Tiby was one of five players to rank among the top 12 in the League in both scoring and rebounding in 2014-15. Tiby averaged 13.3 ppg and 7.8 rpg in 30 games last season and scored in double figures 24 times, including in each of the last 21 outings. With 22 points and 12 boards at Green Bay last February, he registered his seventh double-double of the season, surpassing his total from 2013-14 (6) and Milwaukee is now 9-4 in his career when he totals 10 or more points and rebounds. The seven double-doubles were the most by a Panther in a single season since Adrian Tigert had nine in 2005-06. Over the final two games of 2014-15, Tiby was unstoppable, producing 23.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 2.0 apg, while shooting 65 percent (13-for-20) from the field and 80 percent (8-for-10) from beyond the arc. He enters 2015-16 having scored in double digits in 11 consecutive road games, averaging 16.7 ppg and 8.3 rpg during that stretch. His current streak of 21 straight games with double-digit points in the longest by a Panther since Joah Tucker in 2005-06 (27 games). Tiby has knocked down 15 of his last 28 three-point attempts (.536) after making just 1 of his previous 20 (.050). He tossed in a career-best 24 points at Wright State on February 26, 2015.
 
SPRINGS FEVER
Akeem Springs had an impressive first season as a Panther last year, averaging 10.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg and 1.7 apg, while appearing in 28 contests. The transfer from Northern Illinois ranked third on the club in scoring last season and stepped up his production in Horizon League play when he produced 12.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 2.1 apg, while shooting 47.1 percent (74-for-157) from the field. Springs burst onto the scene a year ago, exploding for 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists at Auburn in the season opener, but then tried to play through a hand injury that severely limited his ability to shoot the basketball. The 6-foot-4 guard scored in double figures in 12 of the final 17 contests of 2014-15 and recorded his first-ever double-double (13 points, 10 boards) against Oakland on February 10 and over the final 15 outings of the season put up 13.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 2.0 apg, while shooting 47.7 percent (73-for-153) from the field. Springs has buried 56 of his last 75 (.747) tries from the charity stripe after opening last year by hitting 9 of his first 17 (.529) foul shots. He contributed 12.3 ppg and 5.9 rpg in Milwaukee's wins. Springs finished the 2014-15 season just as he started it - by scoring 21 points - in Milwaukee's victory at Youngstown State. Over the final four outings of the year, he shot 55.3 percent (21-for-38) from the field and 46.2 percent (6-for-13) from three-point land.
 
PANOSKE PRODUCES
Senior J.J. Panoske, who averaged 7.7 ppg and 3.7 rpg a year ago, will look to build upon the incredibly strong finish he had to the 2014-15 season. Already the Panthers' Division I career leader with 100 blocked shots, the 6-foot-10 forward pitched in 12.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 2.2 bpg over the final five outings in 2014-15 to help Milwaukee to a 4-1 record over that stretch. Last season's team leader in free throw percentage (.857), the Brodhead, Wis., native drained each of his final 10 and 27 of his final 29 (.931) attempts from the foul line. Panoske's best game of 2014-15 came at home versus Cleveland State when he poured in a career-high 19 points, hitting 5 of 8 shots from three-point range, and added five rebounds, two blocks and a pair of steals in the Panthers' victory.
 
AUSTIN'S POINTS POWER PANTHERS
Junior Austin Arians established himself as one of the premier shooters in the Horizon League in 2013-14 and after redshirting last season, returns to action in 2015-16. The 6-foot-6 forward will provide the Panthers with another long-range threat and in 2013-14, he connected on 36.7 percent (65-for-177) of his tries from three-point range en route to 11.1 ppg. As a sophomore, he scored in double digits on 22 occasions and the Panthers posted a healthy 16-6 record in those contests. Arians will look to get off to a fast start this season, much like he did in 2013-14 when he totaled 10 or more points in 10 of the team's first 11 games. A career 35.7 percent (104-for-291) shooter from beyond the arc, Arians led the team with 17 points in a 2014 NCAA Tournament loss to Villanova.
 
GOTTA GET BACK IN TIME
The 2015-16 season marks the 10-year anniversary of one of the best years in Milwaukee basketball history. Led by the play of Joah Tucker, Boo Davis and Adrian Tigert, the Panthers knocked off Oklahoma in the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national champion Florida. Two members of Rob Jeter's current staff - Chris Hill and Allan Hanson - were on that team, which won a NCAA Tournament game for a second consecutive season. Milwaukee finished the 2005-06 season with a 22-9 record in Jeter's first season as the Panthers' bench boss.
 
CODY'S CONTRIBUTIONS
With Austin Arians on the sidelines in 2014-15, Cody Wichmann shouldered more of a load and responded in fine fashion after logging only 6.8 minutes and 2.4 ppg as a freshman in 2013-14. In addition to leading the team in three-point field goals made (47) and three-point field goal percentage (.402) a season ago, Wichmann pitched in 6.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg and 1.1 apg, while appearing in all 30 contests. He will be looking to get off to another strong start in 2015-16. Last season, Wichmann came out of the starting blocks fast, hitting at least one three-pointer in each of the first 11 and 14 of the first 15 games. Over the final eight outings of 2014-15, Wichmann put up 7.0 ppg and shot 50 percent (20-for-40) from the field and 51.8 percent (14-for-27) from three-point territory. In his previous three games, Wichmann mustered 1.7 ppg on just 11.1 percent (1-for-9) shooting from both the field and downtown. Five of his seven double-digit scoring performances last season came at Panther Arena, where he shot 53.7 percent (36-for-67) from the field and 53.8 percent (28-for-52) from three-point land. In his career, Milwaukee is 8-2 when he scores in double digits. His marksmanship helped the Panthers to success in 2014-15 as he contributed 7.2 ppg and knocked down 50.7 percent (34-for-67) of his field goal tries and 52 percent (26-for-50) of his three-point attempts in Milwaukee's wins. Dating back to the 2013-14 season, the Pulaski, Wis., native has connected on 16 of his last 19 (.842) attempts from the foul line. He is on track to earn his accounting degree in less than four years.
 
A CHIEF AMONG US
Former Milwaukee forward Demetrius Harris (2011-13) is once again on the active roster for the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs. The first Panther to play in the NFL since 1983, Harris played two seasons at Milwaukee and helped the team to a College Basketball Invitational appearance in 2012 before putting up 9.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg in 2012-13. Last season, the 6-foot-7 Harris appeared in eight games as a tight end for the Chiefs and hauled in three passes for 20 yards before suffering a season-ending foot injury during warm-ups against Buffalo in early November.
 
UP NEXT
Milwaukee raises the curtain on the 2015-16 regular season when it travels to Santa Clara, Calif., to compete in the Cable Car Classic, Nov. 13-15. The Panthers open round-robin play versus Denver November 13, then take on Lipscomb the following day before wrapping up action against host Santa Clara November 15.