March 17, 2003
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Game #32 - UWM vs. Notre Dame
UWM makes its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division I Tournament Thursday, entering the tournament as a 12th-seed in the West Region and facing fifth-seeded Notre Dame in Indianapolis.
About The Regional Bracket
UWM is one of eight teams playing first and second round games at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. The Panthers' bracket, which is actually in the West Region, includes fourth-seeded Illinois, fifth-seeded Notre Dame and 13th-seeded Western Kentucky. The other four teams in Indianapolis are in the Midwest Region, including third-seeded Marquette, sixth-seeded Missouri, 11th-seeded Southern Illinois and 14th-seeded Holy Cross.
About The Fighting Irish
Notre Dame enters the NCAA Tournament 22-9 after finishing 10-6 during the BIG EAST regular season. But the Fighting Irish stumbled down the stretch, losing four of their final five games, including their BIG EAST Tournament contest with St. John's. The Irish average 80.1 ppg but give up 78.6 ppg and will shoot plenty of threes. Notre Dame has made 257 of them so far this season. Matt Carroll leads the team in scoring with 20.6 ppg while Chris Thomas averages 18.5 ppg. The probable Irish lineup:
G 1 Chris Thomas (6-1, So., Indianapolis, Ind.)
G 13 Matt Carroll (6-6, Sr., Horsham, Pa.)
F 20 Torrian Jones (6-4, Jr., Fairless Hills, Pa.)
F 21 Danny Miller (6-8, Sr., Mt. Holly, NJ)
F 34 Torin Francis (6-10, Fr., Roslindale, Mass.)
About The Fighting Illini
Illinois won the Big 10 Tournament championship Sunday and earned the best seed among Big 10 teams in the NCAA Tournament. The Illini finished second to Wisconsin during the regular season and are led by Conference MVP Brian Cook. Illinois also features freshman point guard Dee Brown. The likely Illini lineup:
G 3 Deron Williams (6-3, Fr., The Colony, Texas)
G 11 Dee Brown (6-0, Fr., Maywood, Ill.)
F 40 James Augustine (6-10, Fr., Mokena, Ill.)
F 43 Roger Powell (6-6, So., Joliet, Ill.)
C 34 Brian Cook (6-10, Sr., Lincoln, Ill.)
About The Hilltoppers
Western Kentucky overcame injuries to win the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and earn the 13th-seed in the West Region. Playing without NBA prospect Chris Markus in the middle, the Hilltoppers weathered a difficult non-conference slate to finish at the top of the Sun Belt. The likely Hilltopper lineup:
G 13 Filip Videnov (6-4, Sr., Ruse, Bulgaria)
G 15 Mike Wells (6-3, Jr., Guthrie, Ky.)
G 22 Patrick Sparks (6-1, So., Central City, Ky.)
F 30 Nate Williams (6-8, Sr., Raleigh, NC)
F 34 David Boylen (6-8, Sr., Richmond, Va.)
Looking Back
UWM bolted to a 14-0 advantage and never looked back en route to an impressive, 69-52, victory last Tuesday night over Butler in the title game of the Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship. The Panthers led 21-4 and held a 38-20 halftime edge before never letting the Bulldogs get closer than 12 points in the second half.
Tourney Time
This is UWM's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. In its 107-year basketball history, UWM had never even played in a Division I league title game until last week. In those 107 years, the Panthers have made just four other post-season appearances - the 1960 NCAA Small College Division Regionals, the 1982 NCAA Division III Tournament, the 1986 NAIA District 14 Tournament and the 1989 NCAA Division II Tournament and is a combined 4-4 in those tournaments, advancing to the Elite Eight in Division II with two of the wins. UWM's National Post-Season History:
1960 Small College Regional L, 100-92 vs. Lincoln
Small College Regional W, 109-82 vs. Augustana
1982 NCAA Division III L, 70-63 at Augustana (Ill.)
NCAA Division III W, 75-73 vs. Beloit
1986 NAIA District 14 L, 51-48 at UW-Eau Claire
1989 NCAA Division II W, 99-95 vs. Augustana (S.D.)
NCAA Division II W, 89-88 (ot) at N. Colorado
NCAA Division II L, 93-84 vs. SE Missouri St.
Post-Season Play
Having never been to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, or to the NIT, means UWM's post-season experience in Division I is limited to the league tournament. The Panthers are now 4-7 all-time in the Horizon League Championship and made their first-ever appearance in the title game last Tuesday night. In fact, the contest with UIC marked only UWM's second-ever appearance in the semifinals. UWM's all-time League Championship results:
1996 L, 80-78 vs. Northern Illinois @ Dayton
1997 W, 81-70 vs. Wright State @ Dayton
L, 48-36 vs. Butler @ Dayton
1998 L, 74-60 vs. Detroit @ Green Bay
1999 L, 72-66 vs. UW-Green Bay @ Chicago
2000 W, 62-58 vs. UW-Green Bay @ Chicago
L, 65-51 vs. Butler @ Chicago
2001 L, 64-63 vs. Wright State @ Dayton
2002 L, 75-63 vs. UIC @ Cleveland
2003 W, 75-73 vs. UIC @ Milwaukee
W, 69-52 vs. Butler @ Milwaukee
Tourney Tested
UWM's regular season schedule included three other teams that are in the NCAA Tournament. UWM lost to Wisconsin and Southern Illinois and won two of three games against Butler. UWM has also played four games against teams in the NIT, posting a 3-1 mark.
When We Were Close
The closest UWM has ever come to a Division I post-season bid was the 1992-93 season, when the Panthers finished 23-4 as an independent but found themselves shut out of both the NCAA Tournament and the NIT. UWM has been a full member of Division I play since the 1990-91 season. The Panthers also officially competed as a Division I institution for a time in the 1970's, but regularly played a large schedule of non-Division I teams and was never in consideration for a post-season bid. UWM did advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 1989. The Panthers actually held four different affiliations (Division III, NAIA, Division II, Division I) from the 1981-82 season through the 1990-91 season.
Winning A Title
UWM's Horizon League Tournament Championship is the first Division I men's basketball league title in school history. It is also UWM's first league title in men's basketball since 1960, when the Panthers won the Wisconsin State College Conference.
Oh What A Night!
March 11, 2003, will easily go down as the most memorable night in the 107-year history of the UWM basketball program. Along with earning a berth into the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time in school history, the Panthers also played on ESPN for the first time and beat Butler twice in a season for the first time in school history. And they did it all in front of a record crowd of 10,115 at the U.S. Cellular Arena in downtown Milwaukee - the largest home crowd ever for UWM.
All Eyes On UWM
The record crowd of 10,115 for the championship game pushed UWM's season attendance total well beyond any level previously reached. Having already set a season-average attendance record after 11 games in the Klotsche Center, the Panthers blasted past that mark and wound up averaging 4,266 for 13 home games and totaling 55,453 for the season.
The Crowd Helps
The championship game on what was considered a home court allowed UWM to push its home record this season to 13-0 and its home court winning streak to 15 games. The Panthers are now 42-9 at home over the last four years. This year's squad became the first UWM team to finish a season unbeaten at home since 1992-93, when the Panthers played most of their games at the U.S. Cellular Arena. UWM went 11-0 at the Klotsche Center this season.
Wrapping Up The Tournament
UWM won a pair of games in the Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship to earn their first-ever berth into the NCAA Tournament. After receiving a bye into the semifinals thanks to a second-place finish during the regular season, the Panthers claimed a thrilling, 75-73, win over UIC. The Panthers trailed by six with six minutes remaining but rallied, taking the lead for good on a Dylan Page layin and the clinching the victory when Clay Tucker blocked a last-second three-point shot. Then in the title game, UWM bolted out to leads of 14-0 and 21-4 in cruising to a win over Butler.
Tournament Honors
Senior Clay Tucker was named the Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship MVP after a pair of stellar performances. Tucker averaged 23.5 ppg in the two contests while also pitching in with 7 rpg, 4.5 apg and 4.0 spg. Senior Ronnie Jones and junior Dylan Page joined him on the All-Tournament Team, along with Joel Cornette of Butler and Willie Green of Detroit.
Winning Ways
By hitting 24 wins, this Panther squad has moved into a tie for first place on the all-time wins list in UWM's 107-year basketball history. Only six other teams in the school's history have even won 20 games. The 1988-89 team won 24 games while advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. A list of UWM's winningest teams follows:
2002-03 24 wins
1988-89 24 wins
1992-93 23 wins
1991-92 20 wins
1981-82 20 wins
1949-50 20 wins
1976-77 19 wins
1959-60 18 wins
1972-73 18 wins
1982-83 18 wins
1990-91 18 wins
20-20 Vision
UWM is experiencing its first 20-win season since the 1992-93 campaign, grabbing its 20th win on Feb. 13 against UIC. UWM was one of the first teams to reach 20 wins this season - in fact, when the Panthers won their 20th, only Creighton and Florida had won 20.
Coach Of The Year ... Or Years
UWM head coach Bruce Pearl became just the third coach in the history of the Horizon League to be named Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons when the League's post-season awards were announced March 2. Pearl has added to his impressive coaching resume by leading the Panthers to their best record since the 1992-93 season and to the third-most wins in the school's 107-year basketball history. Pearl joined Pete Gillen (1992-93 and 1993-94) and Barry Collier (1998-99 and 1999-2000) as the only coaches to win the award two consecutive times. When Pearl won the award last year, he was the first UWM men's basketball coach to ever win the award and his 16 wins last year were the most-ever by a first-year coach at UWM in the school's basketball history.
Now On The First Team
In a season of firsts for the UWM basketball program, the Panthers saw two players named to the All-Horizon League First Team for the first-time ever. Senior Clay Tucker joined junior Dylan Page on the squad. For Tucker it marks the second-straight year he was on the first team, making him one of only 35 players in league history to accomplish that feat. For Page, it's the first appearance on any All-Horizon League team in his three-year UWM career. Prior to Tucker's appearance on the first team last season, UWM has had only one other player (Chad Angeli, 2000) ever make the first team. Tucker was also named to the Horizon League's All-Defensive Team.
Wrapping Up The Regular Season
While UWM came up one win short of first place, the Panthers still recorded their best Horizon League regular season in school history. UWM's 13-3 record was two wins better than last season's 11-5 campaign, which was the only other time in school history the Panthers finished above .500 in a Division I league. UWM's eight-game League winning streak is also a school-record, as were UWM's five League road wins and its perfect 8-0 League home record.
A Season Of Statistics
UWM has made an impressive mark in a number of statistical columns during the regular season. The Panthers remain on pace for their best field-goal percentage since moving to the Division I ranks in 1990. UWM is shooting 47.6 percent from the field this year, better than the 46.7 percent in the 1990-91 season. The Panthers have also scored 2,397 points so far this season, besting the 2,373 during the 1990-91 campaign. Plus, UWM's 851 field goals are the most since the 1990-91 season.
What A Start
After falling behind Butler early in each of the two regular season matchups between the two teams, the Panthers used a fast start to claim the win in the Horizon League Championship game between the two teams. UWM scored the first 14 points of the contest and led 21-4 five minutes in. Butler was never any closer than 12 points the rest of the way.
D...D...D...Defense
UWM put together one of its best defensive halves of basketball in the championship game of the Horizon League Tournament, limiting Butler to just 20 points and 28.6 percent shooting from the field. For the game, Butler committed 19 turnovers - nine above their season average - while also making just five three-point shots, five below their season pace.
20-20 Vision
UWM's first-team All-Horizon League performers, Clay Tucker and Dylan Page, came through in the Panthers' tournament semifinal win over UIC. Tucker led the team in scoring with 24 points while adding six rebounds. He also pitched-in with five assists, four steals and two blocks. Page added 22 points and nine rebounds, plus a career-high four blocks. The two also combined to make 24-of-27 free throws.
Block Party
UWM recorded a season-high nine blocks Saturday night, including a career-high four blocks by junior Dylan Page. The total ties the second-most in the school's Division I history (11 vs. Illinois Tech, 1995-96) and ties the most-ever against a Division I opponent (UW-Green Bay, 1992-93) by the Panthers. On the season, UWM blocked five more shots Tuesday night in the championship game and has blocked 111 shots - a new Division I school record.
Charitable Contributions
UWM took advantage of its opportunities at the free throw line during its two games in the Horizon League Championship, converting 43-of-59 attempts. The Panthers have shot 69.3 percent from the line this season.
Balancing Act
UWM has found great balance in its offensive attack throughout the year, landing four players in double figures 13 times through the year. Plus Dec. 1 against Maine, five Panthers were in double figures. In last Tuesday's championship game, the Panthers had only two players in double figures - just the xx time this season that happened.
Pulling Rank
UWM has been making a splash on the national scene all season long and it seems as though the buzzer-beating losses the Panthers suffered on consecutive Saturdays at the end of the regular season are what truly gained them some national respect. Not considered a bubble team entering the Bracket Buster game with SIU Feb. 22, UWM emerged two weeks later as a team in the running for an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament before claiming an automatic berth. UWM is 6th in the College Insider.com Mid-Major Top 25 and sixth in the ESPN.com Top 10.
Tucker Tops The Charts
Senior Clay Tucker became UWM's all-time, all-division's scoring leader Feb. 27 against Wright State. He now has 1,770 points, besting the 1,693 Larry Reed recorded in his stellar career as a Panther. He is one of only four Panther players to score more than 1,600 points in his career and one of only two players to score at least 1,500 points while grabbing at least 500 rebounds.
#1 Clay Tucker (1999-present) 1,770
#2 Larry Reed (1959-60, 64-67) 1,693
#3 Jerry Grochowski (1957-61) 1,688
#4 Gerald Hardnett (1975-79) 1,602
#5 Tom Kneusel (1955-59) 1,565
Also On Top
Clay Tucker is also UWM's Division I leader in a number of other categories and moved past Chad Angeli for the Division I rebounding lead Jan. 25 against Wright State. He also tops the list for three-point field goals, field goals and steals. His 108 starts entering the post-season rank him second to Angeli in that category while Tucker is also in the top five in assists and blocks. Plus, Tucker's 111 appearances have tied him with Angeli. On the all-time, all-divisions charts, Tucker is the all-time leader in steals and three-point field goals.
Fighting For 40
Senior Clay Tucker made his final collegiate appearance in his home state of Ohio a memorable one Feb. 27 against Wright State, recording a career-high 40 points. Tucker scored 26 points in the second half alone while making 15-of-25 shots overall, including five three-point baskets. The outburst was the best scoring effort by a Panther since Von McDade scored 42 against Wright State at the end of the 1990-91 season.
Tucker Is Terrific
Clay Tucker's 40 points against Wright State continued a late-season surge by the Panthers' senior leader, overcoming early-season back problems to put together a memorable senior year. Tucker moved his scoring average from 13.6 ppg after the game at Georgia Dec. 28 to 18.3 ppg entering the NCAA Tournament. He did so by scoring in double figures in 18 of his last 19 games, including a 24 ppg average over his last six contests. He also had just 11 three-point shots in his first 10 games before knocking down 41 three-point baskets in his last 17 outings.
Double-Figures Forever
Dylan Page rose to his status as one of the top players in the Horizon League thanks to incredible consistency throughout the season. The junior forward has been in double figures in 29 of UWM's 31 games, with only a six-point effort against Florida International and a foul-plagued six-point posting against Butler last Tuesday breaking up a full-season string. Page had been in double figures in 24-straight games before last Tuesday night. He also scored more than 20 points on 11 different occasions during the regular season and went through a streak where he set a new career-high four times in a seven-game span, including a 32-point effort against Loyola Dec. 21.
Crashing The Glass
After lagging behind opponents much of the season on the glass, the Panthers dominated the boards in their last three regular-season games, held their own against a UIC team that dominated the boards against them earlier in the season, and then pounded Butler on the boards last Tuesday night. The final numbers on Tuesday gave UWM a 40-29 edge on the boards and the Panthers have 62 offensive rebounds in their last five games.
Streaking Into The Records
UWM posted a pair of eight-game winning streaks during the 2002-03 regular season and also won nine-straight Horizon League contests, a string that was only broken on the final day of the regular season at Butler. The two eight-game streaks were the best since the 1992-93 season, when the Panthers had streaks of eight-straight and 10-straight wins. UWM's best-ever winning streak is 14 games, set during the 1988-89 season, a year that saw the Panthers advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. The nine-game Horizon League winning streak is the best in school history. Overall, the Panthers have still won 13 of their last 16 games.
Comeback Kids
On each of the final two Saturdays of the regular season, the Panthers dug themselves big holes and two Saturdays in a row they came back to take the lead. March 1 at Butler, UWM trailed, 57-41, but took a 65-64 lead with four minutes and led again by a point with 4.2 seconds remaining. The previous week at Southern Illinois, UWM trailed, 47-31, with 17 minutes to play before outscoring SIU, 21-5, over the next eight minutes of the game. UWM's second-half comebacks brought back memories of a number of similar comebacks a year ago, including the Panthers overcoming a double-digit deficit to win at Butler and a 21-point deficit to beat Virginia Tech.
The Margin Of Victory
UWM could easily have a 13-game winning streak heading into the NCAA Tournament if not for a pair of buzzer-beating losses in the last two weeks. Feb. 22, the Panthers were beaten, 66-64, by Southern Illinois on a tip-in at the buzzer. Then March 1, a three-pointer at the buzzer sent Butler past UWM, 76-74. The Panthers are 6-2 in games decided by five points or less after claiming a two-point win over UIC in the semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament.
Double-Time
Junior Nate Mielke recorded the first double-double of his career Feb. 27 against Wright State and was a dominating presence inside for the Panthers. He scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while playing just 22 minutes. He also added five assists and four blocks. Mielke now has 32 blocks this season - the best mark on the team.
Dominating Numbers
The storyline Feb. 27 in UWM's win at Wright State was complete domination by the Panthers in nearly every facet of the game. Along with building a 28-point first-half lead, the Panthers held a huge edge on the boards (48-23) and in shooting percentage (53.8-38.2). UWM limited the Raiders to just 26.7 percent shooting in the first half and three Panthers were already in double figures in scoring by halftime. The 33-point margin of victory was the largest of the season for the Panthers and the largest ever in a Horizon League road contest by UWM as well as the largest in a league game since a Jan. 15, 2000, win over Loyola (92-58).
Lettenberger Lights It Up
Senior Justin Lettenberger recorded stellar efforts on each of the final two Saturdays of the regular season, collecting 14 points and nine rebounds in games at Southern Illinois and Butler. And, despite going 0-for-6 from the field in the semifinals of the league tournament against UIC, he still contributed six rebounds, three assists and two blocks. He then added eight points and six rebounds in the title game against Butler. Lettenberger is UWM's leading scorer and rebounder off the bench, averaging 6.2 ppg and 4.3 rpg.
The First Half ...
UWM had posted a number of dominating first-half performances prior to its outburst against Butler last Tuesday. They held a 50-24 edge Feb. 27 at Wright State and, earlier in February, the Panthers posted big halftime leads in three-straight games, leading Detroit, 38-22, at the half Feb. 6 before leading Cleveland State, 52-35, at the break Feb. 8 and UW-Green Bay, 46-23, after 20 minutes Feb. 10. UWM is 22-1 in games in which it is tied or leading at the half.
... And The Second Half
UWM has also been making a habit of posting strong second-halves. March 1 against Butler, UWM was down just two at halftime but fell down 16 in the second half before rallying to take the lead. A week earlier UWM put up big second-half numbers, outscoring Southern Illinois, 35-25, in the second 20 minutes. Feb. 15, despite playing for the fifth time in 10 days, UWM outscored Youngstown State, 50-30, in the second half. Nine players played at least 15 minutes in the win and no player played more than 30 minutes. Two nights earlier against UIC (Feb. 13), the Panthers overcame an eight-point deficit with eight minutes remaining to claim an 81-78 win.
Playing A Lot
Seniors Jason Frederick, Ronnie Jones and Dan Weisse have moved to the top of the Panther record book after appearing in the Feb. 15 contest with Youngstown State and continue to further their place in the books every time they take the floor. Entering the championship game Tuesday, they have played in 117 contests, besting Chad Angeli's 111 appearances. Clay Tucker has missed a handful of games in his career because of injury, but has appeared in 111 games and is second on the all-time starts list with 109. He missed two games and four starts this season.
Thousands And Thousands Of Points
Seniors Jason Frederick and Ronnie Jones have become the fifth and sixth players in UWM's most-recent Division I history to score at least 1,000 points in a career. Frederick now stands fourth on the scoring list with 1,175 points while Jones sits fifth with 1,164. The two are also moving up the ranks of three-point shooters in UWM history. Frederick has 241 in his career - second all-time - while Jones has 199 - fourth all-time. Clay Tucker is the all-time leader with 262. Jones is also among the all-time assist leaders.
Sweeping Success
UWM's win Feb. 27 gave the Panthers a regular-season series sweep of the Wright State, the fifth Horizon League opponent the Panthers have swept this season. That's the most in school history. Plus, UWM swept Detroit and Cleveland State during the regular season for the first time in school history.
Doing It On The Road, Too
UWM's win Feb. 27 also gave the Panthers eight road wins this season, the most since the 1992-93 season. Last year UWM won five road games, a number it also reached in the 1993-94 season. The Panthers won 10 road games during the 1992-93 campaign. UWM won just five road games over a three-season span from 1996-1998.
Stealing The Show
UWM tied a season-high by collecting 14 steals Feb. 10 against UW-Green Bay after originally setting its season-high with 14 steals Jan. 23 against Butler. Last year, UWM had 264 steals, tied for the third-most in school history, and the Panthers have not backed off that pace this season, registering 272 in 31 games. Clay Tucker leads the way with 56 steals.
Turn Me Over
UWM's pressure defense is forcing an average of 17.5 turnovers. The Panthers made a most impressive statement in Jan. 23 in their first regular season game against Butler. The Bulldogs entered the game averaging the fewest turnovers of any team in Division I and the Panthers turned them over 24 times. On Dec. 6 the Panthers forced 31 Florida International turnovers.
Seniors Sparkle
UWM's seniors are making the most of their final games in a Panther uniform, led by the scoring tandem of Clay Tucker and Ronnie Jones. The two combined for 39 points in the title game win over Butler, adding to a string of strong, late-season performances. The two combined for 49 points in their final game at the Klotsche Center Feb. 13, an 81-78 win over UIC. Then Feb. 15 the two combined for 39 more points. In all, UWM has seven seniors on its active roster. In the three years prior to when this senior class took the game floor for the first time at UWM, the Panthers won just 19 games. This class has already won 24 in this season alone.
One Turnover!?!?
Senior Dan Weisse had one turnover in the Feb. 22 loss to Southern Illinois. That wouldn't seem like a noteworthy number, or something terribly positive to point out. But it gave Weisse just 10 turnovers on the season, an average of one turnover every 45 minutes. Weisse has committed just 83 turnovers in his career at UWM while playing every game in four years.
Hot Hand
UWM continues to put up solid shooting numbers this season, shooting better than 50 percent from the field 11 times this season. UWM shot a season-high 56.7 percent from the field in the Feb. 1 win at Loyola and shot 53.8 percent in the win over Wright State Feb. 27. The 47.6 percent mark for the season would rank as the best single-season shooting percentage in the school's Division I history. UWM is also shooting better than 48 percent in league games.
People Watching
The crowd of 5,007 at the game Jan. 23 against Butler marked the second-largest crowd in Klotsche Center history, just behind the 5,015 that saw the Panthers and Bulldogs play last season. The crowd Feb. 13 of 4,738 ranks fifth all-time. The large crowds have added up to another record-setting year for attendance at the Klotsche Center. The regular-season average of 3,448 easily broke the record of 3,226, set last year. The top five Klotsche crowds:
#1 1/30/02 vs. Butler 5,015
#2 1/23/03 vs. Butler 5,007
#3 12/27/01 vs. Wisconsin 4,903
#4 2/5/00 vs. UWGB 4,833
#5 2/13/03 vs. UIC 4,738
Returning The Favor
The Feb. 13 win over UIC allowed the Panthers to avenge each of their first two losses in Horizon League play. UWM beat UWGB Feb. 10 to avenge its other early loss. The Panthers have now beaten every team in the league at least once for the second-straight season.
Hitting The Triple
UWM took advantage of UW-Green Bay's sagging defense to knock in a season-high 14 three-point shots Feb. 10. The Panthers have made 12 threes in two other games this year. The school record is 18, set against UIC two years ago.
30-20-20 Club
The three-man contingent of Clay Tucker, Dylan Page and Jason Frederick combined for 79 of UWM's 92 points Feb. 1 against Loyola, one of the best three-person scoring efforts in school history. UWM hadn't had three players score at least 20 points in a game since Dec. 15, 1990 against Central Florida. In that contest, Joe Schultz scored 24 points, Randy Doss had 23 and Von McDade added 20. In that game against Loyola, Tucker scored 36 points, which was his career high until his 40-point performance against Wright State.
Chilling The Penguins
After giving up 102 points Jan. 9 in its loss to UIC, UWM's defense rose to the occasion Jan. 11 against Youngstown State. The Panthers allowed just 56 points while forcing 17 turnovers and allowing YSU to shoot just 38.6 percent, including 28.6 percent in the first half. UWM also held YSU to just 37 percent shooting in the second game between the teams.
Big Trip
For the first time in school history, UWM swept its annual road swing to Detroit and Cleveland State. UWM's win at Detroit Jan. 2 was the first win in school history at Calihan Hall, where the Panthers were 0-7 entering the contest. It also marked just the third loss in the last 71 home games and the first this season for Detroit. Meanwhile the Panthers won for the first time since the 1999-2000 season at Cleveland. The Panthers also swept the two teams at home for the second-straight time.
Player Of The Week ... Again
Some great play in the month of December landed Dylan Page a pair of Horizon League Player of the Week awards. In winning his first award, Page averaged 27 ppg in two contests from Dec. 8-14. Then, Page averaged 28 ppg in his next two contests to win the award again the following week. He scored a career-high 32 points, and added nine rebounds, in the Dec. 21 win over Loyola. He scored 27 of his 32 points in the second half.
Paging Through The Records
Dylan Page made a habit of resetting his career high earlier this year. He scored 20 points for the first time in his career Dec. 1 in a win over Maine, then scored 25 points in a win over Valparaiso Dec. 11. He pushed his career-high to 27 points in the win at Mississippi Valley State Dec. 14 and, after scoring 24 points against Parkside Dec. 17, recorded a new career-high again Dec. 21 with 32 points against Loyola.
Providing Assistance
Senior Ronnie Jones scored 10 second-half points Dec. 1 in the win over Maine, but far more impressive was the nine-assist total he put on the board. Along with it being a career-high, Jones nearly became the first Panther to record 10 assists in a game since Cyrus Caldwell had 11 against Fairleigh Dickinson in 1997.
Record Setting
UWM scored 64 points in the second half Dec. 21 against Loyola, the most-ever points in one half by the Panthers since moving to Division I for the 1990-91 season. The previous high was 61, recorded during the 1990-91 season (Cal-State Northridge) and the 1991-92 season (UW-Oshkosh). UWM also hit the 100-point mark for the first time in two seasons. It marked the most points in a non-overtime game since 1995.
Still Sidelined
UWM has three players sitting out this season due to injury. Adrian Tigert injured his knee in the final game of the regular season last year and has sat out this season while recovering from off-season surgery. Meanwhile, junior James Wright also is sitting out the season after breaking his leg last year. Plus, senior Kalombo Kadima is redshirting this season. He has been practicing with the team but has not been dressing for games. Meanwhile, UWM also has a handful of players on the sidelines this year looking forward to cracking the rotation in 2003-04. Sophomore Joah Tucker will sit out this season after coming to UWM from Bradley while recruited walk-on Gordy Zastrow will likely redshirt this season.
Road Warriors
The home court was not something UWM got to see a great deal of early this season. Between the start of the regular season Nov. 23 and a home game Jan. 23 against Butler, UWM is played just five games at home while playing 12 games away from home. The bulk of the Panthers' home league schedule also passed in the blink of an eye, as UWM played four of its eight league home games in an eight-day period. The Panthers then wound up finishing with four-straight games on the road entering the post-season.
Toughening Up
UWM challenged itself with a non-conference slate that included three NCAA Tournament foes from a year ago, as well as two in-season tournaments. Wisconsin, Georgia and Valparaiso all made the Big Dance a season ago. As the season has progressed, UWM's schedule has proven to be a tough one. Wisconsin, Valparaiso and Mississippi Valley State are all in line to win the regular season championships of their respective conferences, while right now it appears UWM will have played at least 13 games against teams that will be in the 2003 post-season.
Tournament Titles And Honors
With its two wins in the SMS Pizza Hut Classic, UWM won an in-season Division I tournament for the first time in school history. The Panthers also hadn't won an in-season tournament in any division since 1980. Senior Clay Tucker was named the most valuable player of the tournament. Tucker averaged 19.5 ppg in the two contests, scoring 25 in the championship contest. UWM's Jason Frederick and Dylan Page joined Tucker on the all-tournament team.
Polling Place
UWM was picked to win the 2003 Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship in a poll of the league's coaches, SIDs and media members. The Panthers received 16 first-place votes and 294 points overall, 28 points better than second-place Butler. UIC, which won the league tournament last year, was picked for third, while Detroit was picked for fourth. It's the first-time ever UWM has been picked to win the league. The league poll is not the only place where the Panthers are picked to land on top of the Horizon League heap. Sporting News, Street & Smith's and Athlon Magazine are just some of the publications picking UWM to win the league title. Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and ESPN.com are two of the latest groups to add their name to the list of people picking the Panthers in the Horizon League for the 2002-2003 season. Meanwhile, Basketball News ranked UWM 43rd in its poll of the top 64 teams in the country, its highest ranking ever in any national poll.
Pre-Season Honors
Senior Clay Tucker was named a pre-season Mid-Major All-American by CollegeInsider.com. Tucker is joined on the list by fellow Horizon League performer David Bailey. A total of 21 Mid-Major players from 21 conferences were selected for the honor. Tucker was an NABC All-District 11 honoree last season and is a candidate for numerous national honors this year. Tucker and Ronnie Jones also each earned a spot on the pre-season All-Horizon League team. Tucker garnered first-team honors while Jones received second-team honors. The placements match the spots the two received on last year's post-season team.
Busting The Bracket
UWM was one of 18 teams nationally invited to compete in ESPN's "Bracket Buster Saturday," scheduled for Feb. 22. The Panthers played a road contest at Southern Illinois. The concept was developed to assist mid-major conferences in getting additional teams into the NCAA Tournament by adding a strong non-conference game to the end of the schedule.
Welcome Aboard
UWM has inked two players to National Letters of Intent to join the program for the 2003-04 season. Junior college transfer Ed McCants is rated as the second-best shooting guard in the nation and will join the Panthers from Paris JC. Meanwhile, sharpshooter Andre White from Zion-Benton High School in Zion, Ill., is rated as one of the top 15 seniors in Illinois.
Up Next
The winner of Thursday night's contest advances to a second round game Saturday. The winner of the game moves on to the West Regional in Anaheim next weekend.
