Feb. 29, 2004

MILWAUKEE - One day after claiming the outright Horizon League regular season championship, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's basketball team has a few more honors to tuck away in the trophy case.

Dylan Page has been named the Horizon League Player of the Year, the first Panther to ever receive the honor. Teammate Ed McCants was named the League's Newcomer of the Year, also a first for a UWM men's basketball player. Page and McCants each earned spots on the All-Horizon League First Team, while McCants joins Joah Tucker on the League's All-Newcomer Team.

The award-winners were announced today by the league office after balloting by Horizon League head coaches, sports information directors and media members.

"I'm very happy for the players. They are all very deserving," UWM head coach Bruce Pearl said. "Dylan is the best player in the conference and Ed was the best newcomer. I would have probably placed Joah among the top 10 players in the league, too, but to have him be just a sophomore is very exciting."

Page, a 6-foot-9 senior from Amherst, Wis., is the Horizon League's leading scorer and ranks in the top 10 in the league in seven statistical categories. A National Association of Basketball Coaches First-Team All-District 11 honoree, Page has now held or shared team-high scoring honors 20 times this season. He has been in double figures in scoring in all 27 games this year and in 59 of his last 61 contests while scoring 20 or more points 17 times this season. He has been named the Horizon League Player of the Week twice and has three double-doubles this season and five for his career. His career point total now stands at 1,305, making him one of just seven Panthers to have passed the 1,000-point barrier since UWM moved back to the Division I ranks in 1990.

McCants, a transfer guard from Paris Junior College, ranks second on the team and fourth in the Horizon League in scoring. He leads the league in three-point field goals made and stands sixth in three-point field goal percentage. His 85 three-point baskets this season are the third-most in a single season in school history. He has scored 20 or more points 11 times this season and has been in double figures in 24 of 27 games. McCants also has a team-high 33 steals and ranks third on the team with 13 blocks.

Tucker, a transfer from Bradley, won Horizon League Player of the Week honors after just one game in a Panther uniform with a 22-point outing in the season opener and finished the regular season third on the team and ninth in the Horizon League in scoring. He also ranks fifth in the league in field goal percentage and 16th in rebounding. During league play, Tucker made his mark with back-to-back Saturday efforts of 20 points at UW-Green Bay Jan. 17 and a career-best 26 points at Detroit Jan. 24.

UWM (18-9, 13-3) clinched its first-ever outright Horizon League regular season title Saturday night with an 88-63 win over Cleveland State. The Panthers will be the top seed for the Horizon League Tournament, which starts Tuesday. UWM will not have to play until Saturday at 4:30 p.m. CST against an opponent to be determined.

2003-04 All-Horizon League First-Team: Dylan Page, Milwaukee, 6-9, Sr. Ed McCants, Milwaukee, G, 6-3, Jr. Cedrick Banks, UIC, G, 6-2, Sr. Seth Doliboa, Wright State, F, 6-7, Sr. Paul McMillan, Loyola, F, 6-6, Sr.

2003-2004 All-Horizon League Second-Team: Martell Bailey, UIC, G, 5-10, Sr. Elijah Warren, Detroit, G, 6-5, Sr. Vernard Hollins, Wright State, G, 6-2, Sr. Mike Monserez, Butler, F, 6-6, Sr. Brandon Morris, UW-Green Bay, G, 6-1, Jr.

Horizon League Player of the Year: Dylan Page, Milwaukee

Horizon League Coach of the Year: Paul Biancardi, Wright State

2003-04 Horizon League All-Newcomer Team: Ed McCants, Milwaukee, G, 6-3, Jr. Joah Tucker, Milwaukee, F, 6-5, So. Omari Westley, Cleveland State, F, 6-7, Jr. DaShaun Wood, Wright State, G, 6-0, Fr. Brandon Morris, UW-Green Bay, G, Jr.

Horizon League Newcomer of the Year: Ed McCants, Milwaukee