Game Notes (pdf)

MILWAUKEE VS. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
NOVEMBER 24, 2014 - 3 P.M. PT
LAS VEGAS, NEV. - WISN (1130 AM)

THE OPENING TIP
• Milwaukee looks to snap a two-game slide when it takes on Louisiana-Lafayette Monday afternoon as part of the MGM Grand Main Event in Las Vegas. The Panthers will also face Oral Roberts Wednesday as part of the tournament.
 
• In two games away from home this season, Milwaukee is shooting 50 percent (57-for-114) from the field and 37 percent (16-for-43) from three-point range. In two home games, the Panthers are converting 41 percent (47-for-112) of their attempts from the field and 38 percent (19-for-50) from long range.
 
• Milwaukee is 4-2 in its last six games played on neutral floors.
 
• Over his last three games, guard Steve McWhorter has filled up the stat sheet to the tune of 18.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 0.7 steals per contest. In addition, the 6-foot-2 senior has shot a scorching 56 percent (20-for-26) form the field, 43 percent (6-for-14) from three-point territory and 80 percent (8-for-10) from the charity stripe.
 
• The Panthers have shot the basketball substantially better in the second half of games this season, knocking down 51 percent (57-for-112) of their field goal attempts compared to 41 percent (47-for-114) in the opening 20 minutes of games.
 
•In its last three regular-season road games, Milwaukee is averaging 69.7 ppg and shooting 52 percent (83-for-161) from the field.
 
• Milwaukee is looking to avoid its first 1-4 start to a season since 2006-07.
 
ABOUT THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
After collecting a season-opening victory versus Louisiana College, the Ragin' Cajuns have dropped their last two contests and are coming off a 105-80 setback at Auburn Friday night. Louisiana averages 72.7 ppg, but has only one player scoring in double figures - forward Brian Williams (12.7 ppg), who also leads the team with 6.0 rpg. Seven players are contributing at least 5.0 ppg this season. The Ragin' Cajuns are shooting just a tick under 50 percent (49.7) from the field as a team, but have connected on only 27 percent of their three-point attempts and are committing 22.0 turnovers per contest.
 
SERIES STUFF
This is the first-ever meeting between Milwaukee and Louisiana, but the Panthers are 6-8 all-time versus current members of the Sun Belt Conference. In its last game versus a Sun Belt Conference foe, Milwaukee came up on the short end of a 59-43 decision at UALR on November 19, 2012.
 
TERRIFIC TURNAROUND
After winning only eight games in 2012-13, Milwaukee engineered the best turnaround in the nation in 2013-14 by posting 21 victories for a 13-game improvement in the win column. Milwaukee has now won 20 or more games four times under Rob Jeter and seven times in the last 12 years.
 
MINIMIZING THE MISCUES
Through the first three games of the season, Milwaukee committed only 27 turnovers (9.0 per game) and in last Monday's win versus Minnesota-Crookston coughed the ball up a mere six times, the lowest total since December 13, 2011 at Wisconsin (6). The Panthers turned the ball over 17 times at Oklahoma State Friday night, but only four times in the second half of that contest.
 
SPRINGS FEVER
Sophomore Akeem Springs got his Milwaukee career off to an impressive start in the season opener at Auburn on November 14. The transfer from Northern Illinois totaled 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists at Auburn after leading the team with 15 points in the exhibition victory over UW-Platteville on November 6. Springs is the second Panther newcomer in as many years to score 20 or more points in his debut in the Black and Gold. Last season, Matt Tiby poured in 21 points in the season opener at Loyola Chicago. Springs, who contributed 7.7 ppg at Northern Illinois in 2012-13, got off to a fast start that season as well, averaging 11.0 ppg over the first nine games. His play stood out to Rob Jeter that year as Springs narrowly missed out on a double-double with 21 points and nine rebounds against his current team. Since getting off to that great start at Auburn, Springs has cooled off and accounted for 7.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 1.7 apg, while hitting 23 percent (7-for-30) of his field goal tries. In nine career games played in November, Springs is accounting for 10.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 1.4 apg.
 
WE'RE COMING HOME AGAIN
Following Wednesday's game versus Oral Roberts at the MGM Grand Main Event, Milwaukee will play four of its next five games at home in Milwaukee, beginning with a Dec. 3 matchup with UMKC.
 
TIBY TIME
Junior Matt Tiby is primed for a big season in 2014-15. The emotional leader of the Panthers squad, the 6-foot-8 forward made an immediate impact in his first season of Division I basketball last year, ranking third on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg), while leading the club in rebounding (6.5 rpg). Tiby, who scored in double figures on 24 occasions in 2013-14, got his season off to a hot start a year ago, pitching in 17.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg through the first four games. A 2015 Preseason Second Team All-Horizon League selection, the Urbandale, Iowa native recorded six double-doubles a year ago and scored in double figures on 24 occasions, five times topping the 20-point mark. Milwaukee went 5-1 last season when he posted a double-double. Earlier this month, Tiby was named to the Lou Henson Award Watch List. The award is presented annually to the NCAA Division I Mid-Major Player of the Year and Tiby is one of three Horizon League players - Keifer Sykes (Green Bay) and Tyler Lewis (Cleveland State) are the others - on the watch list. Tiby has only averaged 16.0 minutes per game this season and in four career games at neutral sites is pitching 13.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 1.8 apg.
 
ON POINT
Redshirt senior Steve McWhorter's play was instrumental in the Panthers making a late-season run a year ago. A veteran who serves as coach on the floor, the Racine, Wis., native averaged 7.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.0 apg and 1.5 spg last year. Not known as a big scorer, McWhorter has scored in double digits on 16 occasions in his UWM career and the Panthers are 12-4 in those contests. In 2013-14, he started all 35 games and through the first five outings of the season, pitched in 10.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.2 apg and 1.4 spg, while connecting on 59 percent (20-for-34) of his field goal tries. Over the last three contests, McWhorter has asserted himself at the offensive end of the floor and is collecting 18.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 5.3 apg, 1.3 bpg and 0.7 spg. Wednesday night versus IUPUI he netted a career-best 19 points and in his last six games, owns a 3.2 assist-to-turnover ratio (29-9). Friday night, he tossed in 18 points and pitched in six rebounds and a career-high-tying nine assists at Oklahoma State. McWhorter is shooting 56 percent (20-for-36) from the field in the last three games. In three seasons on active rosters at both Indiana State and Milwaukee, McWhorter has helped his team reach the postseason on three occasions (2 NCAA, 1 CIT).
 
CODY CONTRIBUTES
After putting up 2.5 ppg as a freshman in 2013-14, Cody Wichmann has shouldered a bigger load in the early portion of the 2014-15 campaign and has responded in great fashion. Seeing more minutes due to the absence of Austin Arians, the sophomore sharpshooter is putting up 8.3 ppg and shooting 50 percent (11-for-22) from the field, while hitting at least one three-pointer in all four contests. Wichmann, who dropped in a season-high 10 points versus Minnesota-Crookston last Monday night, has yet to commit a turnover in 79 minutes of action this season and in addition to registering nine points at Oklahoma State Friday night, also corralled a career-best five rebounds.
 
K.C. MASTERPIECE
Kansas City, Mo., native J.R. Lyle has gotten his junior campaign off to a strong start. The 6-foot-2 guard has started all four games this season and ranks second on the team with 11.8 ppg. Lyle, who has scored in double digits twice this year and five times in his last 13 contests dating back to last season, is active at both ends of the floor. In addition to his scoring average, which ranks second on the club, Lyle is tops on the squad with eight total steals (2.0 spg) and he is knocking down 50 percent (17-for-34) of his shots from the field. Dating back to last season, in his last five starting assignments, Lyle is contributing 13.4 ppg, 1.8 apg and 2.0 spg, while sinking 53 percent (26-for-49) of his attempts from the field and 39 percent (7-for-18) from three-point territory.
 
SITTING THIS ONE OUT
In addition to Scotty Tyler, a transfer from Idaho State University, who must sit out the 2014-15 season due to NCAA rules, Milwaukee junior forward Austin Arians and freshman guards Brock Stull and Derek Rongstad will redshirt. Arians averaged 11.1 ppg and drained 67 three-pointers a year ago. A tremendous all-around athlete who also was a standout football player at Boylan Catholic High School in Rockford, Ill., Stull totaled 1,194 points in his prep career. Meanwhile, Rongstad was a prolific three-point shooter during his prep career at Middleton High School in Middleton, Wis., connecting on 105 triples.
 
NAME GAME
The 2014-15 season will be Milwaukee's first in the newly named UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, which was previously know as U.S. Cellular Arena. In June, the University entered into a 10-year partnership agreement with the Wisconsin Center District that includes the naming rights to the facility and a long-term downtown home for the Panthers. UWM will also host major concerts and other programming at the arena.
 
FROM THE HARDWOOD TO THE GRIDIRON
Former Milwaukee forward Demetrius Harris has joined the likes of former college basketball players Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham and made a career as a tight end in the National Football League. The 6-foot-7 Harris, who starred at UWM for two seasons (2011-13), was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs' practice squad last year before earning a spot on the active roster this season. Before breaking his foot in pregame warm-ups on November 9, he had appeared in eight games this year and caught three passes for 20 yards. Harris averaged 9.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game at Milwaukee in 2012-13 and is the first Panther to play in the NFL since 1983.
 
JORDAN RULES
Freshman guard Justin Jordan brings some interesting bloodlines to the Milwaukee program. The Davidson, N.C., native is the son of Larry Jordan and the nephew of former NBA great, six-time NBA champion, Hall of Famer and current Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan. Justin played last season at Hargrave Military Academy and contributed 13 points, eight assists and four steals per game. In the season opener at Auburn, he showed the poise of a veteran, totaling 11 points, three rebounds and three assists off the bench to become the first Panther true freshman since Tony Meier in 2008 to score 10 or more points in a season opener. That effort earned him Horizon League Freshman of the Week honors and he followed that up with a team-high-tying seven rebounds off the bench last Monday versus Minnesota-Crookston. Jordan is posting 6.5 ppg and 2.5 rpg in two games away from home this season.
 
PANOSKE PRODUCES
Junior J.J. Panoske has started the first four games and in addition to shooting a staggering 58 percent (14-for-24) from the field, the 6-foot-10 forward has drained 5 of 10 shots from beyond the arc. In Milwaukee's last three outings, the Brodhead, Wis., native is tallying 9.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.7 apg and 1.3 bpg, while shooting 55 percent (12-for-22). The big man has knocked down at least one three-point field in each of the Panthers' four games this season and in two road games, is producing 7.0 ppg and 2.0 rpg. Over his last eight appearances in the month of November dating back to last season, Panoske is tallying 7.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg and 1.9 bpg.
 
HOW SWEET IT WAS
The 2014-15 season marks the 10-year anniversary of Milwaukee's magical run to the NCAA Sweet 16. Led by the play of Ed McCants, Joah Tucker and Adrian Tigert, the Panthers knocked off Alabama and Boston College in the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national runner-up Illinois. Two members of Rob Jeter's current staff - Chris Hill and Allan Hanson - were on that Sweet 16 squad. Milwaukee finished the year with a 26-6 overall record and a No. 23 ranking in the final ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Poll.