Milwaukee vs. UMKC Game Notes (pdf)

MILWAUKEE (3-4) vs. UMKC (3-4)
DECEMBER 3, 2014 – 7 P.M.
MILWAUKEE, WIS. – UWM PANTHER ARENA
WISN (1130 AM) – TIME WARNER CABLE SPORTSCHANNEL – ESPN3
 
THE OPENING TIP
• The Panthers wrap up a brief two-game homestand when they host UMKC Wednesday night. Dating back to last season, Milwaukee, which is 2-1 at home this year, has won four of its last five home games in the month of December, including each of the last three.
 
• Milwaukee's defense has been much stingier of late after surrendering 72.2 points per game and seeing opponents shoot 45 percent (93-for-209) from the field and 46 percent (28-for-61) from three-point distance through the first four outings of the season. However, over the last three contests, the Panthers have held their foes to 60.0 ppg, 37 percent (62-for-167) from the field and 36 percent (15-for-42) from beyond the arc.
 
• Sticking with the defensive theme, Milwaukee is yielding just 55.0 ppg and holding the opposition to a meager 35 percent (59-for-169) shooting in its three wins this season. The Panthers have prevailed in eight consecutive games when holding opponents to fewer than 60 points.
 
• Though it is very early in the season, senior Steve McWhorter should be in the discussion for Horizon League Player of the Year honors if he continues his torrid pace. The 6-foot-2 guard is putting up 16.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.8 spg and 0.7 bpg this season and is attempting to become the first Panther since Clay Tucker in 2001-02 (17.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.0 apg) to lead the team in scoring, rebounding and assists in the same season. In the Panthers' last four home games, McWhorter is producing 17.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.5 apg and 1.5 spg, while shooting 52 percent (23-for-44) from the field and 47 percent (9-for-19) from three-point land.
 
• No opponent has shot better than 37 percent from the field at UWM Panther Arena this season.
 
ABOUT THE KANGAROOS
UMKC halted a three-game losing streak by defeating William Jewell, 84-44, on Saturday night. Prior to the William Jewell contest, the Kangaroos dropped a 66-63 decision to Youngstown State. Sophomore Martez Harrison (18.3 ppg) is the lone UMKC player scoring in double figures and the 5-foot-11 guard has made a living going to the foul line, having made 57 trips there already this season (8.1 per game). Junior forward Shayok Shayok, a transfer from Bradley, is pulling down a team-best 7.8 rpg and ranks second to Harrison with 9.2 ppg.
 
SERIES STUFF
This is the 11th meeting between the Panthers and Kangaroos and each team has won five games in the series that dates back to 1989. Milwaukee has claimed the last two encounters between the teams, including an 84-79 victory in Kansas City last November. Jordan Aaron poured in 33 points and the Panthers shot a whopping 65 percent (26-for-40) from the field, the second-highest mark in school history, in a game that featured 53 total fouls. The Panthers are 2-2 against the Kangaroos in games played in Milwaukee. Against current members of the Western Athletic Conference, Milwaukee is 15-6 all-time, with all 11 of the other meetings coming versus Chicago State.
 
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.
 
FILL MY EYES WITH THAT DOUBLE-DOUBLE VISION
Although the season is only seven games old, a pair of Panthers has already recorded double-doubles. Interestingly enough, the two players to accomplish the feat are both guards - Steve McWhorter and Cody Wichmann. In a victory over Louisiana on November 24, McWhorter totaled 18 points and equaled a career high with 10 rebounds. Not to be outdone, sophomore Cody Wichmann came off the bench to produce a career-high-tying 13 points, while also ripping down a personal-best 11 rebounds against Concordia-St. Paul on November 29. Wichmann is the first Panther to record a double-double off the bench since Kaylon Williams (14 points, 10 assists) versus TCU on March 13, 2012, and his 11 boards are the most by a Milwaukee guard since Jan. 7, 2012, when Ryan Allen corralled 12 misfires against Green Bay.
 
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, who has missed the last two games with a hand injury, has cooled off and accounted for 5.5 ppg (23 total points), 4.8 rpg and 1.3 apg, while hitting 21 percent (7-for-33) of his field goal tries. After misfiring on his first seven attempts from long range this season, the Waukegan, Ill., native has knocked down 3 of his last 9 (.333) from three-point territory.
 
TIBY TIME
The emotional leader of the Panthers squad, Matt Tiby got his 2013-14 season off to a hot start a year ago, pitching in 17.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg through the first four games, but hasn't come out of the starting blocks quite as fast this season. 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. Last 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 is averaging 7.3 ppg and 4.7 rpg through seven games this season and has scored in double figures twice. Last year versus UMKC, he totaled 12 points and 2 boards and in five December games in 2013, put up 14.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 2.0 apg. In his last six home games versus non-Horizon League foes, the 6-foot-8 forward is producing 11.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 2.3 apg, while shooting 49 percent (23-for-47) from the field.
 
STEVIE WONDERFUL
Redshirt senior Steve McWhorter is having an outstanding start to the 2014-15 campaign. Not known as a big scorer, McWhorter has scored in double digits on 19 occasions in his UWM career and the Panthers are 14-5 in those contests. A starter in all 41 of his appearances as a Panther, McWhorter is putting up 18.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.5 apg and 2.3 spg, while shooting 57 percent (26-for-46) from the field and 37 percent (7-for-19) from three-point range in the last four games. He has scored in double figures in a career-best six straight outings and has also hit at least one three-pointer in each of the last half dozen games. McWhorter, who tallied nine points, three steals and three assists at UMKC a year ago, is coming off a 17-point performance in Saturday's win over Concordia-St. Paul. A winner in every sense of the word, 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). He is accounting for 17.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 3.0 apg and 2.0 spg in Milwaukee's wins this year.
 
CODY CONTRIBUTES
With Austin Arians on the sidelines as a redshirt this season, sophomore Cody Wichmann has shouldered more of a load and has responded in fine fashion after logging only 6.8 minutes and 2.4 ppg a year ago. The 6-foot-5 guard has knocked down at least one three-point field goal in all seven games this year and is shooting an admirable 48 percent (15-for-31) from beyond the arc. Wichmann, who did not commit a turnover in the first four games of the season and has coughed the ball up just three times in 154 minutes of action, has hit 10 of his last 18 (.556) three-point attempts, and in his career Milwaukee is 5-0 when he scores in double digits. In his last four games at UWM Panther Arena, the Pulaski, Wis., native is tallying 10.8 ppg and 4.0 rpg, while shooting 54 percent (13-for-24) from the field. In Saturday's win versus Concordia-St. Paul, he registered his first career double-double with 13 points and 11 boards. He came into that game with just 13 rebounds this season. One year after shooting 29 percent (4-for-14) from three-point range at home, Wichmann has hiked that figure to 47 percent (7-for-15) this season.
 
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 seven games this season and dating back to last year is pitching in 9.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.5 apg and 1.3 spg, while shooting 48 percent (13-for-27) from the field in his last four games at Panther Arena. In his last eight starts, Lyle has contributed 9.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.3 spg and converted 46 percent (23-for-60) of his shots. He is looking to break out of a bit of an offensive funk during which he has managed only 4.0 ppg on 21 percent (3-for-14) shooting in the last three contests. Through the first four games of the season, Lyle put up 11.8 ppg and hit 50 percent (17-for-34) of his field goal tries. He has converted 12 of his last 17 (.706) attempts from the foul line.
 
SITTING THIS ONE OUT
Four Panthers will sit out the 2014-15 season - freshmen Derek Rongstad and Brock Stull, sophomore Scotty Tyler, who is a transfer from Idaho State University, and junior Austin Arians, who averaged 11.1 ppg and shot a team-best 37 percent (65-for-177) from three-point range a year ago.
 
LAND OF THE FREE
The Panthers have reversed their fortunes at the free throw line after converting only 51 percent (33-for-65) of their free tosses through the first three games of the season. Since then, Milwaukee has connected on 77 percent (63-for-82) of its attempts from the charity stripe to boost its season percentage to .673 (99-for-147).
 
WHITE HOT
Trinson White is showing signs of becoming more comfortable in the offense and of being a key contributor this season. The junior has started the last two games in place of an injured Akeem Springs and is averaging 9.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg in those contests. After managing only 0.3 ppg and 0.3 rpg in his first three appearances, the 6-foot-5 swing man is putting up 9.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 1.3 apg in his last three outings and is coming off a game against Concordia-St. Paul in which he posted season highs of 12 points and seven boards.
 
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. Jordan has contributed 7.0 ppg off the bench in the last three games after posting 1.7 ppg in the previous three contests. He has hit four of his last six attempts from three-point range and Milwaukee is 2-1 when he scores seven or more points.
 
PANOSKE PRODUCES
Junior J.J. Panoske has gotten off to a solid start this season, averaging 7.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 1.1 apg through the first seven games. The 6-foot-10 forward, who is putting up 9.3 ppg and 5.0 rpg, 1.7 apg and 1.0 bpg, while shooting 50 percent (11-for-22) at Panther Arena this year, had six points and three rebounds at UMKC in the last meeting between the teams. Milwaukee is 2-0 this season when Panoske knocks down two or more three-point field goals and the Brodhead, Wis., native is knocking down 56 percent (5-for-9) of his triple tries at home. He totaled eight points against Concordia-St. Paul last Saturday and is posting 8.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg and 1.1 bpg in his last seven home games versus non-Horizon League foes.
 
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.