Milwaukee at DePaul Game Notes (pdf)

MILWAUKEE (4-4) at DePAUL (5-1)
DECEMBER 7, 2014 – 1 p.m. CT
ALLSTATE ARENA – ROSEMONT, ILL.
FOX SPORTS 1 – WISN (1130 AM)
 
THE OPENING TIP
• Milwaukee, which has won three of its last four games, aims for its first true road win of the 2014-15 season Sunday when it makes a short trip to Rosemont, Ill., to face DePaul. A win would give the Panthers their third straight.
 
• Although Milwaukee is still in search of its first true road win this season, it hasn't found life to be that rough. In two true road contests, the Panthers are averaging 70.5 points per game and shooting 50 percent (57-for-114) from the field. Milwaukee is putting up 68.0 ppg, but knocking down only 40 percent (84-for-209) of its shots at home this season. A year ago, Milwaukee won 10 true road games, the most since
 
• Defense has keyed the Panthers' wins this season as they are surrendering only 55.2 ppg and limiting opponents to just 35 percent (81-for-231) from the field. In defeats, those figures jump to 76.0 ppg, and 46 percent (96-for-207) from the field.
 
• 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, 6.0 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.6 spg and 0.9 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. Through games of December 4, McWhorter was the only player in the Horizon League to rank in the top eight in the conference in scoring, rebounding and assists.
 
• Milwaukee has prevailed the last nine times it has held an opponent to fewer than 60 points, with the last loss coming at Wright State (53-51) on January 5, 2013.
 
ABOUT THE BLUE DEMONS
At 5-1, DePaul is off to its best start since 2009-10. Under the direction of head coach Oliver Purnell, who is in his fifth season in Lincoln Park, the Blue Demons are averaging 79.2 points per game and shooting a healthy 49 percent from the field as a team. A week ago, DePaul earned an 87-72 victory over Stanford, which reached the NCAA Sweet 16 last season, and the Demons, who will be playing their fourth game in eight days, are coming off an 84-60 victory at Chicago State on December 4. Junior forward Myke Henry, a transfer from the University of Illinois, leads four Blue Demons scoring in double figures, with 17.3 ppg.
 
SERIES STUFF
The Panthers and Blue Demons are meeting for the 14th time in a series led by DePaul, 12-1. Milwaukee is seeking its first win in the series since an 87-76 victory on December 5, 2011. When the teams hooked up in Milwaukee last season, Cleveland Melvin scored 20 points and DePaul shot 61 percent from the field in the second half to collect an 80-71 victory. Matt Tiby led the Panthers with 20 points and 11 boards, while Kyle Kelm (16) and Austin Arians (10) also scored in double digits. Milwaukee is 15-92 (.140) all-time against current members of the Big East Conference.
 
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 eight 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 returned to action versus UMKC after missing two games due to a hand injury, has cooled off and accounted for just 25 total points (5.0 ppg) and shot 20 percent (8-for-41) from the field in his last five appearances. In two true road games this season, he is posting 14.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 2.0 apg.
 
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. 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 7.8 ppg and 5.5 rpg through eight games this season and has scored in double figures three times. Last year versus DePaul, he totaled 20 points and 11 boards and in six career December games has put up 13.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 2.2 apg. With 11 points and 11 boards versus UMKC Wednesday night, he registered his first double-double of the season and the Panthers are now 6-1 in his career when he totals 10 or more points and rebounds.
 
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 20 occasions in his UWM career and the Panthers are 15-5 in those contests. A starter in all 42 of his appearances as a Panther, McWhorter is putting up 18.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 4.0 apg and 1.9 spg, while shooting 54 percent (45-for-83) from the field and 37 percent (13-for-35) from three-point range in the last seven games. He has scored in double figures in a career-best seven straight outings and has also hit at least one three-pointer in each of the last seven games. McWhorter, who tallied five points and six rebounds against DePaul last November, is coming off a 17-point, nine-rebound performance in Wednesday's win over UMKC. 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, 7.5 rpg and 4.0 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 eight games this year and is shooting an amazing 51 percent (18-for-35) 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 179 minutes of action, has hit 13 of his last 22 (.591) three-point attempts, and in his career Milwaukee is 6-0 when he scores in double digits. In his last two appearances, Wichmann is producing 12.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg and shooting 57 percent (8-for-14) from the field and 60 percent (6-for-10) from long distance. 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. Wichmann is coming off an 11-point effort against UMKC.
 
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 eight games this season and in two true road contests this year is collecting 9.5 ppg and 2.5 spg, while hitting 50 percent of his shots from both the field (8-for-16) and beyond the arc (3-for-6). In his last nine starts, Lyle has contributed 9.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.2 spg and converted 46 percent (32-for-70) of his shots. He snapped out of a bit of a funk by totaling nine points, all in the first half, against UMKC on December 3 and hit two threes, the first time he has drained more than one triple since the season opener at Auburn. 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 13 of his last 18 (.722) 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 55 percent (36-for-65) of their free tosses through the first three games of the season. Since then, Milwaukee has connected on 76 percent (76-for-100) of its attempts from the charity stripe to boost its season percentage to .679 (112-for-165).
 
WHITE HOT
Trinson White is showing signs of becoming more comfortable in the offense and of being a key contributor this season. The junior started two games in place of an injured Akeem Springs and is averaged 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 7.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 1.0 apg in his last four outings and in two games away from home is tallying 8.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 1.5apg. He totaled a season-high 12 points and seven boards versus Concordia-St. Paul.
 
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 is contributing 7.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg and shooting 60 percent (6-for-10) from three-point distance in the last four games. His nine points versus UMKC were his most since the opener against Auburn (11). In four games away from home, Jordan is shooting a robust 59 percent (10-for-17). Milwaukee is 3-1 when he scores seven or more points.
 
PANOSKE PRODUCES
Junior J.J. Panoske has gotten off to a solid start this season, averaging 6.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.1 apg and 1.0 bpg through the first eight games. The 6-foot-10 forward, who is putting up 7.0 ppg and 2.0 rpg, while shooting 55 percent (6-for-11) in two true road games this year, had nine points and four blocks against DePaul 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 50 percent (5-for-10) of his triple tries at home.
 
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.