Milwaukee vs. Green Bay Game Notes (pdf)

MILWAUKEE (5-11, 0-2) vs. GREEN BAY (12-3, 1-0)
JANUARY 9, 2015 – 8 P.M.
MILWAUKEE, WIS. – UWM PANTHER ARENA
ESPNU – WISN (AM 1130)
 
THE OPENING TIP
• Milwaukee returns home after a month away from UWM Panther Arena as it plays host to Horizon League rival Green Bay Friday night in a rematch of last season's Horizon League Championship Semifinal Round matchup. The Panthers are in search of their first win since a 73-58 decision over Montana on December 14. Last season, Milwaukee averaged 77.3 points per game and shot 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range in three contests against the Phoenix.
 
• The Panthers have struggled with their shooting of late, but last Sunday's game at Detroit hopefully is a sign of better fortunes when it comes to putting the ball in the basket. Milwaukee connected on 47 percent of its field-goal tries against the Titans, its best mark since November 26 versus Oral Roberts (48 percent).
 
• Defense has keyed the Panthers' wins this season as they are surrendering only 55.8 points per game and limiting opponents to just 37 percent (103-for-279) from the field. In defeats, those figures jump to 79.6 ppg and 50 percent (313-for-626) from the field.
 
• Matt Tiby has scored in double figures in each of the last seven games, the second-longest stretch of his career, surpassed only by a 12-game run, November 30, 2013 - January 18, 2014. Over those last seven outings, the junior forward is notching 16.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
 
• Milwaukee has prevailed the last 10 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. The Panthers have limited opponents to fewer than 60 points in each of their five wins this season.
 
ABOUT THE PHOENIX
Green Bay, the 2014-15 Horizon League preseason favorite, carries a three-game winning streak into Friday's game against Milwaukee and it has prevailed in seven of its last eight outings. The Phoenix is led by do-it-all senior guard and 2013-14 Horizon League Player of the Year Keifer Sykes. A Chicago native, Sykes is putting up 17.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Milwaukee native Carrington Love ranks second on the club and is the only other Green Bay player in double figures with 10.4 ppg. As a team, the Phoenix ranks first in the Horizon League in scoring defense (57.2 ppg) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.295), while ranking second in field goal percentage defense (.382).
 
SERIES STUFF
Rivals Milwaukee and Green Bay are meeting for the 54th time in a series that dates back to 1971. The Phoenix leads the all-time series, 30-23, but the Panthers have emerged victorious the last two times the teams have met. Close games have been the norm in this series and 12 of the last 19 games have been decided by seven points or less. Milwaukee has won 12 of the last 16 games against Green Bay in Brew Town, but has dropped the last two since a 64-63 victory on January 7, 2012. Last season, the teams played three incredibly thrilling games, two of which went to overtime, with the road team winning each time. The last time the teams hooked up, the fifth-seeded Panthers disposed of No. 1 seed Green Bay, 73-66, in overtime at the Resch Center in the semifinal round of the Horizon League Championship. In that outing, Milwaukee held Green Bay to 35 percent shooting and received 28 points from Jordan Aaron, while Matt Tiby added 15 points and 10 rebounds, en route to the win.
 
SPRINGS FEVER
Earlier this season, Akeem Springs was hampered by a hand injury that impacted his play for the better part of a month. However, the transfer from Northern Illinois appears to have turned the corner with his play over the last six contests. In the Panthers' victory against Montana on December 14, Springs came off the bench to register 14 points, on 4 of 7 shooting, in only 20 minutes of action, for his best output since dazzling with 21 points in the season opener at Auburn. He is contributing 8.8 ppg and shooting 48 percent (15-for-31) from the field and 50 percent (7-for-14) from three-point range in the Panthers' last six outings after managing just 1.5 ppg on 5 percent (1-for-19) shooting from the field in his previous four appearances. Springs has buried 18 of his last 24 (.750) tries from the charity stripe after opening the year by hitting 9 of his first 17 (.529) foul shots. He returned to the starting lineup on January 4 at Detroit for his first starting nod since December 7 versus DePaul and responded with 11 points, five boards and a pair of assists. In eight starts this season, Springs is tallying 7.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 1.6 apg.
 
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. On February 22, the first 1,000 fans to arrive for Milwaukee's game versus Cleveland State will receive a free Demetrius Harris bobblehead.
 
TIBY TIME
The Panthers' emotional leader, Matt Tiby has rebounded from a slow start to show the form that made him one of the top forwards in the Horizon League a season ago. Over the last seven outings, the 6-foot-8 forward is pitching in 16.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.6 apg and shooting 42 percent (33-for-79) from the field after managing 7.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.9 apg and 37 percent (21-for-57) through the first nine contests. 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. Earlier this season, 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 11.4 ppg and 7.1 rpg through 16 games this season and has scored in double figures 10 times, including in each of the last seven outings. He is contributing 13.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg and 3.6 apg in his last three home games and has knocked down 37 of his last 41 (.902) attempts from the free throw line. With 15 points and 14 boards, the second-highest total of his career, at South Dakota, he registered his third double-double of the season and Milwaukee is now 7-2 in his career when he totals 10 or more points and rebounds. Tiby, who scored a season-high 20 points and ripped down nine boards at Detroit on January 4, has hit 9 of his last 23 (.391) three-point attempts after opening the year 6-for-24 (.250). He got off to a hot start in Horizon League play a year ago, averaging 15.7 ppg and 6.3 rpg, while draining 51 percent (28-for-55) of his field-goal tries through the first half dozen conference contests. In three games versus the Phoenix last season, Tiby produced 14.3 ppg and 7.7 rpg and had 15 points and 10 rebounds in the Horizon League Championship Semifinal Round win at Green Bay.
 
STEVIE WONDERFUL
Redshirt senior Steve McWhorter is having an outstanding 2014-15 campaign. McWhorter has scored in double digits on 26 occasions in his UWM career and the Panthers are 16-10 in those contests. A starter in all 51 of his appearances as a Panther, McWhorter registered his second double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 boards at SIU Edwardsville on December 20. He has hit at least one three-pointer in 14 of the team's 16 games this season and has scored in double digits in 13 of the last 15 outings. 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 16.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.8 apg and 1.6 spg in Milwaukee's wins this year and earlier this season poured in a career-high 21 points versus Oral Roberts. Milwaukee is 0-3 this season when he has failed to score at least 10 points. After averaging 7.8 ppg last season, McWhorter leads the Panthers with 14.1 ppg this year, and he is posting 15.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.8 apg and 1.2 spg, while shooting 50 percent (31-for-62) from the field and 38 percent (11-for-29) from three-point land at home in 2014-15. In three meetings with Green Bay last season, he put up 8.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.7 apg and 1.0 spg, and totaled 10 points and seven assists in the game at Panther Arena.
 
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 but two games this season and is shooting 38 percent (27-for-72) from beyond the arc. Wichmann, who has coughed the ball up just eight times in 393 minutes of action this season, scored 10 points at South Dakota on December 28 in his first-ever starting nod. In his career, Milwaukee is 6-1 when he scores in double digits. His play has helped the Panthers to victory this season as he is contributing 8.6 ppg and knocking down 48 percent (14-for-29) of his field-goal tries and 50 percent (11-for-22) of his three-point attempts in UWM's wins. In a November 29 victory versus Concordia-St. Paul, he registered his first career double-double with 13 points and 11 boards. Defenses have keyed on Wichmann of late, limiting him to 4.4 ppg on 24 percent (9-for-37) shooting from beyond the arc in the last eight contests after he went for 8.9 ppg on 51 percent (18-for-35) shooting from long distance in the previous eight outings. In his last two appearances at Panther Arena, the Pulaski, Wis., native is springing for 10.5 ppg and shooting 54 percent (14-for-26) from the field and 53 percent (10-for-19) from long range.
 
K.C. MASTERPIECE
Kansas City, Mo., native J.R. Lyle, is averaging 10.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.0 apg and 1.0 spg in the last three home games. The 6-foot-2 guard has scored in double digits on five occasions this season and is coming off a 12-point performance at Detroit on January 4. The junior, who has knocked down 21 of his last 30 (.700) attempts from the charity stripe, is contributing 9.7 ppg, 1.0 rpg and 1.5 apg, while shooting 52 percent (23-for-44) from the field in his last six regular-season Horizon League appearances. Lyle is accounting for 9.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg and 1.1 apg in his last 16 starting assignments dating back to last season.
 
PANTHERS GET CHARITABLE
Milwaukee has reversed its fortunes at the foul line, shooting a healthy 76 percent (196-for-258) over the last 12 contests. Through the first three games of 2014-15, the Panthers knocked down just 55 percent (36-for-65) of their charity throws. J.J. Panoske (.840) is one of four Milwaukee players shooting 75 percent or higher from the free throw line this season.
 
WHERE DID THE "O" GO?
During its current five-game losing skid, Milwaukee has shot just 36 (95-for-265) from the field and 22 percent (25-for-113) from three-point territory, while averaging 58.8 points and 15.2 turnovers. In the first 11 games of 2014-15, UWM averaged 65.7 ppg and shot 43 percent.
 
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. In the season opener at Auburn, Justin 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. In the Panthers' wins, he is tallying 5.4 ppg and shooting 42 percent (5-for-12) from three-point land.
 
PANOSKE PRODUCES
Forward J.J. Panoske has developed into a productive force at the offensive end of the floor this season after averaging just 3.2 ppg in 2013-14. The 6-foot-10 junior, who has started 13 games this season, has scored in double figures on four occasions. A native of Brodhead, Wis., Panoske is shooting 50 percent (8-for-16) from the field in the last four contests after knocking down 35 percent (18-for-52) of his shots in the previous seven outings and has drained 19 of his last 21 (.904) attempts from the foul line, including each of the last 13. He totaled a season-high 12 points at SIU Edwardsville on December 20 and is pitching in 8.2 ppg and 4.0 rpg at home this season. He totaled eight points, 10 boards and four blocks against Green Bay on January 23, 2013.
 
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.