Milwaukee at Green Bay Game Notes (pdf) 

MILWAUKEE (9-14, 4-5) at GREEN BAY (18-5, 7-2)
FEBRUARY 5, 2015 – 7 P.M. CT
GREEN BAY, WIS. – RESCH CENTER
TIME WARNER CABLE SPORTSCHANNEL
ESPN3 (subject to blackout)
WISN (AM 1130)
 
THE OPENING TIP
• Milwaukee sets its sights on its third consecutive victory and first true road win of 2014-15 when it heads north to face Horizon League rival Green Bay on Thursday.  The Panthers have won each of their last two meetings with the Phoenix at the Resch Center.
 
• A win over Green Bay would give Milwaukee its longest winning streak since capturing five straight outings, February 27 - March 11, 2014. A season ago, the Panthers went 10-6 in true road games, but are winless in 10 tries this year.
 
• Defense has keyed the Panthers' wins this season as they are surrendering only 57.9 points per game and limiting opponents to just 38.5 percent (192-for-499) from the field. In defeats, those figures jump to 78.1 ppg and 51 percent (397-for-779) from the field.
 
• Milwaukee is 6-2 this season when knocking down eight or more three-point field goals.
 
• The Panthers have scored 70 or more points in each of their last two games, marking the first time since the opening two outings of the 2014-15 campaign that they have topped the 70-point plateau. In fact, in its last five victories, Milwaukee is tallying 73.2 ppg and shooting 48.4 percent (118-for-244) from the field and 41.9 percent (39-for-93) from three-point range.
 
• Milwaukee has won its last 11 games when holding the opposition to fewer than 60 points. The Panthers have surrendered more than 60 points just twice in eight wins this season.
 
ABOUT THE PHOENIX
The 2014-15 Horizon League preseason favorite, Green Bay finds itself in a three-way tie for first place with Cleveland State and Valparaiso through games of February 2. The Phoenix tops the Horizon League in both scoring defense (59.1 ppg) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.312), while also ranking 27th and 65th respectively, in the nation in those categories. Senior guard and reigning Horizon League Player of the Year Keifer Sykes leads Green Bay with 18.6 points and 4.0 assists, while adding 4.2 rebounds per game. Senior forward Greg Mays (11.3 ppg) and junior guard Carrington Love (10.7 ppg) also are averaging double figures in scoring. Green Bay is a perfect 10-0 at home this season, but two of the Phoenix's last three setbacks at the Resch Center have come at the hands of the Panthers.
 
SERIES STUFF
Thursday's game will be the 55th meeting between the in-state rivals and Green Bay holds a 31-23 edge in the all-time series. When the teams met at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena last month, Keifer Sykes poured in a career-high 34 points and the Phoenix shot 55.6 percent (30-for-54) from the field en route to a 79-63 victory despite a personal-best 21 points from Milwaukee guard Steve McWhorter. Although it is 9-18 all-time against the Phoenix in Green Bay, Milwaukee has won each of the last two meetings at the Resch Center, including a 73-66 decision in overtime last March in the semifinal round of the Horizon League Championship.  Jordan Aaron was one of four Panthers to score in double digits in that game and Matt Tiby added 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Panthers, who have won three of the last five meetings with the Phoenix in Green Bay, are averaging 73.0 ppg and shooting 45 percent (50-for-111) from the field in their last two games against UWGB at the Resch Center.
 
SPRINGS FEVER
Fully recovered from a broken hand that hampered his shooting for the better part of the first month of the 2014-15 season, Akeem Springs has been a force at both ends of the floor of late and in Milwaukee's last two outings is accounting for 17.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.5 apg and 1.5 spg, while shooting 42.9 percent (9-for-21) from the field and 77.8 percent (14-for-18) from the foul line. The 6-foot-4 guard, who transferred from Northern Illinois, has scored in double figures in six of the last eight contests and is coming off of a 21-point, eight-rebound, four-assist effort in a victory over Detroit. He is contributing 10.9 ppg and shooting 45 percent (45-for-100) from the field and 33.3 percent (12-for-36) from three-point range in the Panthers' last 13 outings after managing just 6.0 ppg on 24.6 percent (17-for-69) shooting from the field in his previous eight appearances. Springs has buried 42 of his last 56 (.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 15 starts this season, Springs is tallying 9.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 1.6 apg. In Horizon League play, he is accounting for 11.4 ppg and shooting 45 percent (36-for-80) from the field. Springs has scored in double digits in three of the last five road games and had 18 points against Green Bay on January 9. He is contributing 10.8 ppg and 5.8 rpg in Milwaukee's wins.
 
FRIENDS NOW FOES
Milwaukee senior guard Steve McWhorter and Green Bay junior forward Jordan Fouse were high school teammates at St. Catherine's High School in Racine, Wis., and in 2010 helped the team to the WIAA Division II state championship. In the state final game against Eau Claire Regis, McWhorter (then a senior) totaled 17 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Fouse, who at the time was a sophomore, put up 18 points, 11 boards, five assists, three steals and a pair of blocks to lead St. Catherine's to the state title.
 
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 14 outings, the 6-foot-8 forward is pitching in 15.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 2.0 apg after managing 7.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 1.9 apg through the first nine contests. A 2015 Preseason Second Team All-Horizon League selection, the Urbandale, Iowa native ranks tied for second in the conference with 7.5 rpg and sits second in League contests only with 8.7 rpg. Tiby and Anton Grady (Cleveland State) are the only two players to rank among the top seven in the League in both scoring and rebounding in conference play. Tiby is averaging 12.3 ppg and 7.5 rpg through 23 games this season and has scored in double figures 17 times, including in each of the last 14 outings. He is shooting 46.5 percent (40-for-86) from the field in the last eight outings and has knocked down 69 of his last 80 (.863) overall attempts from the free throw line, including 18 straight on the road. With 19 points and 13 boards versus UIC on January 29, he registered his sixth double-double of the season, matching his total from a year ago, and Milwaukee is now 9-3 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 registered a double-double in six of the last 16 games. In League action this season, he is putting up 15.2 ppg and 8.7 rpg. In his last two meetings with Green Bay, Tiby is collecting 14.0 ppg and 10.5 rpg. He has scored in double figures in seven consecutive road games, averaging 15.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 2.1 apg during that stretch. His streak of 14 consecutive games with 10 or more points is the longest run by a Panther since Tone Boyle rattled off 10 or more points in 14 straight contests in 2008-09. The last Panther with a streak of 15 or more consecutive games with double-digit points was Joah Tucker in 2005-06 (27 games). 
 
STEVIE WONDERFUL
Redshirt senior Steve McWhorter has saved his best season for his last. After averaging 7.8 ppg last season, the Racine, Wis., native leads the Panthers with 14.3 ppg in 2014-15. McWhorter, who has converted 17 of his last 29 (.586) attempts from the field, has scored in double digits on 33 occasions in his UWM career and the Panthers are 20-13 in those contests. A starter in all 58 of his appearances as a Panther, McWhorter matched a career high by pouring in 21 points against Green Bay on January 9. He has hit at least one three-pointer in 20 of the team's 23 games this season and has scored in double digits in 20 of the last 22 outings. A winner in every sense of the word, in three previous 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 15.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 4.2 apg in Milwaukee's wins this year and in four career games versus Green Bay is tallying 11.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.0 apg and sports a 4.0 assist-to-turnover ratio (16-4). Milwaukee is 0-3 this season when he has failed to score at least 10 points this season. In a January 14 victory over Youngstown State, he recorded his third double-double of the season by collecting 16 points and a career-high 12 assists with only one turnover. His 12 helpers are the most by a Panther since Kaylon Williams dished out a dozen assists at Western Michigan on January 3, 2012. During his current nine-game streak with double-figure scoring, McWhorter is posting 14.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 5.4 apg, while knocking down 51.8 percent (44-for-85) of his field-goal attempts.  McWhorter has scored in double digits in four straight road games and has played all 40 minutes in five of the last eight contests. His six steals versus Detroit on January 31 are the most by a Panther since Larry Treadwell had a half dozen thefts against Butler on February 9, 1998.
 
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. Over the last pair of outings, Wichmann is putting up 10.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.5 apg and 1.0 spg and shooting 50 percent from the field (7-for-14) and 60 percent (6-for-10) from three-point territory. In his previous three games, Wichmann mustered 1.7 ppg on just 11.1 percent (1-for-9) shooting from the field and downtown. The 6-foot-5 guard is shooting 39 percent (39-for-100) from beyond the arc and scored a career-best 15-points against Youngstown State on January 14.  In that game, Wichmann connected on 5 of 6 tries from beyond the arc as he totaled the most points by a Panther off the bench since J.R. Lyle dropped in 15 points against Youngstown State on February 20, 2014. Five of his six double-digit-scoring performances this season have come at Panther Arena, where he is shooting 50.9 percent (27-for-53) from the field and 51.2 percent (21-for-41) from three-point land. In his career, Milwaukee is 8-1 when he scores in double digits. His marksmanship has helped the Panthers to victory this season as he is contributing 9.0 ppg and knocking down 51.9 percent (27-for-52) of his field-goal tries and 56.1 percent (23-for-41) 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. Dating back to last season, the Pulaski, Wis., native has connected on 13 of his last 15 (.867) attempts from the foul line.
 
PANTHERS GET CHARITABLE
Milwaukee has reversed its fortunes at the foul line, shooting a healthy 76.5 percent (303-for-396) over the last 20 contests. Through the first three games of 2014-15, the Panthers knocked down just 55.4 percent (36-for-65) of their charity throws. At 73.5 percent, Milwaukee ranks second in the Horizon League and 37th in the nation in free throw percentage through games of February 2.
 
JORDAN RULES
True freshman Justin Jordan is beginning to emerge as a consistent scoring threat. Jordan's season-high 17 points against Wright State on January 20 are the most by a Milwaukee freshman since Austin Arians collected 17 points versus Loyola Chicago on January 30, 2013. The 6-foot-3 guard, who is the nephew of former Chicago Bulls guard, Hall of Famer and six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan, is averaging 10.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg and 2.3 apg, while shooting 43.5 percent (10-for-23) from the field in the last three contests. Jordan totaled 11 points at Valparaiso in the Panthers' last road game after managing just eight points in the previous five road games combined. He is coming off of a 14-point, four-assist effort against Detroit and Milwaukee is 6-3 when he scores seven or more points. In Milwaukee's wins, Jordan is putting up 7.9 ppg and converting 46.2 percent (12-for-26) of his triple tries. He has knocked down six of his last seven attempts (.857) from the foul line.
 
PANOSKE PRODUCES
Forward J.J. Panoske has developed into a productive player 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 20 games this season, has scored in double figures on six occasions and on January 22 put together a season-high, 15-point performance at Oakland, his best output since totaling a career-best 16 points at Youngstown State on February 15, 2013. A native of Brodhead, Wis., Panoske is shooting 48.2 percent (27-for-56) from the field in the last 11 contests after knocking down 35 percent (18-for-52) of his shots in the previous seven outings and has drained 27 of his last 31 (.871) attempts from the foul line. With a block against Detroit on January 31, Panoske moved into sole possession of the UWM all-time record with 88 rejections. He had 10 points and five boards against Green Bay on January 9.
 
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.