MILWAUKEE – DeAndre Abram spent his prep career over 1,000 miles away from Milwaukee, playing for Creekview High School in Carrollton, Texas.

He led his team to its first playoff win in 12 years as a senior, averaging 16.9 points per game on his way to being named the District 11-5A Offensive Player of the Year.
 
He came from an athletic background and family. Both of his parents played sports at Texas College – his mom was on the volleyball team and his dad played basketball.
 
His first college stop took him to a different part of the country. He began his career almost 1,500 miles away from his home in Texas at George Mason in Virginia.
 
That first season, Abram played in all 32 games, making 13 starts while averaging 6.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per contest.
 
"It just felt right at the time," Abram said, about signing his NLI with the Patriots. "When I took my first visit there, the coaches were great. I wanted to be away from home and I thought it would be a good opportunity to start off my career there."
 
He was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week on a pair of occasions, with a highlight coming in his 27-point/10-rebound effort against Wagner in late December.
 
"It went well my first year," Abram said. "I played really well and had some spurts where I felt and looked really good."
 
Then came adversity. Despite shooting close to 50 percent from the field, Abram made just one start in nine games as a sophomore, seeing his production fall to 3.4 ppg and 2.0 rpg.
 
"My sophomore year was a bummer," Abram said. "I didn't play to the expectations I had set. I continued to push throughout the year but ended up transferring."
 
The timing was right to make a change and Milwaukee felt like the right place for Abram.
 
"It was late in the process and things didn't work out at some other places like I thought they would," Abram said. "I had a couple of conversation with Coach Baldwin and I took a leap of faith and came here without a visit. I just wanted to create something special here."
 
Abram spent last year as a redshirt as part of the NCAA transfer rules. He practiced all season but had to watch the games as a fan instead of on the court as a teammate.
 
"It was tough but it was a blessing as well," Abram said. "Just the fact that I got to see the game for a year and get my body better, get my skills better. I had a chance to learn the program and know what was expected for this season."
 
Fast-forward to the season opener against Boston College. In his first game in a Panther uniform, Abram connected on 3-of-4 field goals and scored nine points as Milwaukee took a 10-point lead at the half.
 
"It was just great," Abram said. "It had been like two years since I really played, since I really didn't play much my sophomore season. It was just great to be back out there and play with my teammates."
 
The transition was swift. Abram recorded double-doubles in his next two outings, scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the home opener against North Dakota before finishing with 11 points and 15 rebounds at FIU.
 
He continued to play well, quickly making a name for himself across the Horizon League. After posting his fourth and fifth double-doubles of the season against UMKC Dec. 13 and Wisconsin Lutheran Dec. 16, Abram was named the Horizon League Player of the Week as well as the College Sports Madness HL Player of the Week.
 
The conference award marked the first for a Panther since December of 2015.
 
"I just go out there and play and whatever stats come with it – it is what it is," Abram said. "I do go out there and try and rebound because I know it helps my team out. Double-doubles are something I shoot for when on the floor."
 
Abram continues to have his moments – his 16 rebounds against UIC in mid-January were good for eighth-best in a game in school history and just two off the record of 18.
 
He netted a career-high 31 points at Detroit Mercy Jan. 12, going 12-of-19 from the floor while connecting on six 3's. That marked the first game of 30-plus points for a Panther in almost 60 games.
 
"We lost so it was a bummer, but during the moment it was great seeing the basketball keep falling for myself," Abram said. "It was fun, but I wish we could have come out with the win."
 
It's just 29 games into his MKE career, but that "something special" Abram talked about is becoming a reality. Not only is the groundwork being built for Abram to accomplish what he set out to do, the results are already in.