The Milwaukee men's basketball team officially gets the 2020-21 campaign underway this week, traveling to Manhattan, Kansas, to take on Kansas State. Following a 14-day pause due to COVID protocols, the Panthers will finally be able to take to the court for the first time this season. The matchup, set to tip at 7 p.m., will feature a live stream on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, will have live statistics available and will be carried on the Black & Gold Network with Scott Warras on the call. All links are posted on the MKE website.

With no fans permitted at most venues this season, including the Klotsche Center until at least January 1, fans can engage with the Panthers' Virtual Gameday hub, a page on MKEPanthers.com that houses all links fans will need for the gameday experience.

LOOKING AT THE WILDCATS
Kansas State has already played five games this season, posting a 1-4 mark to open the campaign prior to hosting Milwaukee Friday (which matches its roughest start since 1965). The Wildcats have dropped their past two games, falling to UNLV Dec. 5 (68-58) and to Fort Hays State Tuesday (81-68). They did defeat Kansas City Nov. 30 (62-58). Mike McGuirl leads the offense at 15.2 ppg, with Dajuan Gordon (10.6 ppg) and Nijel Pack (10.0 ppg) also averaging double-figures. The team went an uncharacteristic 11-21 a season ago.

Head coach Bruce Weber has a special connection to UWM, having graduated from the University in 1978 with a degree in Education. He has compiled a 474-265 (.641) record in his 22 seasons, which includes stints at Southern Illinois (1998-2003) and Illinois (2003-11). Weber has guided the Wildcats to 20-win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances five times during his tenure, including consecutive 25-win campaigns in 2017-18 and 2018-19 for the first time in school history. Despite seeing a 33-game winning streak end at Bramlage Coliseum in 2019, the Wildcats have still won 99 of their last 109 non-conference homes games.

SERIES HISTORY
This will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs on the hardwood.

AND WE'RE OFF
A couple of different looks to the season opener, which sees Milwaukee playing its opening game of the season on the road for the fifth time in the last eight years. The team is 18-12 in season openers since returning to the NCAA Division I ranks full-time in 1990-91, which includes a 72-62 victory over Concordia Wisconsin to start the 2019-20 slate a year ago. In all, the Panthers have also posted a 4-11 mark in season openers played away from home in that span. On the flip side, MKE is 25-5 in that same stretch in home openers, claiming victories in 18 of the past 20 (13 in a row at one point). This is the fourth opener for head coach Pat Baldwin, having gone 2-1 over the previous three seasons at the helm.

A WHOLE NEW WORLD
The program was paused in late November due to COVID-19 protocols, forcing the Panthers to cancel the MKE Classic and postpone the start of the new campaign. The 2020-21 season-opening date of Dec. 11 is the first to take place in the month of December since the 1992-93 campaign (Dec. 1 that season) and the latest in program history since the 1926-27 slate tipped off on Dec. 22, 1926.

P.O.Y. POSSIBILITIES
Te'Jon Lucas is embarking on what should be a memorable senior season. Following a junior campaign in which he led the Horizon League in assists and steals while also scoring nearly 15 points per game, Lucas will be on the short list of everyone's conference Player of the Year candidates. In addition to topping the field in assists and steals, Lucas also ranked third in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6), fifth in free throw percentage (79.4), ninth in minutes played (33.4 mpg), and 12th in scoring.

THE TREK TO 1,000
Lucas will also have a major milestone waiting for him this season, as he is on pace to cross the 1,000-point plateau for points in a career at some point. The most recent player to achieve the feat in a Panther uniform was Jake Wright, who netted his 1,000th in his final collegiate game to close out the 2018-19 season (with 288 of those points coming at MKE).

When Lucas gets the milestone, he would be the 28th player to do so wearing a Panther uniform, while joining Wright as the second one to not have spent most of his career at Milwaukee. The most recent to hit the mark in MKE-only games was Matt Tiby in 2016, finishing with 1,332 points (in three seasons).

Lucas starts the season at 751 points.

NEW FACES
There will be numerous new faces for the fans to get to know this season. In fact, just one team in the country at the NCAA Division I level has more newcomers than the eleven MKE now has on the 2020-21 roster.
12 – Arkansas
(4 grad transfers/3 transfers/5 freshmen)
11 – Milwaukee
11 – Alcorn State
11 – Arizona
11 – New Mexico
11 – Seattle
11 – South Dakota

The makeup of Milwaukee's 11 fresh faces breaks down to the following:
Transfers set to play (2):
Vin Baker Jr., Joey St. Pierre
Transfers who will sit (1):
Jordan Lathon (Jr.)
JUCO transfers (2):
DeAndre Gholston, Tafari Simms
Redshirt Freshmen (1):
Tyler Ellingson
True Freshmen (5):
Donovan Newby, Devon Hancock, Kaleim Taylor, Nick Pappas, Grant Coleman

LEAGUE SCHEDULE NOTE
The updated 2020-21 Horizon League schedule for Panthers features a unique slate of 20 games split evenly between home and road venues. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the setup of the games is unprecedented, with teams playing the same opponent on back-to-back dates at the same location. Each school will have five home weekends and five road weekends and will play 10 of 11 league opponents (Milwaukee will not play Youngstown State.)

START ME UP
The Panthers will return five players who made starts in 2019-20, including a pair of players in Te'Jon Lucas (30-of-30, missing one to injury) and C.J. Wilbourn (30-of-31) that started 30 of the team's 31 contests.

In addition, MKE returns Josh Thomas (20 starts in 31 games), Courtney Brown Jr. (starts in 16 of the final 17 outings while playing in all 31 games), and Amir Allen (10 starts in 23 appearances).

SPECIAL COMBINATION
Te'Jon Lucas pulled off a pair of special statistical achievements last winter, finishing as the Horizon League leader in both assists (5.1 apg) and steals (1.9 spg). In finishing No. 1 on the assist chart, he joined Kaylon Williams (league leader in 2010-11 and 2011-12) as the only other Panther to do so in program history while also becoming the first MKE player to pace the league in steals. In the process, he became just the fifth Horizon League player to accomplish the double-No. 1 feat.
The others:
*Kay Felder, Oakland (2013-14)
*Cedric Jackson, Cleveland State (2008-09)
*Roy Simms, Detroit Mercy (1982-83)
*Darius Clemons, LaSalle (1980-81).

TOP TALENT IN 2019-20
Te'Jon Lucas got the nod as a member of the second team when the Horizon League announced its All-Conference Teams last winter, making him the first Panther to earn a postseason award since Jeremiah Bell was also a second-team honoree in 2017-18. In addition, C.J. Wilbourn was also recognized, earning a spot on the Horizon League All-Freshmen Team. He was the first Panther to be named to the All-Freshman team since Jordan Aaron in 2012-13 (formerly the All-Newcomer team).

THE MAIN DISH
With his league-leading assists total finishing at 153, Te'Jon Lucas was creeping up on an all-time mark as a junior. He finished with the sixth-best total in program history, just behind Marc Mitchell's 156 in 1991-92. For perspective, Kaylon Williams set the standard with 178 in 2010-11.

CHARITY STRIPE SAGA
The Panthers have been very good at the free throw line as a team over the past few seasons, recording the top two marks in program history very recently. A year ago, the team connected on .709 (399-of-563) to finish third in the Horizon League and just outside of the Top 5 in program history.
 
TOP TEAM FREE THROW %/SEASON
1. 2013-14 season: .745 (527-707)
2. 2017-18 season: .744 (375-504)

NEARLY NO ONE BETTER
Speaking of free throws, MKE had two of the top five in the Horizon League a season ago, with Te'Jon Lucas (.794 on 108-136) at No. 5 and Darius Roy (.815 on 97-119) checking in at No. 4. After passing the minimum amount of attempts to qualify for the career free throw percentage list in program history, Roy was knocking on the door of a school record. The current mark of .838 (207-of-247) is held by Jordan Aaron (2012-14). Roy finished his Milwaukee career at .828 (183-of-221).

Lucas himself looks to keep a three-year trend going, having converted at a better rate from the free throw line each of his three college seasons:

FRESHMAN: 42-of-71 (.592)
SOPHOMORE: 32-of-52 (.615)
JUNIOR: 108-of-136 (.794)
CAREER: 182-of-259 (.703)

WILBOURN FINDING HIS WAY
Not only did C.J. Wilbourn become the first Panther to be named to the All-Freshman team since 2012-13, but he also finished the season on a high note by connecting on 65.1 percent of his field goals (28-for-43) over his final 10 games. He earned a spot in the starting lineup from day one, starting 30 of the 31 games (all but "Senior Night") on the season, averaging 4.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per outing.

ENTER THE FROSH
Speaking of big "frosh" moments, the starting lineup against IUPUI Jan. 3 a year ago featured three different freshmen, with C.J. Wilbourn, Courtney Brown Jr., and Shae Mitchell all earning the opportunity against the Jaguars. It's a rare feat for the Panthers, happening just one other time in recent memory. That was in January of 2016 when August Haas, Jeremy Johnson and Bryce Nze accomplished the feat.

Wilbourn was also a member of the starting lineup in the season opener against Concordia Wisconsin Nov. 5, marking just the third time a frosh has been a starter in a season opener in the past decade for the Panthers, joining August Haas (against MSOE, 11/11/16) and Thierno Niang (against Mary, 11/9/12).

20/20/20 VISION
The Panthers pulled off an offensive feat not seen in quite some time last season when the team finished with three players with 20 or more points in the same game. Te'Jon Lucas, DeAndre Abram and Darius Roy all contributed exactly 20 points each against Green Bay Feb. 15, the first time three Panthers have done the trick since February 5, 2005. That day, Milwaukee defeated UIC by a final score of 85-75, with Joah Tucker (26), Ed McCants (22) and Boo Davis (20) all finishing with impressive point totals.

TE'JON TAKEOVER
Te'Jon Lucas came up big against IUPUI Feb. 8 last season, matching his career-high with 31 points. His career-best 12 rebounds also gave him his second career double-double (his other came via points/assists) and he did most of his damage down the stretch. On the bench with four fouls, Lucas came back in with 7:30 to play and the contest tied at 60. He came down and hit a huge three-pointer the next possession, getting fouled and converting the free throw for the four-point play with seven minutes to go.
 
He ended up playing the rest of the afternoon with those 4 fouls, scoring 16 of his 31 in that 12 and a half-minute span – including what turned into the eventual game-winner with 7.0 seconds on the clock. With the game tied, 78-78, he drove down the left side of the lane, sidestepped the defense and banked it in off the glass for the go-ahead bucket. He was named Horizon League Player of the Week as a result, the first two-time winner in one season for the Panthers since Jordan Johnson in December of 2015.

RISE AGAINST THE PHOENIX
Te'Jon Lucas finished with a new career-high and the first 30-point game of his career when he netted 31 against Green Bay Jan. 11. The 30-point effort was the first for a Panther since DeAndre Abram went for 31 against Detroit Mercy last January, a span of 29 games. The 31 points topped Lucas' former career-best of 26 against Morgan State earlier and included a 9-of-10 showing at the free throw line - his most made free throws in one game in his career as well. For his efforts, he was named the Horizon League Player of the Week, just the second time for a Milwaukee player since December of 2015. He was also tabbed the College Sports Madness Horizon League Player of the Week.

DYNAMIC DUO
Te'Jon Lucas (31) and Darius Roy (23) combined for 54 points against the Phoenix Jan. 11, the most for a pair of MKE teammates in quite some time. With a second-half lead of as much as 12 down to just one at 65-64, Roy hit a huge three-pointer to make it 68-64 and then Lucas took over for a bit. He scored Milwaukee's next 11 points, going 6-for-6 from the line. Roy's 3 with just over two minutes left essentially sealed the deal at 82-73, with the two combining for 28 straight (Lucas 17/Roy 11) at that point in the contest. The last time a pair of teammates scored as much was in December of 2012, when Jordan Aaron (34) and Paris Gulley (20) combined for 54 in a victory over Ohio Dominican.

A TRUE SPORTSCENTER #1
While it may have been a bit of time since the Panthers last made the SportsCenter Top 10, they did so with a bang Jan. 5. Te'Jon Lucas' game-winner against UIC not only made the list, but came in at No. 1 on the "Worldwide Leader in Sports". It is the first time the Panthers have ever earned the top spot on the highlight feature.

RUN & GUN
The early two-game offensive outburst against Western Michigan Nov. 9 and Wisconsin Lutheran Nov. 12 were actually unprecedented, seeing Milwaukee top 100 points in back-to-back games for the first time in the NCAA Division I era (since 1990-91). The last time the Panthers put up consecutive games above 100 points was back in January of 1989, topping SIUE (101-89) and Lakeland (125-79). That 1988-89 team also put together a stretch of three in a row in mid-February.

BROADCAST BASICS
Each and every Panther game this season will be available on the Black & Gold Network. In conjunction with the website mixlr.com, Scott Warras - back for his fifth season with the MKE men and 15th with the Panthers overall - will broadcast every game over the internet at the following link: mixlr.com/mke-panthers.

GAME PROGRAMS AVAILABLE ON-LINE
With the announcement of no fans in the stands until at least January of 2021, fans can still be part of the in-arena feel with the option to download game programs as the season rolls on. Head to the MKE website and click on the "Multimedia" tab for download options.

THE BEAR NECESSITIES
Former Milwaukee forward Demetrius Harris (2011-13) is once again on the active roster in the National Football League in 2020, playing with the Chicago Bears following one season with the Cleveland Browns and five years with the Kansas City Chiefs. An undrafted free agent to start his career, he has caught seven passes for 45 yards this season, making five starts in 10 appearances. Coming into 2020, Harris had caught 79 passes for 799 yards, including nine touchdowns. The first Panther to play in the NFL since 1983, Harris played two seasons at Milwaukee and helped the team to a College Basketball Invitational appearance in 2012 before putting up 9.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg in 2012-13. The 6-foot-7 Harris made his NFL debut when he appeared in eight games as a tight end for the Chiefs in 2014 and hauled in three passes for 20 yards before suffering a season-ending foot injury during warm-ups against Buffalo in early November.

IT'S OUR HOUSE
Although the building is not new and has been the site to many historic basketball moments in Milwaukee history, this is Milwaukee's sixth season in an arena that bears its name - UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. In July of 2014, the University and Wisconsin Center District entered into a 10-year partnership that included naming rights to the facility formerly known as The MECCA and U.S. Cellular Arena.

UP NEXT
The team continues its season-opening weekend road trip with a game at Western Michigan Sunday. Tip time against the Broncos is set for 1 p.m. CST.