MILWAUKEE – Former Wisconsin Badger, Marquette Golden Eagle, and Milwaukee Panther basketball stars will reunite to raise money for charity and to prove who is still number one on the court later this summer.
 
On Friday, July 8th, at 2:30 pm join us at the Gruber Law Offices Sportszone at Summerfest, where alumni from each university will compete in a series of shooting competitions, all to support three great charitable organizations, Garding Against Cancer, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, and the MACC Fund.
 
The entry for the Milwaukee squad represents Panther loyalty, with a trio of the all-time greats set to participate in Clay Tuckey, Joah Tucker, and Ed McCants.
 
During his career (1999-2003), Clay Tucker averaged 16.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game and helped the Panthers to their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth as a Division I program in 2003.
 
Tucker was a two-time First Team All-Horizon League pick and collected National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District accolades in 2001-02. A two-time Horizon League All-Defensive Team selection, he was tabbed Most Valuable Player of the 2003 Horizon League Championship. He finished his career as the leading scorer in program history with 1,788 points and still holds career records for field goals made (614) and attempted (1,504), three pointers made (264) and attempted (744), as well as steals (194). Tucker closed out his time as a Panther by averaging 18.3 points per game his senior campaign.
 
Following his college career, Tucker went on to enjoy a long professional career overseas and in the NBA D-League. In his honor, the program renamed the yearly Team MVP Award the "Clay Tucker Most Valuable Player Award" in the spring of 2017.
 
Joah Tucker was one of the most accomplished players in Milwaukee men's basketball history despite playing only three seasons (2003-06) for the Panthers after transferring from Bradley University. The 6-foot-5 guard/forward led Milwaukee to three postseason appearances in his three years and during the 2005 NCAA Tournament, he averaged a whopping 25.3 points per game in helping the Panthers reach the Sweet 16.
 
A starter in all 94 of his career games as a Panther, Tucker ranks eighth on the school's career scoring chart with 1,416 points and averaged 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. He was a two-time First Team All-Horizon League pick and in the 2005 NCAA Regional semifinal game versus eventual national runner-up Illinois tallied a career-best 32 points. Tucker, who was named Most Valuable Player of the 2005 Horizon League Championship, helped the Panthers to a 68-26 (.723) record during his illustrious three-year career.
 
Ed McCants played two impressive seasons with the Panthers from 2003 through 2005. McCants burst on the scene in 2003-04, helping Milwaukee to a 20-11 record and a date in the National Invitation Tournament. The team knocked off Rice, 91-63, before falling in the second round to Boise State by a score of 73-70.
 
Named the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year that season, he averaged 17.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, shooting 48.2 percent from the floor, 42.8 percent on 3's and 82.1 percent from the line.
 
As a senior, he led the Panthers on a memorable trip to the "Sweet 16" of the NCAA Tournament in a 26-6 season, earning Horizon League Player of the Year honors after averaging 17.4 points per game. Milwaukee topped Alabama and Boston College in a magical postseason run, before bowing out to Illinois – the top-ranked team in the country. He scored over 1,000 points in just two seasons and still hold MKE records for most three-pointers made in a season.
 
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Fans, we need your support! Participate in this event by donating a minimum of $10 in the name of your favorite team or charity now through July 7, 2022. For your donation, you will receive one (1) free Summerfest ticket valid for Friday, July 8th from noon to 4 p.m.
 
Give your favorite team an advantage in the competition, and support three great causes, Garding Against Cancer, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, and the MACC Fund, who together will receive 100% of the funds raised.
 
DONATE HERE
 
Milwaukee Panthers Alumni representing the MACC Fund
 
DONATE NOW on the behalf of the Milwaukee Panther Alumni team playing for the MACC Fund.
 
The MACC Fund, Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer, Inc., was founded in 1976 and is dedicated to funding critical research for pediatric cancer and related blood disorders like sickle cell disease and aplastic anemia. Since 1976, the MACC Fund has contributed nearly $80 million to research and the overall five-year survival rate for all types of childhood cancer has risen from 20% to over 80%. But the battle is far from over as the ultimate goal of the MACC Fund is to be cured out of existence.
 
Learn more about the MACC Fund here. 
 
The Event
Each team will participate in three rounds of shooting competitions. The winner of each round will earn 100 team points. In advance of the competition, your donations will give your favorite team a points advantage. The team with the highest number of donations will receive 50 points, and the team with the most money raised will receive 50 points. The team who ends the competition with the most total points wins. Their charity partner will receive 60% of the funds. The charitable partners of the losing teams will each receive 20% of the total funds raised. Everybody wins! Plus, Melanie Ricks, Milwaukee Bucks in-game host and host of MKE in the Morning on 101.7 The Truth, will emcee the event. Attendees can also enjoy a special performance from the Davis Club Dance Team.
 
The Shooting Competitions
Round 1 – All players from each team will participate individually with their two teammates rebounding. Each player has 30 seconds to shoot from five different spots on the court, ranging from 10 feet to 30 feet. Players cannot repeat the same shot consecutively. Shots made from each shooting location have different values (one point, two points, three points, four points or five points). Individual player scores will be added together to determine the team score. The team with the highest team score will win round 1 and earn 100 challenge points.
Round 2 – All players from each team will participate individually. Players will have five main shooting locations with a rack of 5 balls located at each location. The first four balls will be worth 1 point. The 5^th ball in each rack will be worth 2 points. The team with the most collective points will earn 100 challenge points.
Round 3 – Each team will compete, one at a time, and all players on the team will participate in trying to make a half-court shot. Team 1 will set the time to beat with a made shot or expiration of the clock (maximum of 1 minute and 30 seconds). The team that makes a half-court shot in the fastest time will earn 100 challenge points
Tiebreaker - All players from the tying teams will compete in a round of lighting. The team of the last player remaining, will win and break the tie.
Don't miss your chance to positively impact the community AND see some of the best college basketball players to have played the game in the state of Wisconsin! Donate today!
 
*Information for this press release was taken from the official Summerfest release announcing the event
CONTACT: Julie Dieckelman, (414) 270-6517
jdieckelman@summerfest.com