The Milwaukee men's basketball team returns to action following the Christmas holiday and looks to close out the 2023 portion of the slate with a pair of home games. Up first the team welcomes Robert Morris downtown Friday night at UWM Panther Arena. The matchup against the Colonials is set to tip-off at 7 PM on ESPN+ and will have live statistics available. It will also feature the "Educators Credit Union Milwaukee Panther Men's Basketball Radio Broadcast", which will air on 101.7 FM The Truth and streaming services. Scott Warras is on the call for his eighth season as the voice of the Panthers and all links are posted on the MKE website.

LOOKING AT THE COLONIALS
The Colonials are coming off their best finish since joining the Horizon League, going 10-10 in conference action as part of a 16-17 campaign overall with the team hosting and winning a league tournament contest. Andrew Toole, who enters his 14th season as head coach, has won 216 games coming into play this year and has led RMU to two regular-season titles, five league championship games, and six postseason appearances - including a pair of NCAA berths (2015, 2020) overall. The 16-win season last winter was an improvement of eight games from 2021-22 and the Colonials return three starters from 2022-23 in Josh Corbin, Jackson Last, and Stephaun Walker. RMU welcomed back 39.4 percent (902-of-2,287) of its scoring, 45.9 percent (526-of-1,145) of its rebounding and 32.4 percent (148-of-457) of its assists. The team comes to Milwaukee with a 4-9 overall record (just 1-5 on the road), starting 0-2 in Horizon League play following defeats against Northern Kentucky (77-59 Nov. 29) and Youngstown State (71-57 Dec. 2). Most recently, the Colonials fell in a tight contest, dropping a 90-85 decision when Cornell scored six of the final seven points of the day. A very balanced squad, five different players average double-figures, led by Markeese Hastings at 14.8 points, adding a team-high 8.3 rebounds a game. Justice Williams (14.1 ppg), Corbin, (13.6 ppg), Walker (10.6 ppg), and TJ Wainwright (10.0 ppg) round out the list.

SERIES HISTORY
Milwaukee leads the all-time series by a count of 4-3, which includes a 2-0 mark in the pre-DI era (dating back to 1977). RMU claimed a 67-64 victory in the first rematch as league opponents three years ago and the two teams have split the series each of the past two seasons. Over those five games, the home team has won every time.

LAST TIME OUT
Erik Pratt and Kentrell Pullian each recorded career-high scoring efforts in leading Milwaukee team to a gritty 85-83 victory over Chattanooga in overtime Dec. 22 at UWM Panther Arena.
 
The Panthers (5-7) led the Mocs (8-4) for nearly the entire day before the game found its way to overtime. In the extra session, the home team grabbed a quick lead and then, after some early misses, converted all six of its free throws in the final 73 seconds to earn the gut-check victory heading into Christmas on a high note.
 
Pratt led the way with 29 points, easily topping his former career-best of 18 set earlier this season. He also set a career-high with nine rebounds and made 6-of-13 shots from distance.
 
Pullian was right behind with a career-best 26 (was 25), including a 10-of-12 showing from the line, grabbing a season-high eight boards. He secured the victory from the line, going a perfect 4-for-4 in the final 16 seconds of OT.
 
Elijah Jamison joined them in double-figures with 11, chipping in six rebounds and a career-high eight assists. Darius Duffy also played a big role, finishing with a career-best and team-high 10 rebounds while adding three points and four blocks.

PRATT ENTERS THE "CHATT"
Erik Pratt continues to excel, taking his game to a new level in the victory over Chattanooga Dec. 22. Pratt led the way with 29 points, easily topping his former career-best of 18 set earlier this season. He also set a career-high with nine rebounds (was 4) and made 6-of-13 shots from distance. In fact, it's the fourth different time he has reset his career-high this season going from 12 points (Providence) to 17 (St. Thomas) to 18 (UC Davis) to the 29 against the Mocs. That also made him the leading scorer for the team for the fourth game in a row - last done by BJ Freeman last January when Freeman led the team for six consecutive outings.

HAVE A DAY KP!
Kentrell Pullian put together a brilliant outing against Chattanooga as well Dec. 22, finishing the afternoon with a new career high in both points and free throws made. Pullian netted 26 points, topping his former best of 25 set last February 23 against Purdue Fort Wayne. He also went an impressive 10-of-12 from the free throw line, with the 10 makes topping his former best of 8 he sank in a game against Cleveland State last winter (2/25/23). That was part of a Panther attack that shot 37 total free throws against the Mocs (making 26), the most attempts by the team since shooting 51 against Western Michigan (11/9/19 in 3OT).

A WELL-PACKED WHIRLWIND
The Panthers have seen it all throughout the 2023 portion of the season, having played games away from UWM Panther Arena in six different states (Rhode Island/Colorado/Florida/Wisconsin/Minnesota/California) while traveling close to 12,000 miles (11,817). The team has also played contests in all four mainland time zones in the United States for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign. That year, the Panthers played North Carolina State in the Eastern time zone, Wisconsin, Valparaiso and Prairie View A&M (Texas) in the Central, Santa Clara (and Idaho State on a neutral court) in the Western, and Air Force in the Mountain time zone.

MAKING A STATEMENT
Erik Pratt put together an impressive second-half performance at St. Thomas Dec. 6, scoring all of his team-leading 17 points in the second half to help spur a Milwaukee comeback effort. His 17 points topped his former NCAA best of 12, accomplished at Providence earlier this season. He connected on a career-best 5 three-pointers (sinking 5-of-9) to lead the charge against the Tommies. He then topped that effort just 72 hours later, leading the Panthers to a win at UC Davis December 9 with a new career high of 18 points, going 7-of-12 from the floor to lead the way for the team again. He earned his first as a Panther in the next contest against Longwood Dec. 13, leading the way in scoring for the third straight game with 12 points.

DAVIS AT DAVIS
Learic Davis has been making the most of his playing time lately and broke out with a season-best performance at UC Davis December 9. Given a season-high 23 minutes of playing time, Davis finished with collegiate-bests of 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals.

Aaron Franklin also contributed significantly against the Aggies, posting a season-high 15 points (on 7-of-10 FG shooting) while adding a team-high 6 rebounds.

HAVING A "FIELDS" DAY
Faizon Fields put together his most complete performance of the season against Southern Miss Nov. 25, ending the contest with new NCAA career-bests with both his 17 points and his 9 rebounds against the Golden Eagles. The 17 points topped the 12 he scored against Georgia Southern back in February of 2023, while the 9 boards was one better than his prior high-water mark of eight (set twice). He also went an impressive 9-of-11 from the free throw line, with the 9 makes easily setting a new career-high as well (best was 6 in that GA Southern game in February).

THIRD TIME WAS THE CHARM
The Panthers had to work hard on the final possession against Siena Nov. 21 to pull out the win. In a game that featured 26 lead changes, the final one went MKE's way to head out of Florida with the victory. Tied with 24.1 seconds left, Aaron Franklin stole the Siena inbounds pass to give the Panthers the ball. Following a third offensive rebound by the team, Franklin was there again to play hero, laying in the last-second winner with just 0.2 seconds left on the clock. The deciding hoop in the 61-59 decision was his only basket of the game.

JEEPERS MR. WILSON!
Langston Wilson put together a breakout performance against Luther College Nov. 17, scoring an NCAA-best 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting (the 5 FGM was also a career-best), adding 4 rebounds, tying his high with a pair of blocks and adding a 3-of-4 effort from the free throw line. That topped his prior NCAA points high of 11, coming against UCLA in February of 2022. He topped the evening against the Norse with a spectacular slam dunk late in the contest.

ALMOST ERROR-FREE
The Panthers set a program record against Luther College Nov. 17, finishing the evening with just three turnovers - including none in the second half. The nearly-perfect care of the ball broke the former mark of four turnovers set twice - originally against Butler (2/16/2005) and then most recently against Washington State (11/11/2006).

HOWELL WITH A MILE-HIGH EFFORT
Zach Howell put together a career-best shooting effort in the game at No. 25 Colorado Nov. 14, finishing the contest with a 15-point flurry of 3's that all came in the second half. Howell buried 5-of-7 from distance, with most barely moving the net. That topped his former MKE best of 12 points, which he registered at Chattanooga last season in December.

DOWN TO A SCIENCE
BJ Freeman connected on 83.1 percent (133-of-160) of his attempts from the free throw line last season and is off to a great start again - sinking 89.7 percent (26-of-29) of his attempts so far this season. Freeman made 25 straight from the line at one point last year (the streak ended against Detroit Mercy in February), becoming just the fifth player to hit the 20+ mark in program history. The last to do it was Donovan Newby (22) just two years ago. The school record is 32 consecutive made by Jordan Aaron in 2012-13. Second (and third) on the list are a pair of runs of 25, both done by Vance Johnson in 2018-19. Freeman was at it again ... after he made his final five last year, he hit the 20-plateau again this season after making his first 15 attempts over his first two games this winter (streak ended vs. Luther).

JUMP RIGHT IN
After missing the opener, BJ Freeman made his season debut an eye-opener, recording the third double-double of his MKE career with 33 points and 10 rebounds at Providence Nov. 11. The 33 points marked the fourth outburst of 30-plus points for Freeman, who netted a career-best 43 against Stetson in March, as well as 31 against Cleveland State in February and 30 against Youngstown State in January. He also went 11-for-11 from the free throw line against the Friars, tying for the fifth-most FT makes in a game in school history in which a player hits 100 percent. Freeman also holds that school record at 17-of-17 set last year at Northern Kentucky in January. It's the first 30-point double-double for a Panther since Te'Jon Lucas recorded 31 points and 10 boards in an 81-80 overtime victory over Cleveland State back in January of 2021.

PULLIAN PULLIAN
Kentrell Pullian picked a nice time to post his first double-double as a Panther, leading the charge against Stout Nov. 6 with 16 points and a team-high (and career-best) 12 rebounds. In fact, he collected a double-double of 10 points and 10 boards in the second half alone. The last Panther to record a double-double in a season opener was Patrick Baldwin Jr. in 2021-22 (21 pts/10 reb vs. North Dakota). The last player prior to that was Brock Stull (13 pts/11 reb) in the opener against MSOE of the 2016-17 campaign.

BIG FIRST IMPRESSION
Learic Davis joined the list of Panthers to start a season opener as a freshman when he was in the lineup against Stout Nov. 6. That made him the third frosh in the past five years, joining Patrick Baldwin Jr. (2021-22), and CJ Wilbourn (2019-20). Prior to that, it hadn't happened since August Haas heard his name for the opener in the 2016-17 season opener against MSOE.

OPENER NOTES
Some fun statistical stuff from the season opener against Stout Nov. 6: the team grabbed 53 rebounds to win the battle of the boards, 53-32. The 53 boards tied for the eighth-most in a game all-time (record is 59). The +21 rebound margin checked in just outside of the Top 10. Erik Pratt set an NCAA career-best with his eight points, Faizon Fields tied his career-high with eight rebounds (just missing a double-double with 9 pts/8 reb), and Dominic Ham recorded his best NCAA scoring effort with five points.

AND WE'RE OFF
A couple of different looks to the season opener, which saw Milwaukee playing its opening game of the season at home for the fifth time in the past 11 years. The team is now 21-13 in season openers since returning to the NCAA Division I ranks full-time in 1990-91, which includes a 75-60 victory at North Dakota to start the 2021-22 campaign as well as a big 102-46 win over MSOE last year. In all, the team is 28-6 in that same span in home openers (while 15-1 in season openers at home), claiming wins in 21 of the past 24 (13 in a row at one point). Also, the Panthers have not lost the season opener when it was played at home since dropping an 80-79 decision to Platteville in November of 1994 (have won the previous 15 in that scenario).

LEAGUE LIFTOFF
Milwaukee broke a recent skid in Horizon League openers three years ago, topping Green Bay (68-65) after having dropped the initial game in conference each of the prior six, dating back to an 82-76 victory over Youngstown State in 2013-14. Since joining the MCC/Horizon League, Milwaukee is now 15-15 in league openers following the result against Green Bay this year.

HE FLIPPED THE SCRIPT
It was certainly a great debut campaign for head coach Bart Lundy a year ago, resulting in the first 20-win season for the program in seven years, MKE's first postseason appearance in nine years, and the first postseason victory for a Milwaukee squad in 17 years after it knocked off Stetson in the first round of the CBI. At 22 wins, Lundy tied the high-water mark for a first-year coach in program history; that standard belonging to Rob Jeter, who claimed 22 wins in 2005-06. A deeper dive into year No. 1 shows just how great it was. A year prior, MKE stood 10-22 after 32 games. Fast-forward to last year and the squad was 21-11 at that point (finishing 22-12). With the victory over Cleveland State Feb. 25, the Panthers reached the 20-win plateau for the 11th time in the school's NCAA Division I era and, with 14 league wins, equaled the high-water mark of 14 conference victories set during a 14-2 slate in 2004-05. The Panthers also finished an impressive 15-3 in home games, tying the program mark for most victories on their home court (15-0 in 2004-05). The 22 total wins also mark a tie for the fourth-most in a season in program history.

Expectations are certainly high around the program this season, starting with Milwaukee's spot in the Horizon League preseason poll. The Panthers were selected to place second according to the results of the Under Armour preseason poll conducted by the League's head coaches, SIDs and media members - their highest ranking in over a decade. National organizations are taking notice as well, with respected polls such as Lindy's (No. 1), Blue Ribbon Yearbook (No. 2), HoriZone (No. 2), The Almanac (No. 2). Field of 68 (No. 3), and Mid-Major Central (No. 3) all considering the Panthers to be a Top 3 team this season. In addition, BJ Freeman was named to the Preseason All-Horizon League First Team.

TAKE THAT NEXT LEVEL
If you take a look at the next level and take a peak nationally, Lundy directed his team to a 12-win improvement over the prior year, finishing as the 10th most-improved team in the NCAA (22 wins up from 10 in 2021-22 / to determine games improved, add the difference in victories between the records to losses difference & divide by two).

1. Southern Mississippi 25-8 from 7-26 (+18)
2. Florida Atlantic 35-4 from 19-15 (+13.5)
3. College of Charleston 31-4 from 17-15 (+12.5)
4. Duquesne 20-13 from 6-24 (+12.5)
5. Marshall 24-8 from 12-21 (+12.5)
6. Northwestern State 22-11 from 9-23 (+12.5)
7. Missouri 25-10 from 12-21 (+12)
8. Fairleigh Dickinson 21-16 from 4-22 (+11.5)
9. Grambling 24-9 from 12-20 (+11.5)
10. Milwaukee 22-12 from 10-22 (+11)

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
One season removed from starting a new campaign with just four returners (and 13 newcomers), the faces will look much more familiar to the Panther fans this winter. At the top of the list is four returning starters, losing only Ahmad Rand to graduation from the regular cast of starters. The roster will have four members who started 20 or more games last season, led by Kentrell Pullian who started 27 times in playing all 34 games. He is followed by BJ Freeman (26 starts in 32), Elijah Jamison (24 of 34), and Markeith Browning II (20 of 29). Heading into the 2021-22 season, the Panthers were returning just 11.8 percent of their points (among the lowest in the nation) and 17.5 percent of its rebounds. This season, those numbers are 63.7 percent of points (1,696/2,659) and 55.6 percent of rebounds (740/1,330). To help matters, the MKE offense returns its top three leading scorers from a year ago in Freeman (18.2 ppg), Pullian (10.6 ppg), and Browning (9.6 ppg).

MILWAUKEE THE MELTING POT
In today's world of college basketball, change is still inevitable. This season, Milwaukee welcomes 10 new faces, broken down into four freshmen (3 true freshmen; Learic Davis from NCAA DI Tennessee State) and six transfers (including four NCAA Division I transfers in Pierce Spencer/Nicholls State, Erik Pratt/ Texas A&M, Langston Wilson/Washinton, and Faizon Fields/Old Dominion). That brings the total number of student-athletes on the roster to 18. The background stretches far and wide ... and actually across the country with the list including an impressive 13 states: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. Overall, there are only nine programs at the NCAA Division I level to be represented by 10 or more states.
The Top 5 is listed below.
Navy – 13 states (*27 players on the roster)
Milwaukee – 13 states
Missouri – 12 states
Youngstown State – 11 states
VMI – 11 states

GET OUT THOSE ERASERS
Along the way last season, the team rewrote the Milwaukee record book, setting new program records in total points (2,659), blocks (186, which also was fourth in the NCAA), field goals made (944), field goals attempted (2,062), total rebounds (1,330), and rebound average (39.1, good for 15th in the NCAA), while leading the Horizon League in with a .408 field-goal defense (893-2,187) that finished as the second-lowest in school history.
Points: 2,659; record was 2,618 set in 2015-16
FG made: 944 was 879 set in 2015-16
FG attempted: 2,062 was 1,950 set in 2016-17
Total rebounds: 1,330 was 1,241 set in 2009-10
Rebound average: 39.1 was 38.4 set in 1992-93
Blocks: 186 was 125 set in 2017-18
The blocks standard was arguably the most impressive mark to fall, eclipsing the former standard by nearly 50 percent while finishing fourth in the nation at the NCAA Division I level. The Panthers led the Horizon League by over 50 (Robert Morris was runner-up at 135) and MKE had five of the top 20 shot-blockers in the league led by Ahmad Rand (first with a school-record 72 rejections) and Moses Bol (seventh with 33).

Not to be done there, the team added entries into the program ledger for scoring average, field-goal percentage, field-goal percentage defense, and free-throw percentage.
*FG Defense of .408 (893-2,187) finished second
*Field-goal % of .458 (944-2,062) was third
*Free-throw % of .740 (504-681) was fourth
*Scoring average of 78.2 ppg finished fifth

ALL ABOARD THE COMEBACK TRAIN
The Panthers proved they could score points in bunches last season and that quality was certainly on display against Wright State Jan. 26 and then topped against Northern Kentucky Jan. 28. MKE was down big at the half against WSU, but used a 60-point second half - the fourth-most in a second-half in school history - to cut a 24-point deficit down to just five with one minute to play before running out of time. Two days later was next-level for the squad, overcoming being down 23 points to the Norse before earning a 75-74 victory to make the third-largest comeback in school history.
The only two better (both from 24 down):
24 points on March 2, 2021: Down 24 at 72-48 with 6:26 to play before one of the most improbable comebacks of all-time (it was the second-largest deficit EVER overcome in NCAA history over the final 5 minutes of a game). DeAndre Gholston sent it to OT with a 3 with 1.8 seconds left and MKE beat Wright State, 94-92.
24 points on November 15, 2008: The Panthers topped UC Davis, 81-75. That day, the team also made up a 24-point deficit, trailing 51-27, with a 54-point second half.
*For reference, the only other comeback of 20-or-more points in MKE's DI history occurred in a contest where they rallied from a 21-point second-half deficit against Virginia Tech in December of 2001.

The team proved adept at never giving up, recording wins when down nine or more points on six different occasions over the course of the season - three times by double-figures. In fact, the only team in the country with more double-digit comebacks was East Carolina, who accomplished the feat of coming back from 10+ points on four occasions.
The lines for the Panthers are below:
23 points (47-24) at Northern Kentucky, 1/28/23
14 points (47-33) vs. Oakland, 2/11/23
10 points (43-33) vs. Purdue Fort Wayne, 2/23/23
9 points three times ... most recent:
9 points (54-45) vs. Stetson, 3/19/23

THIS IS 40
BJ Freeman did it all against Stetson March 19 of last year, lighting up the Hatters for a career-high 43 points. His output set a new CBI single-game record and tied for the second-most points in a game in school history, trailing only the school-record 50-point performance of Von McDade back in December of 1990. It was the first 40-point outing for a Panther in over 20 years (and just the seventh all-time), the last coming from Clay Tucker when he recorded 40 against Wright State in December of 2003 - a span of 633 games.

MKE SINGLE-GAME SCORING RECORD
50 points: Von McDade at Illinois, 12/3/90
43 points: Freeman vs. Stetson, 3/19/23
43: McDade at Southern Utah, 2/19/91
CBI SINGLE-GAME SCORING RECORD
43 points: Freeman vs. Stetson, 3/19/23
39: Damon Huffman (Brown) at Ohio, 3/18/08

Freeman finished 10-of-20 from the floor and an impressive 20-of-22 from the free-throw line, setting new school and CBI single-game records with both his 20 made free throws (former mark of 18 set twice by Chad Angeli back in 2000) and 22 attempts (21 twice, again by Angeli in 2000) from the charity stripe. The CBI standards he broke were 16 FTM/21 FTA.

BJ THR33-MAN!
BJ Freeman closed the season on a tear his final 21 games, scoring 20-plus in 14 of them while averaging 21.9 points over that timeframe. His 23 points against Northern Kentucky Jan. 28 marked a run of six straight contests of 20-or-more points, the first time a Panther had accomplished that feat since Shannon Smith put together a streak of eight consecutive games during the 1994-95 campaign (23/38/27/25/24/36/24/22 starting with game three of the year). Freeman saw his streak end at six against IUPUI Feb. 2. In addition, his 14 20-plus point games this year are the most for a Panther since Smith had 19 such scoring efforts back in the 1994-95 season. His trio of 30-plus point efforts (43/31/30) are the most since Avery Smith had three (36/33/32) during the 2006-07 campaign.

Freeman's 30-point/11-assist performance marked the first point/assist double-double in school history where the player reached the 30-point plateau. It was the first 30-point game of any kind for the team in 51 games (DeAndre Gholston had 31 against Wright State March 2, 2021) and also the first 10-plus assist performance in 44 games (Jordan Lathon last had 10 against Robert Morris Dec. 4, 2021). He was named Horizon League Player of the Week following the 30-point effort, the second time last season he has picked up the league honor. He's the first Panther to be named Player of the Week in the conference twice in the same season since Jordan Johnson did so in December of the 2015-16 campaign and also the first-ever to earn the honor three times in a season after winning again Feb. 26.

TRIPLE-DOUBLE; NO TROUBLE
It had been 215 games since Milwaukee witnessed its last triple-double before BJ Freeman went off for his 19 points/12 rebounds/11 assists against Purdue Fort Wayne Feb. 23 last year. The last to do it was Jordan Johnson, posting his statline of 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Youngstown State Feb. 22, 2016.

Freeman had his 10 points quickly, hitting for 10 and 11 on a pair of free throws at the 14:19 mark of the second half. He grabbed his 10th rebound on the offensive glass with 13:26 to play and rounded out the historic performance with his 10th assist on Kentrell Pullian's three-pointer with 4:04 to go.

How rare is the feat? Milwaukee now owns nearly half (5 of 11) of the recorded triple-doubles in NCAA Division I basketball history in the state of Wisconsin. In addition to Johnson's gem, Kaylon Williams put up the identical 10/10/10 statline in a win over Butler January 3, 2011 and Marc Mitchell had a pair in the 1992-93 season. He piled up 13 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds against UMKC Feb. 1, 1993 and also had 16 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds earlier that season against Alcorn State on Dec. 7, 1992.

The Wisconsin Badgers added their first-ever in over 100 years of their history in 2011 when Josh Gasser (10 pts/12 reb/10 asts) pulled it off. Green Bay has three on the list, with Javier Mendiburu posting a pair (17 pts/12 reb/10 asst vs. Wright State, Feb. 28, 2004 and 10/10/10 vs. YSU, Feb. 5, 2005). Alec Brown (15 pts/10 reb/10 blks) also joined Nov. 23, 2013 in a big Phoenix win. Marquette has two: Dwyane Wade had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in the NCAA Tournament in 2003 and Tony Miller (18 pts/10 reb/10 asts) had one against the Badgers Dec. 31, 1994.

BRING ON THE LEAGUE ACCOLADES
The Panthers had three players honored by the Horizon League with postseason awards. BJ Freeman was named Second Team All-Horizon League, Ahmad Rand was selected as the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year and to the All-Defensive Team, and Elijah Jamison was voted to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team. Rand becomes the first Panther to be named league Defensive Player of the Year in program history as well as the first to be named to the All-Defensive Team since 2011-12.

FREE BASKETBALL!
The Panthers were at it again, playing into overtime for the fifth time last season against Stetson March 29 last year. That marked the most OT games for the program since the 2016-17 season, a year in which they also played five overtime contests. That 2016-17 campaign marked the first time the program has played five OT games in one season in its NCAA Division I history.

CIRCLE K
The team hosted its quarterfinal game last season on campus against Wright State and played in front of a sellout crowd of nearly 3,000 fans. MKE had a tremendous amount of success at the Klotsche Center last year, posting a perfect 6-0 record between contests against WSU, Purdue Fort Wayne, MSOE, and the Cream City Classic. The Panthers shot 51.3 percent (184-359) from the floor, 40.5 percent (51-126), and 74.8 percent (104-139) from the line over those six games, outscoring the opposition by an average score of 87.2 to 67.8. The defense held teams to solid marks from the floor overall (.404) and from distance (.296). Three players averaged double-figures (BJ Freeman 18.0 ppg/Kentrell Pullian 14.5/Elijah Jamison 12.0), while Ahmad Rand was close at 9.5 ppg. The team has won its last eight in a row at the K and is 16-5 over the past 21 (dating back to start of 2017-18).

PERFECTION FROM 15 FEET
BJ Freeman extended his streak of scoring 20-plus points to six straight in unconventional fashion against Northern Kentucky Jan. 28 last year, finishing the afternoon with 23 points despite making just three field goals. He did so with a school-record performance from the line, finishing a perfect 17-17 from the charity stripe to help lead the comeback victory. In doing so, he just missed the school record of 18 made free throws in a game (set twice by Chad Angeli back in 2000) but also became the 10th player in school history to make 100 percent with at least 10 attempts in a single contest. His 17-of-17 breaks the former mark of 13-of-13, set by Derek Durham against Stetson back on December 28, 1995.

BENCH BRIGADE POURED IT ON
The Panther bench continued to shine game after game last season. BJ Freeman had been coming off the bench for the six games prior to the win over Robert Morris Jan. 19, averaging 22.0 points per contest his final five outings in that stretch. His 28 points against Northern Kentucky Jan. 12 marked the highest single-game point total of any reserve since Tafari Simms poured in 32 off the bench against IUPUI in January of 2021 and the most of any player since DeAndre Gholston scored 31 against Wright State back on March 2, 2021. Last season, the team finished at No. 7 in the NCAA in bench points, averaging 28.9 ppg (South Carolina State led at 34.7 ppg). Kentrell Pullian scored a team-high 20 points off the bench in the win over UC Davis Nov. 26. It marked the first 20-plus point outing off the bench for a Panther since Josh Thomas scored 22 against Oakland Jan. 20 two years ago and was part of a huge effort in the scoring column by the MKE bench. Pullian's 20 points was over 1/3 of the 59 total bench points, as Elijah Jamison (13) and Markeith Browning II (12) were also in double-figures. It was a common theme for the deep MKE lineup last season, also seeing 56 points off the bench against Cardinal Stritch and 43 against MSOE. In fact, the 59 marks the most since the Panthers had 60 by the non-starters in a 125-74 victory over Judson back on December 13, 2015.

SCORING UP AND DOWN THE LINEUP
The Panthers saw great balance in the scoring all season long last year and had five players in double-figures against Green Bay Dec. 1. That was the sixth different time last season that MKE had at least four players crack the double-digit column and the team went 10-2 in such games after four reached the status against Oakland Feb. 11. The team saw 13 different players score in double-figures last season, as well as eight different players lead the way in scoring. The impressive roster depth led to great competition when it came to the starting lineup. In fact, the Panthers were among the teams with the most different number of starting lineups across the nation last season, having used 16 different lineup options through 32 games.
*Coppin State: 22 lineups in 28 games
*Eastern Michigan: 17 in 30 games
*Milwaukee: 16 in 33 games
*Austin Peay: 16 in 30 games
*TCU: 15 in 27 games

A FIRST IMPRESSION WITH PUNCH
Bart Lundy earned a big victory in his first game as head coach against MSOE Nov. 7 and did it in impressive fashion historically. The 56-point margin of victory went down as the third-highest in the record book all-time as well as the biggest since a 51-point victory over Judson in December of 2015 (125-74). Lundy then topped that just two games later with a 74-point win against Cardinal Stritch Nov. 12 and now already owns two of the top four largest victories in program history.

+79 Mount Senario (100-21) 12/27/00
+74 Cardinal Stritch (112-38) 11/12/22
+62 Prairie View A&M (117-55) 11/20/04
+56 MSOE (102-46) 11/7/22

LUNDY'S LINE
Head coach Bart Lundy brought an extensive background of success to the Panthers, which included an impressive run through the postseason that extended many years and a pair of trips to the NCAA DII Final Four in his career. A look back at his prior seven seasons at Queens reveals the gaudy numbers that were posted.
2021-22: 30-4 overall, 2-1 in NCAA Tournament
2020-21: 16-6 overall, 0-1 in NCAA Tournament
2019-20: 24-7 overall, NCAA's cancelled
2018-19: 31-5 overall, 3-1 in NCAA Tournament
2017-18: 32-4 overall, 1-1 in NCAA Tournament
2016-17: 30-4 overall, 2-1 in NCAA Tournament
2015-16: 25-7 overall, 1-1 in NCAA Tournament

PANTHERS AND THE POLLS
Milwaukee was attempting to earn its first victory over a nationally ranked opponent since a 63-60 decision against No. 21 Butler on February 18, 2009 when it took on No. 25 Colorado. Recent ranked matchups include #24 Florida (81-45 L on 11/18/21), #2/#3 Kansas (95-68 L on 12/10/19), #18 Notre Dame (86-78 L on 11/17/15), #5/#6 Wisconsin (93-54 L on 12/10/14) and #6/#7 Villanova (73-53 L on 3/20/14), with the Panthers now 0-12 against ranked opponents since that victory over Butler.

Going back, after losing their first 25 games against teams ranked in the Associated Press poll in program history, the Panthers added three wins over the course of two memorable postseasons, all coming in the NCAA Tournament. Milwaukee beat 21st-ranked Alabama and 14th-ranked Boston College in 2005 and 24th-ranked Oklahoma in 2006. The Panthers do also own a win at Butler in 2001-02 when the Bulldogs were ranked 25th in the ESPN/USA Today poll but were not ranked by the AP. Their record all-time checks in at 4-47 following the loss to CU, with the victory over BC at #14 the biggest upset. Milwaukee has played the No. 1 team in the country just once - when it took on Illinois in the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament in 2005. The next-highest was Kansas at No. 2 back in 2004-05 and again in 2019-20.

TURN THE RADIO UP
This marks the second full ho0ps season that 101.7 FM The Truth will serve as the radio home of the "Educators Credit Union Milwaukee Panthers Men's Basketball Radio Broadcasts". Fans can listen to veteran broadcaster Scott Warras, now in his eighth season, call all the play-by-play action on air at 101.7 FM and via live online streaming services. Plus, head coach Bart Lundy will appear on 101.7 FM The Truth's "MKE in the Morning" shows throughout the 2023-24 basketball regular season.

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 eighth 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 Panthers celebrate New Year's Eve with a home matinee against Wright State. Tip time is set for 2 p.m. Sunday.