The Milwaukee men's basketball team makes the quick return to Horizon League play Thursday, spending New Year's Day with a matinee at Wright State. The Panthers have been busy, playing three games in four days but look to bounce back from a loss at Wisconsin Tuesday with another strong game against the Raiders - having won four of the past five in the all-time series. The matchup is set to tip off at 1 p.m. CT, with a video broadcast available on ESPN+. The contest will also have live statistics available. The audio broadcast will be available on 101.7 FM The Truth and its streaming services, as well as the Varsity Network. Scott Warras is on the call for his 10th season as the voice of the Panthers and all links are posted on the MKE website.

LOOKING AT THE OPPONENT
Wright State went 15-18 overall a season ago, finishing 8-12 in Horizon League play. The team did win its first contest in the league tournament, falling in the quarterfinal round to eventual champion Robert Morris. That marked the programs first season under .500 since going 12-19 in 2014-15. Clint Sargent was named the 10th men's basketball head coach in program history in March of 2024. He has been on the WSU staff since 2016 and served as the associate head coach for three seasons before being promoted to the top spot. The Raiders returned six players from a season ago while adding seven newcomers (four transfers/three freshmen). They were selected seventh in the Horizon League preseason poll. WSU enters play Thursday at 7-7 overall and improved to 2-1 in conference action courtesy of an 88-73 win over Oakland at home Monday, led by 20 points from Solomon Callaghan. They are 5-2 at home this winter and are led in scoring by Michael Cooper, who contributes 15.4 points per contest. Michael Imariagbe is second with 11.4 ppg and adds a team-high 5.9 rebounds a night. Callaghan is third at 8.1 ppg and the team leads the conference with its field-goal shooting - connecting at 48.4 percent to this point. It's +10.1 scoring margin is also tops in the Horizon, helped by wins of 49 (86-37 vs. Franklin Nov. 3) and 53 (100-47 vs. Ohio Wesleyan Nov. 20). 

SERIES HISTORY
The series is close to the break-even point all-time, with Wright State now holding a 38-36 advantage, as well as a 37-35 edge in MKE's NCAA Division I era. Since the arrival of Bart Lundy, the series has shifted to the favor of the Panthers, winning four of the past five, including a season sweep a year ago. The team is 12-25 in games played on the road, with the 95-79 win last season snapping what was a three-game losing skid at the Nutter Center.

LAST TIME OUT
Playing shorthanded and for the second time in 24 hours, Milwaukee fell to Wisconsin Tuesday night at the Kohl Center. The two teams were playing for the first time since 2019.
 
The Panthers (7-7) fell behind early after a slow start, as the Badgers (9-4) scored 18 of the game's first 20 points. Limited to just 10 available players due to injury and illness, the visitors matched the home side with 50 points over the final 24:48, but a 30-10 UW lead at the 4:48 mark of the first half proved too much to overcome in an eventual 80-60 loss.
 
Josh Dixon led the offense with 17 points, with Amar Augillard joining him in double-figures with 15 points. Augillard went 6-of-8 from the line and added five rebounds.
 
Sekou Konneh contributed eight points and a game-high eight rebounds in just 14 minutes of action, while Faizon Fields had a statline of 8 points/6 rebounds.

OFF AND RUNNIN'
On the Horizon League side of things, the Panthers are off to a 3-0 start for the second consecutive season. A year ago, Bart Lundy helped the program post that 3-0 mark for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign, The next on that list will be the 5-0 ledger the 2008-09 team opened up with.

ON THE RADAR
Bart Lundy is approaching a milestone moment, as he continues to pile up victories during his illustrious coaching career. Lundy entered year No. 24 sitting at 492 wins (now 499). He has averaged over 21 wins per season since he started roaming the sidelines for Queens in the 1998-99 campaign.

Lundy is set to join an exclusive club: active NCAA coaches with 500 wins. There are currently 17 active members if counting NCAA Division I victories alone, and Lundy would make the 22nd when counting all NCAA levels. He has done so in efficient manner. He currently sits at a .681 winning percentage through No. 499. Based on a check of records, there is a list of no more than 40 coaches all-time that have reached the 500 milestone at a higher winning clip.

DIGGIN' IN
The defensive effort for Milwaukee against Purdue Fort Wayne Dec. 29 was noteworthy. The 55 points allowed was not only a season-low, but marked the fewest points for an NCAA Division I opponent in 106 games - dating back to when MKE held Boston University to 46 in November of 2022. It also marks the fewest allowed in a Horizon League game in Bart Lundy's tenure - more impressive given that the Mastodons were averaging 84.9 ppg coming in. The 16 first-half points scored marked the fewest since that same contest in which Boston U had just 13 at the break. The 36.2 percent (21-58) overall shooting was also a season-best for the Panthers defense, as was the 21.9 percent (7-32) from deep.

BATTLE OF THE BOARDS
The work done on rebounds against Purdue Fort Wayne Dec. 29 was one for the record books as well. The 53 total rebounds were the most in a regulation game against an NCAA Division I opponent since setting the school record with 59 against Loyola Chicago back in January of 2009. The 53 total ranks tied for ninth in a game all-time. The +33 margin (53-20) checks in at second-most in program history, trailing only the +36 (59-23 that day) in that same matchup with the Ramblers in 2009.

ACCURACY AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
He may be just a freshman, but Josh Dixon has been as cool as they come from the free throw line so far this season. Heading into play Thursday, he now has enough attempts to qualify for the statistcal leaderboards in both the Horizon League and the country. Dixon has connected on 94.6 percent (35-of-37) of his takes to rank second in the conference (leader is at .955) as well as No. 7 across the NCAA (top of the chart is .976). If he stays on the same path, the school record will be in jeopardy as well this season.
Single-Season Free Throw Percentage
.902 (37-41) Donovan Newby in 2020-21
.901 (64-71) Donovan Newby in 2021-22
.870 (40-46) Pat Easterlin in 1993-94
.864 (95-110) Jordan Aaron in 2012-13
.860 (80-93) Vance Johnson in 2018-19

LET'S BE FRANK
Aaron Franklin came through with a breakthrough outing in the win against Purdue Fort Wayne Dec. 29, posting the first double-double by any Panther player this season (first in 14 games/since Jamichael Stillwell had 16 points & 10 boards against Detroit Mercy 3/1/25) when he finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds for his first double-double in his MKE career. The 13 points was a season-high and the 13 rebounds eclipsed his former best of 11, which came against Green Bay in December of 2023. He also came up big recently in the win over RMU Dec. 6, playing a significant role on defense while providing a then season-high 12 points on the offensive end. He was 4-of-6 from the floor and added six rebounds.

DIXON DELIGHT: FOR STARTERS
Josh Dixon made his first two collegiate starts some of the more memorable in program history. His first foray into the starting lineup came against South Dakota State Dec. 19, leading the way in the victory with a game and then season-high 24 points. At the time, the 24 points marked the most for any Panther freshman since Patrick Baldwin Jr. went for 26 against Robert Morris back on December 4, 2021. Dixon finished 8-of-18 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the line. He added four assists and five boards.

He then one-upped that with a 28-point eruption against Cleveland State Dec. 21, leading the way for MKE to improve to 2-0 in league play. His 52-points over two games not only landed him Horizon League Freshman of the Week honors, but Dixon was also selected the Lou Henson Award National Mid-Major Player of the Week. He now owns two of the top six freshman scoring marks in school history.

MOST POINTS IN A GAME, FRESHMAN
31 Roderick Johnson vs. Northern Ill. on 2/15/96
31 Roderick Johnson vs. Cleveland St. on 2/8/96
29 Pat McCabe vs. Loyola on 1/19/95
28 Josh Dixon at Cleveland State on 12/21/25
26 Patrick Baldwin Jr. vs. RMU on 12/4/21
24 Josh Dixon vs. South Dakota State 12/19/25 24 Clay Tucker vs. C. Michigan on 11/20/99
24 Chad Angeli vs. Loyola on 2/12/98
24 Damion Ninkovic vs. Detroit on 1/29/98

Dixon's 52 points in back-to-back games are also the second-most for an MKE freshman all-time, trailing only the 62 Johnson netted back in February of 1996 (see list).

JACKSON STEPS UP
Chandler Jackson had recorded 11 points in his four appearances on the season coming into play against Cleveland State Dec. 21, yet netted 11 points in the first half alone to help spur a huge scoring run that turned the game around. He used 5-of-8 shooting to score his 14 total points against the Vikings, making 4-of-6 three-pointers, including a late one that iced the victory for the Panthers. He also added three rebounds. Jackson was right back at it against Purdue Fort Wayne Dec. 29, finishing with 11 points and 4 rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench.

SETH HUBBARD UPDATE
Head coach Bart Lundy announced Dec. 14 that Seth Hubbard will miss the remainder of the season due to injury. The team's leading scorer to that point (16.6 ppg), he joined John Lovelace Jr. on the injury list of players who will be unable to play the remainder of the season.

BAKER'S DOZEN FOR AMAR
Amar Augillard came up big for the Panthers in the second half of the victory over South Dakota State Dec. 19, scoring 20 of his 23 points after intermission. He put the team on his back at one point, scoring 13 consecutive points to take the scoreline from 61-58 Panthers at the 9:40 mark to 74-71 on a pair of free throws at the 3:57 mark, helping Milwaukee stay just far enough ahead of the Jackrabbits to pull out the thrilling victory.

DOUBLE DOWN ON THAT 20
Josh Dixon (24 points) and Amar Augillard (23 points) combined Dec. 19 against South Dakota State to be the first teammates to score 20+ in the same game for the Panthers since February of last season, when Themus Fulks (21) and AJ McKee (20) accomplished the feat against Youngstown State.

EVERYONE'S TOP PLAY
Seth Hubbard's game-winner against Robert Morris Dec. 6 was recognized with a spot on ESPN SportsCenter's "Top 10 Plays of the Day" nationally. It also marked the most recent game-winner in the closing seconds for the Panthers since Angelo Stuart's 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left sent the Panthers past Northern Kentucky in February of 2024.

PROTECT THE ROCK
The Panthers have been very good taking care of the basketball so far this season, averaging just 10.4 turnovers per game - a number that not only ranks second in the Horizon League but also ranks No. 56 in the NCAA (thru 12/30). In fact, since 2000, there have been only two seasons where the Panthers averaged even as few as 12 turnovers per game: 11.1 in 2020-21 and 11.0 during the 2015-16 campaign.

LEAGUE LIFTOFF
Since joining the MCC/Horizon League, Milwaukee is now 17-15 in league openers following the 74-72 result against Robert Morris this year, which improved Bart Lundy to 3-1 in his tenure. The victory in the league opener in year No. 1 for Lundy turned the tide in Horizon League lid-lifters, as the team had gone 1-7 dating back to an 82-76 victory over YSU in 2013-14.  

TOUGH TERRITORY
The Panthers set themselves up for a very challenging non-conference schedule and the results have shown what they were up against. Milwaukee ran into opposition with outstanding home records to close November. The last four November road games came against teams that were a combined 18-0 at home in 2025-26 at that point in the year: Akron (4-0/won 20 straight), Wichita State (4-0), Texas Tech (4-0/41 straight at home vs. non-conference opponents), and Indiana (6-0). Throw in the road games at Wofford and Wisconsin, and the current win-loss record at home for the six road non-conference games the team played is currently an impressive 43-2 (.956 win percentage thru Dec. 30).

BIG TEN BATTLES
The Panthers played Indiana and Wisconsin in the non-conference slate, having now gone 12-54 all-time against Big Ten opponents (they have not played any of the most recent additions in Oregon/UCLA/USC/Washington before they joined the conference). The team has its most wins and best record against Northwestern (7-6 all-time in a series that dates back to 1923) and has played Wisconsin the most (36 times in the series, amazingly dating back to a 37-18 UW victory in November of 1901). The most recent victories over a member of the conference came during the 2015-16 campaign, when Milwaukee posted road wins over Wisconsin (68-67 on 12/9/15) and Minnesota (74-65 on 12/23/15) in a span of two weeks.

GETTING TO THE GLASS
Faizon Fields recently passed a career milestone, as the grad student continues to accumulate rebounds in his NCAA career. He heads into play Thursday with 538 career boards. Although he won't officially go into the school's all-time rebound leader list, he became the 17th player to be wearing Black & Gold when he collected the No. 500 milestone carom against Indiana State Dec. 14.

AND HE MAKES THREE'S!
Danilo Jovanovich continues to enjoy a breakout campaign, with his outing at Akron Nov. 29 adding to the list when he reset a career-high for points scored for the second time in eight outings this year, He led the way with his 21-point effort, finishing 9-of-14 from the floor overall (3-of-4 from three-point range) while adding four rebounds and a pair of blocks. The makes from downtown were especially notable, as the first three-pointer he made marked the first of his NCAA career (had just six attempts prior). He hit his first triple at the 14:16 mark of the first and waited all of 65 seconds to make his second.

JUST GETTING STARTED
Stevie Elam continues to contribute during his freshman campaign and was rewarded with Horizon League Under Armour Freshman of the Week honors for his efforts. After missing the Dominican game due to injury, the newcomer set season highs in both points and rebounds against Akron Nov. 29, finishing with 17 points and seven rebounds, making 4-of-9 three-pointers. That topped his former high-water totals of 16 points and six boards. He's just the fourth MKE freshman to win the league honor all-time (it started for the 2013-14 season) and the first since Patrick Baldwin Jr. in December of 2021.

WRITTEN IN THE STARS
The Panthers enjoyed a record-breaking performance against Dominican Nov. 25, breaking a handful of program records en route to the 125-point total - tying the school record for most points scored in a game in the process.
Team Points: 125
*Tied the school record of 125 which the team scored against Judson on December 13 of 2015. In Bart Lundy's three-plus seasons, the team has now set three of the top six marks all-time:
125 vs. Dominican, 11/25/25*
125 vs. Judson 12/13/15
118 vs. Lakeland 11/4/24*
117 vs. Prairie View A&M 11/20/04
116 at Illinois (OT2) 12/3/90
112 vs. Cardinal Stritch 11/12/22*

Points in Second Half: 72
72 vs. Dominican, 11/25/25
66 vs. Lakeland 11/4/24
64 vs. Loyola Chicago 12/21/02
61 vs. Prairie View A&M 11/20/04
61 vs. Oshkosh 12/23/91

Fields Goals made: 49
49 vs. Dominican, 11/25/25
47 vs. Lakeland 11/4/24
47 vs. Judson 12/13/15

Players in Double-Figure Scoring: 8
8 vs. Dominican, 11/25/25
7 vs. vs. Lakeland 11/4/24
7 vs. Judson 12/13/15

Margin of Victory: +55
+79 vs. Mount Senario (100-21) 12/27/00
+74 vs. Cardinal Stritch (112-38) 11/12/22*
+62 vs. Prairie View A&M (117-55) 11/20/04
+56 vs. Lakeland (118-62) 11/4/24*
+56 vs. MSOE (102-46) 11/7/22*
+55 vs. Dominican (125-70) 11/25/25*
*Bart Lundy teams have now set four of the top six marks in this category all-time.

Rebounding Margin: +30
+36 vs. Loyola Chicago 1/28/09
+32 vs. Lakeland 11/4/24
+30 vs. Dominican, 11/25/25

Assists in a game, Team: 26
32 vs. Judson 12/13/15
32 vs. Prairie View A&M 11/20/04
29 vs. Mount Senario 12/27/00
28 vs. Lakeland 11/4/24
28 vs. Cleveland State 2/28/04
26 vs. Dominican, 11/25/25

KONNEH'S A KEEPER
Sekou Konneh put together an impressive outing on a big stage at No. 11 Texas Tech Nov. 18, finishing with what were then season-bests of 12 points and eight rebounds, making 6-of-8 shots from the floor, all in just 14 minutes on the court. His 12 points topped the eight he posted against Hampton Nov. 3, while his eight boards tied his season-best from that same game, including the final one that came on a highlight-reel putback dunk in the final minute of the night.

The redshirt freshman topped that with his performance against Dominican Nov. 25, finishing a rebound short of his first double-double with season-highs of 17 points and 9 boards, making 8-9 FG in just 19 minutes. He just missed his first collegiate double-double against Purdue Fort Wayne Dec. 29 as well, scoring 10 points and grabbing 9 rebounds against the 'Dons.

MURCH IS THE MAN
Simeon Murchison also enjoyed his best collegiate outing against Dominican Nov. 25, finishing with 10 points and 3 rebounds in his 11 minutes of playing time against the Stars. His point total was double his prior high of 5 against Wright State in Jan. of 2024 and minutes total topped the 8 he had vs. Oakland in Jan. of 2024. His most rebounds prior was two.

JOHN LOVELACE JR. UPDATE
Head coach Bart Lundy opened his press conference following the season opener against Hampton Nov. 3 announcing that senior John Lovelace Jr. will be missing the entirety of the 2025-26 season due to an injury suffered in practice just days before the season was set to begin. The team will share updates on Lovelace when available.

WELCOME TO MILWAUKEE
Head coach Bart Lundy announced the incoming class of signees Nov. 19, welcoming Ben Akoro of O'Fallon, Ill., Christian Burnett of Milledgeville, Ga., Justin McCarter of Marietta, Ga., CJ Worsham of Chicago, Ill., and SJ Young of Willis, Texas, to the program.

Burnett (sophomore at Gordon State College in Barnesville, Ga.), McCarter (sophomore at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami, Okla.), and Worsham (sophomore at Panola College in Carthage, Texas) will be transfers to the Panthers, while Akoro (O'Fallon Township High School in O'Fallon, Illinois) and Young (Willis High School in Willis, Texas) will be true freshmen.

PIPPIN' IS EASY
Esyah Pippa-White came through with his best game as a Panther in the win against Little Rock Nov. 10, scoring 13 points to top his prior MKE best of eight. He also set new standards in the Black & Gold with his five made field goals, three made 3's, and 22 minutes of playing time.

OH MY AMAR!
Amar Augillard showed his potential against Little Rock Nov. 10, finishing the night with a game-high 25 points - fueled by a red-hot start. He swished four shots from three-point range on MKE's first five possessions to start the game and had 21 points by the break. He finished 6-of-13 from downtown and added three assists and three rebounds.

ANOTHER MEMBER IN THE CLUB
Last season, the Panthers saw both Themus Fulks and Kentrell Pullian score the 1,000th point of their NCAA Division I careers with the Panthers, becoming the 31st and 32nd players to reach the plateau in the Black & Gold. There was a new addition waiting in the wings as the season tipped off, as newcomer Seth Hubbard has already established himself at the DI level. A transfer to the Panthers following one season at Toledo and two at Western Michigan, he hit the court this winter having scored 945 points in his NCAA Division I career, averaging 9.9 points in 95 career games. He sank No. 1,000 with a three-pointer in the middle of the second half against Little Rock Nov. 10 to become the 33rd member of the 1,000-point club - and the fifth to do so as a combined total with other programs as part of his overall career total.

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 battled No. 11 Texas Tech Nov. 14. Recent ranked matchups include #25 Colorado (106-79 L on 11/14/23), #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 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 now all-time checks in at 4-48, 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.

DANDY DEBUT
Seth Hubbard came through with a recent trend - impressive debuts by a Panther newcomer - when he netted 23 points to lead the MKE offense against Hampton Nov. 3. In addition to Jamichael Stillwell's 18-point/14-rebound debut last year, Angelo Stuart went for 24 points against MSOE in his first appearance in the Black & Gold in 2022, with BJ Freeman making his initial appearance of the campaign the next game at Purdue and finishing with 19 points of his own.

"ELAM ENDING"? JUST THE BEGINNING
Freshman Stevie Elam made quite a splash in his collegiate debut, coming off the bench to score 16 points against Hampton Nov. 3, adding six rebounds, two assists, and three blocks. He made 4-of-7 from deep in 21 minutes on the court, scoring the most points in an opener for a Panther freshman since Patrick Baldwin Jr. finished with 21 points and 10 boards in game one of his career in November of 2021 at North Dakota. Looking through the archives, Elam's 16 points are the second-highest total for a freshman (outside of PBJ's 21) since Clay Tucker lit up Central Michigan for 24 in his MKE debut in the 1999 opener. Recent success by freshmen includes Grant Coleman with 14 in the 2020-21 opener at Kansas State and, further back, Tony Meier recorded a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds against Loyola Marymount on November 14, 2008. He added his first collegiate start in game No. 2 against Wofford Nov. 8, scoring 12 points while grabbing four rebounds and adding three steals.

NOW THAT'S SOME TILT
The team adopted the slogan "Tilt The Floor" heading into last season and then went and did everything in its power to back that up. In addition to scoring at a total per-game clip that finished among the highest in program history at 78.4 points a night, the Panthers finished in first place in the nation in fastbreak points - and it wasn't even really close. They had been battling along with a handful of other teams all winter but when the season was completed, no other team at the NCAA DI level scored more fastbreak points than MKE's 18.38 a game. For perspective, the MKE offense put up 15.3 a game two years ago and 12.3 per contest in Bart Lundy's first season at the helm. The number was just 7.5 a game the year before Lundy's arrival.
FASTBREAK POINTS LEADERS NCAA DI
1. Milwaukee was the best at 18.38 ppg
2. New Mexico State 15.83
3. N.C. Central 15.79
4. Michigan State 15.59
5. Florida 15.58

The Panthers wasted no time in 2025-26, scoring 33 fastbreak points against Hampton in the opener Nov. 3 and then 39 more in the win over Little Rock Nov. 10.

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 seventh time in the past 13 years. The team is now 23-13 in season openers since returning to the NCAA Division I ranks full-time in 1990-91, which includes a big 102-46 win over MSOE in Coach Lundy's MKE debut three years ago and a dominant 118-62 win over Lakeland last season (in addition to the 90-86 win over Hampton this season). In all, the team is now 30-6 in that same span in home openers, claiming wins in 23 of the past 26 (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 1994 (have won the previous 17 in that scenario).

D-LO DELIVERS
Danilo Jovanovich reset a pair of career-highs in his season debut against Hampton Nov. 3, wasting little time in getting his campaign off to a strong start. He grabbed 10 rebounds (5 offensive/5 defensive) to blow past his former high of seven, recorded against Youngstown State in January of last season. He also played 29 minutes, topping the 24 he was on the court at Virginia in January of 2024. His 10 points in game two at Wofford Nov. 8 was just two off his career-best of 12.

SEKOU'S SOLID
Redshirt freshman Sekou Konneh hit the hardwood in impressive fashion as well, coming through with a very productive 15 minutes on the court in his collegiate debut. He finished with a statline of 8 points/8 rebounds, the highest rebound total for a freshman since Patrick Baldwin Jr. collected 10 back in the 2021-22 lid-lifter. Konneh went 3-6 from the floor and added an assist and a steal.

HITTING THE MARK
With a 21-11 overall ledger a year ago, the Panthers recorded the 13th 20-win season in program history. It also marked back-to-back-to-back for Bart Lundy after posting a 20-15 mark two years ago and a 22-12 ledger in his first season on the bench. That gave Milwaukee three straight 20-win seasons for the first time since 2003-04 (20-11), 2005-06 (22-9), and 2004-05 (26-6) - which was the tail end of four consecutive years hitting the mark. Lundy is the first MKE coach to claim 20+ victories in three consecutive campaigns since Bruce Pearl in 2002-03 (24-8), 2003-04 (20-11) and 2004-05 (26-6).

FOR THE MKE
In today's world of college basketball, change is still inevitable. This season, Milwaukee welcomes eight new faces, broken down into three freshmen (2 true freshmen in Stevie Elam and Josh Dixon & redshirt freshman Sekou Konneh) and five transfers (including NCAA Division I transfers in Seth Hubbard/Toledo and Amar Augillard/Fresno State). Other transfers include Isaiah Dorceus (Daytona State), Chandler Jackson (Parkland), and Tate Mackenzie (Howard). That brings the total number of student-athletes on the roster to fifteen. The background stretches far and wide ... and actually across the country with the list including an impressive array of 11 states: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

POLL POSITION
The Panthers were listed in the "receiving votes" section of the CollegeInsider.com Preseason Mid-Major Top 25 poll this season, essentially ending up at No. 29. Last winter they checked in at #18, marking the first time that Milwaukee had been in the preseason edition list by CollegeInsider.com since prior to the start of the 2014-15 campaign – a season in which the team was coming off its most recent trip to the NCAA Tournament.
 
The last few months prior to the start of the season witnessed the MKE program atop many of the early rankings, including taking the top spot in the Under Armour Horizon League preseason poll for the second straight year (after earning the top spot for the first time in 18 years last winter). National organizations are taking notice as well, with respected polls such as Lindy's (No. 1 for the second year in a row), Blue Ribbon Yearbook (No. 1 for a second season), Mid-Major Madness (No. 1 back-to-back), HoriZone (picked No. 1 after No. 2 last year), among others, to all be considering the Panthers the team to beat in the league this season.

POLL TRENDS
Milwaukee was picked to finish first in the Under Armour preseason poll conducted by the League's head coaches, SIDs, and media members. That marks a recent trend for the Panthers under Bart Lundy. Two years ago, the program was picked second, marking its highest choice in over a decade. Last year, the Panthers were picked No. 1 for the first time since prior to the 2006-07 campaign. In addition, Milwaukee saw three of its players earn Preseason All-League honors – no other league program had more than one of its players selected. Newcomer Amar Augillard was picked as a First-Team honoree, while both Faizon Fields and Seth Hubbard earned Second-Team status.

2025-26 Under Armour Preseason Poll
#   Team (First-place votes) Points
1. Milwaukee (24) – 428
2. Oakland (7) – 384
3. Youngstown State (2) – 364
4. Robert Morris (8) – 345
5. Purdue Fort Wayne (1) – 287
6. Northern Kentucky – 274
7. Wright State – 221
8. Cleveland State (2) – 217
9. Detroit Mercy – 176
10. IU Indianapolis – 115
11. Green Bay – 93

REBOUND REPORT
After breaking the 30-year-old program record for rebounds per game (was 38.4 rpg) in Bart Lundy's first season at 39.1, the team just missed resetting the mark in year two when it finished at 39.0. Last season, the squad was at it again, resetting the program mark at 39.2 rebounds per night - highlighted by a final rebound margin of +9.3. In addition to being first in the Horizon League in every rebound category, the Panthers also ranked high across the nation. The team finished 21st in the NCAA in rebounds per game, fifth in offensive rebounds per outing (14.4), and just out of first place in the nation with that +9.3 margin.
REBOUND MARGIN
1. Saint Mary's at +10.3
2. Milwaukee at +9.3
3. South Dakota State at +9.2
PROGRAM RECORD FOR REBOUNDS
1. 39.2 in 2024-25
2. 39.1 in 2022-23
3. 39.0 in 2023-24
4. 38.4 in 1992-93 (record for 30+ years)

AMAR AWARENESS
One of the key additions to the MKE roster this season is no stranger to filling up the scoresheet and has been heralded as one of the top newcomers in the Horizon League by numerous sources and publications nationally, arriving at Milwaukee following a stop at Fresno State last season where he averaged 13.3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs in 2024-25. But more impressively, had four 20+ point outbursts in his 11 appearances, topped by a 30-point effort against Sacramento State. That followed a season at Triton College in River Grove, Ill., where he was selected as the 2024 National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Player of the Year after averaging 22.7 points per game while finishing ranked No. 2 in the nation in total points (841). Heading into the 2025-26 campaign, in addition to being tabbed a member of the Horizon League Preseason First Team, he was also selected to the first team by "Blue Ribbon Yearbook".

RECORD BREAKERS
Milwaukee again added more entries to the record book last season, establishing new Top-5 marks in numerous categories.
Points scored: fourth at 2,510
Scoring Average: sixth at 78.4 ppg
Field Goals Made: third at 907
Field Goals Attempted: fourth at 1,939
Field-Goal Percentage: third at .468
Total Rebounds: third at 1,253
Rebound Average: first at 39.2
Offensive Rebounds: second at 462
Free Throws Made: fifth at 507
Free Throws Attempted: fifth at 741

OUT OF THE GATES
Prior to a two-point defeat against Robert Morris Jan. 19 of last season, the Panthers had opened a perfect 9-0 at home to mark the best start to a season at home since opening the 2005-06 campaign at 10-0 before dropping a decision to UIC in mid-February as part of a 13-2 home ledger. Dating back to the prior season, Milwaukee saw its overall win streak end at 12 consecutive home contests, the longest such streak since an impressive (and school record) run of 25 straight back in 2004-05 (a 15-0 mark for the year) and the first 10 games of the 2005-06 campaign.

Also, at 5-2 through the first seven games (prior to UCF), the team marked its best seven-game start to a season since opening the 2020-21 campaign at the same 5-2 ledger. The last time the Panthers had been 6-2 (or better) after eight games was back in 2013-14. That season, the team got out of the gates at 9-2. On the league side of things, the Panthers were off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2011-12.

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 final seven seasons at Queens reveals the gaudy numbers posted.
2021-22: 30-4 overall, 2-1 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

TURN THE RADIO UP
This marks the fourth full hoops season that 101.7 FM The Truth will serve as the radio home of the Milwaukee Panthers men's basketball radio broadcasts. Fans can listen to veteran broadcaster Scott Warras, now in his 10th season, call all the play-by-play action on air at 101.7 FM and via live online streaming services. In addition to the traditional radio broadcasts available on 101.7 The Truth and its mobile app, all Panther men's basketball broadcasts will be streamed live on the Black & Gold Network at mkepanthers.com, the Wisconsin on Demand, and Varsity Network mobile apps (available in the App Store & Google Play). This season, fans of Milwaukee basketball will have more ways than ever to listen to the action.

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 ninth 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 have the weekend off but do remain on the road, traveling to Green Bay to play the Phoenix Monday, Jan. 5. Game time is set for 6 p.m. at the Kress Center on GB's campus.