Tone Boyle
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First-Place Panthers Host Green Bay In Nationally-Televised Showdown Friday
UWM looks for sixth-straight league win
Jan. 7, 2009
Game #15 - Green Bay (10-5, 3-1 Horizon) @ Milwaukee (9-5, 5-0 Horizon)
Fri. Jan. 9 • 8 pm
U.S. Cellular Arena • Milwaukee, Wis.
Printable Game Notes
The Short List
• UWM continues a five-game homestand by welcoming Green Bay to the U.S. Cellular Arena for a nationally-televised contest Friday night.
• The Panthers have won four-straight games overall and are 5-0 in Horizon League play for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
• Avery Smith was named league player of the week Monday, then went out and scored 22 points while adding five steals against Valpo that night.
• In that 61-47 win over the Crusaders, UWM missed all 11 of its three-pointers in the first half before making six of their first eight to start the second half.
• In league play, UWM is averaging nearly 10 made three-pointers per game and is shooting 43.2 percent from beyond the arc.
• Milwaukee has won 13 of its last 18 games against Green Bay.
On The Air
Friday's game will air live on ESPNU, with David Kaplan and Jim Chones on the call. Milwaukee radio coverage airs on WISN (AM 1130), with Bill Johnson describing the action. Pregame coverage starts at 7:45 p.m. The game is followed by Panthers' Postgame on WISN, live from Major Goolsby's.
Ticket Time
Tickets for all UWM home games are available through Milwaukee-area Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com and by phone at 414-276-4545. Tickets are also available at the U.S. Cellular Arena box office on the day of the game. Prices are $20, $15 and $10. UWM students are admitted free with a valid student ID.
• Game #15
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's basketball team continues a five-game homestand Friday by welcoming in-state rival Green Bay to the U.S. Cellular Arena for a nationally-televised contest.
• Some Matchup History
Green Bay holds a 22-17 lead in the all-time series with UWM, though the Panthers have sliced into that advantage in recent seasons. UWM has won 13 of the last 18 meetings between the two schools, sweeping the season series last year. Milwaukee had won eight-straight over Green Bay in Milwaukee before the Phoenix claimed a win in January of 2007. But, in UWM's nine wins in its last 10 home games with Green Bay, the average margin of victory has been nearly 17 points. The matchup between these two schools also continues to garner national attention, as this is the third time in the last four seasons that a meeting between the two teams is being televised by an ESPN network.
• On The Tube
Milwaukee will be making its 21st national television appearance in the last seven seasons on Friday night. But, it is one of many UWM games on the air this year. In fact, the Panthers have at least 15 games televised this season, with 10 of those games airing through national pay-per-view on ESPN Full Court. UWM's local TV package airs on Sports 32.
• On The Homefront
After a two-game road swing to Chicago, the Panthers have returned to the U.S. Cellular Arena for five-straight games. Milwaukee is 5-1 at home this season and is now 57-21 in regular season and postseason contests at The Cell since their return in 2002-03. If you combine games at both the Klotsche Center and the U.S. Cellular Arena, UWM is 60-14 in regular season Horizon League home contests over the last nine-plus seasons.
• Nice Start In The League
With the addition of Valparaiso to the Horizon League prior to last season, the league schedule gets off to an early start. This year, the Panthers have taken advantage of that early start to claim five league victories and become one of just two remaining unbeaten teams in league play. The 5-0 start matches the start the Panthers posted in the 2005-06 season, when UWM dropped its sixth league game at Green Bay on ESPN2. UWM's best-ever league start came in 2003-04, when Milwaukee won its first 10 league contests. And, aside from those above, the only other 3-0 league start for the Panthers had come in 2002-03, with UWM dropping its fourth league game at UIC.
• At The Top Of The Horizon
UWM's 5-0 start in league play has added to a tremendous run of success the Panthers have enjoyed in Horizon League play. In fact, since the 2001-02 season, UWM has the second-most league wins among league schools and sits right behind Butler as the Bulldogs enter play Thursday night. Those two schools have also combined to win or share the last seven league regular season titles. The league standings starting in 2001-02:
Butler 84-33
Milwaukee 83-36
Wright State 66-52
UIC 65-52
Green Bay 56-62
Detroit 56-62
Loyola 55-62
Cleveland State 37-81
Youngstown State 29-89
Valparaiso 10-12
• Last Time Out
Avery Smith scored 22 points and UWM used a 32-8 run to overcome a slow start and claim a 61-47 win over Valparaiso Monday night at the U.S. Cellular Arena. The Panthers missed all 11 of their three-pointers in the first half but then made six of their first eight in the second half to seize control of the game. Tone Boyle added 10 points for Milwaukee, while Anthony Hill added nine points and seven rebounds. Tony Meier and Ricky Franklin then pitched-in with eight apiece as UWM rode a balanced attack to its fifth-straight league victory.
• A Tale Of Two Halves
What a turnaround the Panthers posted in their 61-47 win over Valparaiso Monday night. After missing all 11 of their three-pointers in the first half, the usually sharp-shooting Panthers made six of their first eight three-pointers in the second half. In all, UWM used a 32-8 blitz to turn a 23-12 deficit into a 44-31 lead. After making just 6-of-23 shots in the first half (26.1 percent), the Panthers converted on 13-of-24 from the floor (54.2 percent) in the second 20 minutes.
• Lighting Up The League
Even after a sluggish first half against Valpo, the Panthers are posting some impressive shooting numbers in league play. UWM is making 44.3 percent of its league shots and has made 48-of-111 (43.2 percent) from three-point range. Those shooting numbers are helping push UWM's overall shooting stats in the right direction. The Panthers are shooting 42.4 percent from the field overall, part of a group of five league teams shooting between 42.1 and 43.4 percent from the floor entering this week. The Panthers shot a stellar 60 percent from the field in the Nov. 19 win over Upper Iowa, making 30-of-50 from the field. The shooting mark is the fourth-best in Milwaukee's Division I history. It was also the best since the Panthers shot 60.6 percent from the floor against Prairie View A&M in the 2004-05 season opener. Milwaukee has also shot 51.8 percent twice this season - Saturday against Loyola and Nov. 15 against Cal Davis.
• Long Range Bombers
UWM's streak of reaching double figures in three-pointers made came to an end Monday when the Panthers made just six 3's against Valpo, but that hasn't diminished Milwaukee's improvement from long range. UWM made 11 threes against Bradley Dec. 20, then made 13 threes in wins over UIC and Loyola. That marked the first time UWM had made 10 or more three-pointers in three-straight games since the end of the 2004-05 season, when UWM reached double digits from distance four-straight times. But most noteworthy is just how much better UWM's long-range shooting has gotten. Milwaukee had reached double figures from beyond the arc just eight times combined over the last two seasons. Overall, Milwaukee is shooting 37.2 percent from three-point range, having converted 35 more three-pointers than its opponents. Last season, UWM shot 30.7 percent from three-point range, while the Panthers shot 32.6 percent from beyond the arc two seasons ago.
• All About Avo
Avery Smith certainly seems to have found his stride as we near the midway point of the season. He earned Horizon League Player of the Week honors Monday after leading the Panthers to a pair of wins in Chicago. He capped off that road trip with 28 points in the win at Loyola Saturday, scoring on numerous driving layins while also knocking in three 3-pointers. Then, Smith scored 22 points and added five steals in the win over Valpo Monday. With that outing, Smith has now posted five 20-plus point outings this season. He has also shown a knack for putting together some outstanding halves of basketball, as he scored 20 points in the second half alone at Loyola. This was the third single-half explosion of the year for the senior, who scored 17 points in the second half against Upper Iowa and 19 points in the first half against Bradley. The 20-point half is the third-best of his career, as he scored 23 points in the first half against Drake in February of 2007 after scoring 22 in the first half against Oakland in December of 2006.
• And He's Doing It All
The most notable area of growth for Avery Smith since he last took the court for the Panthers in the 2006-07 season has come in his overall play. In fact, in league action, Smith has a pair of seven-assist games and has also been among UWM's leading rebounders. His league statline includes 15.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per contest.
• Getting Everyone Involved
While Avery Smith has been stealing some of the offensive headlines of late, the Panthers are proving to have plenty of offensive weapons. In a low-possession game against Valpo Monday, UWM still landed two players in double figures and had five players score at least eight points. Last Tuesday at UIC, five players reached double figures, the second time this season that has happened. The Panthers have had eight different players record at least one double-figure outing this season, while Avery Smith (5) and Tone Boyle (4) have combined for nine 20-point efforts. Last year, UWM had just 12 20-point efforts during the entire season. In 2006-07 there were just nine such outings, with eight of those from Smith. In all, Boyle has reached double-figures 10 times while Smith has also done it 10 times. Six players are averaging at least 7.2 points per game.
• Enough On Offense
UWM's improved play on offense this season has established a couple of notable trends. After using a strong second half to get their shooting percentage above 40 percent Monday, the Panthers are now a perfect 9-0 when shooting at least 40 percent from the field. And, Milwaukee is also 7-1 in games when it scores at least 70 points. The Panthers have been putting up plenty of points this season. UWM's 86 points in the win over Bradley Dec. 20 marked the second-highest offensive output of the season (87 vs. Upper Iowa) and, with another 80-point performance Saturday at Loyola, UWM has now scored 80 or more points five times. Milwaukee scored 80 or more points just three times all of last season and just once during the 2006-07 campaign.
• Don't Forget About The `D'
With all of this talk about the offense, it would be easy to overlook the defensive efforts the Panthers have been putting forth of late. Valpo shot just 34.6 percent from the field Monday, had 18 turnovers and scored just 47 points. Saturday at Loyola, the Ramblers shot just 38.1 percent from the field Saturday and scored just 66 points. Against Bradley Dec. 20, UWM limited the Braves to a 31.1 percent shooting clip, the lowest by a Panther opponent this season. UWM has now held an opponent under 40 percent shooting from the field seven times this season. The defense has definitely been a key to victory for the Panthers this season. In Milwaukee's eight wins, opponents have shot just 37.6 percent from the field and averaged just 62.1 points per game. But, in five losses, opponents are shooting better than 47 percent from the field and averaging more than 79 points per game.
• Still A Lot Of New Faces
While UWM does have some returnees playing key roles this season, the Panthers are still counting on a number of new faces. And, while Avery Smith does have two seasons of college basketball under his belt, he had not played in a college game in 20 months when he made his season debut in mid-November. In UWM's last four wins, three of the five Panther starters weren't on the roster a season ago, while key reserve James Eayrs also wasn't on the squad last year. Players that were not on the roster a season ago have accounted for 575 points (56.2 percent) and 220 rebounds (45.0 percent).
• A Charity Case
Another positive development on offense for the Panthers during the season has come at the foul line. Not only is UWM getting there on a regular basis, but the Panthers are taking advantage of the opportunity. Milwaukee is averaging over 21 attempts per game while converting 72.8 percent of its opportunities. The 37 attempts Dec. 4 against Detroit were the most since UWM attempted 41 against Cleveland State Jan. 26 of last season. Then, Milwaukee had 34 more free-throw attempts in the win over Bradley.
• Climbing The Hill
After struggling on the offensive end in recent games, Anthony Hill stepped up with a big second half in the win against Valpo Monday. Hill scored nine points, all in the final 20 minutes, while adding six second-half rebounds. He scored 16 points in the league opener Dec. 4 against Detroit but had scored just 17 points combined in the five games since then. But, the big sophomore has shown he should have a bright future ahead, as overall he has a pair of 16-point games to go with a 17-point outing.
• Making His Point
One of the other recent developments for the Panthers has been the emergence of Ricky Franklin in more of a true point guard role for Milwaukee. He returned to the starting lineup for the Dec. 20 game with Bradley and the Panthers have been perfect since. His efforts at the point have him at the top of the league in assist-to-turnover ratio, as Franklin has 43 assists and just 17 turnovers. He also pitches in with 8.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Franklin is officially listed as a senior on the roster, but can earn another year of eligibility by meeting NCAA requirements toward degree completion by the end of this summer.
• Big Games From Big James
People around the Horizon League are starting to learn what a big offensive threat junior James Eayrs is. He was actually held without a three-pointer in the win over Valpo, just the second time in the last six games where he hasn't made a shot from distance. Much of his offensive damage has come in crunch time. Last Tuesday at UIC, Eayrs shared team-high honors with 15 points, scoring 12 of them in the second half. In the contest against Detroit, Eayrs scored seven of his nine points in the final 2:52. Then against Wright State, Eayrs scored 14 points (11 in the second half), making 4-of-4 from three-point range, including a key three with just over a minute left. Eayrs has trimmed himself from 340 pounds early in the preseason to 310 pounds as the league schedule got underway. He is averaging 7.2 points per game off the bench and is making better than 40 percent of his three-point chances.
• Mega-Meier
While the Panthers were fortunate enough to redshirt two of their three scholarship true freshmen this season, the one who is playing this year is making a major impact. Tony Meier has started 13 games this season, recording a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds in his debut against Loyola Marymount. In league play, Meier is averaging 9.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. The double-double in his debut made him the first true freshman to record a double-double in his first appearance as a Panther.
• Other Notables
Tone Boyle leads the league in minutes played and played all 40 minutes in back-to-back games against Bradley and UIC ... Ricky Franklin also played all 40 minutes against the Flames, becoming the first Panther duo to play all 40 in the same regulation game since 1994 ... UWM rallied from a 24-point halftime deficit to beat Cal Davis, 81-75, Nov. 15. The comeback is the largest in UWM's Division I history, besting the comeback from a 21-point second-half deficit against Virginia Tech in December of 2001 ... the win over Bradley Dec. 20 snapped a nine-game losing streak by UWM against MVC foes, as it was the Panthers' first win over a Valley team since 2002 ... the Horizon League is now 5-3 against teams from the Valley ... Tone Boyle and Franklin each earned spots on the all-tournament team at the season-opening World Vision Classic. Boyle scored 20 points in his debut and wound up averaging 16.3 points per game in the three contests. Meanwhile, Franklin averaged 12.3 points, 4.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds over the three games ... UWM was picked to finish sixth in the Horizon League this season, according to a poll of coaches, SIDs and media members ... the Panthers were actually picked eighth in three different publications.
• Up Next
UWM hosts SIU Edwardsville Monday.
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