Jan. 29, 2002

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Game #21 - Butler (18-3, 5-3 Horizon) at Milwaukee (12-8, 7-1 Horizon)

Wed. Jan. 30 - 7 p.m. CST - Klotsche Center - Milwaukee, WI

TV: None

Radio: 1290 AM, WMCS - Bill Johnson's pregame show begins at 6:45 p.m.

Internet: www.uwmpanthers.com

Wednesday's Game

UWM wraps up its three-game homestand with a much-anticipated contest against Butler. The game tips off at 7 p.m.

Wednesday's Opponent

Butler has bounced back from its loss to UWM with two straight wins, moving into third place and back within striking distance of the top spot in the Horizon League. Brandon Miller was named the Horizon League Player of the Week after scoring 29 points in the Bulldogs' win at UIC Saturday. Miller, Rylan Hainje and Thomas Jackson each average in double figures for the Bulldogs, who opened their season with 13 straight wins and have won seven of their eight games away from home.

Last Time Out

UWM put together one of its most complete efforts of the season, beating Detroit, 66-48, Saturday night at the Klotsche Center. UWM used a pair of first-half runs to open up a 15-point halftime edge, then saw Detroit get no closer than nine points in the second half. Ronnie Jones led the Panthers with 19 points while Dylan Page added 10 points off the bench.

Checking The Standings

UWM's win, combined with Loyola's loss to Wright State on Saturday, pushed the Panthers into sole possession of first place in the Horizon League. UWM is a single game ahead of the Ramblers and two games ahead of both Butler and Detroit. Wright State and Illinois-Chicago each have four league losses and are three games off the pace.

The Fast Start Continues

UWM's 7-1 start continues to be its best start in league play in the school's Division I history. UWM had never been two games above .500 in a Division I league before this season. In fact, the Panthers have never finished with a winning record in a Division I league. Plus, UWM finds itself just three wins away from guaranteeing its third-straight winning season overall, something that hasn't happened since the early 90's.

Streaking

UWM has won five straight games, marking its longest winning streak since the 1992-93 season. That year, UWM had winning streaks of eight and 10 games. This is also the first time UWM has won five straight league games.

Winning League Numbers

The seven wins UWM has already recorded in league play equal the most the Panthers have ever won in a Division I league. UWM had won seven league games twice before - last season and during the 1993-94 season, when UWM was a member of the Mid-Continent Conference.

Breaking The Butler Jinx

UWM's win over Butler Jan. 19 in Indianapolis broke a 17-game losing streak by the Panthers against the Bulldogs and marked the first win ever by UWM at Hinkle Fieldhouse. UWM's only other win in the series came on March 2, 1978, when the Panthers scored a 69-65 victory in the first year the Klotsche Center was open.

Pulling Rank The First Time

UWM's win at Butler in the first matchup of the year between the two teams marked the school's first-ever win over a ranked opponent.

D...D...D...Defense

The Panthers put together one of their best performances of the season defensively Saturday night, limiting Detroit to just 28.8 percent shooting from the field and only 48 points. The shooting percentage marked the season low for a Panther opponent. Detroit shot just 26 percent in the first half and just 16 percent from three-point range. Meanwhile, the 48 points are the second fewest UWM has given up this year. The Panthers allowed 47 against Chicago State Dec. 4.

Getting Defensive On Me

The effort Saturday in the win over Detroit dropped UWM's league defensive average to just over 64 points per game in eight league contests and the Panthers allow just over 69 points per game overall. UWM's work Saturday added to a growing list of stellar defensive efforts in league play. Thursday, the Panthers limited Cleveland State to just 41 percent shooting from the field, including just 37 percent in the second half. In other notable league efforts, they've limited UIC to under 30 percent shooting, Youngstown State to just 40 percent shooting and UWGB to just 39 percent shooting from the field. Opponents are shooting just 42 percent from the field against the Panthers in eight league games.

Caring For The Ball

UWM committed just nine turnovers Saturday night, equaling a season low. UWM also committed just nine turnovers against Wisconsin and Iowa State. On the year, UWM commits just under 15 turnovers per game and its turnover margin of +3.6 is second in the league.

Ring It Up Ronnie

Junior Ronnie Jones completed another stellar week for the Panthers and just missed out on being named the Horizon League Player of the Week. Jones scored 26 points Thursday in the win over Cleveland State, then added 19 more in Saturday's win over Detroit. For the season, Jones is averaging 14.1 ppg and Jones is scoring 19.9 ppg in league contests. Also in league play, Jones has hit 54 percent of his three-point shots and 86 percent of his free throws.

Packing Them In

The 4,119 boisterous fans at the Klotsche Center Saturday night for the win over Detroit marked the seventh-largest crowd in Klotsche Center history. The largest crowd came earlier this season, when 4,903 fans saw the Panthers battle Wisconsin. UWM is now averaging better than 3,000 fans per game and another large crowd Wednesday night will likely send the Panthers past their record attendance pace of a season ago. UWM should also shatter the record total season attendance figure of a year ago. The top 10 Klotsche Center crowds include:

#1 - 12/27/01 vs. Wisconsin 4,903

#2 - 2/5/00 vs. UWGB 4,833

#3 - 2/3/01 vs. UWGB 4,510

#4 - 11/23/99 vs. Wisconsin 4,323

#5 - 1/20/01 vs. Butler 4,234

#6 - 12/30/00 vs. Colorado 4,147

#7 - 1/26/02 vs. Detroit 4,119

#8 - 2/10/01 vs. UIC 4,112

#9 - 1/5/02 vs. UWGB 3,689

#10 - 2/24/01 vs. Detroit 3,488

Balancing The Attack

UWM's offensive attack continues to be remarkably balanced. Four players were in double figures in Thursday's win over Cleveland State. Ronnie Jones scored 26, Clay Tucker had 13, Justin Lettenberger 12 and Jason Frederick 11. That's the fourth time this season UWM has had four players in double figures, and in two other games the Panthers have had five players scoring in double figures. Saturday night, six players had at least seven points in a relatively low-scoring contest.

High Scoring

UWM enters Wednesday's game with Butler leading the Horizon League in scoring. The Panthers average 76.3 points per game, just ahead of Wright State. The Panthers are also third in the league in scoring margin, beating all opponents by an average of 7.0 ppg. In eight league games, UWM holds a 75.6-64.4 ppg edge on its opponents, and has claimed league wins of 26, 22, 18 and 12 points.

Crashing The Backboards

For just the second time during league play, the Panthers were outrebounded in Saturday's contest with Detroit. But, the margin was slight (37-33) and was aided by Detroit claiming 14 offensive rebounds off of 42 missed shot opportunities. Early in the season, the Panthers were outrebounded regularly, but UWM has turned those numbers around. For the season, UWM is now outrebounding its opponent by just under one rebound per game, while in league play UWM holds a five-rebound edge on its opponents.

Getting Offensive On The Glass

UWM equaled a season-high by collecting 18 offensive rebounds in the win Thursday night. UWM added six more offensive boards Saturday. The Panthers now have 94 offensive rebounds in eight league games - an average of more than 11 offensive boards per game.

A New Page In The Book

Sophomore Dylan Page had one of his best games since returning from his bout with mono earlier this season. Page scored 10 points off the bench, knocking down 5-of-8 field goals. The sophomore missed six games with his illness, returning Jan. 10 against Loyola.

Following Clay

For just the second time this season, Clay Tucker did not score in double figures Saturday. The junior, recovering from a root canal and a ruptured eardrum, scored eight points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field. In his career, Tucker has posted streaks of 12 and 10 straight games in double figures. The 12-game streak, broken against Western Michigan earlier this year, ranks as the fifth-longest in the school's Division I history. Von McDade holds the record with 20 straight games in double figures, all during the 1990-91 season.

Breaking The 1,000-Point Barrier

Clay Tucker passed the 1,000-point mark in the Jan. 17 win at Wright State and now stands in third place all-time on UWM's Division I scoring list. Tucker now has 1,064 points, surpassing Pat McCabe's 1,015 at UWM. Tucker is just the fourth Panther in the school's Division I history to score 1,000 points in his career. Chad Angeli is the school's all-time Division I scoring leader, collecting 1,417 points.

Double Trouble

Clay Tucker has already tallied four double-doubles this season and just missed a fifth Thursday night when he collected 13 points and nine rebounds in the win over Cleveland State. Tucker recorded double-doubles against UW-Green Bay and Loyola in back-to-back games - the first back-to-back double-doubles for a Panther since the 1996-97 season, when Otto McDuffie recorded double-doubles against UW-Green Bay (Feb. 24, 13 pts., 11 rbs.) and Wright St. (Feb. 28, 18 pts., 10 rbs.). The school record for double-doubles in a season is six, last set by McDuffie in the 96-97 season.

Leading The Way

Clay Tucker continues to hold the team lead in just about every category so far this season. The junior, a first-team all-Horizon League selection in the pre-season, leads UWM in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and even blocked shots. If he holds the team lead in the points and rebounds categories, he would become the first Panther to lead the team in each of those two categories since Roderick Johnson did it during the 1995-96 season. He also has a chance to be the first Panther to lead in all five categories in the school's Division I history.

Stolen Moments

Clay Tucker recorded the 112th steal of his career in Saturday's win over Detroit. He is in third-place on the school's all-time list - two behind Craig Greene, who has 114. Tucker has 44 steals this season, including 17 in eight league games.

Just Justin

Justin Lettenberger put together another solid weekend of play in his first home starts of the season. Lettenberger collected 12 points and nine rebounds, including five offensive boards, in the win over Cleveland State on Thursday. Saturday, Lettenberger scored seven points on 7-of-9 free throw shooting and added four rebounds.

Walking Into The Lineup

Justin Lettenberger has worked his way from reserve walk-on to starting forward for UWM. The junior first gained a more prominent role last season when James Wright suffered a sprained ankle and missed three games. This season, Lettenberger has again slid into more playing time following an injury to Wright. Lettenberger made his first start of the season at Wright State and has remained in the lineup since. Lettenberger is UWM's fourth-leading scorer in league games, averaging 8.0 ppg, and UWM's second-leading rebounder in the league, grabbing 5.8 boards per game.

Assisting With Steals

Dan Weisse seems to be finding his comfort zone midway through this season. He knocked down both of his three-point shot attempts off the bench in Saturday night's win and finished with nine points. Thursday night, a glance at the right-hand side of Weisse's stat line reveals more strong contributions to the Panther win. Weisse collected five assists while also recording four steals in 20 minutes of action. The four steals equal a career high. Weisse has again taken the lead when it comes to taking care of the ball, collecting 54 assists while committing just 17 turnovers in his 20 games. Last season, Weisse would have led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio but did not record enough assists to meet the minimum requirements for the list. The junior finds himself in the same position this season, averaging just under three assists per game.

The Margin Of Victory?

UWM forced 31 more turnovers in two games this weekend and the Panthers are forcing a league-best 18.5 turnovers per game. Twice this season, UWM has forced 30 turnovers - Dec. 4 against Chicago State and Dec. 8 against Virginia Tech. Those totals tie the opponent record for UWM. Sacramento State committed 30 turnovers against the Panthers in a game during the 1991-92 season, while Illinois Tech committed the same number in a game during the 1995-96 season. UWM has forced 369 turnovers in 20 games. The single-season opponent record is 530 turnovers forced, set during the 1990-91 season.

Stealing The Thunder

UWM's pressure defense has resulted in 186 steals in 20 games this season, giving the Panthers a league-leading 9.1 steals per game. UWM had 10 more steals Thursday night in the win over Cleveland State. The Panthers had 17 steals in the Dec. 4 win over Chicago State - the sixth-highest total in school history. UWM has had at least seven steals in 16 of its 20 games this season and the Panthers have collected 15 or more steals three times. The current pace puts the Panthers near the school record for steals in a season. The 1990-91 Panthers tallied 308 steals.

Charitable Contributions

It's been no secret UWM has struggled from the foul line this season, but the Panthers found their stride by knocking down 18-of-24 attempts Saturday night in the win over Detroit. UWM has also knocked down clutch free throws late in the game during recent wins. Last Saturday at Butler, the Panthers went 6-for-6 from the line in the final 3:20 of Saturday's win as Clay Tucker hit four free throws and Ronnie Jones hit two. The Panthers also hit their last six free throws in the overtime win at Wright State, including a perfect 4-for-4 in OT.

Providing Assistance

UWM has recorded 146 assists in its last nine games, including a season-high 23 assists in the Dec. 30 loss to Colorado. The 23 assists mark the fifth-highest total in UWM's DI history. UWM currently leads the Horizon League in assists.

Checking The Lineup

UWM fielded its seventh different starting lineup in the Jan. 17 win over Wright State, with Justin Lettenberger earning his first start of the season. The Panthers have used that starting lineup ever since. In large part due to injury, UWM has been forced to use different starting lineups throughout this season. The lineup of Clay Tucker, Dan Weisse, Ronnie Jones, Kalombo Kadima and Adrian Tigert had stayed together for the first four games of league play before the change at Wright State. Clay Tucker is the only Panther to have started all 20 games for UWM, while Adrian Tigert has started 19 of the 20 games. Dan Weisse started the first seven games of the season at point guard before giving way to Ronnie Jones, who has been in the starting lineup for the last 13 games. Weisse did return to start alongside Jones for the first four games of league play. Kalombo Kadima entered the starting lineup Dec. 30 after the season-ending injury to James Wright. Lettenberger then first started for him Jan. 17. Nate Mielke and Dylan Page have each made a single start.

Comeback Kids

Not that UWM wants to make a habit of falling behind, but the Panthers have shown incredible resiliency in coming from behind for three big wins this season. Against Butler, the Panthers trailed 50-37 with 11:39 to play before rallying for the win. UWM struck back with six straight points in an 11-second span to spark the comeback, and the Panthers then won the game at the buzzer. A week earlier, the Panthers had trailed by 11 in the first half against UIC before outscoring the Flames, 52-15, over the final 24 minutes of the game. On Dec. 8, the Panthers put together the best comeback in school history, trailing by 21 points with under 11 minutes to play before coming from behind to beat Virginia Tech.

Big Days For The Big Guys

Adrian Tigert collected his second double-double of the season in the last matchup with Butler, tallying 10 points and 11 rebounds. It was also the sixth double-double of the season by a Panther. Meanwhile, Nate Mielke collected a career-high seven rebounds in the win over Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse. In eight league games, Mielke is averaging 3.9 rebounds per game while averaging about 11 minutes per game. Overall, Mielke is averaging 3.4 boards per game.

These Guys Don't Miss Much

Justin Lettenberger and Adrian Tigert have both posted stellar shooting percentages so far this season. Lettenberger has made 50-of-87 field goal attempts for a .575 clip. Tigert, meanwhile, has made 56-of-93 shots for a .602 clip. In league play, UWM has four regulars shooting at least 50 percent from the field.

Not Shy About Shooting

UWM put up 23 more three-points shots in the win over Detroit Saturday, and UWM has now tried 496 three-point shots in 20 regular season games. The 41 three-point attempts by the Panthers Dec. 30 tied a school record. The Panthers also attempted 36 three-point shots in the overtime win over Virginia Tech, knocking down 10 threes in the second half and another one in overtime. Last year, UWM set a Division I school record by trying 666 three-point shots, eclipsing the 657 the Panthers tried during the 1999-00 season. The Panthers are on pace to seriously threaten the record again during the 2001-02 season.

National Numbers

The Panthers' long-range shooting has helped them make a mark in some of the NCAA's national statistical rankings. The 17 three-point shots UWM made against Colorado Dec. 30 are the third-most in a single-game nationally this season. It is also one shy of a school record, set last year in a four-overtime loss at UIC. Ronnie Jones is 24th in the nation in three-point shooting percentage while, as a team, UWM is 16th nationally in three-point field goals made per game.

Road Warriors

UWM has won three road games for the first time in its Horizon League and MCC history. The previous high was two, set during the 1998-99 season. The three road wins in a Division I league are the most for UWM since the Panthers won four road league games while a member of the Mid-Continent Conference during the 1993-94 season.

Run For The Ages

There's no real stat kept for most impressive run during a league game, but it's hard to think of a more impressive turnaround by the Panthers than the 52-15 burst UWM used to push UIC into submission Jan. 12 at the Klotsche Center. The run included an amazing 38-11 second-half edge for the Panthers. The 11 points are the fewest UWM has given up in a half this season, and the fewest the Panthers have allowed in a half since allowing 10 points in the second half against Mount Senario in December of 2000. The turnaround included runs of 14-4 to end the first half and 13-0 early in the second half.

Margin Of Victory

Two of UWM's league wins have included noteworthy margins of victory. The 26-point win at home Jan. 12 over UIC was the second-largest league win of all-time for UWM. The Panthers beat Loyola by 34 points, 92-58, in 2000. Meanwhile, the 22-point win Jan. 2 against Youngstown State marked the largest margin of victory in a league road game for the Panthers. The previous high was 19 points in a win at Loyola in 1999. In overall road games in Division I, the 22-point margin of victory is the third-largest in school history. UWM claimed 25-point wins at NE Illinois in 1991 and at Northern Illinois in 1992.

Working Overtime

UWM won in overtime for the second time this season Jan. 17, adding to the list of accomplishments during the 2001-02 campaign. In fact, UWM had not won two overtime games in the same season since the 1988-89 season, when the Panthers won a double overtime game with UW-Parkside and an overtime contest at Northern Colorado that sent UWM to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. Last season, UWM was 1-3 in overtime, and, entering this season, UWM had lost 17 of its last 19 overtime contests.

Bucking A Road Trend

Statistically, the Horizon League had proven to be the toughest league in the nation in which to win league games on the road. Last season, league road teams won just 16 of 56 contests. Yet, the road team has already experienced great success this season. In 34 league games so far, the road team has won 16 times. UWM owns just under one-fifth of those wins.

Record-Setter On The Road

When UWM traveled to Youngstown State to open league play Jan. 2, Ronnie Jones put together a career night. In the win, Jones tossed in a school-record 10 three-point shots and scored a career-high 33 points. Jones made 10-of-12 three-points shots and 11-of-14 field goals overall. The performance against Youngstown included one of the best individuals halves in UWM basketball history. Jones converted all seven of his field goal attempts and made six-of-six three-point tries in the half, scoring 20 points.

Also On The Jones Performance

The 10 three-point shots Ronnie Jones hit Jan. 2 equal the most in a single game by a Division I performer this season. Earnest Porter of Nicholls State hit 10 three-point shots on Dec. 17 in a game against Troy State. The 10 three-point shots are also the third-most in a game in league history, two off the record of 12 set by Darrin Fitzgerald of Butler in 1987.

From The Depths Of The Bench

Bruce Pearl's promise to play at least 9-10 players throughout this season continues to pay dividends for the Panthers. With the return of Dylan Page from a bout with mono, UWM is once again a solid 10-deep in its rotation. The rotation includes eight players averaging at least 14 minutes per game, while Chris Hill and Nate Mielke each average around 10 minutes per game. UWM's depth may have been most apparent in the 21-point comeback against Virginia Tech. As the Hokies had three players play at least 40 minutes - including one player playing all 45 minutes - UWM had 11 players see action with nine players playing at least 15 minutes. UWM had just three players play more than 30 minutes. Clay Tucker played a season-high 41 minutes, and Tucker is the only Panther player averaging more than 30 minutes per game this season.

Is There A Doctor In The House?

The UWM injury report has had names on it all season long. James Wright is out for the season after breaking his leg in the Dec. 27 contest with Wisconsin. Derek Huff is out indefinitely after off-season foot surgery. Transfer Rob Sanders - who was not eligible to play in games this season - injured his knee in practice and had surgery last month and will not return to practice this season. Dylan Page also missed six games after being diagnosed with mono, but has returned to play in the last five games.

Defense Is Half The Battle

Three halves of basketball stand out in the Panthers' defensive scrapbook so far this season. UWM allowed just 11 points in the second half Jan. 12 in the win over UIC. The 11 points given up also mark the fewest UWM has ever given up in a single half of a league game, breaking the old mark of 17 points set against UIC on Feb. 17, 1996, in a 79-48 Panther win. The Panthers allowed just 18 points in the first half against UW-Green Bay Jan. 5. That beat the 19 first-half points the Panthers allowed against Chicago State Dec. 4. The Phoenix shot just 29 percent from the field in the first half. UWGB wound up shooting just 39 percent for the game, the fourth-lowest mark by an opponent this season. The season low was the 33.9 percent Chicago State shot in an 84-47 loss to the Panthers Dec. 4 until UIC shot under 30 percent on Jan. 12.

Sharp Shooting

UWM's 54.2 percent shooting from the field against Youngstown State marked the best performance of the season to date for the Panthers. The effort surpassed the 47.8 percent UWM shot against Chicago State on Dec. 4. The game against Youngstown State is one of just two times all season UWM has shot 50 percent or better.

Oh What A Comeback

The 21-point comeback UWM mounted Dec. 8 against Virginia Tech marks the greatest comeback in Division I history for the Panthers. UWM was down 58-37 with 10:27 to play in the game before outscoring Virginia Tech, 36-15, to force overtime. Ronnie Jones knocked in a three-point shot with 1.9 seconds left to tie the game. Jones then gave UWM the lead for good in overtime. Other notable comebacks include:

Feb. 18, 1993 * Down 11 with 16:12 remaining @ CS-Northridge - won 75-74

Jan. 13, 1993 * Down 11 with 5:11 remaining vs. UWGB - won 75-68 in OT

Jan. 24, 1994 * Down 11 with 3:52 remaining @ Western Illinois - won 74-67

Dec. 12, 1996 * Down 11 with 9:38 remaining vs. NE Illinois - won 55-54

Jan. 14, 1999 * Down 13 with 18:11 remaining @ UIC - won 52-50

Beating The Big Boys

The win over Virginia Tech at the Jim Thorpe Association Classic on Dec. 8 in Louisville marked the first time UWM has beaten a school from the Big East.

Player Of The Week

The week of Dec. 3-8 was one of the best weeks of junior Ronnie Jones' career. The junior averaged almost 20 ppg in three games during that week, and his work earned him Horizon League Player of the Week honors. The week was highlighted by his first start of the season Dec. 8 against Virginia Tech. Jones scored 25 points in the comeback win, with 23 of the points coming in the second half and OT.

Tournament Honors

Three Panthers have been honored following UWM's appearances in tournament play this season. Ronnie Jones was named to the all-tournament team at the Jim Thorpe Association Classic while Clay Tucker and Jason Frederick were each named to the Tribune Cyclone Challenge All-Tournament Team.

Eyes On The Panthers

The crowd of 18,947 Dec. 7 at Freedom Hall was the largest to ever witness a Panther game, surpassing the 17,770 that watched the UWM face Minnesota on Dec. 4, 1972.

A Record You'd Rather Not Have

UWM's 0-for-21 stint from three-point range against Western Michigan easily became a new school record. Previously, the Panthers' poorest output from three-point range was an 0-for-7 effort against Valparaiso in 1996. UWM's 0-for-21 effort was also one shy of the most attempts without a make in NCAA Division I history. Canisius went 0-for-22 from three-point range against St. Bonaventure in 1995.

Bruce Pearl On Basketball

Fans can be a part of Bruce Pearl's radio show every Monday night live from Hooligan's on North Avenue in Milwaukee. The coach and special guests will talk Panther basketball from 7 until 7:30 p.m. each Monday night live on 1290 AM, WMCS.

Lights ... Camera ... Action

The Panthers are getting plenty of TV time during the 2001-02 season, with a number of games scheduled to air locally. The next TV game is Feb. 7 at UIC. Plus, "The Bruce Pearl Show" airs every Sunday at 10:30 p.m. on CBS-58, with a replay Mondays at 6:30 on TV-41.

Forever Young

The 2001-02 Panther squad is a young one and doesn't include a senior. Seven regulars are juniors, with transfer Jose Winston becoming eligible as a senior next year. UWM is also now regularly starting freshman Adrian Tigert and was starting sophomore James Wright before his season-ending injury. Freshman Chris Hill and sophomore Nate Mielke have also slowly worked their way into the regular rotation for UWM.

Hometown Touch

One of the themes of the 2001-02 basketball season for the Panthers is being "Milwaukee's Home Team." The Panthers are stocked with local talent. James Wright, Kalombo Kadima and transfer Jose Winston are all from Milwaukee. Jason Frederick hails from suburban Waukesha. No fewer than eight other players in the Panther program are from the state of Wisconsin, including Justin Lettenberger from Manitowoc.

Fox Valley All-Stars

Adrian Tigert is the second stellar product to come to UWM out of Oshkosh West High School and the Fox Valley Association. Dan Weisse is also from Oshkosh West. The presence of the two players gives UWM the winners of three of the last four Fox Valley Association Player of the Year awards. Weisse won the award in 1998 as a junior and again in 1999 as a senior, while Tigert won the award last season after leading the Indians to a runner-up finish in the state.

In Waiting

Two Panthers are sitting out the 2001-02 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Jose Winston, a former Wisconsin Mr. Basketball, is a transfer from Colorado. Winston was a high school standout at Milwaukee Vincent. Rob Sanders is a transfer from Toledo. Sanders sat out last season as a redshirt, and will have three years of eligibility remaining beginning next season.

Horizon League Tournament

The 2002 Horizon League Championship is set for March 1-5 in Cleveland, Ohio. UWM hosts the 2003 Horizon League Championship.

Up Next

UWM gets a rare weekend off in league play, then travels to Chicago to face Loyola Monday night. The game is part of a doubleheader with the women. The women's game with Loyola begins at 4:45 p.m. at the Gentile Center, with the men scheduled to begin at approximately 7:15 p.m.