Feb. 3, 2002

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Game #22 - Milwaukee (12-9, 7-2 Horizon) at Loyola (12-8, 7-3 Horizon)

Mon. Feb. 4 - 7 p.m. CST - Gentile Center - Chicago, IL

TV: None

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

Internet: www.uwmpanthers.com

Monday's Game

UWM begins a two-game swing through Chicago with a contest at Loyola. Monday's game is part of a doubleheader that will see the UWM women face Loyola at 4:45 p.m. The men's game should tip off just after 7.

Monday's Opponent

Loyola was the surprise of the Horizon League for the first six games of the season, bolting to a 6-0 record. The Ramblers then lost three-straight before winning at Youngstown State Saturday. Loyola currently sits in a group of three teams - including Butler and Detroit - with three league losses. David Bailey is the only Rambler in double figures, averaging 22.1 ppg. Ryan Blankson leads the team in rebounding, pulling in 9.2 boards per game. The Ramblers are 8-1 at home.

Last Time Out

UWM nearly pulled off another come-from-behind win against Butler, but fell short in falling, 59-58, Wednesday night at the Klotsche Center. The Panthers trailed by 13 points midway through the second half, but pulled to within one on a Clay Tucker layin with just over a minute remaining. The Panthers got a final possession, but Jason Frederick's three-point shot from the left corner fell short as time expired. Clay Tucker led UWM with 19 points while Ronnie Jones added 11.

Checking The Standings

UWM remains a game up in the loss column on the field in the race for the Horizon League regular season title. UWM is 7-2, with Loyola, Butler and Detroit with three losses each.

The Fast Start Continues

UWM's 7-2 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.

Stop Streaking

UWM's loss Wednesday night brought its five-game winning streak to a close. That was the longest winning streak for UWM since the 1992-93 season, when the Panthers went on streaks of eight and 10 wins en route to a 23-4 season.

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.

Packing Them In

Wednesday's crowd of 5,015 set a new Klotsche Center attendance record and marked the second sellout of the season for the Panthers. The season average attendance is up to 3,187 per game, on pace to set a new school record. Plus, UWM is just 2,605 fans away from setting a new single-season total attendance record. 35,058 fans have passed through the turnstiles so far this season. Last year, a record was set when 37,663 fans attended games in the Klotsche Center. The top 10 Klotsche Center crowds are:

#1 - 1/30/02 vs. Butler 5,015

#2 - 12/27/01 vs. Wisconsin 4,903

#3 - 2/5/00 vs. UWGB 4,833

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

#5 - 11/23/99 vs. Wisconsin 4,323

#6 - 1/20/01 vs. Butler 4,234

#7 - 12/30/00 vs. Colorado 4,147

#8 - 1/26/02 vs. Detroit 4,119

#9 - 2/10/01 vs. UIC 4,112

#10 - 1/5/02 vs. UWGB 3,689

Unlikely Turnovers

UWM's pressure defense has had a variety of effects on teams, not the least of which has been mounting turnovers. Butler, which entered Wednesday's game averaging less than 10 turnovers per game, committed a season-high 16 turnovers. The pressure also often forces teams to use timeouts to avoid a turnover. Cleveland State ran out of timeouts midway through the second half of their contest with UWM after being forced to call four timeouts while struggling to get the ball in bounds.

The Margin Of Victory?

In total, UWM has forced 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 385 turnovers in 21 games. The single-season opponent record is 530 turnovers forced, set during the 1990-91 season, UWM's first in Division I play.

Eerie Similarities

The two matchups between UWM and Butler have been marked by striking similarities. In each contest, Butler built a 13-point second-half lead. And, in each contest, UWM mounted a comeback during the final 10 minutes of the game. In the first game, UWM's only lead of the half came at the buzzer on Clay Tucker's game-winning three-point shot. Wednesday, UWM pulled within a single point before falling short at the buzzer.

What About The Second Half?

UWM struggled during much of the first half Wednesday, falling behind by 12 points at the break as Butler made 8-of-14 three-point shots. But, the Panthers turned that around in the second 20 minutes, limiting Butler to just 21 points and forcing the Bulldogs to miss their last eight three-point shots.

Shooting Percentages

Wednesday marked just the second time this season UWM lost a game when it shot better from the field than its opponent. UWM hit 47 percent from the field Wednesday while Butler hit 46 percent. The only other time this year the Panthers lost with a better shooting percentage than their opponent was at Iowa State, when the Panthers shot 42 percent and the Cyclones shot just 37 percent.

Stolen Moments

Clay Tucker moved into second place on UWM's all-time Division I steals list with three more steals Wednesday night. Tucker now has 115 steals in his career, one better than Craig Greene. Marc Mitchell holds the school's all-time Division I record with 156. Tucker has 47 steals in 21 games so far this season, putting him in the league lead at 2.24 steals per game.

Getting Defensive On The Boards

At just 6-foot-3, Clay Tucker is still towering over opponents on the boards. The junior leads the Horizon League in defensive rebounds, averaging 5.43 boards per game. Overall, Tucker is fourth in the league in rebounding at 6.6 boards per game.

The Team Steals The Show

As a team, UWM tallied nine more steals Wednesday night, pushing the season total to 195 in 21 games. UWM currently leads the Horizon League in steals, collecting nearly 9.3 steals per game. 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 17 of its 21 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.

Throwing A Block Party

UWM recorded five blocked shots Wednesday night, including two by Justin Lettenberger. The biggest block of the night came with 16 seconds remaining, when Lettenberger blocked Rylan Hainje's shot attempt, giving UWM a chance to win the game in its final possession.

Assisting With Victory

UWM leads the Horizon League in assists, averaging better than 15 per game, almost a full assist more than its closest competitors. UWM recorded 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. Individually, Clay Tucker, Dan Weisse and Ronnie Jones all rank in the top 10 in the league in assists.

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.

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 38 league games so far, the road team has won 17 times. UWM owns just under one-fifth of those wins.

Gentle Gentile

UWM has found the Gentile Center on Loyola's campus to be a friendly place in recent years. The Panthers have won twice there in the last three years, including last year's heart-stopping double overtime win.

High Scoring

UWM continues to lead the Horizon League in scoring, pouring in 75.5 ppg. UIC is averaging 75.0 ppg, while Wright State, Loyola and Butler also average more than 70 points per game.

Following Clay

Clay Tucker was back in double figures Wednesday night, leading the Panthers with 19 points. Last Saturday against Detroit, he had a streak of 10 straight games in double figures broken. In his career, Tucker has also posted a streak of 12-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 1,083 points. Tucker is just the fourth Panther in the school's Division I history to score 1,000 points in his career and is 17 points away from becoming just the third Panther to reach 1,100 points. 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 two weeks ago 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.

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

The Panthers continue to put together solid defensive performances, and Wednesday's effort in allowing just 59 points and limiting Butler to just 21 points and 39 percent shooting in the second half marked another impressive night. That performance came on the heels of one of their best efforts of the season last Saturday, 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 continued defensive efforts have dropped UWM's league defensive average to just under 64 points per game in nine league contests and the Panthers allow just under 69 points per game overall. Along with the last two league contests, UWM's list of strong defensive efforts in the league include the Jan. 24 contest with Cleveland State, when the Panthers limited the Vikings 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 nine league games.

Caring For The Ball

UWM committed just nine turnovers last Saturday night, equaling a season low. UWM also committed just nine turnovers against Wisconsin and Iowa State. Even after committing 17 Wednesday night against Butler, the Panthers still average just 15 per game, and UWM continues to stand second to Butler in turnover margin.

Balancing The Attack

UWM's offensive attack continues to be remarkably balanced. Two players were in double figures and two more had nine points in the low scoring contest with Butler Wednesday night. Four players were in double figures in the Jan. 24 win over Cleveland State. Ronnie Jones scored 26, Clay Tucker had 13, Justin Lettenberger 12 and Jason Frederick 11. That was 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. Against Detroit on Jan. 26, six players had at least seven points in a relatively low-scoring contest.

Crashing The Backboards

Don't let the fact that the Panthers have been outrebounded in back-to-back contests fool you into thinking UWM hasn't made great strides on the backboards. In fact, UWM has outrebounded its opponents in six of nine league contests, and each time the Panthers have been outrebounded in the league, it has been by a scant margin (one in two contests, four in another contest). 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 Jan. 24. UWM has added 13 more offensive boards in its last two contests. The Panthers now have 101 offensive rebounds in nine league games - an average of more than 11 offensive boards per game.

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 7.6 ppg, and UWM's second-leading rebounder in the league, grabbing 5.6 boards per game.

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 21 games for UWM, while Adrian Tigert has started 20 of the 21 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 14 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.

Weisse Is Wise With The Ball

Dan Weisse has again taken the lead when it comes to taking care of the ball, collecting 56 assists while committing just 18 turnovers in his 21 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.

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 Jan. 19, 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. Plus, UWM has notable comebacks even in defeat. Wednesday night UWM was down 13 to Butler and closed the gap to one before losing by a point. Dec. 27 against Wisconsin, the Panthers came back from a 15-point deficit to grab a five-point lead, only to lose in the closing seconds.

These Guys Don't Miss Much

Justin Lettenberger and Adrian Tigert have both posted stellar shooting percentages so far this season. Lettenberger has made 52-of-92 field goal attempts for a .565 clip. Tigert, meanwhile, has made 59-of-97 shots for a .608 clip. In league play, UWM has four regulars shooting at least 50 percent from the field.

Not Shy About Shooting

UWM put up 22 more three-points shots in the loss to Butler Wednesday night, and UWM has now tried 518 three-point shots in 21 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.

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.

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.

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 six 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 in UWM's Division I basketball history 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. The show, pre-empted by the game with Loyola, returns next Monday.

Lights ... Camera ... Action

The Panthers are getting plenty of TV time during the 2001-02 season, with the next TV game set for Thursday 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 returns to Chicago Thursday night to face UIC. The game tips off at 7 p.m. and can be seen in Milwaukee on WMLW-TV 41. The last time UWM visited the Pavillion, the Panthers dropped four-overtime thriller.