March 16, 2004

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Game #30 - NIT Opening Round

Rice (22-10)

at

UWM (19-10)

Wednesday, March 17 * 7 p.m. CST

U.S. Cellular Arena, Milwaukee, Wis.

Milwaukee Radio: WOKY (920 AM), Bill Johnson play-by-play

Milwaukee TV: WMLW TV-41, Dwayne Mosley and Rock Rote

Internet: Live stats and audio at uwmpanthers.com

Tickets: Available through all Ticket Master outlets, by phone at 414-276-4545 or online at ticketmaster.com

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee opens its first-ever appearance in the National Invitation Tournament at home, hosting Rice of the Western Athletic Conference Wednesday night at the U.S. Cellular Arena. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. CST.

* Last Time Out

UWM overcame a first-half deficit to build a five-point lead midway through the second half, only to see Illinois-Chicago rally down the stretch to claim a 65-62 win in the Horizon League Tournament championship game Tuesday night in front of a record crowd at the U.S. Cellular Arena. Dylan Page scored 20 points to pace the Panthers, who shot just 37.9 percent from the field.

* A Brief Look At The Regular Season That Was

The 2003-04 regular season will go down as one of the better ones in UWM's basketball history. Looking to recover from the loss of seven seniors that helped the Panthers to their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth, UWM opened the year 6-5. But a 10-game Horizon League winning streak sent the Panthers to the top of the league standings and, despite a three-game losing streak, UWM won the outright Horizon League title.

* League Tournament Recap

Thanks to its regular season title, UWM earned the top seed for the Horizon League Tournament for the first time in school history. The top seed meant a bye into the semifinals, where the Panthers claimed a hard-fought, 58-50, win over Detroit last Saturday in Indianapolis. The Panthers then came home for the title game thanks to their regular season title, only to fall to UIC, 65-62, in the championship contest.

* Counting On A Championship

This year's regular season Horizon League title is UWM's first in the Division I ranks for the men's basketball team. UWM had been close to breaking through in each of the last two seasons. In 2001-02, the Panthers were in first place after 13 games before losing two of three on the road. Then last year, UWM dropped a buzzer-beating heartbreaker on the final day of the regular season to Butler, giving the Bulldogs the crown.

* Who Has And Hasn't Won

With UWM winning the Horizon League title, it has eliminated its name from the list of current league schools who have not won a regular season league men's basketball title in either the Horizon League or the MCC. Youngstown State, which joined the league just two years ago, joins Cleveland State and Wright State as the only league schools to not win a regular season crown. Butler had won the last four regular season titles - a streak that is being broken this season.

* Just Like Our Other Sports

The UWM men are the fourth Panther squad to win a Horizon League regular season title this season. The UWM volleyball team, men's soccer team and women's soccer team won titles this fall. The UWM women's basketball team finished second in the Horizon League this season, adding to a stellar string of success by all of UWM's teams. In all, UWM teams have won 41 regular season or post-season league titles and earned 16 post-season berths since the 1998-99 school year.

* Never Been Here Before

This will mark UWM's first-ever appearance in the National Invitation Tournament and just the second-ever Division I post-season appearance for the Panthers. Last year, UWM earned its first-ever Division I NCAA Tournament berth by winning the Horizon League Tournament title. The closest UWM ever came to an NIT berth until now was the 1992-93 season, when the Panthers finished 23-4 but were excluded from the NIT field.

* Horizon League In The NIT

Horizon League teams have plenty of history in the NIT and plenty of success to go with it. The most notable run by a league team in recent history was by Detroit in 2001. The Titans went to the semifinals of the tournament that year, winning at Bradley, UCONN and Dayton before falling to Alabama and Memphis in New York. Butler has also had success in the tournament in recent years, advancing to the second round in 2001 and to the third round in 1999. The league's history in the tournament extends all the way back to 1939, when Loyola advanced to the championship game.

* Plenty Of Experience Vs. Post-Season Teams

The announcement of the 2004 NCAA Tournament field validated UWM's non-league schedule as the toughest it has ever played. Six of the Panthers' non-league opponents made the field of 65, with Valparaiso, North Carolina State, Wisconsin, Southern Illinois, Air Force and Manhattan all included. Throw in UWM's two losses against UIC in Horizon League play and seven of the Panthers' 10 losses came to NCAA Tournament teams. Overall, thanks to wins over UIC and Valparaiso, the Panthers own a 2-7 record against teams in the NCAA Tournament. UWM hasn't played any of the teams in the NIT field.

* Wacky About The WAC

UWM and Rice have never met and the Panthers have played just three games against current members of the Western Athletic Conference. UWM is 1-1 against Tulsa, losing at Tulsa in 1976 before winning the return game in 1977. UWM also dropped a contest to Texas-El Paso in 1971.

* A Diamond In The Rough

UWM and Rice may have never met on the basketball court, but the two teams have met in baseball in what likely goes down as one of UWM's greatest Division I athletic moments. In the 1999 NCAA Baseball Tournament, the Panthers stunned the number-one ranked Owls, 8-4, in the opening game of the Lubbock Regional. It is UWM's only win in any sport over a team ranked number one in the nation. Of course, Rice exacted its revenge on the Panthers the next day, winning an elimination game, 27-1.

* Happy To Be Home

If anything surprised UWM in receiving a bid to the NIT, it was the opportunity to play a home game. The Panthers went 10-3 at home this season and have won 25 of their last 28 games at home.

* Bring It Back On Downtown!

UWM's berth in the NIT means an 11th game this season at the U.S. Cellular Arena in downtown Milwaukee. The Panthers returned most of their home games to the downtown arena this season after a wildly successful Horizon League Tournament a year ago. UWM drew over 17,000 fans for two tournament games last season and, with the move downtown this year, has seen attendance rise 20 percent. This year's schedule is part of a four-year agreement with the Wisconsin Center District. Plans call for UWM to play its entire schedule at the renovated downtown complex during the following three seasons. UWM has had success at the Arena of late, going 9-3 in its last 12 games. The Panthers played most of their home games at the Arena starting with the 1992-93 season through the 1997-98 season. UWM's first-ever appearance as the home team at the Arena came vs. Texas-El Paso on Dec. 13, 1971. UWM has played 117 games as the home team at the Arena, compiling a 62-55 record.

* Record Crowd

UWM's bid to play a home game in the post-season was undoubtedly helped by the record crowd of 10,254 that attended the Horizon League championship game last Tuesday. The crowd surpassed the 10,115 that attended last year's title game. The move downtown has helped spark another attendance increase for the Panthers, who are averaging 4,379 fans in 13 home games - 10 of which have been played downtown. The average for those 10 games is 4,933.

* Bracket Breakdown

UWM is taking part in one of eight opening round games of the National Invitation Tournament, with a total of 40 teams in the tournament field and some teams moving directly to first round games. No seeding is done in setting the NIT field, with sites and dates determined largely by arena availability and attendance. The winner of Wednesday's contest will face the winner of another Wednesday contest between UNLV and Boise State. No date or site has been set for the game.

* Seeking 20 Again

A win Wednesday over Rice would give UWM its first back-to-back 20-win seasons since the early 1990's. Plus, it would be just the sixth 20-win season in school history. Last year, UWM tied the all-time school record with 24 wins, equaling a mark set when the Panthers went to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 1989. UWM also won 23 games in the 1992-93 campaign, 20 games in the 1991-92 season and 20 games in the 1981-82 season.

* Going Cold

UWM went cold from the field during its two Horizon League Tournament games, shooting just 38.2 percent from the field in those two contests. In fact, the games against Detroit and UIC marked the first two times all season UWM shot below 40 percent in a game.

* From Long Range

UWM's overall shooting may have been cold, but the Panthers actually stepped up their three-point shooting in the tournament, making 19 3's in the two games while shooting a robust 42.2 percent from three-point range. The 10 3's UWM made against UIC in the title game are the second-most the Panthers made in a single game this year.

* Honoring Ed

The spectacular performance of Ed McCants in the Horizon League Tournament earned the junior all-tournament honors. McCants knocked in 11 three-point shots in two games, leading the team at 19.5 ppg. McCants has now made 96 three-point baskets this season, tying him with Von McDade (1990-91) for the most 3's in a single season.

* Charity Case

UWM picked the wrong time to go cold from the free throw line, making just 8-of-20 free throws in last Tuesday's Horizon League title game. The shooting was uncharacteristic of a UWM team that is still shooting 70.6 percent from the foul line for the year.

* Doing It On Defense

While UWM's offense has been struggling, the Panthers have had no such troubles on defense in their last two outings. They held Detroit to a season-low 35.3 percent shooting clip and just 50 points in the Horizon League semifinals before limiting UIC to just 41.5 percent shooting and 65 points in the title game. Throw in the regular season finale with Cleveland State and the Panthers are allowing opponents to just 37.8 percent shooting from the field and 59.3 ppg - both well below UWM's season defensive averages.

* Improvement Was Needed

UWM's defensive numbers in the last three outings show off the area of the Panthers' biggest improvement from their three-game losing streak. During the three-game skid, opponents shot 49.7 percent from the field, including 52.5 percent from three-point range. During that stretch, UWM was outscored 96-42 from beyond the three-point line.

* Checking The Record Book

Dylan Page's 2003-04 season is going into the UWM record books for a number of reasons, joining teammates Nate Mielke and Adrian Tigert as players who had notable record-book performances either this season or for their careers. Entering Wednesday's contest, Page's single-season totals from this year place him third all-time (post-1990 Division I records) in scoring and scoring average, second in field goals and blocks and fourth in rebounds. For his career, Page is third in scoring and rebounds and fourth in blocks. Mielke ranks tied for second in career blocks with 78 while Adrian Tigert's 60.6 percent shooting clip is second only to his own 61 percent clip from two years ago in the UWM record book. Tigert is a 60.8 percent shooter for his career - currently the best in UWM history. Plus, Kalombo Kadima has moved into the top five at UWM in games played. As a team, the 2003-04 squad ranks fourth in points, fifth in scoring average and second in blocks, with a chance to still move up in all three categories.

* Key Numbers

By this time of the year, you can usually find a few statistical trends that will hold true. For the Panthers, the key numbers appear to be turnovers forced and shooting percentage. UWM is 12-1 when forcing its opponents into at least 16 turnovers. Meanwhile, the Panthers are 14-4 when shooting at least 45 percent from the field. Another key number this season has been the halftime score. UWM is 18-2 when it leads at halftime but just 1-8 when it trails after 20 minutes.

* Some New Honors

UWM's Dylan Page has received two more honors since the Panthers played in the Horizon League title game last Tuesday. Page was named an all-region selection by the United States Basketball Writers Association. He was also named a Mid-Major All-American by CollegeInsider.com, the second-straight year a UWM player has received such an honor.

* And More Honors

Dylan Page capped off one of the best regular seasons in UWM history by winning Horizon League Player of the Year honors. The senior from Amherst, Wis., is the first Panther to ever win the award, voted on by the league's coaches, sports information directors and media. Among the reasons Page won - the best scoring average in the Horizon League, a top -10 ranking in six other statistical categories, 18 20-point-or-more outings and three double-doubles.

* Also Honored

Dylan Page wasn't the only Panther honored in the Horizon League's post-season awards. Junior Ed McCants was named the League's Newcomer of the Year and joined Page as a First-Team All-Horizon League selection. Sophomore Joah Tucker, a Bradley transfer, made the League's All-Newcomer Team.

* Page And Viall - An Honorable Pair

Along with Dylan Page being named the Horizon League's Men's Basketball Player of the Year, Maria Viall of UWM was named the Horizon League's Women's Basketball Player of the Year. It's the first time the same school has claimed both honors since the 1994-95 season, when Sherrill Ford and Penny Armstrong each won the awards for UIC. Brian Grant and Carol Madsen each won the awards in 1993-94 for Xavier.

* Keeping The Awards At Home

With Dylan Page winning player of the year honors and Ed McCants winning newcomer of the year honors, it's the first time since the 1993-94 season, and just the third time in league history, that the same school has captured both awards. Xavier's Brian Grant (player of the year) and Jeff Massey (newcomer of the year) combined for the feat in '93-'94, while Loyola's Alfredrick Hughes (POTY) and Carl Goldston (NOTY) did it in the 1983-84 campaign.

* Scoring Duo

Along with capturing the league's major honors and each garnering All-Horizon League First Team honors, Dylan Page and Ed McCants have teamed up to be one of the best scoring duos in the country. The two combine to average 37.9 ppg, tied for the eighth-best mark in the country.

* Senioritis

UWM's three seniors were honored Feb. 28 before the Panthers' final regular season home game. Each will be remembered for some time in the UWM basketball program. Along with being a part of UWM's first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament team from a season ago, Dylan Page, Nate Mielke and Kalombo Kadima have led the Panthers to their first regular season Horizon League title this season. Entering Wednesday's semifinal contest, the trio has combined for 300 appearances in Panther uniforms, including 169 starts. UWM's three seniors have all followed different paths in getting to their final seasons. Kadima is the most veteran of the group, having spent the last five years at UWM. Kadima started most of his first two seasons as a Panther before playing as a reserve in his junior year. Kadima redshirted last year. Page has played the last four seasons at UWM, though he was limited by injuries in his first two years before excelling in his final two campaigns. Mielke was a transfer from Marshalltown CC and sat out his first season at UWM before playing in each of the last three seasons.

* Good And Bad Streaks

UWM has enjoyed a nine-game winning streak and suffered through a three-game losing streak this season. Both streaks rank as some of the longest in the three-year tenure of Bruce Pearl. In fact, the losing streak was just the second three-game streak in three years, with the Panthers posting a 22-6 record under Pearl in games following a loss. UWM's nine-game winning streak was the second-longest streak in the school's Division I history and the longest under Pearl. Last year, UWM posted a pair of eight-game streaks. The longest winning streak in the school's Division I history is still a 10-game spell in 1992-93. UWM has posted winning streaks of five games or more three other times under Pearl. UWM has had league winning streaks of nine, eight and five games under Pearl while, prior to his arrival at UWM, the Panthers never won more than three-straight league games.

* Haven't Been Playing Much

After going two full months without a week off, UWM has enjoying some down time late in the season. In fact, the Panthers have played just three game since their Feb. 21 Bracket Buster contest and have had a full week off three times - before the Feb. 28 game with Cleveland State, before the league semifinal contest with Detroit March 6 and now before the NIT contest with Rice March 17. There won't be much rest from here, though, as any run deep into the NIT would likely have to include three games in the next six or seven days.

* Winning On The Horizon

The Panthers have moved their way to the top of the Horizon League over the past three seasons, posting a 37-11 record in regular season Horizon League contests. That's the best mark among all league schools and puts head coach Bruce Pearl at the top of the list of active coaches with at least three years in the league. In fact, Pearl's .771 winning percentage ranks as the best winning percentage all-time in the league among coaches with at least three years experience.

* Paging The All-District Honoree

UWM senior Dylan Page was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 11 First Team last week. Page, who leads the Horizon League in scoring and is fifth in rebounding, is now eligible for All-America consideration. Page is joined on the first team by an impressive group - Devin Harris of Wisconsin, Kris Humphries of Minnesota, Paul Davis of Michigan State and Travis Diener of Marquette.

* Top 10 List

Dylan Page is in the Horizon League's top 10 in seven different categories. Page, who leads the league in scoring, ranks fifth in rebounding, seventh in field goal percentage, eighth in free throw percentage, fourth in three-point field goal percentage, seventh in three-point field goals made and fourth in blocks.

* Dylan Always Does It

After leading the way with 20 points last Tuesday in the league title game, Dylan Page has now held or shared game-high scoring honors 21 times this season. He has been in double figures in scoring in all 29 games this season and in 62 of his last 64 contests while scoring 20 or more points 18 times this year. He has been named the Horizon League Player of the Week twice and has three double-doubles this season (five for his career).

* The 1,000-Point Club

Dylan Page continues to climb up the scoring charts at UWM, with his career total now standing at 1,343 points. His 23 points Jan. 8 against Butler sent him past the 1,000 mark for his career. Page is now one of just seven Panthers to have passed the 1,000-point barrier since UWM moved back to the Division I ranks in 1990 and he currently stands third in that same time period in scoring. Making Page's accomplishment particularly remarkable is that injury and illness limited him to just 176 points in his first two seasons as a Panther.

* National Numbers ... League Leaders

Some UWM players are at the top of the Horizon League and national statistical charts. Dylan Page leads the Horizon League and ranks 17th nationally in scoring, while Ed McCants leads the league and stand 12th in three-point field goals made. As a team, UWM is tops in the league in scoring (27th nationally), field goal percentage (19th nationally) and assists (22nd nationally). Joining Page in the top 10 in the league in scoring are McCants (4th) and Joah Tucker (9th), while Page is fifth and Adrian Tigert seventh in the league in rebounding.

* Double Figure Figures

UWM can often count on at least two of its "Big 3" to reach double figures, with the remainder of the roster taking its turn in joining the group of players tossing in more than 10 points in a game. Dylan Page has scored in double figures in all 29 UWM games, while Ed McCants has been in double digits in 26 of 29 contests and Joah Tucker has reached double digits in 22 of 29 games. After that, four other players have combined for 19 double-digit games, with Chris Hill collecting eight, Adrian Tigert six, Kalombo Kadima four and Nate Mielke one.

* Notable Notes From Earlier This Year

Sophomore Chris Hill knocked down all 12 of his free throw attempts Feb. 14 at Youngstown State, becoming one of six Panthers to make all of his free throw attempts - while attempting at least 10 - since UWM returned to the Division I ranks in 1990. Derek Durham made all 13 of his free throw tries against Stetson during the 1995-96 season, while Hill equaled Shannon Smith's 12-for-12 effort in 1995 ... UWM tied a Division I school-record Feb. 7 by turning the ball over just five times in its win over Wright State. The Panthers have turned the ball over just five times on three other occasions since returning to the Division I ranks in 1990 - the most recent coming Feb. 24, 1994, against UW-Green Bay. Prior to Feb. 7, the fewest turnovers in a game for UWM under Bruce Pearl was seven at Wisconsin in the season opener last year ... Sophomores Joah Tucker and Adrian Tigert have both checked in with double-doubles this season. Tigert has two of them, including a 13-point, 14-rebound effort against UIC, while Tucker went for 17 points and 12 rebounds against Wright State ... Along with two-time honoree Dylan Page, Joah Tucker and Kalombo Kadima have each been honored as the Horizon League Player of the Week this season. Tucker was honored after opening his UWM career with a 22-point outing against Montana. Kadima was honored after scoring a career-high 22 points to help the Panthers beat UW-Green Bay ... UWM has shot 50 percent or better 12 times this season and 28 times in the two-plus seasons under Bruce Pearl. Two of the best outings this year were a 60.4 percent effort at Loyola Jan. 10 and a 59.2 percent mark Jan. 24 at Detroit ... When Dylan Page scored 26 points and Ed McCants added 21 Feb. 12 in the win over Loyola, it marked the seventh time this season the two each scored at least 20 points in the same game. Meanwhile, Page, McCants and Joah Tucker all eclipsed the 20-point mark in the Dec. 30 win over Idaho State, marking the first time since last February's win at Loyola that three Panthers scored 20 points or more in the same game.

* Lights ... Camera ... Action

Wednesday's NIT contest will be UWM's 13th television appearance of the season, including three national TV dates. UWM and UIC were featured last Tuesday on ESPN, plus the Panthers faced Manhattan on ESPN2 during Bracket Buster Saturday and were on Fox Sports Net's ACC Sunday Night Hoops in December against North Carolina State. UWM has also made five additional appearances on Fox Sports regional outlets and four other appearances on Milwaukee's WMLW, TV-41. In the last two seasons, the Panthers have made six appearances on national television - the first six appearances in school history.

* Signing On The Dotted Line

Indianapolis prep standout Anthony Passley and junior college transfer Derrick Ford have signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball at UWM. Passley, of North Central High School, is a possible Mr. Basketball in Indiana. Ford was a Top 20 player in the state of Ohio as a high school senior and is a Top 70 JUCO prospect from Olney Central Community College in Illinois. UWM also has a pair of Division I transfers on its roster that will sitting out this season. Jason McCoy is a 6-foot-9 small forward from Rutgers while Derrick Wimmer is a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Chicago State.

* Up Next

If UWM wins, it will face either Boise State or UNLV in another NIT game, with both the date and site to be determined. The winner of that game would then advance to a contest next week against Marquette, which advanced with a win over Toledo Monday night. The tournament contines through the semifinals and finals, March 30 and April 1, at Madison Square Garden in New York.