Tone Boyle
|
|
Panthers Open Home Schedule With Upper Iowa
UWM looking for third win in four tries this season
Nov. 18, 2008
Game #4 - Upper Iowa (0-1) @ Milwaukee (2-1)
Wed. Nov. 19 • 7 pm
U.S. Cellular Arena • Milwaukee, Wis.
Audio: Jeter Pregame Comments
Printable Game Notes
Quick Hits
• UWM plays its 2008-09 home opener, welcoming Division II Upper Iowa to the U.S. Cellular Arena.
• The Panthers won two of three games at the World Vision Classic in Ames, Iowa, this past weekend, beating Loyola Marymount and Cal Davis before falling to the hosts from Iowa State.
• Tone Boyle and Ricky Franklin were each named to the all-tournament team at the event, with Boyle averaging 16.3 points per game and Franklin adding 12.3 points to go with 4.3 assists.
• Avery Smith played in a regular season game for the first time in 20 months Sunday at Iowa State, scoring eight points while grabbing six rebounds.
• Upper Iowa dropped its only game of the season thus far, an 81-67 decision at Drury, the 18th-ranked team in Division II.
On The Air Tonight
Tonight's game will air live on WISN (AM 1130), with Bill Johnson on the call. Pregame coverage starts at 6:45 p.m. The game is followed by Panthers' Postgame on WISN, live from Major Goolsby's across from the U.S. Cellular Arena. Bob Brainerd and Jason Clark host that show, which includes player and coach interviews.
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 #4
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's basketball team opens the home portion of its 2008-09 schedule by welcoming Upper Iowa to the U.S. Cellular Arena for a Wednesday night contest.
• Some Matchup History
UWM holds a 3-0 all-time series lead on Upper Iowa, with two of the matchups coming in recent seasons. In fact, the Peacocks have come to Milwaukee for UWM's home opener in 2005-06 and again last season. The `05-'06 meeting turned into Rob Jeter's first win as a head coach, as Milwaukee claimed a 93-64 win. Last season, UWM captured a 78-53 win. The other meeting came at the Minnesota-Duluth Tournament in 1983, when the Panthers captured a 55-39 win.
• On The Homefront
UWM will be playing its first regular season home game of the season when Upper Iowa visits the U.S. Cellular Arena. The Panthers are 15-3 in home openers since 1990, including 8-2 in home openers at The Cell. Meanwhile, Rob Jeter is a perfect 3-0 in home openers as UWM's head coach. This success in the first game of the year has often carried over to the rest of the season, as the Panthers are now 52-20 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 57-14 in regular season Horizon League home contests over the last nine seasons.
• A Look At The World Vision Classsic
The Panthers went 2-1 in their three games at the World Vision Classic this past weekend in Ames, Iowa. Friday, Milwaukee opened its season with an easy 75-51 win over Loyola Marymount, as Tone Boyle scored 20 points to lead the way. Then Saturday, UWM dug itself a 24-point halftime hole before rallying for an 81-75 win over Cal Davis. Sunday, the Panthers could not overcome a school-record 15 three-pointers by Iowa State as the Cyclones captured a 79-61 win. UWM was within four with under nine minutes to play but a final ISU run decided the outcome.
• Tournament Honors
Guards Tone Boyle and Ricky Franklin each put together strong weekends for the Panthers, with both players earning spots on the all-tournament team. Boyle scored 20 points in his debut Friday 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. His most notable performance came Saturday in the comeback win over Cal Davis, when he scored 18 points and dished out six assists.
• Comeback Kids
One of the most memorable games in recent Panther history came this past Saturday in Ames, as UWM rallied from a 24-point halftime deficit to beat Cal Davis, 81-75. The Panthers actually outscored the Aggies, 54-24, in the second 20 minutes, after trailing 51-27 at the break. 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. Last season, the Panthers actually made a pretty good habit of recording comeback victories. In fact, UWM rallied from double-digits down to win four times last year, including overcoming a 17-point deficit at Ball State and a 14-point deficit in the final 6:30 to beat Detroit.
• Plenty Of Contributions
UWM made a concentrated effort to increase its offensive talent for this season, and those efforts are clearly paying off. Just three games into the season, the Panthers have already had six different players record a double-figure game. Tone Boyle has actually done it in all three games, while Tony Meier, Ricky Franklin and Anthony Hill have each done it twice. The contributions are also coming from the bench, with UWM seeing two players (Deion James and James Eayrs) come off the bench and reach double figures in points in the win over Loyola Marymount. That didn't happen for the Panthers last season, though it happened three times during the 2006-07 campaign.
• Shooting For The Moon
Most observers figured the Panthers would improve their shooting numbers this season, and early-season performances are indicating that should be the case. In fact, Milwaukee's 51.8 percent shooting clip against Cal Davis Saturday is the best performance by the Panthers since they shot 56.8 percent in a victory over Youngstown State in February of 2006. UWM also shot 45.6 percent from the field Friday, and last year it shot better than 45 percent just four times. Even with a 33.8 percent performance against Iowa State Sunday, the Panthers are still shooting 43.1 percent from the field, a marked improvement from last year's 39.5 percent clip.
• Threes And Threes And Threes
UWM served notice of its improved abilities from three-point range in the first game of the season and didn't really let up the rest of the weekend. Friday against Loyola Marymount, the Panthers made 14 threes, the most by the Panthers since they made 14 at Detroit in January of 2007. The most recent performance of more than 14 threes made came in December 2001 at Colorado, when the Panthers hit 17. Then, UWM added nine more Saturday and eight more Sunday. So, the Panthers have made 31 threes in their first three games, an average of 10.3 makes per game. Last season, UWM averaged 6.4 made threes per game.
• Mega-Meier
You couldn't ask for a much better collegiate debut than Tony Meier put together for the Panthers. The true freshman scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds Friday in the win over Loyola Marymount. He became the first true freshman to record a double-double in his first appearance as a Panther in UWM's Division I history. Adrian Tigert had a double-double in his fifth game as a true freshman in 2001-02. Then, Meier followed that up with 10 more points Saturday but had to miss Sunday's game with a severe case of the flu.
• Studying The Starters
While UWM had to make a change in its starting lineup Sunday because of Tony Meier's illness, the Panthers look like they will be fielding a young starting five this season. That group has included true freshman Tony Meier along with sophomores Deonte Roberts and Anthony Hill. They have been joined by junior-college transfer Tone Boyle and senior Ricky Franklin. In fact, when you consider Franklin can still earn back an addition year of eligibility, the Panthers could have their entire opening-day starting lineup back again next season.
• Familiar Faces
The Panthers are taking the floor in the 2008-09 season with two starters and a total of seven letterwinners returning from last season. The returning starters are Ricky Franklin and Deonte Roberts, while the other returnees include Anthony Hill, Kaylan Anderson, Deion James, Charlie Swiggett and Jason Averkamp. Both returning starters have honors under their belts from a season ago, as Franklin was a third-team all-state selection by Inside Wisconsin Sports while Roberts earned a spot on the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team.
• He's Back, Too
There is another familiar face back in the fold for the 2008-09 campaign, as Avery Smith returns to the Panthers' roster after missing the 2007-08 season. Actually, Smith was dismissed from the squad last November and then slowly worked his way back onto the team. He did appear in a closed-door scrimmage with IUPUI last season, meaning he had to appeal to the NCAA to restore his eligibility for this - technically a fifth - season. The NCAA did oblige, instituting a two-game penalty for Smith, which he served during the first two regular season games. He then returned Sunday against Iowa State, scoring eight points to go with six rebounds. Smith was the Panthers' leading scorer in 2006-07, averaging 15.5 points per game. He then was a preseason all-league selection last year before being dismissed.
• JUCO Junction
The Panthers have three junior college players on the 2008-09 roster that all look like they can make an impact on UWM's success. Guard Tone Boyle earned all-region honors at Highland CC last season and is leading UWM in scoring so far this season. James Eayrs should be a big contributor after scoring over 1,100 points in two seasons at the North Dakota State College of Science. Finally, Burleigh Porte should provide defensive and rebounding support after spending this past season at Olney CC in Illinois.
• Baby-Faced
Three scholarship true freshmen are also on the roster for the 2008-09 campaign. Tony Meier of suburban St. Louis looks like he might be a regular in the starting lineup. Ryan Haggerty has also shown well during preseason practice after a strong career at Benet Academy in suburban Chicago, though he appears to be a likely candidate for a redshirt season. Meanwhile, Riley Walker will also likely redshirt this season after working through shoulder and knee injuries during the early season.
• Laying In The Weeds
UWM is hoping to surprise the field in the Horizon League during the 2008-09 season. The Panthers were picked to finish sixth in the Horizon League, according to a poll of the league's coaches, sports information directors and media members. Cleveland State, last season's regular season and tournament runner-up, was picked to win the league crown. Wright State was picked second with UIC third and Green Bay fourth. Two-time defending champion Butler was selected fifth.
• Other Insights
A number of other publications have also published their preseason picks for the Horizon League. UWM was actually picked eighth in three different publications, with The Sporting News, Lindy's and Athlon Sports all selecting the Panthers in that position. Two of those publications picked Cleveland State to win the league crown, while Lindy's selected Wright State as the eventual league champion.
• Putting On An Exhibition
UWM won each of its two exhibition contests earlier this month. Ricky Franklin had 17 points and Anthony Hill added 12 as UWM captured a 68-43 win over the Milwaukee School of Engineering Nov. 5. The Panthers limited the Raiders to just 27.9 percent shooting from the field while pulling away over the final 11 minutes. Then, Hill scored 18 points and had nine rebounds to lead UWM to a 75-59 win over UW-Parkside Nov. 8. Milwaukee used 16 different players and had just one player on the floor for more than 22 minutes. The Panthers built a double-digit lead early in the second half and then were never threatened. Milwaukee also got 14 points from Avery Smith, 10 points from Tone Boyle and eight points and nine rebounds from Tony Meier.
• Something From The Scrimmage
James Eayrs scored 17 points and Deion James added 14 as the white squad beat the black squad, 73-64, at the annual Full-Court Club scrimmage Oct. 28 at the Klotsche Center. The white team led by five points at halftime and by as many as 10 in the second half before hanging on to the lead late. Eayrs scored 14 of his points in the second half. Charlie Swiggett added 11 points for the white team. True freshman Tony Meier, junior-college transfer Tone Boyle and veteran Ricky Franklin scored 15 points apiece for the black squad, which also got 11 points from sophomore Anthony Hill. The two teams combined for 17 made three-pointers.
• About The Schedule
Head coach Rob Jeter has put together another difficult schedule for the Panthers. UWM will play 10 games against postseason qualifiers and meet up with teams from the Big Ten, Big East and Big 12 this season. In fact, UWM has contests against BCS foes on each of the first three weekends of the regular season. The list of postseason qualifiers on Milwaukee's schedule this season includes Marquette, Wisconsin, Miami (Ohio), Bradley, Butler, Cleveland State and Valparaiso. January finds UWM home for seven of its 10 games while the Panthers are on the road for five of its seven contests in February.
• Job Changes
While Rob Jeter's full coaching staff returns in tact for a fourth-straight season, two of the people on the staff have switched positions. Ronnie Jones, who has spent the last three seasons as the director of basketball operations, will take over as the video coordinator. Meanwhile, Chip MacKenzie will become the operations director after three years in the video role.
• Ticket Time
Single-game tickets for UWM men's basketball games are on sale now. Advance tickets can be purchased through all Milwaukee-area Ticket Master outlets, online at ticketmaster.com or by phone at 414-276-4545. Single-game tickets for men's games at the U.S. Cellular Arena are priced from $10-$20. Fans can also still purchase full season-ticket plans as well as five-pack ticket plans. For more information, contact the UWM Ticket Office at 414-229-5886.
• Looking Around The Cell
The U.S. Cellular Arena has taken on a number of new looks for the 2008-09 season. Most obvious is a new floor. The entire surface has been refinished and painted, with the newest Milwaukee Panthers' logo prominently on display at center court. The surface also includes the new men's three-point line, which is set at 20'9", a Horizon League logo in each free-throw lane and a handful of UWM logos on the sidelines. The U.S. Cellular Arena logo is also prominent on the floor. Among other changes planned at the U.S. Cellular Arena for this coming season is the relocation of the student section to the north end zone. Plus, upper level seats have been dressed in black and gold, adding more color to the Arena while creating a more intimate atmosphere.
• The Bright Lights Of TV
UWM will again spend plenty of time on television during the 2008-09 season. The Jan. 9 game between UWM and Green Bay will kickoff the brand-new Horizon League/ESPNU Game of the Week package. The game tips off at 8 p.m. CST and will be one of 17 games involving league schools on the ESPN networks during the coming season. The appearance by the Panthers in the package will mark the 20th national television appearance by UWM over the past six seasons. In addition to that game on ESPNU, UWM will again have its extensive local television package with Time Warner Cable Sports 32. At least 10 games will be a part of that package, with the debut set for Dec. 11 at Miami (Ohio). The Panthers will also be on Sports 32 Nov. 22 when they take on Marquette, though that is not part of UWM's package of games. And, "The Rob Jeter Show" debuts Nov. 19 on Sports 32.
• Making (Radio) Waves
UWM returns to WISN (AM 1130) for a second-straight season. The coverage is part of a five-year agreement between UWM Athletics and Clear Channel Radio, which also provides coverage of the Panther women. UWM contests on WISN start with a 15-minute pregame show, while home games also include a live postgame show from Major Goolsby's in downtown Milwaukee. WISN also airs "Rob Jeter on Basketball" Mondays from 6-7 p.m. Bill Johnson returns for his 10th season as the voice of the Panthers.
• Summing Up The 2007-08 Season
An amazing series of ups and downs marked the 2007-08 season for the Panthers. After enduring a six-game losing streak from late November to mid-December, Milwaukee put together a six-game winning streak from late December until a loss at Butler Jan. 12. The winning streak marked UWM's first six-game win streak since Milwaukee won eight-straight from Dec. 17, 2005, to Jan. 11, 2006. After that run, the Panthers added a three-game winning streak and a three-game losing streak. Overall, UWM went 11-9 after opening the season 3-7.
• Quick Hits
UWM fielded six different starting lineups in 2007-08, though the Panthers used the same starting five over a stretch of 17 games until an injury to Marcus Skinner forced another change. Eight different players earned starts ... after its win Feb. 16, Milwaukee has now beaten its in-state rival from Green Bay 13 times in the last 18 meetings between the two schools. That streak includes wins in nine of the last 10 contests in Milwaukee, with UWM's average margin of victory nearly 17 points per game in those nine wins ... the Panthers rallied from a double-digit second-half deficit to win a game four times during the 2007-08 season. The final comeback came Feb. 16 against Green Bay, when Milwaukee trailed by 12 points with 14 minutes to play before rallying for a 10-point win ... two simple stats pointed out the keys to winning for the Panthers in `07-'08. First, UWM finished 13-7 when it either won or tied the rebounding battle, while the Panthers were 1-9 when being outrebounded. Also, UWM was 12-4 when it scored 70 or more points but just 4-9 when allowing 70 or more.
• Up Next
UWM plays at Marquette Saturday. The game tips at 7:30 p.m on Sports 32.
|
