Nov. 22, 2009

Games #5-6
Milwaukee (2-2)
@
NIT Season Tipoff
Mon. Nov. 23-Tues. Nov. 24
Daniel Meyer Coliseum • Fort Worth, Texas

Printable Game Notes

The Short List
• UWM plays two more games as part of the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tipoff, facing Texas State Monday and Colgate Tuesday.

• Both games are being played on the campus of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, with TCU also playing both Texas State and Colgate.

• The Panthers snapped a two-game losing streak with a 62-54 win over Hillsdale (Mich.) Saturday. Milwaukee led by 14 points at halftime.

• UWM's two losses came to Western Kentucky and Indiana State in the NIT.

• James Eayrs is averaging 16 points per game through four contests and has three double-doubles.

• Ricky Franklin had a double-double Saturday (12 points, 10 rebounds) and was three assists short of a triple-double.

On The Air Tonight
UWM men's basketball airs live on WISN (AM 1130) in Milwaukee, with Bill Johnson on the call. Pregame coverage starts 15 minutes before tipoff. All home games also include "Panthers Extra ... live from Major Goolsby's." The postgame show, with hosts Bob Brainerd and Adrian Tigert, follows the game broadcast.

Ticket Time Tickets for both of UWM's games in Fort Worth will be available at the doors of the Daniel Meyer Coliseum prior to the game. Meanwhile, tickets for all UWM home games are priced at $20, $15 and $10 and are available through Ticketmaster or at the U.S. Cellular Arena on the day of a game.

• Games #5-6
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's basketball team plays two more games in the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tipoff, facing Texas State Monday and Colgate Tuesday.

• NIT Experiences
Milwaukee has a pair of previous NIT experiences, one in the preseason and one in the postseason. The preseason appearance came in 2005, when UWM lost at Memphis in the first round of what was then a single-elimination tournament. The Panthers have also played in the postseason NIT once, beating Rice before losing at Boise State in 2004.

• Matchup Histories
UWM has never faced either of its tournament opponents and will be playing in the state of Texas for the first time since a trip to Sam Houston State in December of 2006. This is actually just the fifth trip to the state since the Panthers moved back to Division I play for the 1990-91 campaign. Milwaukee did win at Prairie View A&M (87-70 win) early in the 2003-04 season while also playing at Texas-San Antonio (82-76 loss) in 1996 and at Sam Houston State (69-67 loss) in 1997.

• Heading To The Road
The NIT Season Tipoff Tournament is sending UWM away from Milwaukee for a total of four games this season. In all, UWM will be playing five of its first seven and 10 of its first 15 games away from home. The Panthers went 3-10 in true road games last season and, if you include three neutral-site games, went 5-11 away from Milwaukee in 2008-09. The Panthers are 0-2 away from Milwaukee this season.

• Ins And Outs
The Panthers have been able to slowly put back together some big pieces of its backcourt through the early season. Ricky Franklin is back from an ankle injury and has been declared eligible to play this additional season in Milwaukee. He had missed the first exhibition game against Cardinal Stritch. Meanwhile, newcomer Jerard Ajami left the second exhibition game with Parkside in the second half after a hard fall, and then was limited in practice leading up to the season opener. But, he has been in the starting lineup in all four games so far this year. The biggest piece still missing is all-league senior guard Tone Boyle, who remains sidelined with a back injury. Plus, Burleigh Porte has not played since suffering a hard fall in practice last Sunday in Baton Rouge.

• About The Last Time
James Eayrs scored 21 points and Ricky Franklin had 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to help UWM to a 62-54 win over Hillsdale Saturday afternoon at the U.S. Cellular Arena. After the Chargers had cut a 14-point halftime deficit to one, Eayrs took over, scoring seven straight points to give the Panthers control of the game.

• Shooting Numbers
UWM improved some shooting stats ever so slightly Saturday, especially in what it is allowing opponents to shoot from the field. After opponents made 54.5 percent of their shots from the field in the two games in Baton Rouge, Hillsdale was only able to make 34.5 percent from the floor. The Chargers were able to make some hay from long range, though, converting 12-of-25 and giving opponents a 33-of-69 (47.8 percent) tally from beyond the arc in the first four games of the year. Offensively, UWM converted on 45.5 percent from the floor, up from the 38.8 percent the Panthers shot in Louisiana. But, Milwaukee is still just 23-of-98 from beyond the arc.

• Consistency In The Scoring Column
While UWM has definitely had its ups and downs offensively over the first four games of the season, the Panthers have been able to count on three players for consistent contributions. James Eayrs has reached double figures in all four games, while Deonte Roberts, Tony Meier and Ricky Franklin have all reached double figures in three of the first four games. UWM had Eayrs, Meier and Roberts in double figures in each of the first three games, the first time Milwaukee has had the same three players reach double figures in each of the first three games of the season since the 2003-04 campaign, when Ed McCants, Joah Tucker and Dylan Page all did it.

• Also Of Note From The Early Season
UWM had 22 offensive rebounds in the loss to Indiana State and now has 58 offensive rebounds in four games. Its opponents have just 29 offensive boards ... Western Kentucky's A.J. Slaughter scored 30 points against Milwaukee Monday night. It marked the first performance of 30-or-more points against UWM since November of 2006, when Giordan Watson of Central Michigan scored 30 in a win over the Panthers ... Milwaukee placed five players in double figures in the Western Kentucky game, the first time five reached double digits since the loss to North Dakota State last year ... Ricky Franklin had a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds Saturday, adding seven assists to inch close to a triple-double ... Ja'Rob McCallum made his regular season debut Saturday, scoring two points while grabbing two rebounds in six minutes.

• The New Guys
Even though UWM has a number of veteran players on its roster, there's a large group of newcomers who are consistently seeing playing time in the early season. Jerard Ajami has started all three games this season, while Patrick Souter has earned regular minutes as a backup in the backcourt. In fact, Souter tallied 12 points in the loss to Western Kentucky and is averaging 8.0 ppg. Redshirt freshman Riley Walker and true freshman Lonnie Boga have also played in all three games, while Michael Tyler knocked down a three-pointer in his second appearance of the season Tuesday against Indiana State. In all, six of the 13 players that have played this season are newcomers.

• Still Another Year
The Panthers will take the court for the 2009-10 season with experience on their side. In fact, with Ricky Franklin now on board for another season in Milwaukee, the Panthers return 80 percent of their scoring from a season ago. In all, if Tone Boyle can return to the lineup, six of UWM's top seven scorers are back, including seniors Boyle and James Eayrs. Other returnees include seniors Burleigh Porte and Jason Averkamp, juniors Deonte Roberts and Anthony Hill and sophomore Tony Meier.

• Having Patiently Waited ...
The 2009-10 season sees four players join the active roster after sitting out the 2008-09 campaign. Jerard Ajami had to sit after transferring from Northern Michigan, while Ryan Haggerty, Riley Walker and Patrick Souter all redshirted as true freshmen last season.

• And The Truly New Faces
UWM's roster includes four new players who are eligible for game action in 2009-10, and two more who will have to sit out after transferring this off-season. The oldest of those eligible this season is junior-college transfer Michael Tyler, a Milwaukee native who collected 22 double-doubles at Pratt Community College last year. Meanwhile, Ja'Rob McCallum and Lonnie Boga join the Panthers as true freshman. McCallum comes to Milwaukee from Marion, Ind., while Lonnie Boga starred at McCluer High School in Florissant, Mo. Quinton Gustavson is also on the roster as a walk-on true freshman, while Mitchell Carter (South Carolina) and Christian Wolf (Florida Gulf Coast) will sit out this season due to NCAA transfer regulations.

• Picking The Winner
UWM has been picked to finish fourth in the Horizon League this season, according to a poll of the league's coaches, sports information directors and media members. Milwaukee received 314 points, falling just behind Cleveland State, which reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season. As expected, Butler was the clear favorite in the poll, with the Bulldogs securing 43 of the 46 first-place votes and 455 total points. Butler returns every player from last year's regular-season championship squad. Wright State earned the second spot in the poll, collecting 398 points. The rest of the poll finds Green Bay picked fifth (273 points), Detroit sixth (209) and Youngstown State seventh (197). Valparaiso (137), UIC (126) and Loyola (97) round out the rankings.

• "Official" Preseason Honors
Two UWM players earned spots on the Horizon League's Preseason All-League Team. Seniors Tone Boyle and James Eayrs were each placed on the second team in voting by the league's coaches, sports information directors and media members.

Tone Boyle led the Panthers in scoring and three-pointers made a season ago, earning a spot on the All-Horizon League Second Team as well as on the league's all-newcomer team. He wound up averaging 13.2 points per game and shot 36 percent from three-point range, numbers that actually dipped late in the season while he battled a back injury. He was also the team leader in minutes played.

James Eayrs averaged better than 13 points per game in league play, claiming a spot on the league's all-newcomer team. He played in all 31 games a season ago, starting the final nine contests of the year. He reached double figures in points 17 times and had three double-doubles, averaging nearly 16 points per game as a starter. The 6-foot-7, 310-pounder also wound up making 44 three-pointers while tying for third on the team with 23 steals.

• On Top Of The Horizon
UWM's 11-7 record in regular season league play a year ago added to a tremendous run of success the Panthers have enjoyed in Horizon League play. In fact, since the 2001-02 season, UWM has the second-most league wins among league schools and sits right behind Butler in those rankings. Those two schools have also combined to win or share the last seven league regular season titles. The league standings since 2001-02:

	W	L
Butler 	96	36
Milwaukee 	89	43
Wright State 	76	56
UIC 	71	61
Green Bay 	66	66
Loyola 	60	72
Detroit 	58	74
Cleveland State 	47	85
Youngstown State 	35	97
Valparaiso 	14	22

• Sketching Out The Slate
At least eight games against teams that played in the NCAA Tournament a year ago highlight the 2009-2010 UWM schedule. In non-league play, the Panthers have already played NCAA qualifier Western Kentucky in the NIT Season Tipoff while looking ahead to regular dates with Marquette and Wisconsin. Road games with NCAA qualifier North Dakota State and NIT qualifier Bowling Green also dot the schedule. In league action, UWM plays two home games in early December but will go to Butler Jan. 2. The Panthers' home league slate is highlighted by visits from Green Bay (Jan. 9), Butler (Jan. 31) and Cleveland State (Feb. 18).

• Busting A Bracket ... Again
UWM will be a part of the BracketBusters pool in 2010, and once again the Panthers will get to play the late February contest at home. The two-day event - set for Feb. 19-20 - will feature 11 nationally televised contests on either ESPN2 or ESPNU. All 10 Horizon League schools are part of the group of 98 teams in the event. The 11 televised BracketBusters matchups will be announced Feb. 1, with game time and network assignments announced Feb. 18. The 76 teams not selected for television also will compete against each other through the same two days. UWM has participated in all seven previous BracketBusters events, appearing on national television five of those years.

• Check Your Schedules
UWM has made some time announcements and changes on its 2009-10 men's basketball schedule since it was first announced. Most notably, the Jan. 9 contest between the Panthers and in-state rival Green Bay will tipoff at 1 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Arena. The game time was previously listed as to be announced. The Panthers' Jan. 24 game at Cleveland State has been set for a 2 p.m. EST/1 p.m. CST tipoff, with two other changes also involving road contests. UWM's game at Detroit Feb. 13 moves up by one hour to 3 p.m. EST/2 p.m. CST. And, Milwaukee's season-ending contest at UIC will now tip off at 1 p.m. CST.

• Ticket Time
The UWM Athletic Department has put together a wide variety of attractive ways fans can enjoy Panther basketball this season. Full season-ticket package remain on sale, with the package including tickets to all 15 home games plus the first right to purchase any postseason tickets.

New this year is the Hilton Weekender Package, with tickets to four great weekend games available for just $35. The Hilton Weekender Package includes a ticket to the Dec. 5 game with Loyola, the Jan. 16 game against Wright State, the Jan. 31 contest against Butler and the Feb. 20 BracketBuster tilt. Packages in the loge level are just $35, while fans can upgrade to the premium level for $55.

The Verizon Wireless "Half-Price, Full Fun" games will feature all $10 men's tickets available for just $5. Verizon Wireless "Half-Price, Full Fun" games. Remaining games in the package include Jan. 14 against Detroit, Jan. 29 vs. Valparaiso and Feb. 15 against Youngstown State.

For more information or to purchase any of the packages, call the Panther Ticket Office at 414-229-5886. Single-game tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

• The Bright Lights Of TV
Time Warner Cable Sports 32 will again be the home for UWM basketball during the 2009-10 season. The men's package debuts Dec. 3 with a home game against UIC and includes 10 confirmed broadcasts on Sports 32. In addition to those games, UWM has a game at Youngstown State set for ESPNU and a contest at Wisconsin that will be televised by the Big Ten Network. Three more games are also likely to be televised, with details still not finalized. Sports 32 is also again the home for "The Rob Jeter Show," which airs weekly on Wednesday at 5 p.m. with a number of repeat performances. After debuting last week, the show returns for two tapings in December and then weekly beginning Jan. 13. Daron Sutton returns as the television play-by-play voice for the Panther men. Sutton has spent the past three summers as the television voice of the Arizona Diamondbacks after five seasons as the TV voice of the Milwaukee Brewers. This season, Sutton will be joined by former Panther standout Adrian Tigert, who played on UWM's Sweet 16 team in 2005 and on the squad that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2006.

• Radio Waves
Milwaukee men's basketball games are heard on NewsTalk 1130 WISN. UWM and Clear Channel are in the middle of a five-year agreement that provides for exclusive live radio coverage for each of UWM's basketball teams, as well as coaches' shows, special programming and promotional inventory. Bill Johnson returns for his 11th season as the play-by-play voice of Panther men's basketball, with his coverage of every Panther men's game beginning 15 minutes prior to tipoff with Panther Preview. Johnson also does a complete, on-site postgame show - Panthers Rewind - following each contest. The WISN team for men's games also includes the return of Bob Brainerd as host of "Panthers Extra ... Live from Major Goolsby's." The expanded postgame show airs following every home men's game, as well as after the game at the Bradley Center against Marquette. Former Panther star Adrian Tigert will join Brainerd as co-host of the show. Plus, the weekly "Rob Jeter On Basketball" show airs Mondays from 6-7 p.m. live from Harry's in Shorewood.

• Signing On The Dotted Line
UWM added a pair of players in the early signing period, as Kyle Kelm of Randolph, Wis., and Evan Richard of Kieler, Wis., both signed National Letters of Intent. The two each play for highly-successful Wisconsin high school programs and have been AAU teammates with the Wisconsin Swing. Kelm, a 6-foot-9 center, averaged 17.1 points and 6.1 rebounds as a junior at Randolph High School, helping his squad to a 21-3 record. Those efforts helped earn him a spot on the WBCA All-State team. Richard, a 6-foot-3 guard, averaged 24.9 points per game as a junior at Cuba City High School, earning honorable mention Associated Press all-state honors while finishing fourth in the state in scoring.

• Summing Up Last Season
The 2008-09 campaign for UWM saw a number of new faces emerge while the Panthers tallied 11 league victories and 17 overall wins. November was highlighted by a 24-point comeback against Cal Davis on the opening weekend of the season while December included three league victories and an impressive win over Bradley. In January, Milwaukee overcame a rough road trip to Indiana to finish the month with seven more wins. Then in February, the Panthers claimed a home win over nationally-ranked Butler. UWM wound up advancing to the second round of the Horizon League Tournament, but was done in by 12 three-pointers from Wright State in an 80-70 season-ending defeat. After the season, Tone Boyle and James Eayrs were each honored by the Horizon League. Boyle earned a spot on the All-Horizon League Second Team, with both he and Eayrs capturing spots on the all-newcomer team.

• Up Next
UWM will play its first true road game of the season Saturday at Bowling Green. Then, the Panthers start league play Dec. 3 against UIC.