Dec. 1, 2009

Game #8
UIC (1-3)
@
Milwaukee (5-2)
Thurs. Dec. 3 • 7 p.m. CST
U.S. Cellular Arena • Milwaukee, Wis.

Printable Game Notes

The Short List
• UWM opens Horizon League play with a Thursday night home contest against UIC.

• The Panthers have won four in a row, including an overtime victory at Bowling Green Saturday.

• Milwaukee is off to its best start since the 2004-05 season, when the Panthers won six of their first seven games.

• UWM made 11 three-pointers in its win Saturday and has now made 10 or more three-pointers in three-straight games.

• James Eayrs was named the Horizon League Player of the Week Monday after averaging nearly 20 points and eight rebounds per game in three wins last week.

• UWM is 65-15 in regular season league home contests over the last 10 seasons.

• UIC has dropped three of its first four games this season.

On The Air
Thursday's game airs live on Sports 32, with Daron Sutton, Adrian Tigert and Scott Warras on the call. WISN (AM 1130) has radio coverage, with Bill Johnson calling the action. 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 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 the game. As always, UWM students are admitted free with a valid UWM ID.

• Game #8
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's basketball team returns to the U.S. Cellular Arena to open Horizon League play Thursday night against UIC.

• Matchup Histories
UWM and UIC have battled in some important and memorable contests in recent seasons, with the Flames owning a 9-8 edge in the last 17 meetings between the two schools. The two squads have met four times in the league tournament over the last eight seasons. Eleven of the last 17 meetings have been decided by eight points or less. Last season's matchup at the U.S. Cellular Arena saw Deion James hit a three-pointer as time expired to give UWM a 63-62 win. The shot completed a stunning turnaround after the Panthers trailed by 18 points in the first half and by 10 points with 1:27 remaining.

• Happy To Be Home
UWM has experienced plenty of success at the U.S. Cellular Arena in recent seasons. Milwaukee went 12-3 at home last year and is now 66-23 in regular season and postseason contests at The Cell since its return in 2002-03. Even better, if you combine games at both the Klotsche Center and The Cell, UWM is 65-15 in regular season Horizon League home contests over the last 10 seasons.

• 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

• Horizon Openers
UWM starts league play looking for its second-straight win in a league opener after dropping its opener in both 2006-07 (Youngstown State) and 2007-08 (UIC). Last season, the Panthers knocked off Detroit at the U.S. Cellular Arena. Prior to 2006-07, Milwaukee won its league opener six-straight times, meaning Thursday it is looking for an eighth win in its last 10 league lid-lifters. In all, since joining the MCC/Horizon League, Milwaukee is 10-5 in league home openers and 7-8 in league openers overall.

• An Early Start In The League
For the eighth-straight season, UWM is opening its league schedule in December. For the third-straight season, though, the early start includes every league school, with the addition of Valparaiso to the league creating an 18-game schedule and increasing the need to dedicate an early-season weekend to league play. UWM has gone 7-4 in December league games, having won a single league game in four-straight seasons from 2002-03 through 2005-06 before dropping both of its December league games in 2006-07 and 2007-08. Last season, Milwaukee went 3-0 in league contests in December.

• Off To A Nice Start
The Panthers have won five of their first seven games of the 2009-10 season, giving them a very positive start. The 5-2 mark after seven games is the best since UWM opened the 2004-05 season 6-1. But, that team lost its next two games.

• Injury Updates
UWM opens league play with two seniors on the sidelines because of injury. Tone Boyle remains sidelined with a back injury he originally started battling last February. Meanwhile, Burleigh Porte has not dressed for a game since suffering a hard fall in practice Nov. 15 in Baton Rouge. Two other Panthers have overcome early-season injuries. Ricky Franklin sprained his ankle in the annual intrasquad scrimmage and missed the first exhibition game but has started every game since. Jerard Ajami left the exhibition game with Parkside after a hard foul and was limited in practice leading up to the season opener, but has since started every game.

• About The Last Time
Deonte Roberts had 17 points to lead four players in double figures and UWM rallied late in regulation to force overtime and claim a 90-83 win over Bowling Green Saturday at Anderson Arena. UWM trailed by seven midway through the second half and by five with 1:16 remaining before forcing extra time. Then, in the extra session, Jason Averkamp knocked in a pair of three-pointers and UWM made 6-of-8 from the line to seal the win.

• Player Of The Week Material
James Eayrs was named the Horizon League Men's Basketball Player of the Week Monday after averaging nearly 20 points and eight rebounds per game in leading the Panthers to three wins last week. Eayrs started his big week with a 28-point effort in just 19 minutes in Milwaukee's win over Texas State last Monday. He hit 6-of-7 three-pointers in the contest and scored 22 of his points in the first half. Eayrs then had 15 points and 10 rebounds in a win Tuesday over Colgate before ending the week with 16 points and eight rebounds as the Panthers claimed a 90-83 overtime victory at Bowling Green Saturday. Eayrs ranks third in the league in scoring (17.6 ppg) and fourth in rebounding (7.9 rpg) and is the only player among the top four in both categories.

• Plenty Of Points
UWM has been putting up a lot of points lately, surpassing the 90-point mark twice last week. Milwaukee scored 96 in its win over Texas State then added 90 in Saturday's overtime victory over Bowling Green. Plus, Milwaukee scored 89 in its season-opening win over Concordia-St. Paul. This is the first time UWM has scored 90 or more in a game twice in the same season since the 2005-06 campaign. The Panthers' current 76.3 points per game clip stands second in the league.

• A Panther Three Party
UWM made 11 three-pointers in its win over Bowling Green Saturday, the third-straight game in which the Panthers reached double digits in the category. It is the second time in as many seasons Milwaukee has pulled that off, with UWM reaching double digits in consecutive games against Bradley, UIC and Loyola a year ago. In all, UWM hit double figures in three-pointers made 10 times a season ago.

• Finding The Range
The nice run of three-point shooting by Milwaukee has helped turn around an area UWM stumbled in during the first week of the season. In the season opener against Concordia-St Paul for example, UWM missed its first 15 three-point tries and wound up just 3-of-24 in the game. But, in UWM's four-game winning streak, the team has made 38-of-99 (38.4 percent) from beyond the arc. That has pushed UWM up to 56 made three-pointers this year - the second-highest tally in the Horizon League.

• Deonte Is Doing It
Junior Deonte Roberts appears to be finding his stride early in his third season with the Panthers. Roberts is up to third on the team in scoring at 10.4 points per game and has made 51 percent of his shots from the field. He equaled his collegiate-high with 17 points in the victory at Bowling Green Saturday and also has 12 assists over the last three games.

• The Fab Freshmen
True freshmen Lonnie Boga and Ja'Rob McCallum have made a strong statement for increased playing time in the last week. Boga averaged over 10 points and nearly six rebounds in three games a week ago, pushing his scoring average to 14 ppg is his last two outings. McCallum, meanwhile, didn't even make his regular season debut until the contest against Hillsdale but now has scored 7 ppg in his last three outings. Those two aren't the only youngsters seeing some regular time. Redshirt freshman Patrick Souter is averaging 5.3 ppg and over 18 minutes per game early in the season, while redshirt freshman Riley Walker has also played in all seven games so far this year.

• Looking Back At The NIT
UWM wound up splitting its four games in the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tipoff, losing contests to Western Kentucky and Indiana State in Baton Rouge before bouncing back to win games over Texas State and Colgate in Fort Worth. Milwaukee's participation in the event produced a number of noteworthy tidbits.

Western Kentucky's A.J. Slaughter scored 30 points against Milwaukee Nov. 16. 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 ... UWM posted season-highs in points (96), shooting percentage (52.1) and three-pointers (12) in its win over Texas State Nov. 23 ... also its 96 points were the most by the Panthers since Milwaukee claimed a 98-57 win over Youngstown State in 2006. The Panthers haven't scored 100 points since the season-opener to the 2004-05 season against Prairie View A&M ... Milwaukee made 34 free throws and had 43 free-throw attempts against Texas State. Those are the exact numbers the Panthers had in their league tournament first round win over Loyola a season ago. It is the fifth time in UWM's Division I history that it has made 34 free throws in a game ... meanwhile, UWM was called for 33 fouls in the game - tied for the third-most in the school's Division I history.

• Roster Breakdown
UWM's 2009-10 roster is a nice mix of young and old. At this point, the Panthers have three seniors on the active roster, with Ricky Franklin, James Eayrs and Jason Averkamp all playing key roles. Two other seniors - Tone Boyle and Burleigh Porte - are sidelined by injury. Meanwhile, UWM is also starting two juniors (Jerard Ajami and Deonte Roberts) while getting excellent contributions from a number of underclassmen. Sophomore Tony Meier has started every game this season and now has 37 starts in his career, while true freshmen Lonnie Boga and Ja'Rob McCallum along with redshirt freshmen Patrick Souter and Riley Walker continue to get regular playing time.

• Picking The Horizon League Winner
UWM has been picked to finish fourth in the league this season, according to a poll of the league's coaches, SIDs 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, with the Bulldogs securing 43 of the 46 first-place votes and 455 total points. Wright State earned the second spot in the poll, collecting 398 points. The rest of the poll finds Green Bay picked fifth, Detroit sixth and Youngstown State seventh. Valparaiso, UIC and Loyola 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.

• Sketching Out The Slate
At least eight games against teams that played in the NCAA Tournament a year ago highlight the 2009-2010 schedule. In non-league play, the Panthers have already played NCAA qualifier Western Kentucky and NIT qualifier Bowling Green. Milwaukee still has games left with NCAA Tournament teams Marquette, North Dakota State and Wisconsin in December. In league play, UWM plays three games in December and goes to Butler Jan. 2. The remaining 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 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
UWM has put together a wide variety of attractive ways fans can enjoy Panther basketball this season.

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 with Thursday's 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. Daron Sutton returns as the television play-by-play voice for the Panthers, and this season, Sutton is joined by former Panther Adrian Tigert.

• Radio Waves
Milwaukee men's basketball games are heard on NewsTalk 1130 WISN. 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.

• Up Next
UWM hosts Loyola Saturday at 7.