Milwaukee Looks to Make Another Charge with Victory Over North Dakota State, 84-73

For the first time in a long time, I completely missed this Panther basketball game. It was only on radio, yes, but I was happily celebrating one of my friend's marriage to a great gal, and so I had to forget about whether we might drop a third straight out there in the cold wilderness of North Dakota... and just hope for the best.

So admittedly, other than a link to the boxscore, I've not much to say about this one, other than that I am happy that we won- in a fairly convincing fashion too, it seems.

Ricky Franklin (23pts, 6rbs, 4ast, 2stl) had his biggest game of the year so far and James Eayrs (15pts, 5rbs, 3ast) didn't have too a bad of a homecoming (though a Minnesota native, James played Juco ball at North Dakota State College of Science).

So... I guess we are all guardedly optimistic. 7-4 (1-1) is by no means a terrible record to have at this point in the season- but the disturbing trend in our inability to beat quality teams (NDSU is only 4-5 against some pretty average competition) is keeping a lingering sense of skepticism very close to most Panther fans' minds.

I'll keep this short and sweet- we have a big game this Saturday vs. Miami (OH). The Redhawks are exactly the type of team that this season's Panthers should absolutely be able to beat (if we are to have any kind of success and/or improvement over last season).

We may toss-up (-er usually lose against) the Butlers, and Marquettes, and Wisconsins, and Western Kentuckys of this year- but we badly need to win against Miami (OH) this Saturday night.

Miami (OH) sits at the bottom of the MAC at 3-7, but they just beat Wright State over the weekend (56-55). According to their season stats, these guys don't seem to score a lot of points (62.9ppg), but they have played a tough schedule and are likely to provide us with competition a lot more to similar to Western Kentucky than to Texas State.

I still believe in this team. If I were as naieve as I was when I started this blog I'd be outraged by all of the sighs and rolled eyes I've seen when discussing this team with fellow Panther fans lately. But having seen seasons unfold game-by-game-by-success-by-failure, these days- I understand.

Earlier in the Summer and Fall of 2009, we had big (if not unrealistic) expectations for a team that, despite a 7-4 record, has not proven themselves all that much- if at all (they certainly haven't yet distinguished themselves from last year's team who beat a ranked Butler on our home floor).

But we've got another streak going, and if this Milwaukee team can just get that first big game- that first domino to fall....... the other big ones won't seem as daunting. But better yet- "champion" will start to sound less like a foreign term and more like a clarion call to arms.

For momentum, for hometown's sake, for the season, and most of all, for the love of the fan base. WIN THIS GAME PANTHERS!!!!

GO MILWAUKEE PANTHERS!!!!

Left Out in the Cold: Despite Final Score, Panthers Battle Marquette Tough (but not Tough Enough)

It's hard to give credit to this 6-4 (1-1) Milwaukee Panthers team when so many of us fans feel pretty down about the season, but if you were one of the few people to brave the overstated winter advisory and make it to the BC last Tuesday night, you have to admit- for about 30 minutes (longer than any of the previous 2 recent crosstown battles), that game was within reach!


We played pretty tough defense, and limiting a Marquette team that averages 77.9 ppg to just 71, in addition to being within about 10-12 points of this surprising MU team, is something to be at least somewhat appreciative of (or less pissed off about).

But DJO, Lazar Hayward, and the rest of Buzz Williams cast o' ballers did us in. Make no mistake- this Marquette team may be undersized and inexperience for their league (though they will likely still be top 6-7), but they are one heck of a quick and sharpshooting team (it was hard to ignore they shot .522 to our .413).

For much of the game, we battled "somewhat inspired" in a sort of back and forth with MU, but it seemed more like the Golden Eagles were screwing up and giving us freebie opportunities (many of which we squandered) than any kind of great basketball playing on our part. In the end you Milwaukee Panthers suffered another defeat at the hands of MU- this time, 71-51 (last year was 100-80- hey at least we are lowering the score!).

Many things have gotten kinda funky in this early season. I would like to think it's just the "doldrums" of December or something, but it seems like there is some underlying issue that the team needs to get past and/or resolve- in a hurry.


The only thing I can think of is the fact that we don't seem to have the fire that we've had in the past (esp. when this Milwaukee program was running the show in the Horizon).

Jeter mentioned that he critized the team for a lack of intensity after the Hillsdale game- and then we soundly beat Texas State (more importantly, our best payers had great games- heck Big James was 6-7 from three!! (he also had a D-I career-high 28pts)).



But the way things seem now... that is like ancient history. Noone seems to be able to find their shot. And the Panthers who have shot well (Lonnie Boga is shooting .538 and Deonte, Ricky, Tony, and Patrick Souter are all shooting about 45%) haven't gotten enough good or timely shots to pour it on the scoreboard like we have needed in our 4 losses.

It's an overstatement to say that right now is high tide for another winning streak or at least a big upset and some big wins in the next couple of weeks. This team's best win comes over Bowling Green (4-5) who's best win in turn is over the "fairly unintimidating" Savannah State Tigers (4-5)).

The season is far from over- just like individual games are not won in 1 or 2 short runs, this season will not be lost on a soggy late November-early December performance. It is definately a healthy and productive thing to be critical right now- I've no doubt the coaches are putting the screws to the players about their overall attitude toward this season. They don't want to settle for this any more than you or I.

But unlike us- they (and this talented Panther basketball team) have the power to turn it around. Let's give them our support and trust that they will right this ship in these next 20 games.


It's been a frustrating start considering some lofty early-season expectations by some of us optimists, but it is hardly time to be looking for the lifeboats.

North Dakota State- tomorrow (-er, today depending on when you read this). 7pm CST. WISN 1130- tune in if you can. It's one in the line of our non-con end game: NDSU, Wisconsin, Miami (OH).

Of course we have the Bracketbuster at home later in the season as well- but these next three will determine whether that game will be against a good opponent (ESPN seems to try and match up the best (or the hottest at the time) -"Mid-Major" teams and put them on TV).

If we can't start winning at least 2 of 3 down this stretch, we'll be middle of the pack in Horizon at best and get matched up with Colgate again in the Brackbuster. Lol. But this is no time for laughing- Colgate almost beat us.

This ship will sail strong- however- only a renewed approach against opponents that bars no holds and takes no prisoners will determine whether that it arrives at a desirable (read- postseason) destination.

Even when it looks bad out there- remember who we've got. This is hardly the end folks.

GO MILWAUKEE PANTHERS!!!!

Awww... Snap!! Loyola Takes over the Cell, Downs Milwaukee 69-64 (Foggy Horizon as Cross-Town UWM-MU Battle Looms)

Well it was bound to happen and happen it did this past Thursday night at the US Cellular Arena. The home of the Milwaukee Panthers looked and sounded more like a practice facility for the Loyola Ramblers that night, as the Panthers were unable to continue winning games while playing like they are on life support.

This will be a quick rundown- my mood is no different than most of the 2,000 or so Panther fanatics that remain.

If I can recap the game in a paragraph or two- we missed a lot of shots- 38 to be exact (UWM shot 22-60 from the field... that is a whopping .367). We did not effectively defend the perimeter which allowed LU to sink 7 of 16 three-pointers.

We shot nearly half as many free throws as Loyola (UWM: 11-15, Loyola: 16-27). The crowd was as quiet as I can ever remember- mosoleums contain more energy. It was almost as if everyone was watching a car accident on the side of the road from which they can't help but stare- motionless and silent. Simply put- this was no 7-2 D-I basketball team Thursday night.

On the brighter side(!), attendance was up compared to earlier "Recession-tainted" figures this season, but with the kind of effort our team put on display it will be hard to get many of the newcomers (or come-backers- I guess that is what I term people who were gung-ho during the Pearl era but dissapeared in the night after the 9-22 train wreck of '06-'07) to return.

Pathetic play leads to apathetic fans. A lot of people who have cared dearly for and literally breathe with this program have been resigned to silence and... and well, "apathy". Slowly but surely there are fewer and fewer people in this city and this state who give a hoot about the Milwaukee Panthers.

And that is the sad truth- but it is the truth. Which leads us into the blazing 4th Street fire of today- the annual intracity face-off (both teams must have a win in order for something to be termed a rivalry) with Marquette.

I don't think any of us know what to expect tonight. I have faith (always have) but this continued inability to put it all together is trying even the most patient and believing of Panther fans.

MU has wins over a couple top-25 teams despite them being in a "rebuilding" mode. We may be 6-3 yes, but we have beat noone of consequence and the wins we do have (other than Texas State) were hardly convincing.

Who knows? Maybe Jeter lit a fire under these Panthers and we will finally see the kind of Milwaukee Panther team many expected in '09-'10. Maybe I'm being unfair to a team that is on the cusp of success. Maybe those last two sentences are just wishful thinking.... but(!)-
maybe, just maybe...... Tonight is the Night.

GO PATHERS!!!! BEAT MU!!!!

Streak On: Panthers Brick Together an Ugly Win Over UIC, 57-52

It was an uglier performance than the Hillsdale contest but once again Rob Jeter's Milwaukee Panther basketball squad found a way to win. This time UIC was the unfortunate victim- particularly unfortunate because it is nearly impossible to lose when your opponent shoots .292 (19-65) from the field (this also included an even more dismal .154 (4-26) from beyond the arc).

Milwaukee had the intensity going, and that (on the defensive end and on the offensive boards) is what kept UIC out of the win column in this one. But as mentioned above- our shooting was beyond the pale. Beyond woeful. It was beyond anything any of us Panther fans should have to suffer through again this season.

The crowd (with an impressive conference-opener student section) was painfully subdued for much of the game, simply because- there was not a whole lot to cheer about. Many gasps, groans, and expletives could be heard as brick after brick fell just short of (and many times way, way off) the hoop.

It looked like something out of the Twilight Zone for a while there and people started to look to the Panther fan who made a 3pt basket at halftime to suit up and give it a try- he could not have done any worse than most of our guys were doing. It was a terrible, horrible shooting display- one I hope we never see again.

James Eayrs must have been distracted by his recent Horizon League Athlete of the Week honor as he couldn't seem to hit the broad side of a barn from tip to buzzer. Eayrs shot 2-14 from the field which included a 0-7 "O-fer" from 3pt range- not your typical stat line for the Big Lumberjack from Roseville, MN.

There were some highlights to make the game semi-entertaining. Ricky Franklin once again took charge when the chips were down scoring 14 crucial points on 5-11 shooting while collecting 5 rebounds. Deonte Roberts (6pts, 8rbs, 4ast, 2stl) had the most complete game. 'Te continues to fill the big shoes he stepped into as a heralded guard recruit in '06-'07.

Deonte has smoothed out nearly all of his ball control issues, and seems much more poised slashing to the hoop and his struggles at the free throw line seem to be mostly behind him. This could be the season that Deonte really breaks through and starts racking up assists, boards, and fast break points (not to mention the probability that he will perfect his preying mantis-like defense).

An equally positive development in the game last night was that of Tony Meier's resurgence. Tony tallied 14 points, 7rbs, and had only a single(!) foul on the game. This was his best performance in weeks- if not on the season. We will have to get more games like this out of Mega Meier if we are ever to realistically think about contending for the League (and for upsets in any of the very challenging non-con games that remain against MU, UW, NDSU, etc.).

All this being said (the negative- the positives to take away), the most impressive thing is that we managed to win a game in which we played worse than our opponent and shot less than 30%. That almost never happens in college basketball. But win we did- and once the shooting improves, we should be able to put the screws to teams with relative ease. These Panthers haven't peaked yet, but they know how to win games in more than one way (scoring, defense, foul shots, depth, etc.).

Once those shots start falling again.... look out Horizon League. Look out Loyola.

Milwaukee vs. Loyola
Saturday, Dec. 6th 7pm
US Cellular Arena
Milwaukee, WI
Radio: WISN 1130

Be there- or miss what could be a continued streak into our best start since that unforgettable '04-'05 Sweet 16 run season. These Panthers haven't proven much. Despite the 6 wins (all wins were against some pretty bad teams), we've got a lot of work to do to prove we can battle (and win) against the best. It may start to come together this Saturday night downtown at the Cell. Come out and support your hometown/university basketball team. They might give you a reason to keep coming back.

GO PANTHERS!!!!

Milwaukee Outlasts Ball State in Overtime to Improve to 5-2, Prepare for Chicago Invasion

The Milwaukee Panthers did it again. In contrast to many close games in recent years, (for the fourth time in a row no less) they found a way to win. The Panthers edged out Ball State in overtime 90-83 behind the stellar play of Deonte Roberts (17pts, 6rbs, 3ast), Ricky Franklin (13pts, 4rbs, 4ast), Lonnie Boga (11pts, 4rbs, 3ast), and James Eayrs (16pts, 8rbs, 3ast). Ja'Rob McCallum, Jason Averkamp, and even Ant played great games as well. We may have lost with lesser contributions from any one of these Panthers.

It was a hard fought, see-saw battle from the get-go- one that the Panthers seemed all but destined to lose down the closing stretch as BSU was up by as much as 4pts with just over a few minutes remaining. But the resilient Panthers proved once again that they are up to the challenge of salvaging victory in the face of impending defeat.

Major props to Jason Averkamp who, despite missing some bunny shots from the field and several free throws in regulation- brought out his European alter ego, "Igor Kampovich" and ever-so-cooly knocked down two three pointers that spelled G-A-M-E in OT. The Ball State Falcons put up a great fight, but it is with great pride I can report that this team did not wilt under pressure and came back to the Mil with another W in hand.

4 players in double digits. Tony Meier (9pts, 4rbs, 1blk) started to look like the Tony Meier of old in the first half, but was hampered yet again by foul trouble in the second. Just 11 turnovers. Semi-solid field goal, free throw, and 3pt percentages... This team may be on to something? We will soon find out if this 4 game winning streak is legit or just fool's gold as UWM gears up for home games against UIC (Thursday night) and Loyola (Saturday night) at the Cell.

If we win one- maybe we can root for finishing in the top 3 or 4 of the Horizon. If we win both? I won't even speculate about final HL standings- I will say though that we could go into the Marquette game with more than just a "oh, let's just keep it close for most of the game" attitude. We could pull an FSU- as unexpectedly good as Marquette has been in this early season, they have serious weaknesses that can be exploited (lack of size, depth, and D-I experience).

I have only a few times seen a team wilt as badly as MU did down the stretch against Florida State. I honestly cringed when I saw Buzz Williams beaming with the joy of success after yet another three by Marquette to put them up by 17 midway through the second half. Buzz probably knows that he should know better- but in college basketball- 17pts up with over 10 minutes to go is by no means "game over". I could almost feel the tide start to turn immediately after that timeout.

That being said- we need someone, some really, really quick, to guard Darius Johnson-Odom. I thought I was watching some sort of expert English pickpocket the way Johnson-Odom singlehandedly made steal after near-steal- disrupting FSU's offense and more disturbingly- their inbound. The Panthers will not have the luxury of falling back on big men like Seminoles. At least not "as" big of big men. But yet again- I get ahead of myself.

We could lose both of these two Chicago games yet- and then our confidence won't be near what it needs to be to even talk of pulling an FSU on Marquette. We have business to take care of this week downtown- let's show our support, have faith, and count on our guys to protect home base and get these uber-important pair of conference wins.

If one good thing has come out of the absence of Tone Boyle- it has to be the increased minutes for guards like Deonte Roberts, Ja'Rob McCallum, and Lonnie Boga. These three are proving that they are seriously deserving of significant minutes. Deonte has done this in the past... and then played his way out of the regular rotation with excessive turnovers and bad decisions.

The great thing this time around is, 'Te seems much more in control of everything- the ball, the team, the game, and most importantly- himself. He may never be able to knock down threes like Ricky and Big James- but his slashes to the hole are rivaled by few. Deonte simply does what it takes to get to the hoop.

Come out, come out, wherever you are Panther fans. 5-2 is our best start since '04-'05. And I'll bet you can remember that season........ Let's help this team as much as we can- they may very well keep on winning. And if anyone says "It can't be done". Just remember- it already has been done. We're just living in the past, trying to (conjure up/recall that past and) get back to the future.

GO PANTHERS!!!!

Brush, Rinse, Repeat: Milwaukee Downs Colgate 69-60

For the second day in a row, your Milwaukee Panthers played some pretty damn inspired basketball and came away with a convincing win- this time over the Colgate Raiders of the Patriot League.



Behind stellar play from the two senior titans Ricky Franklin (19pts, 4ast, 4rbs) and James Eayrs (15pts, 10rbs), the Panthers (4-2) were able to overcome a sub-par first half (trailed 26-23 after 20 minutes), and drown out the Raiders with a barrage of 3-pointers and unusually stingy defense (hopefully this will become "usual").

But the talk of the game was the eye-popping performance of Lonnie Boga (not to mention Ja'Rob McCallum (5pts, 2ast, 2rbs, 2stl)). Newcomer Boga tallied a career-high 17 points to go along with 6 hard-earned boards and shot 4-5 from ling distance. Boga's triples seemed to come at the most opportune moments for the Panthers, who struggled to separate from Colgate until about a quarter of the way through the second half.

Every game solidifies the notion that we are going to get a lot more production out of these incoming freshman than previously thought. With Tone Boyle's status still in doubt, the added depth to the guard position will be invaluable down the stretch- esp. as minutes begin to wear on Ricky, Jerard, and Deonte.

It was refreshing to see the Panthers play so well on consecutive days. We posted only 8 turnovers (after turning it over more than 20 times last night!) and continued what now may be a "trend" of hot shooting from the field (23-50 (.460)) and specifically from beyond the arc (10-22 (.450)).

Who knows? I suggested that we start a streeeeeeeeeak to, at the very least enter the Marquette game (first (well 2nd considering we played WKU) big challenge of the season) with a respectable record and a little bit of credibility. So far, so good- but there is obviously a long way (4 games more) to go. One game at a time- that is the cliche but oh-so-true motto of winning teams, am I right?

Milwaukee visits Bowling Green this coming Saturday in a game that could either stunt or further bolster this meshing team's confidence before the home stand against UIC and Loyola. Tune in to WISN 1130 and Bill Johnson's ever-excellent (and always hilarious) coverage of the Panthers as they battle the Falcons to keep this streak alive. It's going to be a fight to the end (of the season)- and this figures to be a drawn out sparring brawl of which you won't want to miss a single round!

GO PANTHERS!!!!

Rebounding in the NIT Season Kickoff: Milwaukee Decimates Texas State 96-77

Now this is more like it! Less than 24 hours after I criticized and questioned this team's ability to shut down low-major and D-II non-con foes, your Milwaukee Panthers utterly destroyed Texas State in Fort Worth, Texas as the first of the two final consolation games ended in a Panther route of the over-matched/out-of-sorts Cougars.

The amazing thing is this: we still did not play well (20+ turnovers) and the refs called fouls for even the slightest contact (64 fouls were called, the majority going against UWM). Every time the Panthers began to gain some serious momentum, you could almost predict another whistle to halt the attack. Listening on the radio- it was often hard to distinguish the sound of sneakers squeaking from the ever-blowing whistles of the foul-happy Texas' officials.

We can't complain much about this one though. Milwaukee posted season-best team shooting numbers .521 (25-48) from the field and an amazing .571 (12-21) from 3pt range (amazing esp. in light of the fact we had shot ourselves up a brick house from outside the arc prior to this game).

James Eayrs had a ridiculously accurate career game- 28 points (9-10 FG, 4-4 FT, 6-7 3pt), 5rbs, 2stls in just 19 minutes of floor time! Eayrs could have scored 40+, but obviously he needs the rest for the Colgate finale tomorrow.

Ricky Franklin (12pts, 5ast) and Deonte Roberts (14pts, 5rbs, 6ast) provided all the additional firepower needed to get the blowout started, and Ja'Rob McCallum (8pts) had his first (pleasantly surprising) breakout game. He, Lonnie and others were out there taking full advantage of their extra minutes due to the nature of the lopsided score all game.

The new freshmen are beginning to make a name for themselves. Lonnie and Ja'Rob may turn out to be a lot more productive than anyone anticipated. And we haven't even begun to talk about the best freshman walk-on in the Horizon League (Patrick Souter).

More on him in a future post- but I will say this, it seems like everyone including the staff is surprised by how easily Patrick has transitioned to the college level- especially considering the fact he is only a little over a year removed from an ACL injury.

He has some ball control issues to work through (just as Deonte did early in his freshman and sophomore years), but he is as lightning quick as any point guard in D-I, and has looked more like an upperclassmen scholarship player than a newbie walk-on in several games this season.

Tony Meier (8pts, 3rbs) still seems to still be mired in somewhat of a sophomore slump, but I suspect it won't last much longer. Anyone who saw what he did all of last year knows that it is only a matter of time before "Mega Man" Meier breaks out and starts dropping long-range treys and teardrops in the paint- with authority. A lot of it starts with keeping himself out of foul trouble!

All in all, this game has given us Panther fans renewed faith in a team that seems to have considerable depth and potential. A big win tomorrow is essential to keep this thing going. Good teams don't struggle against bad teams- and that is exactly what happened tonight against Texas State. I think it's fair to expect the same energy to light it up against Colgate, but we shall see soon enough...

Same place, same time (only on WISN 1130 radio and ESPN Gametracker). As I said a few posts ago... it is ripe time to start winning in bunches. We have a ways to go before the much bigger non-con challenges against Marquette, North Dakota State, Miami (OH), and Wisconsin. Let's hope, for the second day in a row, this Panther team makes another positive statement with a decisive win.

GO PANTHERS!!!!