Saturday, December 10, 2016 3:00 p.m.
Gentile Arena, Chicago, Ill.
There’s always been more than the average amount of controversy surrounding UW-Milwaukee’s athletic directors. Since 2010, they’ve had a former Green Bay Packer lineman, one gentleman who quit after 18 months, another who pulled the team out of US Cellular Arena for the tiny Klotsche Center during his 13-month tenure, and the current AD Amanda Braun. Braun stunned many Panther fans last Spring when she removed UWM from consideration for the CBI or CIT and then fired 11-year coach Rob Jeter immediately after a 20-13 season during which the Panthers beat Wisconsin in Madison.
UWM’s new coach is former Butler guard and University of Michigan assistant LaVall Jordan, who faces a big challenge getting experienced players on the court. In addition to senior standouts Matt Tiby and J.J Panoske leaving from graduation, juniors Akeem Springs (Minnesota), Austin Arians (Wake Forest), and Jordan Johnson (UNLV) all transferred to finish their careers elsewhere. As a result, UWM was tabbed for last in the Horizon League men’s basketball preseason poll, behind Youngstown State, Cleveland State, and Northern Kentucky.
Coach Jordan is still trying out styles and tactics, and has yet to develop a cohesive game plan for winning with his inexperienced bunch. They’ve won using smothering defense, setting a UWM record for fewest points allowed in a 54-37 win over UC Irvine, and they’ve won on the road in an 83-78 shootout at Montana State. The Panthers are 3-5 against D1 teams to start the season.
One thing that has been consistent in early days of the new coaching regime is the starting lineup, which features four guards and a forward. Two holdover guards, 6’4” Brock Stull and 6’5” Cody Wickman lead the team in scoring and minutes. Stull, a sophomore out of Rockford, plays more like a small forward; he leads the team in points (11.7) and rebounds (7.3), but also in turnovers. Wickman, a senior, is the team’s most dangerous three point shooter, hitting 42.6% on 65 attempts.
UWM’s other two guards are newcomers. August Haas is a 6’1” freshman from Denmark who runs the point. Haas averages 6.3 ppg, and leads the team in assists (31) and steals (10), but is tied with Stull for the team lead in turnovers. Cameron Harvey is a 6’3” graduate transfer from Stetson. He averages 6.0 points while playing 19.3 minutes per game, and leads the team in three point percentage at 43.5%.
Brett Prahl is a 6’9 redshirt junior forward who rounds out the starting lineup while contributing 3.4 points and 2.3 rebounds. He has an identical twin brother, Alex, who plays very sporadically off the bench.
The bench usually goes five deep for the Panthers. Guards Jeremiah Bell (6’0” sophomore, 8.4 points, good ball handler), Bryce Barnes (5’11” freshman from Bogan, 5.2 ppg), and Jeremy Johnson (6’3” freshman, 5.7 points, gets to the free throw line) pick up most of the minutes. In the frontcourt, 6’7” freshman forward Bryce Nze is a handful. He averages 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game, likes to work the offensive glass, and leads the team in trips to the free throw line. Dan Studer is a 6’7” senior forward who also sees some time in most games.
Loyola used a four-guard lineup against Wright State last time out, in a 77-64 win that saw the Ramblers breaking presses and zones with their quick and small lineup. The Ramblers will likely return to a more conventional starting lineup against UWM, perhaps starting 6’9” forward Maurice Kirby, who did not appear against the Raiders. Loyola beat Wright State by shooting nearly 60% from the floor, but lost the rebounding contest by their worst margin of the year—38-27, including a 13-rebound disparity on the offensive glass. UWM plays at a more deliberate pace and focuses on defense, so securing rebounds and controlling possession will be more important. And under the tutelage of a former Butler guard, Milwaukee has become more focused on reducing turnovers—the Panthers committed only six in their 83-78 win over Montana State last time out.
The Ramblers clearly have the depth, the talent, the coaching and the home court advantage necessary to put Milwaukee away, so it will be important to maintain a balance between securing the win and getting some meaningful playing time to develop Cameron Satterwhite, Vlatko Granic, Maurice Kirby, Bruno Skokna, and Tyson Smith into players who can make the contributions needed and expected of them. Clayton Custer, Milton Doyle and Ben Richardson each played 36 or more high energy, physical minutes against WSU, and UWM offers a chance for more play from front court players (Aundre Jackson should feast against these Panthers) and long guards like Satterwhite.
Links
Loyola game notes (Pending)
TV/Streaming video: CSN Chicago, ESPN 3
Radio: WLUW 88.7 FM (get the app for your phone at the Google play store—highly recommended)Vegas odds: Pending
