Except for the banners, Allan Hanson, and Avery Smith there aren’t too many signs of Milwaukee’s past Horizon League success. Head coach Rob Jeter, entering his third season has posted two seasons mirror opposite of each other with a 22-9 campaign two years ago and last season’s 9-22 rebuilding effort. However, a top notch recruiting class mixed with some talented returnees has hopes high in the Brew City again.
Hanson, a 6-foot senior, is the last remaining Bruce Pearl recruit at Milwaukee. Hanson started 30 games last season and logged the most minutes of all the Panthers leading the club in assists and three-point field goals. He chipped in just over seven points and three rebounds and boasts a nearly two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio. Hanson rarely makes a mistake and will provide excellent veteran leadership for this squad.
Smith was the club’s top scorer at better than 15 points a game and also led the club in steals while adding nearly four rebounds and three assists a night. For Smith’s effort he was named the pre-season all-conference first team. Smith is a streaky scorer who can drop 30 points on an opponent on any given night, something he did three times last season. The bad news for Milwaukee, Smith was suspended indefinitely for violating team rules on November 1.
Paige Paulsen made the conference all-newcomer squad last season after transferring from Northern Illinois. The 6’7” 220 pound forward can work inside or outside and brings solid all-around game every night.
Paulsen had a rough go at times last season as he was the only player that had much experience in the Milwaukee frontcourt. Help has finally arrived for Paulsen this season.
Among the many highlights of Jeter’s recruiting class is Torre Johnson. The 6’7” forward transferred from Oklahoma State where he averaged better than ten points a game in his only season. Johnson instantly becomes on of the most athletic players in the Horizon League, capable of putting up a double-double every night. He had three in his lone season for the Cowboys.
A pair of Chicago natives will also add some muscle up-front for the Panthers. The most heralded recruit to land in Milwaukee in some time is Tim Flowers, a 6’5” 260 pound beast who will make an immediate impact. Flowers was ranked among the top 75 nationally by some recruiting services, but may have found Milwaukee due to his size. Much like former UIC star Cedric Banks, Flowers was an undersized star from Chicago who had looks from several high major programs, but chose to have the chance for superstardom on the mid-major level.
Flowers’ teammate Kevin Johnson also made the trip up to Milwaukee. Johnson at 6’6” and 225 pounds wasn’t merely the baggage in signing Flowers, a strong senior season put him on the map and attracted interest from several mid-major programs. It could be an unfortunate four years for the rest of the Horizon League with Flowers and Johnson running amuck in the Horizon League paint.
Freshman Anthony Hill is a 6’7” Milwaukee native who may see a few minutes now that fellow recruit Joe Allen, a 6’6” forward went down for the season with an injury suffered during Midnight Madness.
A wealth of talented newcomers enters the backcourt picture for the Panthers this season as well. Thought with Smith and Hanson getting solid minutes and some returnees also grabbing playing time a red shirt or two may be in the future for a couple of the freshmen.
Charlie Swiggett was a starting freshman point guard last season before a torn ACL did him in for the year. He expects to be full speed this season.
Junior Ricky Franklin seemed to get the hang of Horizon League basketball during the second half of the season where he put up eight of his ten double digit scoring efforts of the season.
Roman Gentry appeared in 26 games a season ago and is the top returning three-point marksman for the Panthers. The 6’4” sophomore knocked down better than 35% of his attempts from beyond the arc. Kaylan Anderson is a 6’5” wing who appeared in 25 games and saw ten minutes of action per contest.
Tulsa transfer Deion James expects to get his fair share of minutes in the Panthers attack. The extra fast point guard started 26 games in two seasons for the Hurricane.
Freshman Deonte Roberts at 6’3” and 190 pounds has been called a pest with a motor that never stops and the ability to get in the face of his man every time down the court.
Freshman walk-on Brad Carroll may be a candidate to red-shirt with the glut of talented guards in front of him and a promise of a scholarship next season.
The Panthers seem to have a solid mix of experienced veterans, talented transfers and highly touted recruits to make a run at the top of the Horizon League. It will be a challenge keeping everyone happy, but that’s a much easier job than struggling through a nine-win season. Jeter claims that he wants to go ten or more deep this season and keep running fresh players at his opponents. If he can make that work and keep everyone happy the Panthers could find themselves back in a spot they were very familiar with not too long ago, the top of the Horizon League standings.
--Joe Dlugosz is the editor of Ramblermania.com, a website dedicated to Loyola-Chicago sports information. For more of Joe's writing, visit: www.ramblermania.com --ed.
