2018-19 #HLMBB Preview: Milwaukee
Milwaukee
Last season: 16-17 overall, 8-10 Horizon League
Head coach: Pat Baldwin (2nd year)
By Joey Yashinsky, Horizon League Contributor. Follow on Twitter @OneSeatOver
Two years ago, the Milwaukee Panthers came into Motor City Madness as the very last seed in the tournament. It made sense since, after all, they had lost a number of key transfers before the year and were not expected to be a contender.
But the game of basketball is not played on paper nor is it decided with a preseason poll.
The Panthers went out and captured three victories in three days and came up just short of winning a Horizon League tournament championship.
Pat Baldwin embarks on his second year calling the shots in Milwaukee under similar circumstances. This season’s roster will have plenty of newcomers and a lot of production to replace, but if history is any indication, writing the Panthers off prematurely would be very unwise.
Junior guard Bryce Barnes is Milwaukee’s leading returning scorer. He started 26 of 32 contests last year and has appeared in 67 games over two seasons.
“He probably has more experience than anybody on the roster,” said Baldwin. “But I ask none of our guys to put too much pressure on themselves, and that’s certainly the case with Bryce. We have other guys that we are confident can make plays and get things done.”
One of those playmakers is sure to be sophomore Carson Warren-Newsome, a multi-talented 6-foot-5 guard that showed flashes of brilliance in his freshman campaign. He appeared in 27 games and started just three, but in those starts, he averaged 11 points per game.
“I think Carson is going to have an even better year because he understands now what college basketball is all about,” said Baldwin. “He understands the work ethic you need to have each and every day. The things I talk to him about, sometimes it’s not even about the ball itself. It’s about being a leader on the floor, helping younger guys out. Hopefully he will have a breakout year for us.”
As a former Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year during his time at Northwestern, Baldwin arrived in Milwaukee looking to instill a tenacity on that end of the floor. It rubbed off immediately, as the Panthers permitted just 68.5 points per game, third-best mark in the Horizon League.
“That is something I’m really focusing in on this year is being a great defensive team and having that carry us in games,” said Baldwin.
The Panthers will miss the services of Brett Prahl, a rugged inside player that was happy to do all the Panthers’ dirty work throughout his career. Baldwin will look for 6-foot-8, 230-pound, senior Vance Johnson to pick up much of that slack. Johnson is plenty familiar with the ins and outs of the Horizon League, as he was one of three Milwaukee players to appear in all 33 games a season ago.
“Vance is another guy that has seen college basketball on this level and knows exactly what we’re trying to do,” said Baldwin. “I’ll depend on those three guys (Barnes, Johnson, Warren-Newsome) to help our new guys understand the landscape of the Horizon League.”
A pair of transfers could also be key to Milwaukee’s success.
DeAndre Abram comes to Milwaukee by way of George Mason in the Atlantic 10, a super-sized guard at 6-foot-8. Baldwin talked about “wanting to get longer and more athletic out on the wing, and DeAndre will help us in that area. He has really stood out in practice.”
Junior point guard Darius Roy (6-2, 180) arrives as a junior college transfer from Connors State and could see significant playing time from the start. Baldwin is excited to have Roy on board, “a point guard that comes in with some national championship experience. He can shoot it, score it, and has a ton of quickness and athleticism.”
Baldwin was a ferocious competitor in his playing days and appears not to have lost a single ounce of that competitive zeal as a head coach. Of course, there will be those that choose to focus on the roster departures, and the many points and rebounds from last year that must be replaced. But this is a resilient program, one that in the last two seasons has advanced to a title game and a semifinal of the Horizon League tournament.
No matter the odds, the Panthers find a way to be in the mix come March.
Expect this year to be no different.