Milwaukee Journal Sentinel game preview story
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/panthers/panthers-enjoy-life-at-the-top-qv3s74r-137726893.htmlSo, UW-Milwaukee Panthers, how does it feel to be sitting up there alone on top of the Horizon League men's basketball standings?
"It feels great," said UWM sophomore forward Kyle Kelm after a practice this week. "One of our goals coming into this year was to win the conference championship. To be ahead is good, but we haven't accomplished what we want to yet."
Coach Rob Jeter, whose team faces a rugged pair of road games this weekend at Youngstown State and Cleveland State, takes a more immediate approach to the situation.
"There's a lot of basketball yet to be played," said Jeter. "I'm just worried about trying to handle Youngstown State because they're talented."
The Panthers (13-6, 6-1), who completed a 3-0 sweep of their three-game home stand with a victory over Detroit last Saturday, will play at Youngstown State (9-8, 4-3) Friday night and Cleveland State (15-4, 5-2) Sunday afternoon.
It's been a topsy-turvy Horizon League so far as there has been no dominant team and every team has had at least a game or two it wishes it could get back.
Going into Thursday's games, Cleveland State was tied with Valparaiso (12-7, 5-2) for second place while Youngstown State was tied with Butler (10-9, 4-3).
"I haven't even looked at Cleveland State because we have so much to look at with Youngstown," Jeter said. "That gives us one day to look at Cleveland. My focus has been squarely on Youngstown."
A major concern will be the Penguins' three-point shooting as they lead the Horizon in three-point baskets per game (9.1) and three-point shooting percentage (38.2%). Penguins guard Blake Allen leads the league in threes (53) and is fourth in three-point percentage (43.1%).
But UWM is leading the nation - yes, the nation - in defensive three-point percentage (23.5%), which Jeter said had been a major focus of his team.
Also for Youngstown State, sophomore guard Kendrick Perry is averaging 14.6 points and 4.2 assists, senior guard Ashen Ward is averaging 11.0 points overall and 15.3 points in conference games, and junior forward Damian Eargle is averaging 10.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and has blocked 72 shots.
"It's going to be a serious challenge for us, knowing that they're at home and that most teams shoot better at home," said Jeter. "(Three-point defense) is part of our entire philosophy defensively, but we really have made it an emphasis not to allow teams to beat us from beyond the arc. Try to make them make a tough two points. I think everyone says it and talks about it defensively because no one wants to give anyone three-point shots."
The Panthers are the Horizon's top defensive team. They lead the league in points allowed (58.7 per game) and defensive field-goal percentage (39.2%).
UWM's ball-screen coverage can be disruptive, and Jeter has the option to go with a long defensive front line consisting of the 6-9 Kelm, 6-8 Tony Meier and 6-7 James Haarsma.
"Statistically, they've been one of the best defensive teams in our league," said Wright State coach Billy Donlon. "They're really good and the bottom line is their size. What they do is they play a lot like Wisconsin does when you set a ball-screen. Their guy on the ball-screen and the guy defending the screener, they kind of switch-not-switch, and everybody else stays home. You practice for it, but it's totally different when you haven't seen it all year and then in a game you try and compete against it live.
"And their size . . . when they take (6-2 guard Paris) Gulley out of the game, and they play Meier, Haarsma, Kelm and Kaylon Williams, that's a huge lineup and that's advantageous for them. If you can't dribble drive and if you can't finish plays around the basket, and then if you also can't make threes, you're in trouble."
Said Jeter, "We haven't done that (gone big) a lot, but we do have that ability."
The Panthers seemed to be a quietly confident bunch as they prepared to hit the road for a challenging weekend.
"We have a lot of good leadership in Kaylon Williams, Tony Meir and Ryan Allen," said Kelm. "They get our heads straight whether it's confidence or just making sure that we're on our toes rather than on our heels."
