The little girl has spoken: "Let the '23-'24 Season commence!"
Last night at the OHOW Center your Milwaukee Panthers showcased the '23-'24 team to new Milwaukee students and the most fervent Panther hoops fans at the annual Black and Gold Scrimmage. By all accounts, it was a very encouraging event. Markeith Browning and Langston Wilson won the crowd over with some high-flying dunks, Makuei Riek showed some flash and BJ Freeman got the rock stripped by Vinko Polovic!
It was a wild, celebratory night and seems to portend very good things on the horizon and in the Horizon for this Panther team. I'd write a preview but I can't provide anywhere close to the kind of comprehensive information this well-researched preview by Jack Eisenman at HoriZone Roundtable does- read it and other Horizon previews if you wanna really be in the know. What I can say is that our current/preseason KenPom estimated overall season win/loss total of 16-14 is way off (also 1 game in an MTE is TBA). There is almost no way that this caliber a Panther team barely treads water this season.
If I had to place a bet, I would only concede these games as probable losses:
28 Colorado (away)
149 UC Davis (away)
132 Wright St. (away)
197 Northern Kty (away)
182 Cleveland St. (away)
As almost every team does, we will likely lose an unexpected regular season contest or 3 (including the TBA MTE game). That would put us at 23-8. Another 2 wins in the Horizon League tournament. Another 2 wins in the NCAAs to reach the Sweet 16 again and end up 27-9. Dream BIG, no?
Langston Wilson brings an Ahmad Rand-like dimension that is sure to turn heads at Panther Arena
As for some of the particuliars of this very-much revamped lineup: keep an eye on Langston Wilson (Washington), Learic Davis (Milwaukee native, Bradley Tech), Faizon Fields (Old Dominion) as well as Pierce Spencer (Nicholls State). The former three are all explosive swing forwards that have potential to destroy some Horizon League front lines and the latter is a defensive specialist that could help shore up our perimeter defense problems that hampered last year's team.
I don't know about 16-14, Ken... your W/L regression equation is outdated or somethin'
From the most knowledgeable Panther fans I've seen chattering, the starting lineup and bench is likely to break down along these lines, at least initially:
Projected Starting 5
PG Elijah Jamison
SG BJ Freeman
SG Kentrell Pullian
SF Markeith Browning
PF Langston Wilson
PF Faizon Fields
SG Learic Davis
SG Angelo Stuart
SG Eric Pratt
SG Pierce Spencer
SG Aaron Franklin
SG Zach Howell
PF Darius Duffy
SG Makuei Reik
PF Vinko Polovic
PF Simeon Murchison
SG Dominic Ham
SG Maurice Thomas
"Tickets, tickets, get your Panther tickets here"... (you won't want to miss this season)
The expectations are big not just among fanatic Panther alumni and Panther students of the East Side- people are taking notice city-wide, league-wide and nationally. Milwaukee is picked for second place in the league behind Northern Kentucky and ahead of Wright State. And so that everyone knows, our own BJ Freeman is Preseason All-Horizon 1st Team.
Horizon Preseason Player of the Year
Trey Calvin, Wright State
Horizon Preseason All-League First Team
Tristan Enaruna, Cleveland State
BJ Freeman, Milwaukee
Marques Warrick, Northern Kentucky
Trey Townsend, Oakland
Trey Calvin, Wright State
Horizon Preseason All-League Second Team
Jlynn Counter, IUPUI
Sam Vinson, Northern Kentucky
Tanner Holden, Wright State
Brandon Noel, Wright State
Brandon Rush, Youngstown State
It's a been a long time since Panther fans had a team this good to root for. Get your tickets, call your neighbors and old friends. And get ready to fight, fight for the MKE.
go panthers
stack good days.
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