UWM Preview
Jan 16, 2005 9:04:29 GMT -5
Post by Big D on Jan 16, 2005 9:04:29 GMT -5
I found this over on Butler's message board. It is from 1/5/05, so the stats have probably changed a little, but otherwise it is pretty thorough:
The Panthers were regular season HL champs a year ago, and had a nice run in the NIT after falling to UIC in the HL Tournament finals. The Panthers were picked to repeat as champions in the preseason poll. Head coach Bruce Pearl is now in his fourth season at UWM, compiling a 67-36 record. His team is led by a pair of preseason first team All-Horizon League picks, Ed McCants and Joah Tucker. McCants, a 6-3 senior guard, leads the team in scoring at 16.8 ppg to go along with 2.4 rpg and 1.8 apg. He is a 38% three-point shooter, making just under 3.5 treys per contest, and leads the team with 19 steals. Tucker, a 6-5 junior forward, checks in at 12.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 2.3 apg. He is shooting just 21% from behind the arc. 6-7 junior forward Adrian Tigert averages 9.6 ppg, 2.3 apg, and a team-high 7.4 rpg. He also leads the team in minutes (31.3 mpg), field goal shooting (63%), and three-point shooting (47%, albeit on 19 attempts). 5-10 junior guard Chris Hill is averaging 8.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, and a team-best 3.2 apg, and is shooting 38% from three-point range. The fifth starter is 6-7 senior center James Wright, who is averaging 4.5 ppg and 5.7 rpg. He appears to be healthy again after battling through several injury-plagued seasons. The leading scorer off the Panther bench is 6-3 junior guard Ronald "Boo" Davis, averaging 8.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg, and 1.6 apg. He is also a 93% free throw shooter, tops on the team, but is shooting just 29% from three-point range. Also seeing minutes in reserve for UWM are 6-10 junior center Derrick Ford (4.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 16 blocks), 6-9 junior forward Jason McCoy (3.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg), 6-3 junior guard Mark Pancratz (2.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg in 2 games since returning from a stress fracture in his left foot), 6-5 sophomore forward Nick Hansen (1.7 ppg, 1.0 rpg), 6-4 sophomore guard Derrick Wimmer (1.3 ppg), and 6-0 freshman guard Allan Hanson (0.8 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 1.3 apg). Rob Sanders, a 6-7 senior forward averaging 2.6 ppg, has been sidelined since dislocating his shoulder December 4 and could be out for the remainder of the season.
The Panthers bring with them an up-tempo, pressing style of play that is designed to create points in transition off turnovers. This requires a deep bench, which UWM seemingly always has, and is the leading reason why nine Panthers see double-digit minutes per game. They force just under 18 turnovers per contest. Their fullcourt press is designed to make it extremely difficult to inbound the ball, forcing opponents into making mistakes and/or burning timeouts to avoid them. In their halfcourt offense, they like to shoot the three, averaging 8.5 made per contest, and 10 different players have made at least one three-pointer. But UWM is also adept at getting to the free throw line, averaging 19.8 foul shots per game, so opposing defenses have to respect the dribble drive while defending the perimeter.
www.geocities.com/rueth/bupreviewuwm.html
The Panthers were regular season HL champs a year ago, and had a nice run in the NIT after falling to UIC in the HL Tournament finals. The Panthers were picked to repeat as champions in the preseason poll. Head coach Bruce Pearl is now in his fourth season at UWM, compiling a 67-36 record. His team is led by a pair of preseason first team All-Horizon League picks, Ed McCants and Joah Tucker. McCants, a 6-3 senior guard, leads the team in scoring at 16.8 ppg to go along with 2.4 rpg and 1.8 apg. He is a 38% three-point shooter, making just under 3.5 treys per contest, and leads the team with 19 steals. Tucker, a 6-5 junior forward, checks in at 12.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 2.3 apg. He is shooting just 21% from behind the arc. 6-7 junior forward Adrian Tigert averages 9.6 ppg, 2.3 apg, and a team-high 7.4 rpg. He also leads the team in minutes (31.3 mpg), field goal shooting (63%), and three-point shooting (47%, albeit on 19 attempts). 5-10 junior guard Chris Hill is averaging 8.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, and a team-best 3.2 apg, and is shooting 38% from three-point range. The fifth starter is 6-7 senior center James Wright, who is averaging 4.5 ppg and 5.7 rpg. He appears to be healthy again after battling through several injury-plagued seasons. The leading scorer off the Panther bench is 6-3 junior guard Ronald "Boo" Davis, averaging 8.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg, and 1.6 apg. He is also a 93% free throw shooter, tops on the team, but is shooting just 29% from three-point range. Also seeing minutes in reserve for UWM are 6-10 junior center Derrick Ford (4.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 16 blocks), 6-9 junior forward Jason McCoy (3.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg), 6-3 junior guard Mark Pancratz (2.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg in 2 games since returning from a stress fracture in his left foot), 6-5 sophomore forward Nick Hansen (1.7 ppg, 1.0 rpg), 6-4 sophomore guard Derrick Wimmer (1.3 ppg), and 6-0 freshman guard Allan Hanson (0.8 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 1.3 apg). Rob Sanders, a 6-7 senior forward averaging 2.6 ppg, has been sidelined since dislocating his shoulder December 4 and could be out for the remainder of the season.
The Panthers bring with them an up-tempo, pressing style of play that is designed to create points in transition off turnovers. This requires a deep bench, which UWM seemingly always has, and is the leading reason why nine Panthers see double-digit minutes per game. They force just under 18 turnovers per contest. Their fullcourt press is designed to make it extremely difficult to inbound the ball, forcing opponents into making mistakes and/or burning timeouts to avoid them. In their halfcourt offense, they like to shoot the three, averaging 8.5 made per contest, and 10 different players have made at least one three-pointer. But UWM is also adept at getting to the free throw line, averaging 19.8 foul shots per game, so opposing defenses have to respect the dribble drive while defending the perimeter.
www.geocities.com/rueth/bupreviewuwm.html