And so the legend begins. Or continues in this Midwestern locale, rather. Pat Baldwin, the phenom college hoops prospect son of our coach, has decided to play what may be his only college season for the Milwaukee Panthers.
This is not the traditional route for a player of Pat's caliber and Milwaukee has no precedent or basis for comparison (Von McDade was drafted by the New Jersey Nets in 1991 but neither his nor any other Panther's recruitment (McDade transferred to Milwaukee from OK St.) comes close to the chip level of this newest addition*).
Baldwin joins returning Panthers DeAndre Gholston, Josh Thomas, Tafari Simms, Devin Hancock, Vin Baker Jr., Jordan Lathon, as well as incoming recruits Jasin Sinani, Vincent Miszkiewicz and Samba Kane. By my count Milwaukee has or will have at least 3 open scholarships so things are nowhere near finished for the '21-'22 recruiting puzzle.
But the proverbial crown jewel is definitely now set in stone. Gholston and Baldwin form a duo that one not-casual college hoops analyst (@Sean02MTM) called "one of the best in the country... just an unreal duo".
And that's to say nothing of Horizon League shot-creator extraordinaire Josh Thomas and one-time B1G prospect Jordan Lathon. Last week things were looking choppy for Milwaukee's future. But this commitment, holy wow. Not sure what exactly the future contains but the view from here and now is incredible.
Some comments I've seen from fellow Panther fans frustrated by Baldwin Sr.'s tenure up to now downplay the potential (I stress potential) for an attendance boost at the venerable Arena which has sat quiet for far too long (~2014). I'm more optimistic.
It certainly doesn't hurt that a sizeable contingent of a few hundred of Pat's Hamilton Charger classmates will be packing into Panther Arena to watch PBJ a few more times in lieu of his senior season they never got to see unfold.
But so much more significant than that, what is taking shape now on the East Side is something you don't see every decade. And we live in a sports city drowning in its own nostalgia and starved for new sports memories.
You think Milwaukee area sports fans and visitors (remember those?)- are going to sleep through one of the best examples of the sport of basketball playing in their own backyard for $15/game?
Zero chance. Get ready for history. 'Good times.
*r.i.p. horizon league
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