COVID-19 came knocking at the Milwaukee program’s door as key players Patrick Baldwin Jr., Josh Thomas and intriguing transfer Samba Kane who has also reportedly been battling turf toe were all sidelined due to testing and tracing protocols. Fortunately we were short-handed vs. an NAIA school that we had no reason not to beat by any less than 20. Even with all our struggles leading up to this game.
So we went out, short-handed, and won by 22. Rinse, repeat another 15-17 times and great things will happen.
Devin Hancock entered the game averaging paltry numbers. This Thursday afternoon before Christmas, he was the biggest offensive factor for Milwaukee in this victory.
Milwaukee (3-8, 1-1) began the game with a burst of intensity that dissipated less than 5 minutes in. But it was a short-lived letdown in this game. We gathered a head of steam in the second half and didn’t look back. What a relief that is, know?
Jordan Lathon (12pts, 9rbs, 6ast) was as efficient as ever with the rock and Devin Hancock was deadly with the catch and shoot drillgun from 3 today (18pts on 6-11 from 3pt). Deandre Gholston broke through the Cougar defenses several times chalking up 15 points and 8 rebounds.
But that’s not all (today was a balanced Panther attack with a short rotation)- JSP added 10 points, 7 rebounds and Simms a quiet but important 13 points and 9 rebounds. Take away Simms several missed 3 attempts and this was almost the Tafari Simms show as much as it was PrimeTime for DreGo and the unexpected- Devin Hancock from Mesquite, TX outside of Dallas.
We saw Devin’s perimeter abilities in flashes last season. Today we saw his shooting skill on full display.
From the time he entered the game to the final buzzer Hancock found spot after spot (and Mellow, JSP, Lathon and co. found him) and knocked down triples in tall fashion much like PBJ against Robert Morris a few weeks back. It’ll be hard to justify not going to Hancock more for his perimeter shooting and solid defense in the games ahead.
This season is a war and every conference battle carries an ocean of weight for our playoff path.
St. Xavier was overpowered and out hustled by us today (yes, Milwaukee actually started to show some tenacity especially as Hancock heated up, animating huge support from an often subdued Panther bench, and fans in the stands whom, other than myself and Freeway- are also usually subdued at Panther home games.
We gotta win and get loud- the one reinforces the other in a beautiful symbiosis of sport and spectator.
The show must go on.
We gave up a few cheap shots/dunks but overall we stuck to a plan that worked. Ball movement is there- finally. We still fail to execute well in transition after steals/turnovers but that may yet improve.
Experience is what forms dark horse contenders from teams nobody expects (and right now, nobody expects Milwaukee to do anything but lose this season).
Milwaukee seemed to play better with a shorter rotation… I hope that is taken into consideration for in-game personnel moves going forward . We simply cannot afford to leave points on the bench and put trillions/non factors on the floor for any amount of time.
This game is too precious to treat it like a never-ending experiment 🧪. We all have seen what works and what doesn’t. Utilizing your best resources is management (of anything) 101.
I won’t hold my breath but we need these players on the floor as much as possible, no matter who does or doesn’t start.
Baldwin Jr
Gholston
Thomas
Lathon
Newby
St. Pierre
Simms
Hancock
Baker Jr.
Kane
Milwaukee better stop pulling punches and start playing with an assertive will to win the conference and the conference tourney.
That’s the ticket to a full-season turnaround.
A long 5-game conference road trip looms starting next Thursday night at the Nutter Center against Wright State. There is no time like the present to flip scripts and lids and wigs and have Joey and VBJ and PBJ and Samba show the world we’ve got bigs 😱🤯, too.
Journey back to a winning season has begun. 17 more.
go panthers
press on.
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