Milwaukee Basketball: Can Panthers become the next Loyola Chicago?

Last season Milwaukee Basketball finished with a 10-12 record and ended up in 8th place in the Horizon League standings. They ended the season playing well defeating the No. 2 seed Wright State in the conference tournament quarterfinals and winning three of their last four games.

They did end up losing to No. 1 seed Cleveland State by single digits in the conference semifinals after they had a six-point lead over the Vikings at halftime. Milwaukee is looking not only to win the Horizon League this upcoming season but to make a run in the NCAA tournament in 2022 as well.

The Panthers bring back two of their top three scorers from last season’s team in Deandre Gholston and Josh Thomas.

Milwaukee also has brought in some transfers like Jordan Lathon who last played at UTEP and had to sit out last season due to transfer rules and Vin Baker Jr. who transferred from Boston College and did not play last season. It was announced that Moses Bol from UCF and Samba Kane from San Fransico will blay for the panthers this upcoming season.

Milwaukee’s also added a three-star incoming freshman which is not easy for a Horizon team to do when Kyle Ross turned down offers from the likes of Drake and Rhode Island to become a Panther.

However, the biggest news came from the coach’s son.

https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1392487227830284288

Patrick Baldwin Jr. turned down Duke to play for his father at Milwaukee. He is a 5-Star incoming freshman who is a top 5 recruit in the 2021 recruiting class. With the addition of Baldwin Jr., the Panthers are not only the favorites to win the conference but also a mid-major contender to defeat power five teams in the regular season and make a run in the NCAA tournament.

The Panthers with two incoming transfers added big men who will solidify the frontcourt, as well as help, increase their rebounding productivity. Milwaukee also has two proven scorers to go along with Baldwin Jr.’s scoring ability to put up points on the scoreboard this upcoming season. Their head coach in year five is looking to take the next step for the program and they also can achieve what a mid-major school not too far from them has achieved.

Loyola Chicago is a mid-major program located in a populous city. The Ramblers, for example, were ranked No. 17, won their conference regular-season title as well as winning their conference tournament. However, what is most impressive from last season was that they defeated not only Georgia Tech who won the ACC tournament in the NCAA tournament but No. 1 seed Illinois as well.

They beat both teams but double digits and played excellent defense against both teams that entered the tournament winning their conference tournaments. In the 2018 NCAA tournament, the Ramblers defeated Miami, Tennessee, Nevada, and Kansas State to reach the Final Four.

Milwaukee can follow the Loyola Chicago model of being a mid-major program that can win their conference and win some games in the NCAA tournament with the hope of possibly making a deep run in the tournament. How can Milwaukee do so for the upcoming season?

Can the Panthers make a future run in the NCAA Tournament?

The main advantage of being a mid-major is that if you are talented, elite, and have a deep team, you can rest players, not show certain in-game strategies and game plans, and experiment with different defenses without losing games that may jeopardize a teams chances of making the NCAA tournament.

Power five schools in general have a much more difficult regular-season schedule and night in and night out with few expectations have to face talented and deep teams in conference play. Resting players or saving in-game strategies for the NCAA tournament is more unlikely as coaches in Power Five programs need in-conference wins to not only make the NCAA tournament but also get them a higher seed and placement in the tournament if they qualify and are selected for it. The Panthers can follow a similar road map like a program like Loyola Chicago.

Milwaukee’s non-conference schedule has not been announced but the Panthers should play some top-notched teams in November and December. They played at Kansas State last season and lost by only one point and Milwaukee’s last victory over a Power Five school occurred in 2017 when they defeated Iowa State by a final score of 74-56 in Baldwins first year as the head coach of the Panthers. Defeating a Power Five school, a ranked team, and or a high-level mid-major team will help Milwaukee in March when the NCAA tournament committee announces seeding.

The Horizon League is traditionally a one-bid league in terms of teams being accepted into the NCAA tournament. The best finish in regular-season conference play the past four seasons was when the Panthers tied for fifth place in 2018.

However, this season’s Panthers team has considerable talent for a mid-major team, and even though up and coming teams like Cleveland State and Oakland will be good this season, unpredictable teams like Detroit Mercy should not be discounted, and traditionally quality teams like Wright State and Northern Kentucky have a decent opportunity to compete for the Horizon League title, Milwaukee is considered the clear cut favorite.

The Panthers not only should win the regular-season title which will be a grind but more importantly, they should cut down the nets in the conference tournament securing an NCAA tournament bid.

It is to been seen if Milwaukee can make a run to the Sweet Sixteen or maybe even the Final Four as mid-major teams like Loyola Chicago have proven but Panther fans and college basketball fans, in general, should keep a close eye on them this upcoming season. The sky is the limit for Milwaukee and don’t be shocked or even surprised if they make a run in the NCAA tournament in 2022.