Milwaukee will try to remain atop the Horizon League standings when it opens a three-game road trip when it travels to Wright State on Thursday night. The Panthers wrapped up a four-game homestand with an 88-75 win over Youngstown State on Saturday. Wright State is playing the third game of a four-game homestand, which began with losses against Fort Wayne and Cleveland State.
Milwaukee struggled against some tough non-conference opponents early in the season, losing three of its first five games. The Panthers have fared much better against Horizon League foes, winning eight of their first 10 contests. They put together a four-game winning streak earlier this month before losing to Wright State in overtime in the first meeting between these teams, failing to take care of business as a 1.5-point favorite. The Panthers have responded with a pair of solid performances since then, beating Robert Morris as 4-point favorites and Youngstown State as 4-point underdogs. They are tied with Northern Kentucky atop the conference standings coming into this contest.
Just a reminder. BJ IS HIM. pic.twitter.com/8paaf27HRG
— Milwaukee Men's Basketball (@MKE_MBB) January 22, 2023
The Panthers have been shooting the ball fairly well this season, ranked No. 83 of 363 Division I teams in effective field goal percentage. Their strength has been from the perimeter, where they are knocking down 36.6% of their 3-pointers. They have held themselves back with one of the worst turnover rates in the country though, ranked No. 340 in that category. Milwaukee is facing a Wright State defense that is No. 284 in field goal percentage. The Panthers are one of the most inexperienced teams in college basketball, listed at No. 353, while Wright State is No. 83. Sophomore guard BJ Freeman leads Milwaukee with 15.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.