The Panthers 2017-2018 basketball season is just weeks away. Since last season, the UW-Milwaukee men’s team have undergone several changes. The roster lost three graduates, and have added three newcomers in return, along with several top scorers. The Panthers will take on the Marquette Golden Eagles for the first time in six years for an exhibition game on Sunday ( all proceeds will go toward hurricane relief efforts ). Last, but not least, a new head coach was introduced during the Summer following the departure of LaVall Jordan. I got an up close and personal view inside the new Panthers from new Head Coach Pat Baldwin ahead of the Panthers annual Black and Gold Scrimmage tonight at 6 p.m. at the Klotsche Center on campus. Baldwin discussed his new role, his new team, and his expectations for the new season.
Stepping in from being an assistant coach at Northwestern University, Baldwin talked about his new head coaching duties.
I love being a head coach because I thought about that for a very long time. I’ve been with some very good head coaches when I was an assistant and this is an opportunity for me to put my imprint on a program. So, I’m excited about having an opportunity to establish myself as a head coach. I’ve got some great guys behind me, with a great program and great administration.
Baldwin’s goals for the program…
For me, my goals for the program are long-term goals. It’s to annually be mentioned as one of the best teams in the Horizon League and try to make annual trips to the NCAA tournament. That’s one of our goals from a long-term perspective. But this year, I just want our guys to get better each and every game. Each and everyday, we talk about that improvement and putting ourselves in a position to win. What that means is being disciplined, being tough, being resilient, and making great decisions during crucial situations.
About the Black and Gold Scrimmage…
This is an opportunity for our guys to get out there and probably not hear much from me as much, and just get out there and have some fun. It’s also for our students and fans that can see them for the first time all grouped together.
About the game against Marquette…
The Marquette game is an exhibition and the proceeds from that exhibition will go toward hurricane relief efforts. It’s a great deal for our program and for the city of Milwaukee to come together for something like this to really benefit those in need. I think it’s really good and it’s the right thing to do. Also, from a basketball standpoint, I think it’s great to play against an opponent like Marquette.
On his team…
We have a great group of kids. That’s number one. We have good character kids for the most part. I like the way Bryce Nze and Brock Stull have come out and established themselves as some of the better players on our team. Also, Jeremiah Bell. We’ll count on those three to do some really great things. And inside, Brett Prahl is a kid that shot close to 70 percent from the field in the Horizon League, so we’re going to need that from him and that inside presence. For our newcomers, Carson Newsome has established himself as a really good contributor for us and Vance Johnson is a kid that we think can really help us along the frontline.
On his expectations for the season…
It’s hard to put numbers on the season. I think if we play hard, execute, and stay together as a group, anything can happen with our season and winning and all that stuff. We want to stay healthy. That’s the number one thing, to have everyone available at every single game. Then, after that, if we are disciplined and we execute, and do that out on the floor, we can put ourselves in a position to win.