The world of basketball in the Brew City is starting to take shape, so let's take a look at the happenings of the last few days...
The US Men's & Women's teams both took home Olympic gold over the weekend. Will a gold medal be enough or will they need their own personal Gold Medal Rings? I think it is pretty absurd that they even get these, the Gold medal should be enough, but I will take that back if every gold medal winner the US has in every sport gets one, but I would be shocked if they did. Didn't know the basketball players get their own rings? Here is Carmelo's ring from Beijing.
On to the Bucks....
The Bucks picked up Joel Przybilla last week. Przybilla is expected to back up Samuel Dalembert at center. Not a bad move for the Bucks, the 7'1 center proved last year in Portland that he can still log some good minutes in the league and is probably one of the easiest signings the Bucks have ever had. Przybilla started his career with the Bucks back in 2000, and has maintained his residence in Brookfield ever since. Good to have him back in Milwaukee.
Great to see that Wayne Embry will be honored this week with the Legends Award at the Fellowship Open at the Silver Spring Country Club in Milwaukee. When he was named the GM of the Bucks in 1972, Embry became the first ever African-American GM in any sport. The award coincides with the 40th anniversary of that significant event. Embry is now a senior advisor to the Toronto Raptors.
Marquette Basketball....
With the summer school sessions over, the MU basketball players that had been in town taking classes and working out have headed home for two weeks before they return for school. Just because the team is back home and out of town, doesn't mean that MU is not in the news, and that isn't always a good thing. Before I mention the giant gorilla in the room, I will address another issue that has gotten a lot of attention and that is Todd Mayo.
When looking at the Todd Mayo situation, I first must ask, why is this such big news on the message boards and in the blogosphere? Early this summer Todd Mayo was suspended by Head Coach Buzz Williams for a violation of team rules, so he was sent home instead of staying in Milwaukee to attend summer school. Quickly the rumors started..."He's gone"..."We need to find a replacement".... Well, all those were just rumors. We stated over a month ago that we expected him back.
Last week WisHoops.com Editor Mark Miller Tweeted that he got confirmation that Mayo would be back. You would think that would have ended the rumors, but for whatever reason, it started more...."Buzz lifted the suspension" ..."Mayo's second suspension has been lifted"....Huh? Second suspension? This was the first and only time Todd Mayo was suspended, sitting a kid down for 1/2 a game because he got a ticket for being in a bar under age is not classified as a "suspension", and stating so just makes the situation look more devastating that it is. And no, just because it has been confirmed that he is returning, does not mean that Buzz has lifted the suspension. That is something that will happen and be dealt with between Buzz and Todd. So can we please cut the kid some slack?
Next - yes, Don Walker broke a story that MU has tuned themselves in for a possible violation. Because of the way it was reported, and the quotes that were used by MU AD Larry Williams, the story was quickly picked up by ESPN, Yahoo and everyone else. Not good to have happen at the start of a weekend because those headlines sit there all weekend long. With the lack of detail, the rumors begin again. Well, let's kill those rumors right now, shall we? It was a secondary recruiting violation. The person that committed the violation was NOT Buzz Williams. I am not trying to make light of the situation, as any violation should be taken seriously and dealt with appropriately, but throughout the world of college basketball, secondary violations are reported to the NCAA by teams from coast to coast on a daily basis. Some more minor than others, but the key here is self reported. MU realized an infraction and came clear.
So, what is a secondary violation? It could be anything, from making a phone call at the
wrong time to sending too much mail to giving a kid a t-shirt. Those are just examples, it could be anything. One thing is for sure, I will bet anyone that the punishment that Marquette delivers will be more severe than the punishment that the NCAA delivers. Any takers?
On to some good news? Former MU Player and Milwaukee native Dwight Buycks has agreed to terms to play in France this upcoming season. Here is what Dwight put on his Facebook page.... "It's official and everything is to rest..Me and the lady will be moving to FRANCE where I will be playing my professional career at this year.. very blessed and Thankful for the opportunity.. FRANCE HERE I COME... God is good!!" Congrats to D-Buycks!
Milwaukee Panthers Basketball....
Things have been quiet out of the UWM camp this past week. Same as MU, players are back home resting up for the upcoming season/school year.
Great to see that a few members of the team helped out with the Make-A-Wish Foundation's 12 hour Hoopla Event to help raise money for kids in need. In the linked article, the picture shows red-shirt freshman JJ Panoske. I brought that up for a reason. For those that were unable to make it out to the Scion Dental Milwaukee Summer Pro-Am this summer, I must say, when it comes to JJ Panoske, you missed out. From a year ago, he was the most improved player in the league. He has put a good amount of muscle on his body and has really improved his game. Using his body, his court awareness, his footwork..... he still has a ways to go, but I really do think he will be a good one for the Panthers in the years to come.
The University of Northern Iowa tweeted that they will be hosting Rob Jeter's crew this season...
UNI Athletics @UNIAthletics: UNI will return home to play the Milwaukee Panthers on Dec. 1. UNI defeated Milwaukee last season, 67-51.
UWM's own Kevin O'Conner tweeted about some possible additions to the non-conference schedule....
Kevin O'Connor @kjocmke: #UWM men's basketball schedule continues to come together. Looking like home gms with Manhattan and Tenn Tech just about confirmed.
Good to see that Rob Jeter has what it takes to make Green Bay fans a bit uneasy....
Brandon Novack @BrandoNovack: At the dark knight movie and UWM head coach Rob Jeter walks in as I'm wearing my @uwgb basketball Tshirt. #FeelingTheTension
High School Hoops....
The AAU season is behind us so there isn't a ton of high school news to report, but
Sun Prairie's Nick Fuller committed to Nebraska(ppv), making it six players from the state of Wisconsin in the 2013 class to be headed to a BCS program. Fuller joins Deonte Burton (Marquette), Ben Fischer (Indiana), Bronson Koenig (Wisconsin), Matt Thomas (Iowa State) and Duane Wilson (Marquette).
There are some new national rankings out, some with some pretty big surprises. Biggest riser? Onalaska's Matt Thomas. Biggest surprise? Bronson Koenig falling out of a couple of the top 100s. I saw both players play in a good number of games at the NY2LA events this summer, and while I do think Thomas certainly earned the jump, I think some have him too high. On the flip side, there is no question that Bronson Koenig is a top 100 player, so why the drop? Seemed to be every bit the player I expected to see and more.
ESPN Top 100: #31 Matt Thomas, #39 Deonte Burton, #54 Duane Wilson, #91 Bronson Koenig
Scout.com Top 100: #52 Deonte Burton, #55 Matt Thomas, #68 Duane Wilson,
Rivals Top 150: #52 Duane Wilson, #55 Deonte Burton, #65 Bronson Koenig, #104 Matt Thomas, #124 Luke Fischer