Happy Holidays, we got a new AD!

I woke up this morning to a text message from Brandon King, a good friend and fellow Panther who occupies classrooms during the day and the Band That Made Milwaukee Famous during game nights.  The text was simple:

“We got Costello!”

It was a welcome announcement in one of our most trying seasons in recent years.  We regained the Milwaukee Cup, but are off to poor starts in basketball, were bounced by our archrival in the NCAA women’s soccer tournament, and failed to make it in volleyball, our most bankable championship sport.  All of that wouldn’t irk fans if we were fulfilling expectations on the basketball court, but that just hasn’t been the case.  There’s no doubt about it – feelings are glum, and until that text message, they weren’t looking up.

Thankfully, it did come, and I couldn’t be more excited for the future of the athletic department.  As a whole.

With Costello, I know we have the guy that has the credentials and the ideas to not only fix our situation but to also get us going in the direction of waking up the “sleeping giant.”

Personally, I’m excited to see the end of the deficit.  Associate AD Charlie Gross has been cutting down on the deficit, but when matched with fellow financial whiz Costello, I think we’ll see some creative ways to kill that budget deficit.  Of course, the best way is…

…getting that arena built, which I’m confident will happen.  Everywhere Costello has been, he has played an integral part in large building projects, securing large gifts and planning the facilities themselves.

Our facilities situation had to be a major pull for Costello.  I have no doubt that one day, he would like to be an athletic director at a high major institution (I’ve got no problem with anyone using Milwaukee as a stepping stone).  Building facilities, things that last, are the kind of things that get the big schools noticing.

Over the next eight years, more than a few schools will build basketball arenas, and obviously we’re one of them with $25 million already in the pot toward it (the student fee).  The thing that separates us is that we have even more facilities, to the point where Costello can wait.  Maybe he builds a basketball arena here and gets an offer from a low-level BCS school like DePaul, Baylor or Mississippi State.  He can continue to build on his resume here with facilities that also don’t exist and could in the future – basketball practice facilities, the baseball stadium, a home for tennis, and the ultimate feather in the cap, a football program complete with stadium.

I talked to one person who described Costello as an “east coast used car salesman.”  That doesn’t seem like a ringing endorsement, but they meant it as such.  Because our fan base has only known one east coast used car salesman, and times were great when he stalked the sidelines.

If Costello comes into this job with the enthusiasm and drive of another east coaster, than count me among those who can’t wait for his family to arrive on campus in February.

Horizon League Power Rankings (December 21 – 27)

The Horizon League rises to 9th in conference RPI following a stellar week by the Butler Bulldogs.

Only two games other than the BracketBusters in February remain in the Horizon League’s non-conference slate.  To finish in the top 10 in Conference RPI would be tremendous for the state of this league.

In descending order…

10. Youngstown State (Overall Record: 4-6, Conference Record: 0-2, RPI: 226)

Recent Results: Lost to Kent State 71-58

Where do the Penguins go from here?  Vytas Sulskis is the lone bright spot on a team that will be hard pressed to match the 6 Division-I wins from a season ago.  My best guess is they’ll up the ante to 7 this year, but what does that mean for Youngstown State.  Since joining the Horizon League in 2001, the Penguins have been nothing but a drag on the league’s profile.  What would it take for the league to give up on this program?  A program that financially isn’t up to the task of competing in what has become a formidable conference.

Up Next: Thursday vs. UIC (4-8)

9. UIC (4-8, 0-2, 228)

Recent Results: Lost to Oregon State 74-54

Losing by 20 to a bad Oregon State team proves that UIC’s win over in-state powerhouse Illinois was more of an aberration than the norm.  Fortunately, they have a shot at their first conference win of the season with their upcoming game against conference bottom-feeder Youngstown State.  The upside for the Flames is that they’ve proved that on any given night they will be a tough out for any conference opponent.

Up Next: Thursday at Youngstown State (4-6)

8. Green Bay (5-7, 1-1, 155)

Recent Results: Beat Wyoming 68-62

Two straight wins for the Phoenix should give them some nice momentum heading into the conference portion of their schedule.  Senior guard Rahmon Fletcher has been playing like he deserves to be a first team all-conference member.

Up Next: Wednesday at Wyoming (6-6)

7. Milwaukee (6-7, 1-1, 150)

Recent Results: Santa Claus dropped off a playbook in front of the U.S. Cellular Arena.

The Panthers have really put together a nice schedule this year.  Sure, they’d like to have a few more wins, but with each win by Northern Iowa and South Dakota State, the Panthers season looks that much better.  It’ll be important for the Panthers to forget the results of the non-conference season and focus on what’s important ahead: Wright State.

Up Next: Thursday at Wright State (5-6)

6. Wright State (5-6, 0-1, 174)

Recent Results: Lost to Charlotte 57-53

The #6 spot is up for grabs in the power rankings as the Milwaukee Panthers come to town.  Wright State should be up to the challenge if Anthony Hill doesn’t play.  But if he does, he could go off against a frontcourt that includes Johann Mpondo‘s 3.8 rebounds per game.  A manageable next couple of weeks should see the Raiders get back above .500 against D-I opponents.

Up Next: Thursday vs. Milwaukee (6-7)

5. Detroit (6-6, 1-1, 197)

Recent Results: Lost to Bradley 73-65

This is not what Coach Ray McCallum Sr. had in mind when he envisioned his son, Ray McCallum Jr., leading the break for open alley-oops to Chase Simon before the season started.  The Titans certainly haven’t set the world on fire, and frankly, I’d be surprised to see them do that once the conference season gets under way.  We’ll get a chance to pass judgement later this week.

Up Next: Thursday vs. Green Bay (5-7)

4. Loyola (9-4, 0-2, 209)

Recent Results: Beat Texas Pan-American 84-76

Sure they’re 9-4, but who have they beaten?  Their best win is over 4-6 Indiana State.  Are you kidding me?  Loyola is in for a rude awakening with their next opponent, Cleveland State.  0-3 to start the conference season isn’t an easy hole to climb yourself out of.  They could find themselves dropping down these rankings like a lead balloon if they’re not able to prove themselves in conference play.

Up Next: Thursday at Cleveland State (11-1)

Valpo celebrates their 103-102 win over the Oakland Grizzlies.

3. Valparaiso (7-4, 2-0, 77)

Recent Results: Beat Oakland 103-102

I don’t even know what to say about the Crusaders’ 103-102 victory over Oakland this past week.  It defies all logic.  The Crusaders’ third leading scorer in the game, Michael Rogers, only had 10 points.  Valpo only had 18 assists on all those points.  On top of that, they had 26 fouls.  Huh??   One thing I can say for certain is that the Crusaders are for real.  They may not finish at the top of the Horizon League, but trust me…they’ll be fighting until the end.

Up Next: Tuesday vs. Ball State (5-3)

2. Cleveland State (11-1, 2-0, 11)

Recent Results: Beat South Florida 69-62

I really hate to do this, but the Vikings have officially dropped a spot in our Power Rankings.  You’ve been great Cleveland State, you really have.  I mean, it’s not you…it’s me.  I just need some space right now.  Cleveland State has had an extremely successful non-conference season, but now it’s time to show just how tough they are.  Butler, Valpo and the rest of the conference are certainly not going to back down because the Vikings have been the talk of the town since their hot start.  Time to earn your keep…

Up Next: Thursday vs. Loyola (9-4)

Where did this beautiful cookie duster go anyways?

 

1. Butler (8-4, 1-0, 9)

Recent Results: Beat Utah 74-62, Beat Florida State 67-64, Beat Washington State 84-68

No team in the nation has had a better week than the Bulldogs.  Winning the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu was quite the Christmas present for Shelvin Mack and the boys.  Matt Howard has arguably been the conference player of the year so far, while mentoring Andrew Smith to be the consistent big man Howard needs by his side.  The road to defending their conference crown resumes Saturday against Valpo.  Just how good can this Butler squad be?

Up Next: Saturday vs. Valpo (7-4)

Were it my choice

Rumor has it, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is looking to make an announcement pertaining the vacant Athletic Director position before the new year. That rumor was confirmed Friday by a Vice Chancellor of the university, claiming that Interim Chancellor Mike Lovell will make a decision very soon following the weekend. So, the athletic department is waiting on bated breath, getting ready to find out who their new boss will be.

Will it be Paul Plinske, the AD at UW-Whitewater who has six years of experience in the director’s chair?  He built a national championship winning program in more than just the flagship sport, football, and put together a foundation of pride that led to enormous donations considering the university’s position in D-III and their relatively small alumni base.

It could be M. Grace Calhoun, the academic wunderkind who built a one-of-a-kind student-athlete experience at Indiana University, the “Indiana Excellence Academy.”  She has experience all around the board, working in the Ivy League, at low-majors, high-majors and even with a conference (Patriot League).  Calhoun is the best candidate with demonstrated excellence in enforcing Title IX and making sure all student-athletes, regardless of sport or gender, receive a great education.

Last but not least, Lovell can’t overlook Rutgers Deputy AD Rick Costello.  The former Delaware State AD and USF Associate AD is very talented in the financial area, balancing a $60 million budget at Rutgers and soliciting major donations.  He seems to have a real enthusiasm for what he does (they all do, of course) and he really thinks he can do things at Milwaukee.

Whoever the IC chooses, the university gets a winner who will be a positive improvement over the recent past.  But we can’t move on without a tip of the cap to Carr Sports Associates, the sports firm brought in to conduct the nationwide search.  It is because of them that our pool of finalists seems to be much better than the previous one, although I do think Paul Schlickmann would be a fourth finalist today.

I do have reservations about each of them, but they could be just because of my personal preferences.

Plinske comes from Whitewater, an hour drive and a world away from UWM.  Prior to his time there he was at Lacrosse.  He is a Minnesota guy, so he does know his way around the big city, but as far as athletic departments go, Plinske could scarcely be further from Milwaukee.  While his extensive experience in UW means he’s got immense knowledge of the state government and policies, and he presumably would be here for the long haul (a guaranteed state pension is nine years away and the only higher athletics administration job in UW is the Madison AD), Plinske also comes in with the view of UWM that the rest of the state and UW schools have – that we’re never going to be a competitor of Madison, that we’re good just being second-tier in athletics, that we shouldn’t be looking to expand because that might scare those in the capitol.  Of course, I could be wrong, and I hope I am – he’s given no indication this is what his thought process is.  But I’ve had enough dealings with people from around the state, and I know the prevailing preference is that Milwaukee remains Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the little engine that could that sits in Bucky’s great shadow and does well as a mid-major but never really rocks the boat.

Grace Calhoun is a dynamite Associate AD who put together the Indiana Excellence Academy, something that we would love to replicate at Milwaukee.  But her attributes seem to be confined to the academic, compliance and student-athlete life center.  Any financial oversight is done with the academic center’s budget, which shouldn’t be discounted but also doesn’t have to worry about an $8 million shortfall.  I wonder if she’d be able to raise money for the program at the level we need.  She indicates that her passion is the reason she thinks she’d be a great fundraiser, but if that were all it took then I’d be the athletic director (hint hint I’m a free agent, Dr. Lovell, hire me!).  It’s also just that; she thinks she can do it, whereas Plinske and Costello both have demonstrated it in a big way.

As for Costello, he is the most well-rounded candidate.  He balances a huge budget at Rutgers, sat in the AD chair at Delaware State, raised money everywhere he’s been, and is a champion cheerleader for his program.  But everywhere he’s been, it’s been out east, and everywhere he is, his school is the biggest game in town.  Delaware State has no competition in Dover, Rutgers is the biggest football program for quite a trek, and USF is no pixie in Tampa.  But Milwaukee is a different animal, with UWM’s premier sport being the third option for basketball fans in the city.  We have no football or hockey programs to bring in revenue (hint hint) and our lease with the Cell is both expensive and plays to our inferiority complex of MU (the bigger, better team Marquette plays in the bigger, better arena next door).  Costello hasn’t faced these kinds of problems at the other schools.  One look at his resume and people will wonder if he would stick around, considering his brief stay at DSU.  (I will quell that one immediately – listen to his presentation and he answers my question very well)

So who would I choose, if I were given the opportunity to pick our next Athletic Director?

Rick Costello.  I’ve beat around the bush enough, so I figured I’d just throw it out there.  None of the candidates were as exciting, persuasive or experienced as Costello.  To put it plainly, the Deputy AD from Rutgers was the best candidate and should be the next Director of Athletics of the Milwaukee Panthers.

His development experience is extensive.  He’s balanced all kinds of budgets.  He promotes a culture of compliance with NCAA rules and Title IX.  At the end of the day, however, what turned me to his side more than anything else was his willingness to really promote the program.

Personally, I think he’s been reading PantherU, but who cares, I’m in.

Horizon League Power Rankings (Dec. 14 – 20)

The Horizon League rises to 10th in conference RPI following a couple great wins over some tough opponents.

The non-conference games are winding down (save the BracketBusters), and the Horizon League should feel fairly satisfied with its performance.  Whoever comes out of the Horizon League should be pretty battle tested come tournament time.

In descending order…

10. Youngstown State (Overall Record: 4-5, Conference Record: 0-2, RPI: 234)

Recent Results: Lost to North Carolina State 67-50

Not a lot of excitement this week for the Penguins, and there doesn’t seem to be much on the horizon either.  A game against the Golden Flashes of Kent State should be a difficult game for Jerry Slocum‘s bunch.  Senior guard Vytas Sulskis continues to be the team’s best player, and as he goes, so too do the Penguins.  Unfortunately, he needs a little more help than he’s received.

Up Next: Tuesday at Kent State (8-3)

9. Green Bay (4-7, 1-1, 172)

Recent Results: Beat North Dakota 72-68

I know the Phoenix just beat North Dakota, but they were very fortunate to do so.  Needing a furious rally late in the second half, the Phoenix were able to pull out a close one, but this team will struggle mightily come January if they can’t get more production from their bench.  Alec Brown has been an outstanding freshman for Green Bay, but as should be expected, much of his play has been quite inconsistent.

Up Next: Wednesday at Wyoming (6-6)

8. Milwaukee (6-7, 1-1, 166)

Recent Results: Lost to DePaul 61-47, Beat Bowling Green 72-69

The Panthers look frustrated on the court.  They lack on the court leadership and are easily rattled.  DePaul put on a clinic with their full court pressure that caused the Panthers to turn the ball over time and time again.  Milwaukee needs to find consistent point guard play, and if they want to run their offense through the post, they need to find a post player that is capable of letting the offense flow through him.  Anthony Hill hasn’t proved that he’s the guy for the job yet.

Up Next: December 30th at Wright State (7-5)

The Flames have reason to celebrate after upsetting the Fighting Illini

7. UIC (4-7, 0-2, 206)

 

Recent Results: Lost to Northern Illinois 82-80, Beat (#14) Illinois 57-54

Like the Panthers, UIC has been quite inconsistent so far.  Their loss against Northern Illinois was a tough one, but their victory over in-state rival Illinois was HUGE.  Coach Howard Moore has shown early in his career that he has the ability to be an outstanding coach in this league.  Employing the 1-3-1 zone against Illinois was brilliant and shows that Moore isn’t going to just trot his guys out there and hope for the best.  A few other Horizon League coaches could learn something from what Moore has done in his short time at UIC.

Up Next: Wednesday at Oregon State (4-6)

6. Valparaiso (5-4, 2-0, 77)

Recent Results: Beat IPFW 63-47, Beat Eastern Michigan 74-67

Two easy home wins were highlighted by the Crusaders’ victory over IPFW.  Coach Homer Drew has been able to get a lot of production from his bench with Kevin Van Wijk and Jay Harris being the main weapons.  The Crusaders will be a very tough team in the Horizon League during the stretch run.

Up Next: December 20th vs. Ball State (5-3)

5. Wright State (5-5, 0-1, 126)

Recent Results: Beat Central Michigan 53-49, Beat Miami (OH) 66-51

Wright State has had a solid non-conference but I’m still skeptical they’ll fare as well in Horizon League play due to their lack of frontcourt depth.  Their victory over Oakland earlier in the season was an example of what they can do when everything comes together.  But their loss against Southern Illinois leaves doubt in my mind that they’ll come to play each and every game.  Still, they should be good enough to finish in the middle of the pack this year.

Up Next: Wednesday at Charlotte (5-6)

4. Loyola (8-4, 0-2, 214)

Recent Results: Lost to DePaul 81-74

As the schedule gets hotter, the Ramblers seem to get colder.  Much like last year, Loyola has beat up several bad teams which has inflated their record.  Loyola is a better team than they were last year, but the big question is, can they win in the Horizon League?  Geoff McCammon and Ben Averkamp are trying to prove that they belong in the upper echelon of the league.  Only time will tell…

Up Next: Wednesday at Texas-Pan American (3-10)

3. Detroit (6-5, 1-1, 177)

Ray McCallum Jr. has been everything the Titans could hope for...

Recent Results: Beat Central Michigan 75-49

In their latest victory over Central Michigan, Ray McCallum finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists.  With the Newcomer of the Year award already sewn up, McCallum looks to lead a streaky Detroit team into conference play.  There’s no question that they have the ability to stay with any team in the Horizon League.  Its just a matter of which Detroit team will show up.

Up Next: Wednesday at Bradley (5-5)

2. Butler (5-4, 1-0, 44)

Recent Results: Beat Stanford 83-50

Matt Howard.  Yep, that’s all you need to say.  The senior forward has finally seemed to live up to his potential posting 27 points and 10 rebounds in a romp over Stanford.  If Howard and Shelvin Mack can continue to take turns shouldering the load for the Bulldogs, another trip to the tourney is in the cards.

Up Next: Wednesday vs. Utah (7-3)

1. Cleveland State (10-1, 2-0, 14)

Recent Results: Lost to West Virginia 74-63

The Vikings put up a good fight against West Virginia, but came up a few possessions short.  The reality is that Cleveland State probably hasn’t built up a good enough profile to earn an at-large bid in the tournament.  They’ll need a victory over South Florida and a win in the BracketBuster to improve their standing, but at this point, the only thing that matters is the conference schedule.  Win the conference, and you’re in….

Up Next: Wednesday vs. South Florida (6-6)

Looking for answers: Game 13 vs. Bowling Green

vs.

Bowling Green (2-8) vs. Milwaukee (5-7)

U.S. Cellular Arena – Milwaukee, Wisconsin – 7 p.m.

TV: Horizon League Network

After dropping a 61-47 decision at lowly DePaul on Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Panthers will try and stem the flow against a Bowling Green Falcons team that is on a roll.

Despite having a relatively rough season defensively, the Panthers have a fairly poor team offensively coming to the Cell.  The Falcons are only scoring 58 ppg this season, although they did drop 76 on Florida International on Sunday.

Part of the rough scoring by Bowling Green comes from the fact that they are an awful three-point shooting team, knocking down just 25% of their treys this season.

If the Panthers are going to win, they’ve got to make their shots.  The Panthers are 0-4 this season when they make less than 18 baskets.  It seems like the magic shooting percentage is 40% – if the Panthers shoot better than 39.1%, they’re 5-2, and 0-5 if they shoot under that number.

It definitely doesn’t help if you can’t hold onto the ball.  The last time Milwaukee turned the ball over 20 times, they almost lost a very winnable game against UIC in the first round of the Horizon League Tournament.  DePaul was a turnover show, with the Blue Demon press making the Panther guards look pedestrian handling the ball.

The Falcons are led in scoring by Dee Brown and Scott Thomas, and they are the only two players on the team scoring more than seven points per game.  Thomas missed the FIU game because of injury, but he is probable to return to the starting lineup tonight.

It’s been a trying season, everybody, and the Panthers’ backs are against the wall.  They need support from the fans now more than ever.

I won’t be at the game tonight (Christmas party), so you’ve gotta take over for my voice.

GO PANTHERS!