The Milwaukee Panthers will host the Cream City Challenge this Friday through Sunday, showcasing an exciting four-team event filled with competitive basketball action.
The four teams participating in the tournament are the Wofford Terrier (1-3), Portland State Vikings (2-1), St. Thomas Tommies (3-2) and the Panthers (2-2). The Panthers will play Portland State at 7 p.m. Friday, Wofford at 3 p.m. Saturday and St. Thomas at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Every game of the Cream City Challenge will occur at the Panther Arena.
“Probably better teams than you would like,” St. Thomas coach Johnny Tauer said to MMB earlier this week. “You always want to have an MTE where you’re like, ‘OK, I think we can get a couple of wins here. It’s a unique mix of teams. Different styles. It’s so good for all of us.”
Milwaukee Panthers
The Panthers (2-2) came into the season ranked No. 1 in the Horizon League polls and No. 18 in the preseason Mid-Major Basketball Top 25 list. Coach Bart Lundy and his team look to make a statement this season and achieve high expectations. The Panthers opened up their season with a big win against Lakeland but dropped the next two games against Northern Iowa and Longwood. With a bounce-back win over Duquesne on Tuesday, the Panthers are hopeful to roar to a 3-0 record at the Cream City Challenge this weekend.
The Panthers are a fast-paced team that likes to push the tempo and drain their opponent’s energy. Key players AJ Mckee (15.3 ppg), Kentrell Pullian (12.3 ppg) and Themus Fulks (11.7 ppg) will be three players to keep an eye on during the tournament. With an exciting weekend ahead, there will be a display of high-quality basketball at the Panther Arena.
Portland State Vikings
The Vikings (2-1) are another quality program competing in the Cream City Challenge. Portland State is demonstrating an advanced offense by averaging 102.7 points per game. They are currently rank sixth in the nation in scoring. They are also a defensive strategy team. The Vikings force an average of 21.7 turnovers a game, ranking second in the country. Key players Jaylin Henderson (16.0 ppg), Hayden Curtiss (13.7 ppg) and Ismail Habib (13.7 ppg) are three talented players to watch.
Wofford Terriers
The Terriers (1-3) are off to a slow start but are a team that can’t be overlooked and counted out. Their offense scores 71.0 points per game while their defense gives up 73.3 points per contest. Corey Tripp (12.3 ppg), Kyler Filewich (10.3 ppg) and Dillion Bailey (9.5 ppg) are three players capable of sparking a good performance at this week’s event.
St. Thomas Tommies
St. Thomas made history in 2021 as the first school in the modern NCAA era to transition directly from Division III to Division I. The Tommies won 10 games in their inaugural Division I season and consistently grew with 19- and 20-win campaigns over the past two years.
This season, they are off to a 3-2 start, aiming to build on the solid foundation established during their transition. Tauer, now in his 14th season, has been instrumental in guiding the program through this unprecedented leap. Miles Barnstable leads the team with 13.6 points per game, while Kendall Blue adds 12.4 points per game on 51% shooting. The Tommies are poised to make further strides this year with a strong nucleus and momentum from past successes.
