Auburn Basketball: Milwaukee Game Info and Preview

By Nicholas Ian Allen | Nov 14, 2014

The Auburn basketball program begins a new era tonight with Bruce Pearl coaching his first game for the Tigers, and first for anyone since 2011, with a revitalized roster of transfers and returning players. Pearl’s first test on the Plains comes against his former team, the Milwaukee Panthers, in the first ever meeting between the schools.

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Last Friday, Auburn easily defeated West Alabama in a pre-season scrimmage, but tonight’s contest will count.

“This one counts, so from that standpoint it matters, but I am here to build a program and we have to build a foundation,” Pearl said this week. “We are going to win as many games as we can with this group. I would still like this group to play in the postseason. Those are still our goals, and we will learn more about ourselves on Friday than what we knew about ourselves last Friday.”

Pearl’s group has enough talent to compete for a post-season berth. Two of the team’s best players from the 2013-14 season return, K.T. Harrell and Tahj Shamsid-Deen. Harrell is the SEC’s leading returning scorer with 18.3 points per game last season and he had 21 points in the scrimmage. Returner Jordon Granger will start at forward.

Joining them will be Antoine Mason, a transfer from Niagara University, and JUCO transfer Cinmeon Bowers. Mason is the nation’s top returning scorer after he averaged 25.6 points per game last year for the Purple Eagles and Bowers was one of the top junior college players in the nation a year ago. Guard K.C. Ross-Miller, a transfer from New Mexico State, will be a key contributor off the bench.

But, the Tigers do have issues. The first is a lack of size, and the second – and perhaps most important – is a lack of depth. The loss of 6-foot-8 Matthew Atewe to another leg injury during last week’s scrimmage was a double whammy.

The Panthers were an NCAA Tournament team a season ago, and eight players return for the 2013-14 season. They will provide a challenge to the Tigers – particularly with their size in the front court, but also with their experience. However, expect the Tigers to earn their first victory of the season tonight.

Auburn Tigers vs Milwaukee Panthers Game Info:

Date: Friday November 14, 2014
Start Time: 9PM Central
Location: Auburn, Alabama
Arena: Auburn Arena
TV Info: ESPNU
Announcers: Chris Cotter and Seth Greenberg
Live Stream: ESPN3.com
Odds (via VegasInsider): Auburn (-11)

Projected Lineups:

Auburn

#5 Cinmeon Bowers, F, Jr., 6-foot-7, 278 pounds, 0.0 PPG, 0.0 RPG, 0.0 MPG

#25 Jordon Granger, F, Jr., 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, 0.0 PPG, 0.0 RPG, 0.0 MPG

#1 K.T. Harrell, G, Sr., 6-foot-4, 212 pounds, 0.0 PPG, 0.0 RPG, 0.0 MPG

#14 Antoine Mason, G, Sr., 6-foot-1, 216 pounds, 0.0 PPG, 0.0 RPG, 0.0 MPG

#13 Tahj Shamsid-Deen, G, So., 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, 0.0 PPG, 0.0 RPG, 0.0 MPG

Milwaukee

#23 J.J. Panoske, F, Jr., 6-foot-10, 225 pounds, 0.0 PPG, 0.0 RPG, 0.0 MPG

#31 Matt Tiby, F, Jr., 6-foot-8, 230 pounds, 0.0 PPG, 0.0 RPG, 0.0 MPG

#2 Akeem Springs, G, So., 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, 0.0 PPG, 0.0 RPG, 0.0 MPG

#25 Steve McWhorter, G, Sr., 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, 0.0 PPG, 0.0 RPG, 0.0 MPG

#30 J.R. Lyle, G, Jr., 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, 0.0 PPG, 0.0 RPG, 0.0 MPG

Next: K.T. Harrell Named to Pre-Season All-SEC 2nd Team

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