Bud Haidet began the search for the identity of the Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's basketball program the moment he took over as the university's athletic director in 1988. The Panthers weren't in a league back then. Heck, they weren't even a part of Division I athletics at the time.
Scheduling Marquette or Wisconsin, the state's two renowned college basketball teams, appeared something of a pipedream, one Haidet knew he had to make a reality in order for his program to become relevant.
"I really felt it was important for us to get on those two schedules to have our identity, to make an identity for UWM, to get things rolling in the direction we are now," Haidet said. "I don't remember what all it took, but eventually we got on both of their schedules."
After 34 games—make that, 34 losses—against Marquette, the series ceased following the 1998-99 season. Friday night, the series will resume at the Bradley Center after a nine-year hiatus.
The direction in which the Panthers are rolling these days, though, may not be exactly what Haidet had in mind. An 81-77 home loss to Sam Houston State dropped UWM to 3-3 on the season.
The Panthers fell to the Bearkats (5-0) in large part because of all their deficiencies in the first half. Poor passing decisions led to 11 turnovers. Sporadic effort in the paint led to a loss of control on the boards. Loose perimeter defense led to often-uncontested three-pointers.
"Although at times it may appear that things aren't as smooth, we're still tonight, as bad as it might appear the first 20 minutes was, able to finish with one point per possession," UWM head coach Rob Jeter said.
The offensive efforts of senior forwards Paige Paulsen and Torre Johnson made it possible for Jeter to cling to that particular statistic. Paulsen scored a game-high 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Johnson recorded a double-double of his own with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
While Johnson utilized his athleticism in the post, Paulsen put his shooting range on display with a 5-of-8 performance from beyond the arc.
UWM regained its defensive focus and improved its shot and pass selection in the second half, which kept the game competitive. The Panthers even held a five-point lead with 11 minutes to go before faltering.
Sam Houston State held possession with 3.7 seconds remaining and a three-point lead. Knowing they had to foul quickly to stop the clock, Paulsen and Johnson rushed toward Bearkats guard James Barrett. They fouled Barrett, alright. But they collided with each other in the process.
Johnson remained on the ground momentarily before hobbling off to the bench. Barrett, meanwhile, sank one of two free throws and ended any hope of a Panthers victory. "At key times, we continue to hurt ourselves," Paulsen said. "Other teams are capitalizing on it."
Ironically, the very thing Haidet went looking for upon his arrival is the thing UWM's men's basketball team lacks today. Since the Marquette-UWM series ended in '98, the Panthers made three trips to the NCAA tournament, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2005 with Bruce Pearl at the helm.
After stumbling through a 9-22 campaign last year-Jeter's second season as head coach-UWM has lost most of the momentum it built under Pearl.
Once again in need of an identity that will carry them through a full 40 minutes, the Panthers march onward toward a Friday night date with the No. 13 team in the country.
"I think it will be an exciting game," Haidet said. "Who knows? Maybe we'll get our first win over Marquette."