The UW-Green Bay men's basketball team has been picked to finish third in the Horizon League and UW-Milwaukee fourth, according to results from the League's official preseason poll announced on Tuesday.
Green Bay brings back four starters from the group that finished 18-15 overall last season (7-9 league play). Junior forward Mich Schachtner finished 10th on the league scoring charts at 14.9 points per game a year ago and ranked among the loop's top five performers in all three shooting percentage categories. Junior forward Terry Evans is a two-time member of the League's All-Defensive Team, rating second in the League champion Wright State (354 points). Green Bay (333 points) was just ahead of fourth-place UW-Milwaukee.
The Panthers attempt to rebound from last year's 9-22 mark that included a 6-10 League ledger. Milwaukee had won back-to-back League titles but opened the 2006-07 campaign with only one player having started a Division 1 game. That player, current senior forward Paige Paulsen, averaged 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, while senior guard Avery Smith topped the team scoring charts with a 15.5 points-per-game norm that was seventh-best in the League last season. Smith scored 30 or more points three times for Milwaukee, which has four returning starters in 2007-2008.
One season removed from its record-setting 2006-07 campaign, the Butler men's basketball team opens the season as a near-unanimous favorite to win the crown.
