Pregame Preview: Northern Kentucky (12-5, 4-2) vs Milwaukee (7-9, 3-2)
Milwaukee and Northern Kentucky have built a familiar Horizon League rivalry since NKU joined the league in 2015-16. The Norse hold a 13-10 all-time record against the Panthers, but recent history has tilted Milwaukee’s way. MKE has won seven of the last nine meetings, including a 92-70 win at Panther Arena last February, and enters this matchup riding a four-game win streak in the series.
Milwaukee plays almost exclusively man-to-man defense, while offensively the Panthers mirror NKU in several ways. Both teams want to play fast offensively, then slow games down on the defensive end, and both are aggressive on the offensive glass. One area where Milwaukee has separated itself this season is ball security. The Panthers average just 10.1 turnovers per game, best in the Horizon League and inside the national top 40. Where Milwaukee has struggled is shooting consistency. The Panthers are shooting just 32.6% from three and 48.5% from two, numbers that have been heavily influenced by a season-long wave of injuries.
Injuries have been the defining storyline for Bart Lundy’s team. Seth Hubbard is out for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder. The senior transfer was Milwaukee’s leading scorer early, averaging 16.6 points per game over the first nine contests before attempting to play through the injury. Faizon Fields missed the Green Bay game after being injured against Wright State. When healthy, Fields has started every game he has played this season and is a major presence on the offensive glass, with 40 of his 86 rebounds coming on that end. His availability looms large against an NKU team that has had stretches of defensive rebounding issues. Freshman Stevie Elam is sidelined with a foot injury, and John Lovelace Jr. remains out for the entire season after suffering an injury in practice just before the season opener.
Despite being shorthanded again, Milwaukee showed its resilience in its last outing at Green Bay. The Panthers fell into a 21-point hole in the first half, trailing 42-21, but completely flipped the game after halftime. Milwaukee surged all the way back to take a 62-57 lead with under eight minutes left, before Green Bay answered late. The Panthers’ final look to force overtime came up short, sealing a 79-76 loss, but the effort underscored the fight this group continues to show through adversity.
Check out the full scouting report ahead of the matchup with the Norse.
Milwaukee's Scouting Report
★ = Starter of Previous Game
#1 Amar Augillard – Redshirt Senior Guard, 6'5" 225 lbs – Zion, IL / Zion-Benton Township
Previous School: Fresno State
Season Averages: 19.2 MIN, 11.2 PTS, 2.5 REB, 0.8 AST, 0.8 STL, 0.3 BLK, 1.6 TO, 35.3 FG%, 80.0 FT%, 32.7 3PT%
Augillard has shifted into a bench role after starting nine of the first ten games, but his production has trended up, scoring in double figures in five of the last six games. He is a volume perimeter shooter, with 101 of his 167 attempts coming from three, and is most dangerous when left open. He has been less effective when forced to shoot over length or create tough, contested looks.
Amar transferred from Fresno State, where he averaged 13.3 points per game, after a dominant junior college season at Triton College. There, he was named NJCAA Division I Player of the Year, averaging 22.7 points while leading Triton to the national title game.
★ #2 Josh Dixon – Freshman Guard, 6'1" 160 lbs – Charlotte, NC / Milton
Previous School: None
Season Averages: 16.9 MIN, 9.1 PTS, 1.4 REB, 1.6 AST, 0.4 STL, 0.1 BLK, 1.1 TO, 36.4 FG%, 95.0 FT%, 28.0 3PT%
Dixon has moved into the starting lineup over the last six games and made an immediate impact. His first two career starts were explosive, scoring 24 points vs South Dakota State and 28 points at Cleveland State, giving him 52 points over two games, the second-most by a Milwaukee freshman all-time. That stretch earned him Horizon League Freshman of the Week and Lou Henson National Mid-Major Player of the Week honors.
Offensively, Dixon operates primarily out of high ball screens, is comfortable pulling up from the midrange, and will take open threes despite being a streaky perimeter shooter. He has had more difficulty finishing at the rim, shooting 43.2% in the paint, but consistently makes defenses pay at the free throw line, converting 95.0% (38-of-40), a mark that has ranked among the best nationally.
A highly decorated Georgia prep guard, Dixon scored 2,000+ career points at Milton High School and arrived at Milwaukee as an ESPN 4-star recruit after strong EYBL play with CP3 17U.
★ #3 Danilo Jovanovich – Senior Forward, 6'8" 227 lbs – Milwaukee, WI / Whitnall
Previous School: Louisville
Season Averages: 31.2 MIN, 13.1 PTS, 6.4 REB, 2.3 AST, 0.9 STL, 0.4 BLK, 1.1 TO, 60.4 FG%, 71.0 FT%, 53.8 3PT%
Jovanovich is Milwaukee’s most reliable piece, leading the team in scoring and rebounding at the midpoint of the season and serving as the only Panther to start every game. The left-hander scores efficiently around the rim (60.4 FG%) and has added a new perimeter wrinkle, shooting 53.8% (7-13) from three after rarely attempting threes earlier in his career. He recorded his first collegiate double-double at Wright State (15 points, 10 rebounds) and followed it with 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting while playing all 40 minutes against Green Bay.
Offensively, Jovanovich is a post-centric forward, doing most of his damage on the left block with strong dribbles into the defender before spinning into short fadeaways. He will also pick and pop to the perimeter rather than rolling hard to the rim. Defensively, he has been effective, holding opponents to 27.5% shooting.
After an injury-limited season last year (17 games), Jovanovich is finally healthy and has taken a major step forward, building on an efficient but reduced role from 2024-25.
★ #5 Isaiah Dorceus – Junior Guard, 6'0" 180 lbs – Orlando, FL / West Oaks Academy
Previous School: Daytona State
Season Averages: 24.4 MIN, 5.8 PTS, 1.8 REB, 4.3 AST, 0.7 STL, 0.1 BLK, 1.9 TO, 33.0 FG%, 70.8 FT%, 33.3 3PT%
Dorceus has started the last 10 games and serves as Milwaukee’s primary table-setter, leading the team in assists with a 2.31 assist-to-turnover ratio that ranks 8th in the Horizon League. Nearly half of his shot attempts (48 of 91) have come from three, and while his overall efficiency has been uneven, he showed his ceiling last time out with a season-high 14 points against Green Bay, knocking down 4-of-6 threes, including several timely makes late.
Offensively, most of his production comes out of pick-and-roll actions, spot-up looks, and transition, rather than self-created scoring. He’s more valuable as an organizer than a finisher. A two-year standout at Daytona State, Dorceus was a JUCO All-American and conference Player of the Year, helping lead the Falcons to multiple national tournament appearances before transferring to Milwaukee.
★ #11 Chandler Jackson – Redshirt Junior Forward, 6'7" 225 lbs – Indianapolis, IN / Warren Central
Previous School: Parkland
Season Averages: 16.9 MIN, 5.8 PTS, 1.6 REB, 0.8 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.1 BLK, 0.4 TO, 47.1 FG%, 54.5 FT%, 38.1 3PT%
Jackson made his first start of the season against Green Bay and has shown flashes of being a reliable scoring wing. He broke out earlier in league play at Cleveland State (Dec. 21), scoring 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, with 11 of those coming in the first half. Offensively, he is a spot-up shooter first, with 21 of his 34 attempts coming from three, and he is most comfortable from the right corner, where he has taken 11 of his threes this season. Defensively, Jackson has been solid in limited minutes, holding opponents to 6-of-20 shooting against him. He brings value as a low-usage, floor-spacing forward who can hold his ground on the defensive end.
A high-level JUCO transfer from Parkland College, Jackson was a NJCAA First-Team All-American and helped lead the Cobras to the national title game before arriving at Milwaukee.
#24 Esyah Pippa-White – Junior Guard, 6'2" 180 lbs – Portland, OR / Gresham
Previous School: Odessa College
Season Averages: 17.4 MIN, 4.6 PTS, 1.7 REB, 1.7 AST, 0.4 STL, 0.0 BLK, 0.6 TO, 28.0 FG%, 59.4 FT%, 24.5 3PT%
Pippa-White saw a season-high 27 minutes last game after playing under 15 minutes per night over the previous five, and responded with 10 points vs Green Bay. He is a perimeter-oriented guard, with 49 of his 75 shot attempts coming from three, but efficiency has been an issue. At his size, he has also struggled finishing inside, shooting 7-of-19 in the paint. Defensively, opponents have been able to target him, shooting 53% when he is the primary defender. That makes this a potential matchup area for Gherezgher and Oday to attack.
Pippa-White has primarily filled a bench role during his time at Milwaukee, appearing in 26 games last season and providing spot minutes as a shooter and secondary ball-handler.
★ #29 Aaron Franklin – Redshirt Senior Guard, 6'5" 210 lbs – Kansas City, MO / Raytown
Previous School: Hutchinson CC
Season Averages: 18.2 MIN, 3.8 PTS, 5.1 REB, 0.6 AST, 0.7 STL, 0.1 BLK, 0.5 TO, 45.1 FG%, 52.2 FT%, 20.0 3PT%
Franklin has started the last six games and brings value as a high-energy, do-it-all guard who impacts the game without needing touches. He broke through with Milwaukee’s first double-double of the season against Purdue Fort Wayne (Dec. 29), posting 13 points and 13 rebounds, with the rebounding total marking a season high. He also played a key role in the win over Robert Morris (Dec. 6), scoring 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting while adding six rebounds.
Offensively, Franklin’s contributions come mostly from cuts, put-backs, and hustle plays, rather than shot creation, but he has been active on the offensive glass and reliable defensively. With injuries thinning Milwaukee’s rotation, his minutes and responsibility have increased, and he has responded with consistent effort and physicality.
Franklin filled a bench role last season before earning an expanded opportunity this year, carving out minutes as a defensive-minded, rebounding guard who can slide into multiple lineups.
