Post by unclejohn on Mar 22, 2005 12:47:35 GMT -6
MILWAUKEE -- Most of the stops in the food court were gated and locked, the students nowhere to be found. Sunlight from the first day of spring dappled the chairs, tables and floors in the student union, but few people were around to soak it up.
Unless, of course, you peeked into the bookstore.
Spring break may have removed most of the people from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus, but it hasn't diminished the pride that's flowering all over the place as coach Bruce Pearl prepares the upstart Panthers (26-5) for a showdown with No. 1-ranked Illinois (34-1) in an NCAA tournament regional semifinal Thursday at Allstate Arena.
Last Thursday, 12th-seeded UWM knocked off No. 5 Alabama, then duplicated the stunning upset by eliminating No. 4 Boston College—Pearl's alma mater—in a second-round game on Saturday. Never in their modest basketball history had the Panthers won an NCAA tournament game, and now they're in the Sweet 16.
And by Monday morning, fans from all over Milwaukee had descended on the campus bookstore in search of souvenir shirts, hats, mugs … anything with a Panthers logo.
"They'll be in tomorrow," bookstore director Linda Hausladen patiently promised those seeking "Sweet 16" T-shirts. Many customers settled for "We're still dancin'" T-shirts in the interim.
"Welcome to the zoo," Hausladen said good-naturedly.
The bookstore, she said, was supposed to be closed this week for inventory. Instead, the staff worked after hours Friday to count and catalog its NCAA inventory and after hours again on Saturday to do the same with the remainder of its logo clothing. On Sunday night, employees worked until 1 a.m. to fill the record 88 Internet orders it received immediately following the Panthers' victory over Boston College.
Ross Riemer, a 2004 UWM graduate, said the school's basketball success has been a rallying point for the students, mostly blue-collar commuters from the immediate Milwaukee area. Bo Ryan, now the coach at UW-Madison, planted the seeds when he coached here, and the energetic Pearl has nurtured them to fruition.
Pearl is responsible for much of the enthusiasm, said Betty Warras, a 30-year university employee, as she waited in line to purchase three UWM-logo shirts.
"He's funny. He's relaxed. He even read from Dr. Seuss once on [his radio show] on WOKY," Warras said.
"I went to school here, and when we were here no one even talked about being a student at UWM. You went here, but you didn't brag about it."
That means that an awful lot of people have kept quiet over the years. With an enrollment of 27,000, UWM is the second-largest school in the state's university system, trailing only the flagship in Madison. It has primarily been a commuter school for much of its 49-year existence, long on academic programs, short on school spirit.
Illinois coach Bruce Weber, a Milwaukee native, is one of the school's most prominent graduates (Class of 1976) and ardent admirers.
"It's made a lot of strides," Weber said of his alma mater. "Usually programs need tradition, and there isn't great tradition there. That's why I think it's even more impressive what they've done."
Mike Gousha, Weber's batterymate at John Marshall High School on the Northwest Side of Milwaukee and now the lead news anchor for Milwaukee NBC affiliate WTMJ, said a lot of locals were glad to see a former Panther doing well.
"It doesn't surprise me at all that Bruce is a coach, that he's a successful coach," Gousha said. "He was definitely a leader."
But while Milwaukee people are happy for Weber and his success, they'll be rooting even harder for UWM's success to continue.
"You're seeing the alums feeling a lot prouder of where they went to school," Gousha said.
In fact, alums and fans are taking to the road in support of their Panthers. Tom Luljack, the school's vice chancellor for university relations, drove 900 miles to Cleveland and back in a 34-hour span last week to see the Panthers play in person. He'll have a much shorter drive to Allstate Arena, and he won't be alone.
Milwaukee is only half as far away from Rosemont (80 miles) as Champaign is. And UWM has 100,000 living alumni, 65 percent of whom live in southeastern Wisconsin. In fact, almost every family, every company and every school in the area has Panther ties.
For example, while Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett went to school in Madison, his wife, his brother and his sister graduated from UWM. "I even had my wedding reception at the Union," Barrett said.
Barrett watched the Panthers' first two NCAA games with UWM students at the Gasthaus, a restaurant in the basement of the Union. He hopes to see the Illinois game in person, but it's a tough ticket, even for a big-city mayor.
"Sports-wise, UWM has been in the shadow of Marquette for many years," Barrett said. "As a state institution it's been in the shadows of UW-Madison. This is one aspect of the university coming of age."
In more ways than one. UWM has become more residential over the last few years, with about 2,400 students living in on-campus dormitories and many others living in the houses and apartments that surround the 93-acre campus.
And more and more Wisconsin students are viewing UWM as their college of choice, rather than using it as a safety school.
Heather Farley, a high school senior from Algoma, Wis., said UWM is her first choice, even though she will eventually have to transfer to Madison to finish her studies in pharmacy.
Jeremiah Dow and Tricia Petersen, seniors at Muskego High School in Muskego, Wis., also put the school first on their list.
On campus to take freshman placement exams, the Panthers-to-be were caught up in their future school's success. All three had watched the stunning first-round victory over Alabama on television, even though they were in school.
"Most of the classrooms had the game on," Farley said.
"Most of the teachers are just as excited as the students are," Dow added. "And just for the record, I said UWM would beat Alabama and Boston College."
Did he predict victory over the top-ranked Illini as well? Not exactly.
"We have faith," Petersen said. "But not confidence."
Unless, of course, you peeked into the bookstore.
Spring break may have removed most of the people from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus, but it hasn't diminished the pride that's flowering all over the place as coach Bruce Pearl prepares the upstart Panthers (26-5) for a showdown with No. 1-ranked Illinois (34-1) in an NCAA tournament regional semifinal Thursday at Allstate Arena.
Last Thursday, 12th-seeded UWM knocked off No. 5 Alabama, then duplicated the stunning upset by eliminating No. 4 Boston College—Pearl's alma mater—in a second-round game on Saturday. Never in their modest basketball history had the Panthers won an NCAA tournament game, and now they're in the Sweet 16.
And by Monday morning, fans from all over Milwaukee had descended on the campus bookstore in search of souvenir shirts, hats, mugs … anything with a Panthers logo.
"They'll be in tomorrow," bookstore director Linda Hausladen patiently promised those seeking "Sweet 16" T-shirts. Many customers settled for "We're still dancin'" T-shirts in the interim.
"Welcome to the zoo," Hausladen said good-naturedly.
The bookstore, she said, was supposed to be closed this week for inventory. Instead, the staff worked after hours Friday to count and catalog its NCAA inventory and after hours again on Saturday to do the same with the remainder of its logo clothing. On Sunday night, employees worked until 1 a.m. to fill the record 88 Internet orders it received immediately following the Panthers' victory over Boston College.
Ross Riemer, a 2004 UWM graduate, said the school's basketball success has been a rallying point for the students, mostly blue-collar commuters from the immediate Milwaukee area. Bo Ryan, now the coach at UW-Madison, planted the seeds when he coached here, and the energetic Pearl has nurtured them to fruition.
Pearl is responsible for much of the enthusiasm, said Betty Warras, a 30-year university employee, as she waited in line to purchase three UWM-logo shirts.
"He's funny. He's relaxed. He even read from Dr. Seuss once on [his radio show] on WOKY," Warras said.
"I went to school here, and when we were here no one even talked about being a student at UWM. You went here, but you didn't brag about it."
That means that an awful lot of people have kept quiet over the years. With an enrollment of 27,000, UWM is the second-largest school in the state's university system, trailing only the flagship in Madison. It has primarily been a commuter school for much of its 49-year existence, long on academic programs, short on school spirit.
Illinois coach Bruce Weber, a Milwaukee native, is one of the school's most prominent graduates (Class of 1976) and ardent admirers.
"It's made a lot of strides," Weber said of his alma mater. "Usually programs need tradition, and there isn't great tradition there. That's why I think it's even more impressive what they've done."
Mike Gousha, Weber's batterymate at John Marshall High School on the Northwest Side of Milwaukee and now the lead news anchor for Milwaukee NBC affiliate WTMJ, said a lot of locals were glad to see a former Panther doing well.
"It doesn't surprise me at all that Bruce is a coach, that he's a successful coach," Gousha said. "He was definitely a leader."
But while Milwaukee people are happy for Weber and his success, they'll be rooting even harder for UWM's success to continue.
"You're seeing the alums feeling a lot prouder of where they went to school," Gousha said.
In fact, alums and fans are taking to the road in support of their Panthers. Tom Luljack, the school's vice chancellor for university relations, drove 900 miles to Cleveland and back in a 34-hour span last week to see the Panthers play in person. He'll have a much shorter drive to Allstate Arena, and he won't be alone.
Milwaukee is only half as far away from Rosemont (80 miles) as Champaign is. And UWM has 100,000 living alumni, 65 percent of whom live in southeastern Wisconsin. In fact, almost every family, every company and every school in the area has Panther ties.
For example, while Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett went to school in Madison, his wife, his brother and his sister graduated from UWM. "I even had my wedding reception at the Union," Barrett said.
Barrett watched the Panthers' first two NCAA games with UWM students at the Gasthaus, a restaurant in the basement of the Union. He hopes to see the Illinois game in person, but it's a tough ticket, even for a big-city mayor.
"Sports-wise, UWM has been in the shadow of Marquette for many years," Barrett said. "As a state institution it's been in the shadows of UW-Madison. This is one aspect of the university coming of age."
In more ways than one. UWM has become more residential over the last few years, with about 2,400 students living in on-campus dormitories and many others living in the houses and apartments that surround the 93-acre campus.
And more and more Wisconsin students are viewing UWM as their college of choice, rather than using it as a safety school.
Heather Farley, a high school senior from Algoma, Wis., said UWM is her first choice, even though she will eventually have to transfer to Madison to finish her studies in pharmacy.
Jeremiah Dow and Tricia Petersen, seniors at Muskego High School in Muskego, Wis., also put the school first on their list.
On campus to take freshman placement exams, the Panthers-to-be were caught up in their future school's success. All three had watched the stunning first-round victory over Alabama on television, even though they were in school.
"Most of the classrooms had the game on," Farley said.
"Most of the teachers are just as excited as the students are," Dow added. "And just for the record, I said UWM would beat Alabama and Boston College."
Did he predict victory over the top-ranked Illini as well? Not exactly.
"We have faith," Petersen said. "But not confidence."
