Post by PJD on Feb 2, 2007 22:36:59 GMT -6
A piece of the action
Hard work getting freshmen court time
By BOBBI ROQUEMORE
broquemore@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Feb. 2, 2007
Some might have wondered whether UW-Milwaukee freshmen Roman Gentry and Ryan Thornton would even suit up this season, let alone become meaningful contributors.
But as the regular season enters its final month, Gentry and Thornton find themselves in the thick of the action.
Their work behind the scenes is what gradually boosted Panthers coach Rob Jeter's confidence in them.
"It's always about practice and what guys are doing in practice," Jeter said. "Roman and Ryan are practicing better and harder. When they're in the game, a lot of the stuff from practice starts to carry over."
With so much backcourt talent present, redshirting this season was a possibility for Gentry and Thornton. Both players looked out of their element to start the season, and court time was given only sparingly.
Thornton and Gentry used that period to figure out their roles on the team, and regain confidence in themselves.
"When we weren't playing, we just felt that we needed to work harder in practice and prove that we can play, that we can get on the floor and play," Thornton said.
Gentry was prone to mistakes at the start, and his turnovers added to an already dire situation on a team that lost 11 of its first 13 games.
The 6-foot-4 guard, however, wised up.
As the Iowa 4A player of the year in 2006, Gentry was used to being the best player on the floor, and his 80% effort was light-years ahead of other players' 100%.
At the Division I level, Gentry soon figured out that wasn't going to cut it.
"A lot of it has been coming from high school. It was a big transition for me," Gentry said. "I'm catching up to the speed of the game, and it's coming easier to me now."
Gentry, who has played in 19 games, scored 12 points in the last three outings and is averaging 2.6 for the season.
Thornton, a 6-7 forward who has appeared in 21 games, averages 2.5 points per outing. He hit a three-pointer Monday in UWM's 57-56 overtime victory over Cleveland State.
His background as a long-range shooter can be traced to tiny Chillicothe Illinois Valley Central, which he guided to the Illinois Class A state title game in 2006.
So he came to the Panthers thinking his shot selection was on target and his conversion rate would be automatic.
Thornton learned to control his enthusiasm for shooting threes and saw that not every shot would be the best shot.
"I'd get in there and I'm thinking, 'I've got to help the team, and I've got to shoot,' Thornton said. "I've learned to relax out there and run the offense."
UWM (8-16, 5-6 Horizon) visits No. 13 Butler (21-2, 9-1) at 1 p.m. today at the Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs edged the Panthers, 55-50 in the previous meeting Dec. 30 at the U.S. Cellular Arena.
Hard work getting freshmen court time
By BOBBI ROQUEMORE
broquemore@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Feb. 2, 2007
Some might have wondered whether UW-Milwaukee freshmen Roman Gentry and Ryan Thornton would even suit up this season, let alone become meaningful contributors.
But as the regular season enters its final month, Gentry and Thornton find themselves in the thick of the action.
Their work behind the scenes is what gradually boosted Panthers coach Rob Jeter's confidence in them.
"It's always about practice and what guys are doing in practice," Jeter said. "Roman and Ryan are practicing better and harder. When they're in the game, a lot of the stuff from practice starts to carry over."
With so much backcourt talent present, redshirting this season was a possibility for Gentry and Thornton. Both players looked out of their element to start the season, and court time was given only sparingly.
Thornton and Gentry used that period to figure out their roles on the team, and regain confidence in themselves.
"When we weren't playing, we just felt that we needed to work harder in practice and prove that we can play, that we can get on the floor and play," Thornton said.
Gentry was prone to mistakes at the start, and his turnovers added to an already dire situation on a team that lost 11 of its first 13 games.
The 6-foot-4 guard, however, wised up.
As the Iowa 4A player of the year in 2006, Gentry was used to being the best player on the floor, and his 80% effort was light-years ahead of other players' 100%.
At the Division I level, Gentry soon figured out that wasn't going to cut it.
"A lot of it has been coming from high school. It was a big transition for me," Gentry said. "I'm catching up to the speed of the game, and it's coming easier to me now."
Gentry, who has played in 19 games, scored 12 points in the last three outings and is averaging 2.6 for the season.
Thornton, a 6-7 forward who has appeared in 21 games, averages 2.5 points per outing. He hit a three-pointer Monday in UWM's 57-56 overtime victory over Cleveland State.
His background as a long-range shooter can be traced to tiny Chillicothe Illinois Valley Central, which he guided to the Illinois Class A state title game in 2006.
So he came to the Panthers thinking his shot selection was on target and his conversion rate would be automatic.
Thornton learned to control his enthusiasm for shooting threes and saw that not every shot would be the best shot.
"I'd get in there and I'm thinking, 'I've got to help the team, and I've got to shoot,' Thornton said. "I've learned to relax out there and run the offense."
UWM (8-16, 5-6 Horizon) visits No. 13 Butler (21-2, 9-1) at 1 p.m. today at the Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs edged the Panthers, 55-50 in the previous meeting Dec. 30 at the U.S. Cellular Arena.