Apparently, the city of Milwaukee is an attractive place to call home. Either that or the best recruiters in the conference coach for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

When Athletic Director Bud Haidet hired Rob Jeter before last season, the first thing Jeter did was hire Brian Bidlingmeyer, a man who coached with Jeter at Marquette. “Bid,” as the players call him, took the position as recruiting coordinator. So far, Bid and Jeter have given impeccable examples of their recruiting prowess.

The additions of Anthony Hill of Bradley Tech and Deonte Roberts from Notre Dame Prep were great news.

On Nov. 4, UWM got more great news. Tim Flowers and Kevin Johnson, both of Simeon Vocational School in Chicago, committed to UWM. The four make up the class of 2007 for the Panthers.

Flowers, a 6-foot-5-inch, 240-pound power forward with a commanding presence in the post, is listed as a three-star recruit by rivals.com, the respected recruiting Web site. He and Johnson attended Panther Madness on Oct. 14, and made their decisions shortly thereafter.

Johnson is taller, listed as 6-6, but his athleticism is what got this recruit to UWM. Johnson has the uncanny ability to play both inside and out, and his addition to the Panthers is a welcome story in a season that many view as a “rebuilding” year.

In addition to the commitments of these players, UWM got a recruiting coup last week. The University of Southern California, a Pac-10 stalwart, and Louisiana State, the school of Shaq and “Big Baby” Glen Davis, both pursued an athlete from Louisiana by the name of Trenton Marshall. At 6-5 and 220 pounds, the small forward was coveted by both schools.

The way of the mid-major is sometimes a difficult one. Teams that are considered high majors often steal recruits from mid-majors such as Milwaukee. However, because of intense interest from Bidlingmeyer, as well as a respect for the school, Marshall has chosen UWM.

With the soft verbal commitment of Marshall, in addition to Hill, Roberts, Johnson and Flowers, the UWM Panthers are putting together the pieces to take several shots at the Horizon League championship.

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