Welcome back: Brown Deer product John Lovelace Jr. transfers to UWM from Youngstown State

Bart Lundy has experienced plenty in his 22 seasons as a head coach.

But not until John Lovelace Jr. signed with the UW-Milwaukee Panthers could he recall bringing aboard a transfer from another program in the same conference.

"I think this is the first one in my career," Lundy said on Thursday.

Lovelace, formerly of Brown Deer High School, just completed his sophomore season at Youngstown State, which is one of UWM's Horizon League opponents.

"I've always been a little averse to in-league transfers, but it's so common now," he continued. "I told the staff I just have to get over that feeling. But he comes in with some corporate knowledge about the league, obviously, and even about our system, because not only has he seen us play but he's played against us.

"So he doesn't know the ins and outs yet, but he has a sense of what we do and how he fits into it."

The 6-foot-7, 205-pound Lovelace averaged 6.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in just over 18 minutes per game this past season for the Penguins, who finished second in the conference standings and went 22-10 overall.

He's the second transfer Lundy and the Panthers have welcomed this week; guard AJ McKee entered the fold on Monday. Both are welcome additions to a team that also suffered a big loss on Tuesday when BJ Freeman announced he was leaving UWM, either to turn pro or to transfer to another school that can offer more NIL money.

"I won't be really able to relax until we get the full roster completed and I think we're in a position to win the championship," Lundy said. "But these two guys, what they really do for us is they give us the edge that we need. Both of these guys give us a defensive presence and a defensive mindset, a toughness mindset that at times our team was lacking this past year."

Lovelace has also shown an ability to get to the basket, shoot from the perimeter (36.8% from beyond the arc with 21 makes) and knocks down his free throws at a 71.7% clip.

"I think the first thing that pops out about John is his motor, how hard he plays, and his versatility. So, he can play anywhere from 2-4," Lundy said. "He handles the ball, he shoots the ball. He can guard anyone on the floor. He's an exceptional rebounder. And at Youngstown, he experienced a championship in his freshman year.

"So, he knows what it looks like to win in the Horizon League."

Connections are everything in college basketball, and there was an obvious one between Lovelace and UWM -- Jose Winston, currently a Panthers assistant but previously head coach at Brown Deer during Lovelace's time there.

"He's like family," said Lovelace, who also played a year at We Are United prep following his time with the Falcons. "Because of the circumstances (playing at Youngstown State) we didn't talk as much as we did prior, but he coached me in AAU and then in high school, so I have a relationship with him. I trust him, and he trusts me."

Lovelace was asked what he was seeking to accomplish with his transfer.

"Take that next step into my junior year," he said. "Just try to be the best I can be, honestly. I want to take that next step in basketball, having a bigger role and just trying to get to that next level as a player."

Adding another player with local ties is also always a positive. The Panthers added Milwaukee City Conference products Learic Davis and Simeon Murchison last offseason, and Indian Trail standout Manasseh Stackhouse will join Lovelace on the roster this coming season.

"He is the type of student-athlete from Milwaukee that we want in our program," Lundy said. "He fits our system extremely well. He's high-character. And he's a hard-playing guy. Our fans will love him. A lot of people know John in the community, and know his family.

"It's kind of how you want to build a program, or at least have a good portion of your roster from the area."

Added Lovelace: "Bringing hometown guys in is big because you know the city and the city knows you a little bit. Being from here, I think it'll help attract more people to the games. I hope we can put Milwaukee back on the map, for real."

What about those two games (or, potentially, three including the Horizon League Tournament) that Lovelace will now be playing against his former team? Will it be weird for him?

"Honestly, no," he said. "I love those guys. We had a family relationship and we still do. I still call those guys my brothers. So, I think it'll actually be pretty fun playing against them."