Tuesday night I went down to Madison to check out the WBCA Classic. They Classic didn't have the top teams that the WBBY Shootout did but, this gave me the opportunity to see some more teams that I haven't seen play and some of the top talent in the state.
Racine Horlick 71 Manitowoc Lincoln 56
The opening game featured two of the top teams in division one and a few of the top 25 seniors in the state including #2 ranked and nationally ranking 6'7 senior Jamil Wilson. Wilson teams with seniors 6'5 Antwon Oliver and 6'6 Nick Stark to form a very tall and athletic front line. Horlick had a very strange starting lineup as neither Oliver or Stark started and with the exception of Wilson none of the starters played again after the three minute mark with the exception of a 30 second stint in the fourth by 6'1 senior Dan Kuzia. Manitowoc Lincoln is led by sharpshooting 6'0 senior Nathan Zastrow and also has some nice height as they have seven players 6'3 or taller with four of those players starting and another two playing off the bench.
The game remained very close throughout the first half as Manitowoc was led by the three point shooting of Zastrow and company. While on defense Manitowoc played a 2-3 zone and really packed it in forcing Horlick to settle for threes. In the second half Horlick turned the defensive pressure up a notch and starting forcing some turnovers which led to easy baskets and Manitowoc stopped hitting the three point shots. The fourth quarter Horlick stretched the lead out a bit as Oliver and Wilson broke out a dunk contest. Oliver finished with five dunks while Wilson had three. Oliver and Zastrow led the game with 18 points a piece, while Wilson followed up with 17, and Stark added in 14. Other double digit scorers for Manitowoc were juniors 6'4 Eric Hoffman and 6'6 Cal Reindl who added 12 a piece and 6'4 senior Dan Kurtzwill with 10. Big differences in this game was the length and athleticisim of the Horlick big men and zero bench points from Manitowoc while Horlick had 10 different players score.
Benton 76 Williams Bay 54
In game two Benton was the far superior team but, early on it didn't look like that as Benton played to Bays level and both teams looked extremely sloppy. Williams Bay's 5'11 senior Ben Miller paced the Bulldogs with 15 first half points. The second half Benton played some locked down defense on Miller as he scored only two second half points and got their fast break going and were knocking down the threes. In the end Williams Bay was playing two on five and ended up losing by 20. The only help for Miller was 6'2 junior Jack Slovick who added 14 points for the Bulldogs. Benton on the other hand had four different players that reached double digits. 6'1 senior Jordan Hendricks led all scorers with 18, 6'2 sophomore Matt Savatski had 15, 6'1 senior Connor Hendricks 14, and 5'11 senior Kane Hoffmann had 12.
Milwaukee Custer 60 Eau Claire North 57
In a game that was suppose to have four big stars only one actually played. EC North star and Badger recruit 6'11 junior Evan Anderson has a sprained ankle and will be out a few more weeks while Milwaukee Custer was missing their top to scorers in 6'1 junior Devereaux Ingram and 6'4 senior Derek Taylor who not on the bench for whatever reason. With Anderson down 6'7 senior Tyler Brown takes over the top spot for the Huskies. Brown is a fellow division one recruit who scored 17 points in the game and only played about half of the game due to foul trouble. For Custers 6'4 junior Larentaz Daniels showed up huge tonight with 28 points. Daniels scored the majority of his points from the perimeter but was also able to get inside and score. North was in control for the majority of the game but, Custer increased the tempo in the fourth quarter and were able to grab the lead very late in the game and seal the game with a couple free throws. 6'2 senior Nate Robertson helped Anderson out with 10 points, while 6'6 senior Domonique McCullum was the number two man for Custer with 14 points.
I didn't stay for the final came because I had to get to work early the next day and there really wasn't much interest in the game between Lacrosse Central and Monona Grove. Central's big man 6'10 senior Mason Haas was out and he was the only really interest that I had in the game and with him out there was nothing keeping me there.
Well now that I've seen 24 more teams in the last couple days I'll have lots of changes to my player and team rankings. Hopefully I'll have my new rankings done tomorrow since I have the day off from work.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
WBBY Shootout
Saturday I went down to watch the WBBY Shootout in Milwaukee. Nine games spread out over only 14 hours and only a one hour break makes for a very long day of basketball and you can't always remember everything from each game but, I'll try to do my best. I was able to see 18 teams for the first time and the majority of them I will never see play again this year.
Brookfield Academy 49 Shorewood 47
Shorewood was able to jump out early behind the hot shooting of 6'5 junior forward Chase Miller who notched 14 first half points. I game into the game expecting to see Brookfield Academy 6'2 junior guard Troy Huff have a big game but, Huff was basically non-existent in the game and was benched late in the third quarter and never saw the floor in the fourth. In the end Brookfield Academy's height wore down the smaller Shorewood team and BA won by two.
Menomonee Falls 67 Monroe 47
Height was the difference in this game as well as Falls had a huge height advantage. Monroe was unable to get the ball inside and just like years past relied heavily on the three point shot which just wasn't falling for them. Falls 6'8 senior center Luke Russell controlled the inside and 6'0 senior guard Connor Beaudoin put the game away scoring the majority of his 17 points in the second half. Monroe star 6'0 senior guard Mitch Tordoff did all he could scoring 24 points but, he was alone in the effort. What really hurt Monroe offensively was 6'0 sophomore guard Bryan Tordoff being in foul trouble throughout the majority of the game and finished with only five minutes.
I really like this Menomonee Falls team. The have nice height with Russell, 6'5 freshmen JP Tokoto, and 6'6 junior Jonathan Phillips in the starting lineup. Their point guard John Cording 6'1 junior is very solid. He runs the offense well, handling the ball, knocking down the long jumper, or finding the open teammate. Connor Beaudin looked like the weakest starter but, he did lead the team in scoring. Falls also has a nice bench with 6'3 senior Peter Henningsen, 5'11 junior Adam Rubatt, and 6'0 junior Conor Cassidy who all come off the bench and can contribute.
Waukesha Catholic Memorial 59 Oshkosh North 53
6'4 senior Tank Johnson of Oshkosh North stood out the most in this one but, in the end Catholic Memorial's TJ Bray was huge and outscored Johnson 25 to 22. This was a game of quarters as Memorial dominated the first quarter, the North went to a 1-3-1 zone defense and Memorial was lost and North dominated the second. Memorial came out in the second half and jumped out to the early lead but, North stormed back to tie it only to have Memorial squeak out the win in the end.
Eau Claire Regis 51 Burlington Catholic Central 44
This game was very ugly throughout as neither team seemed like they wanted to win. There was lots and lots of easy baskets that were missed. The game stayed very close throughout and Regis was finally able to break away when they went to an offensive play that looked like an out of bounds play where Regis could set up for an open three shot, set a double pick for their point guard and let him decide whether to drive the ball or look for the big man that would roll to the hoop, or just simply have the point guard go one on one and take his man to the hoop. The player that finally stood out was 6'3 junior forward Adam Ganske who was unstoppable when he got the ball in the post and led all scorers with 18. If Ganske was about three to five inches taller he would be getting D1 looks.
Fond du Lac 60 Appleton Xavier 58
Xavier could never really get their two big guns going, senior guards 5'10 Dan Klister and 6'0 Jonathan Burns. On the other side Fond du Lac's starting senior guards led the way. 6'0 Stephan Bauer had 21 while 5'9 Nicholas Ford had 25. Luckily for Xavier their bench came up big and really carried the Hawks early on. This game was extremely fast passed which suited Fond du Lac very well as they are an extremely undersized team exspecially for division one.
Ford is the most impressive point guard that I have seen this year. He really is a rarity. Ford is a pass first point guard who looks to score as a second option. Ford had a bunch of assists but, also got himself 25 points.
Wisconsin Lutheran 42 Racine St. Catherines 37
A defensive struggle where neither team could get their outside shooting going. For St. Cats 6'3 senior Jake Thomas could get nothing going and turned the ball over a bunch of times and the Lawson twins, 6'2 Jarvis and 6'4 Javar, were non-factors in the game as they each only notched two points. On the Wisconsin Lutheran side it was all Flavian Davis who led all scorers with 16 points.
Wauwatosa East 53 Milwaukee Pius 48
I expected Tosa East to dominate this game but, they never could really run away from Pius. Pius is not an impressive team but, they just play fundamentally sound. They don't take bad shots, take care of the ball, and play pretty solid team defense, they just don't have the talent to do much this year though. Once again Tosa East has a ton of bench as they have a first and second string which each team just splitting time half and half. The only player that stands out for them is 6'3 senior Eric Williams who just does all the little things right. Williams can knock down the three and posts up extremely well. The entire team is solid but, the obviously leader of the team is Williams.
Humble Texas Christian Life 69 Whitefish Bay Dominican 47
Dominican is a great team and was probably the most impressive division three school that I saw but, Christian Life's height was just too much. Christian life starts 6'9, 6'7, 6'7,6'5, and 6'1, four of which will be playing D1 college with the exception of a 6'5 sophomore that starts. Meanwhile Dominican's tallest player is 6'4 who prefers to play on the perimeter. Dominican did their best as they really limited Christian Life's second chance points and even got a few offensive rebounds themselves but, in the end Christian's height and athleticism was too much. Dominican's 5'10 senior Jerrel Harris may not play D1 college but, he was the most impressive player on the court as he was able to get past his defender every time down the court and into the paint where he was typically fouled.
Hamiliton Sussex 60 Milwaukee Bay View 41
These two teams are exact opposites. Hamiliton is very patient on offense and works for good shots and on defense they lay back and pack in the middle. On the other hand Bay View takes very quick shots and play in your face defense. Bay View's aggressive style led to lots of missed threes and lots of fouls. Hamiliton was able to back door Bay View all night. Bay View is very undisciplined and take a lot of bad shots and don't look inside enough. Hamiliton also took a lot of three point shots but, most of those threes were wide open shots that were dropping.
All Shootout team from the day I watched.
1st Team
Nicholas Ford 5'9 senior guard Fond du Lac- Best point guard seen. Great pass first lead guard that can also score.
Jerrel Harris 5'10 senior guard Dominican- Great ball handler that's nearly impossible to stay in front of.
T.J. Bray 6'4 junior guard Waukasha Catholic Memorial- College size guard that is a great three point shooter and handles the ball very well.
Flavian Davis 6'4 junior forward Wisconsin Lutheran- College size guard that has a very nice 15 foot jump shot.
Tank Johnson 6'4 senior center Oshkosh North- A beast on the inside with very very soft hands.
2nd Team
Junior Cadougan 6'1 senior guard Christian Life- Big time player with an amazing cross over. Another great pass first lead guard.
Mitch Tordoff 6'0 senior guard Monroe- Big time scorer that can knock down the three and isn't afraid to go inside and score.
Adam Ganske 6'3 junior forward Eau Claire Regis- Very solid in the post and can score with a wide array of moves.
Latavious Williams 6'7 senior forward Christian Life- Has a college body already. Very explosive when going to the hoop.
Luke Russell 6'8 senior center Menomonee Falls- Big man with a very soft touch around the rim. Runs the floor pretty well.
3rd Team
Stephen Bauer 6'0 senior guard Fond du Lac- Goes to the hoop very hard and can score with contact.
Brett Meinecke 6'1 guard junior Hamiliton Sussex- Great spot up shooter and handles the ball really well.
Eric Williams 6'3 senior forward Wauwatosa East- Does all the little things, can shoot, and play in the post.
Antoine Howard 6'4 senior forward Milwaukee Bay View- Big time scorer that can shoot the three or drive to the hoop.
Antoine Carlisle 6'4 senior forward Milwaukee Bay View- Very strong with the ball in the post. can score at will in the post.
HM
Danial Ricci 5'11 junior guard Brookfield Academy- Solid point guard that does a great job of penetrating and knowing whether to pass the ball or take it himself.
Brian Gryszkiewicz 6'0 junior guard Hamiliton Sussex- Very good defender that can also handle the ball and get to the hoop and score.
Connor Beaudoin 6'0 senior guard Menomonee Falls- Good shooter that can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court.
Reese Hartlage 6'3 senior guard Catholic Central- Great three point shooter that can also score in the post.
Chase Miller 6'5 junior forward Shorewood- Great shooter but, is a little streaky.
Well their are my thoughts on the WBBY Shootout. Tomorrow I'll be going to the WBCA Classic which will be followed by another write up and then new player and team rankings.
Brookfield Academy 49 Shorewood 47
Shorewood was able to jump out early behind the hot shooting of 6'5 junior forward Chase Miller who notched 14 first half points. I game into the game expecting to see Brookfield Academy 6'2 junior guard Troy Huff have a big game but, Huff was basically non-existent in the game and was benched late in the third quarter and never saw the floor in the fourth. In the end Brookfield Academy's height wore down the smaller Shorewood team and BA won by two.
Menomonee Falls 67 Monroe 47
Height was the difference in this game as well as Falls had a huge height advantage. Monroe was unable to get the ball inside and just like years past relied heavily on the three point shot which just wasn't falling for them. Falls 6'8 senior center Luke Russell controlled the inside and 6'0 senior guard Connor Beaudoin put the game away scoring the majority of his 17 points in the second half. Monroe star 6'0 senior guard Mitch Tordoff did all he could scoring 24 points but, he was alone in the effort. What really hurt Monroe offensively was 6'0 sophomore guard Bryan Tordoff being in foul trouble throughout the majority of the game and finished with only five minutes.
I really like this Menomonee Falls team. The have nice height with Russell, 6'5 freshmen JP Tokoto, and 6'6 junior Jonathan Phillips in the starting lineup. Their point guard John Cording 6'1 junior is very solid. He runs the offense well, handling the ball, knocking down the long jumper, or finding the open teammate. Connor Beaudin looked like the weakest starter but, he did lead the team in scoring. Falls also has a nice bench with 6'3 senior Peter Henningsen, 5'11 junior Adam Rubatt, and 6'0 junior Conor Cassidy who all come off the bench and can contribute.
Waukesha Catholic Memorial 59 Oshkosh North 53
6'4 senior Tank Johnson of Oshkosh North stood out the most in this one but, in the end Catholic Memorial's TJ Bray was huge and outscored Johnson 25 to 22. This was a game of quarters as Memorial dominated the first quarter, the North went to a 1-3-1 zone defense and Memorial was lost and North dominated the second. Memorial came out in the second half and jumped out to the early lead but, North stormed back to tie it only to have Memorial squeak out the win in the end.
Eau Claire Regis 51 Burlington Catholic Central 44
This game was very ugly throughout as neither team seemed like they wanted to win. There was lots and lots of easy baskets that were missed. The game stayed very close throughout and Regis was finally able to break away when they went to an offensive play that looked like an out of bounds play where Regis could set up for an open three shot, set a double pick for their point guard and let him decide whether to drive the ball or look for the big man that would roll to the hoop, or just simply have the point guard go one on one and take his man to the hoop. The player that finally stood out was 6'3 junior forward Adam Ganske who was unstoppable when he got the ball in the post and led all scorers with 18. If Ganske was about three to five inches taller he would be getting D1 looks.
Fond du Lac 60 Appleton Xavier 58
Xavier could never really get their two big guns going, senior guards 5'10 Dan Klister and 6'0 Jonathan Burns. On the other side Fond du Lac's starting senior guards led the way. 6'0 Stephan Bauer had 21 while 5'9 Nicholas Ford had 25. Luckily for Xavier their bench came up big and really carried the Hawks early on. This game was extremely fast passed which suited Fond du Lac very well as they are an extremely undersized team exspecially for division one.
Ford is the most impressive point guard that I have seen this year. He really is a rarity. Ford is a pass first point guard who looks to score as a second option. Ford had a bunch of assists but, also got himself 25 points.
Wisconsin Lutheran 42 Racine St. Catherines 37
A defensive struggle where neither team could get their outside shooting going. For St. Cats 6'3 senior Jake Thomas could get nothing going and turned the ball over a bunch of times and the Lawson twins, 6'2 Jarvis and 6'4 Javar, were non-factors in the game as they each only notched two points. On the Wisconsin Lutheran side it was all Flavian Davis who led all scorers with 16 points.
Wauwatosa East 53 Milwaukee Pius 48
I expected Tosa East to dominate this game but, they never could really run away from Pius. Pius is not an impressive team but, they just play fundamentally sound. They don't take bad shots, take care of the ball, and play pretty solid team defense, they just don't have the talent to do much this year though. Once again Tosa East has a ton of bench as they have a first and second string which each team just splitting time half and half. The only player that stands out for them is 6'3 senior Eric Williams who just does all the little things right. Williams can knock down the three and posts up extremely well. The entire team is solid but, the obviously leader of the team is Williams.
Humble Texas Christian Life 69 Whitefish Bay Dominican 47
Dominican is a great team and was probably the most impressive division three school that I saw but, Christian Life's height was just too much. Christian life starts 6'9, 6'7, 6'7,6'5, and 6'1, four of which will be playing D1 college with the exception of a 6'5 sophomore that starts. Meanwhile Dominican's tallest player is 6'4 who prefers to play on the perimeter. Dominican did their best as they really limited Christian Life's second chance points and even got a few offensive rebounds themselves but, in the end Christian's height and athleticism was too much. Dominican's 5'10 senior Jerrel Harris may not play D1 college but, he was the most impressive player on the court as he was able to get past his defender every time down the court and into the paint where he was typically fouled.
Hamiliton Sussex 60 Milwaukee Bay View 41
These two teams are exact opposites. Hamiliton is very patient on offense and works for good shots and on defense they lay back and pack in the middle. On the other hand Bay View takes very quick shots and play in your face defense. Bay View's aggressive style led to lots of missed threes and lots of fouls. Hamiliton was able to back door Bay View all night. Bay View is very undisciplined and take a lot of bad shots and don't look inside enough. Hamiliton also took a lot of three point shots but, most of those threes were wide open shots that were dropping.
All Shootout team from the day I watched.
1st Team
Nicholas Ford 5'9 senior guard Fond du Lac- Best point guard seen. Great pass first lead guard that can also score.
Jerrel Harris 5'10 senior guard Dominican- Great ball handler that's nearly impossible to stay in front of.
T.J. Bray 6'4 junior guard Waukasha Catholic Memorial- College size guard that is a great three point shooter and handles the ball very well.
Flavian Davis 6'4 junior forward Wisconsin Lutheran- College size guard that has a very nice 15 foot jump shot.
Tank Johnson 6'4 senior center Oshkosh North- A beast on the inside with very very soft hands.
2nd Team
Junior Cadougan 6'1 senior guard Christian Life- Big time player with an amazing cross over. Another great pass first lead guard.
Mitch Tordoff 6'0 senior guard Monroe- Big time scorer that can knock down the three and isn't afraid to go inside and score.
Adam Ganske 6'3 junior forward Eau Claire Regis- Very solid in the post and can score with a wide array of moves.
Latavious Williams 6'7 senior forward Christian Life- Has a college body already. Very explosive when going to the hoop.
Luke Russell 6'8 senior center Menomonee Falls- Big man with a very soft touch around the rim. Runs the floor pretty well.
3rd Team
Stephen Bauer 6'0 senior guard Fond du Lac- Goes to the hoop very hard and can score with contact.
Brett Meinecke 6'1 guard junior Hamiliton Sussex- Great spot up shooter and handles the ball really well.
Eric Williams 6'3 senior forward Wauwatosa East- Does all the little things, can shoot, and play in the post.
Antoine Howard 6'4 senior forward Milwaukee Bay View- Big time scorer that can shoot the three or drive to the hoop.
Antoine Carlisle 6'4 senior forward Milwaukee Bay View- Very strong with the ball in the post. can score at will in the post.
HM
Danial Ricci 5'11 junior guard Brookfield Academy- Solid point guard that does a great job of penetrating and knowing whether to pass the ball or take it himself.
Brian Gryszkiewicz 6'0 junior guard Hamiliton Sussex- Very good defender that can also handle the ball and get to the hoop and score.
Connor Beaudoin 6'0 senior guard Menomonee Falls- Good shooter that can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court.
Reese Hartlage 6'3 senior guard Catholic Central- Great three point shooter that can also score in the post.
Chase Miller 6'5 junior forward Shorewood- Great shooter but, is a little streaky.
Well their are my thoughts on the WBBY Shootout. Tomorrow I'll be going to the WBCA Classic which will be followed by another write up and then new player and team rankings.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wisconsin Dells get their first win of the season against Reedsburg
Tuesday night Wisconsin Dells finally got their first win of the season by beating Reedsburg 45-41. It seems like its taken forever to get that first win but, this is still only the Chiefs third game of the year with all the cancellations that have occurred to do the terrible weather of recent.
Early on Wisconsin Dells got things going with the three point shooting. As they hit three early three pointers early in the game to jump out to an early lead and never look back. In the first half Reedsburg missed a lot of close shots and weren't able to get the ball to their star 6'3 senior Tyler Mazur. The only big highlights in the first half were the Dells threes and a nice two handed dunk by Reedsburg's 6'2 junior Jordan VanCleave. In the second half Tyler Mazur came out looking to score but, really struggled to get his shots to go down and Wisconsin Dells was playing very physical with him and Mazur wasn't getting the calls. (I felt that he was fouled on a few occasions and the fouls weren't called) Offensively Dells star 6'0 senior Jade Royston was the story as scored over half of the Dells points and finished with 24 points.
Reedsburg is a team that really seems like they should be good. They have four solid starters and a scorer off the bench but, they just can't seem to get things going this year. Tylers Mazur can knock down shots from all over the court but, they seem to rely too much on his outside shooting and needs to look to score on the inside more. VanCleave can get to the rim at will but, has a had time finishing at the rim and needs to keep himself under control when he goes to the hoop. The other two solid starters are 5'11 senior Lucas Farber and 6'6 junior Jon Stolte. Farber handles the ball real well and runs the point but, needs to look to score more or at least penetrate more and dish. Stolte moves pretty well for a big man but, is a little soft around the rim and misses too many easy shots. The solid bench player that I mentioned was 6'2 sophomore Chad Mazur who just needs to have more confidence and playing time and he should follow in his brothers footsteps and be a star at Reedsburg.
For Wisconsin Dells it is still the Jade Royston show. Fellow senior 5'11 Michael Morse made his first return to the season. Morse isn't really known for his scoring but, more so for his defense and rebounding from the guard position. Morse instantly stepped into the starting lineup and should help, specially with the loss of 6'0 senior Jake Williams for the year, who was starting before he went down. 6'9 junior Nate Gibson had a lot of hype before the season but, he hasn't really lived up to it yet. Tuesday night Gibson had another difficult night scoring in the paint. Gibson would get the ball but, missed a decent amount of bunnies and traveled a couple times. Right now Gibson is too slow, has no elevation, and his foot work is only so-s0.
Top Players
Tyler Mazur 6'3 senior Reedsburg- Can knock down the three at anytime. Doesn't matter if a defender is in his face or not.
Jordan VanCleave 6'2 junior Reedsburg- Can get to the rim at will and can jump out of the gym.
Jade Royston 6'0 senior Wisconsin Dells- I talk about him every time Wisconsin Dells plays so there really isn't much else to say. Great scorer that can get to the rim and knock down the outside shot. Creates own shot.
Wisconsin Dells 45
Reedsburg 41
Box Score (starters in bold and italics)
Wisconsin Dells- Royston 24 Jimmy Alvin 6 Justin Ward 6 Michael Morse 5 Nate Gibson 4 Bobby Blaschke 0 Kyle Stowers 0
Reedsburg- T. Mazur 17 VanCleave 8 C Mazur 8 Stolte 6 Farber 2 Matt Kneeland 0 Mike Bendl 0 Matt Rockweiler 0
Wisconsin Dells may of gotten a win tonight but, it wasn't the most impressive victory and for the Chiefs every game will be a battle and it won't be like years past where they can just walk threw everyone in conference outside of Adams Friendship. Reedsburg will more then likely turn things around eventually in the season and will probably be about a .500 team.
Early on Wisconsin Dells got things going with the three point shooting. As they hit three early three pointers early in the game to jump out to an early lead and never look back. In the first half Reedsburg missed a lot of close shots and weren't able to get the ball to their star 6'3 senior Tyler Mazur. The only big highlights in the first half were the Dells threes and a nice two handed dunk by Reedsburg's 6'2 junior Jordan VanCleave. In the second half Tyler Mazur came out looking to score but, really struggled to get his shots to go down and Wisconsin Dells was playing very physical with him and Mazur wasn't getting the calls. (I felt that he was fouled on a few occasions and the fouls weren't called) Offensively Dells star 6'0 senior Jade Royston was the story as scored over half of the Dells points and finished with 24 points.
Reedsburg is a team that really seems like they should be good. They have four solid starters and a scorer off the bench but, they just can't seem to get things going this year. Tylers Mazur can knock down shots from all over the court but, they seem to rely too much on his outside shooting and needs to look to score on the inside more. VanCleave can get to the rim at will but, has a had time finishing at the rim and needs to keep himself under control when he goes to the hoop. The other two solid starters are 5'11 senior Lucas Farber and 6'6 junior Jon Stolte. Farber handles the ball real well and runs the point but, needs to look to score more or at least penetrate more and dish. Stolte moves pretty well for a big man but, is a little soft around the rim and misses too many easy shots. The solid bench player that I mentioned was 6'2 sophomore Chad Mazur who just needs to have more confidence and playing time and he should follow in his brothers footsteps and be a star at Reedsburg.
For Wisconsin Dells it is still the Jade Royston show. Fellow senior 5'11 Michael Morse made his first return to the season. Morse isn't really known for his scoring but, more so for his defense and rebounding from the guard position. Morse instantly stepped into the starting lineup and should help, specially with the loss of 6'0 senior Jake Williams for the year, who was starting before he went down. 6'9 junior Nate Gibson had a lot of hype before the season but, he hasn't really lived up to it yet. Tuesday night Gibson had another difficult night scoring in the paint. Gibson would get the ball but, missed a decent amount of bunnies and traveled a couple times. Right now Gibson is too slow, has no elevation, and his foot work is only so-s0.
Top Players
Tyler Mazur 6'3 senior Reedsburg- Can knock down the three at anytime. Doesn't matter if a defender is in his face or not.
Jordan VanCleave 6'2 junior Reedsburg- Can get to the rim at will and can jump out of the gym.
Jade Royston 6'0 senior Wisconsin Dells- I talk about him every time Wisconsin Dells plays so there really isn't much else to say. Great scorer that can get to the rim and knock down the outside shot. Creates own shot.
Wisconsin Dells 45
Reedsburg 41
Box Score (starters in bold and italics)
Wisconsin Dells- Royston 24 Jimmy Alvin 6 Justin Ward 6 Michael Morse 5 Nate Gibson 4 Bobby Blaschke 0 Kyle Stowers 0
Reedsburg- T. Mazur 17 VanCleave 8 C Mazur 8 Stolte 6 Farber 2 Matt Kneeland 0 Mike Bendl 0 Matt Rockweiler 0
Wisconsin Dells may of gotten a win tonight but, it wasn't the most impressive victory and for the Chiefs every game will be a battle and it won't be like years past where they can just walk threw everyone in conference outside of Adams Friendship. Reedsburg will more then likely turn things around eventually in the season and will probably be about a .500 team.
Friday, December 19, 2008
First Round Player Rankings
Just like my team rankings, my player rankings will be based only on the players that I've actually seen play and the games that I saw them play in. I will rank players overall and then by class.
Overall
1. Antone Byrd 6'3 senior guard Milwaukee Washington- Can get the hoop at will, knock down the three, and plays pretty good defense. Total package.
2. Vander Blue 6'3 junior guard Madison Memorial- Right now he's out playing teammate Jeronne Maymon. Most athletic player that I've seen this year. Gets to the hoop with ease, best rebounding guard I've seen, and has greatly improved his defense and outside shooting.
3. Jeronne Maymon 6'6 senior forward Madison Memorial- Had one good game and one bad game. Stat line of the good game says it all 24 pts 16 rebs 6 asts 5 blocks
4. DJ Fuller 5'11 junior guard Madison Lafollette- Very strong lead guard. No one can stay in front of him. Finishes strong.
5. Jason Ziemer 6'4 senior forward Verona- Great overall game. Can shoot the three, handle the ball, and score with in the paint.
6. JoJo Pregont 6'6 senior forward Janesville Craig- Great defender and runs the court very well.
7. Marshall Davis 6'5 senior forward Beloit- A beast on the inside and knocks down his free throws.
8. Tyler Tillema 6'3 senior guard Randolph- Great lead guard that knows when to score or dish off to an open teammate.
9. Derek Braucht 6'6 senior forward Madison Edgewood- Forward with guard skills in that he can knock down the three or penetrate and score.
10. Jade Royston 6'0 senior guard Wisconsin Dells- Handles the ball very well and can create his own shot or come off a screen. Ultimate combination guard.
11. Terry Taylor 5'9 junior guard Milwaukee Washington- Ultra quick guard that plays intense defense, nice floater in the lane, and can shoot the three.
12. Jason Paulson 6'4 senior forward Waunakee- Unstoppable when he gets the ball in the post.
13. Kyle Goike 6'3 senior forward Janesville Craig- Big time three point shooter.
14. Jake Overlien 6'3 senior forward Baraboo- Ultimate glue guy that can do alittle bit of everything.
15. Chris Redman 6'3 senior guard Madison Lafollette- Big time scorer that can be streaky at times.
Seniors
1. Antone Byrd 6'3 guard Milwaukee Washington
2. Jeronne Maymon 6'6 forward Madison Memorial
3. Jason Ziemer 6'4 forward Verona
4. JoJo Pregont 6'6 forward Janesville Craig
5. Marshall Davis 6'5 forward Beloit
6. Tyler Tillema 6'3 guard Randolph
7. Derek Braucht 6'6 forward Madison Edgewood
8. Jade Royston 6'0 guard Wisconsin Dells
9. Jason Paulson 6'4 forward Waunakee
10. Kyle Goike 6'3 forward Janesville Craig
HM
Jake Overlien 6'3 forward Baraboo
Chris Redman 6'3 guard Madison Lafollette
Jared Reuter 6'4 forward Randolph
Juniors
1. Vander Blue 6'3 guard Madison Memorial
2. DJ Fuller 5'11 guard Madison Lafollette
3. Terry Taylor 5'9 guard Milwaukee Washington
4. Kyle Kelm 6'9 forward Randolph- Very soft touch for a big guy and runs the court well.
5. Jon Cathey-Macklin 6'7 forward Milwaukee Washington- Tough rebounder and big time shot blocker.
6. Jon Dybevik 6'1 guard Madison Lafollette- Solid ball handler and finisher at the hoop.
7. Tre Creamer 6'3 guard Madison Memorial- Very good ball handler. Does a nice job of finding the open teammate.
8. Sharod Stone 5'10 guard Beloit- Solid lead guard that feeds the post well and can knock down the long jumpers.
9. Dominique Williams 6'5 forward Milwaukee Washington- Big rebounder and can step out and hit the 15 footer.
10. Justin Ward 6'1 guard Wisconsin Dells- Gunner that can knock down the outside shots.
HM
Nate Gibson 6'9 center Wisconsin Dells
Sophomores
1. Queyvn Winters 6'4 forward Milwaukee Washington- Very solid in the post and can run the court.
2. Brian Kampstra 6'3 forward Randolph- Solid defender and can knock down the three.
3. Mark Kowalke 6'5 forward Baraboo- Very solid in the post and can shoot the three.
4. Jordan Noskowiak 6'3 forward Sun Prairie- Moves very well without the ball. Handles the ball well and can get to the hoop.
5. Bruin Armwald 6'2 forward Madison Edgewood- Saw solid minutes. Has high basketball IQ.
6. Beau Murray ? guard Waunakee- Saw big minutes off the bench.
7. Jared Staege ? guard Waunakee- Another guy that saw decent minutes off the bench.
8. Cody Dare 6'1 guard Janesville Craig- Solid ball handler that saw some decent minutes.
9. Miles Chamberlain 6'3 forward Madison Memorial- See's mostly garbage time but, handles the ball pretty good.
Freshmen
1. Junior Lomomba 6'4 forward Madison Memorial- Very good at running the base line and finding the holes in the defense and good rebounder.
2. Tony Mayfield 5'9 guard Milwaukee Washington- Very good defender and can knock down the three.
As you can see by my sophomore rankings I'm just trying to fill out the 10 spots so as long as a kid is on varsity they make the list. The top four guys are a legit top 10 though. For freshmen they are the only two freshmen I've seen but, both are legit top guys.
Overall
1. Antone Byrd 6'3 senior guard Milwaukee Washington- Can get the hoop at will, knock down the three, and plays pretty good defense. Total package.
2. Vander Blue 6'3 junior guard Madison Memorial- Right now he's out playing teammate Jeronne Maymon. Most athletic player that I've seen this year. Gets to the hoop with ease, best rebounding guard I've seen, and has greatly improved his defense and outside shooting.
3. Jeronne Maymon 6'6 senior forward Madison Memorial- Had one good game and one bad game. Stat line of the good game says it all 24 pts 16 rebs 6 asts 5 blocks
4. DJ Fuller 5'11 junior guard Madison Lafollette- Very strong lead guard. No one can stay in front of him. Finishes strong.
5. Jason Ziemer 6'4 senior forward Verona- Great overall game. Can shoot the three, handle the ball, and score with in the paint.
6. JoJo Pregont 6'6 senior forward Janesville Craig- Great defender and runs the court very well.
7. Marshall Davis 6'5 senior forward Beloit- A beast on the inside and knocks down his free throws.
8. Tyler Tillema 6'3 senior guard Randolph- Great lead guard that knows when to score or dish off to an open teammate.
9. Derek Braucht 6'6 senior forward Madison Edgewood- Forward with guard skills in that he can knock down the three or penetrate and score.
10. Jade Royston 6'0 senior guard Wisconsin Dells- Handles the ball very well and can create his own shot or come off a screen. Ultimate combination guard.
11. Terry Taylor 5'9 junior guard Milwaukee Washington- Ultra quick guard that plays intense defense, nice floater in the lane, and can shoot the three.
12. Jason Paulson 6'4 senior forward Waunakee- Unstoppable when he gets the ball in the post.
13. Kyle Goike 6'3 senior forward Janesville Craig- Big time three point shooter.
14. Jake Overlien 6'3 senior forward Baraboo- Ultimate glue guy that can do alittle bit of everything.
15. Chris Redman 6'3 senior guard Madison Lafollette- Big time scorer that can be streaky at times.
Seniors
1. Antone Byrd 6'3 guard Milwaukee Washington
2. Jeronne Maymon 6'6 forward Madison Memorial
3. Jason Ziemer 6'4 forward Verona
4. JoJo Pregont 6'6 forward Janesville Craig
5. Marshall Davis 6'5 forward Beloit
6. Tyler Tillema 6'3 guard Randolph
7. Derek Braucht 6'6 forward Madison Edgewood
8. Jade Royston 6'0 guard Wisconsin Dells
9. Jason Paulson 6'4 forward Waunakee
10. Kyle Goike 6'3 forward Janesville Craig
HM
Jake Overlien 6'3 forward Baraboo
Chris Redman 6'3 guard Madison Lafollette
Jared Reuter 6'4 forward Randolph
Juniors
1. Vander Blue 6'3 guard Madison Memorial
2. DJ Fuller 5'11 guard Madison Lafollette
3. Terry Taylor 5'9 guard Milwaukee Washington
4. Kyle Kelm 6'9 forward Randolph- Very soft touch for a big guy and runs the court well.
5. Jon Cathey-Macklin 6'7 forward Milwaukee Washington- Tough rebounder and big time shot blocker.
6. Jon Dybevik 6'1 guard Madison Lafollette- Solid ball handler and finisher at the hoop.
7. Tre Creamer 6'3 guard Madison Memorial- Very good ball handler. Does a nice job of finding the open teammate.
8. Sharod Stone 5'10 guard Beloit- Solid lead guard that feeds the post well and can knock down the long jumpers.
9. Dominique Williams 6'5 forward Milwaukee Washington- Big rebounder and can step out and hit the 15 footer.
10. Justin Ward 6'1 guard Wisconsin Dells- Gunner that can knock down the outside shots.
HM
Nate Gibson 6'9 center Wisconsin Dells
Sophomores
1. Queyvn Winters 6'4 forward Milwaukee Washington- Very solid in the post and can run the court.
2. Brian Kampstra 6'3 forward Randolph- Solid defender and can knock down the three.
3. Mark Kowalke 6'5 forward Baraboo- Very solid in the post and can shoot the three.
4. Jordan Noskowiak 6'3 forward Sun Prairie- Moves very well without the ball. Handles the ball well and can get to the hoop.
5. Bruin Armwald 6'2 forward Madison Edgewood- Saw solid minutes. Has high basketball IQ.
6. Beau Murray ? guard Waunakee- Saw big minutes off the bench.
7. Jared Staege ? guard Waunakee- Another guy that saw decent minutes off the bench.
8. Cody Dare 6'1 guard Janesville Craig- Solid ball handler that saw some decent minutes.
9. Miles Chamberlain 6'3 forward Madison Memorial- See's mostly garbage time but, handles the ball pretty good.
Freshmen
1. Junior Lomomba 6'4 forward Madison Memorial- Very good at running the base line and finding the holes in the defense and good rebounder.
2. Tony Mayfield 5'9 guard Milwaukee Washington- Very good defender and can knock down the three.
As you can see by my sophomore rankings I'm just trying to fill out the 10 spots so as long as a kid is on varsity they make the list. The top four guys are a legit top 10 though. For freshmen they are the only two freshmen I've seen but, both are legit top guys.
Madison Lafollette Still Without Their First Win
You really have to feel bad for Madison Lafollette. Yes I thought they were overrated when the preseason rankings came out and they were picked second in the Big Eight Conference and 10th in the state but, no one saw an 0-5 start. Every game they've been right there and could of easily of won three of those five games. They lead for about 29 of 32 minutes in their opening game against Milwaukee Washington, a premier team in the league. Maybe if Lafollette beat Washington this season could be completely different with Lafollette sitting at 5-0. Right now Lafollette just doesn't have the "IT" factor to close out games and also lack inside presence.
The lack of inside presence was very evident in the most recent lost to Beloit, 62-57, when Beloit big man 6'5 senior Marshall Davis went for 31 points. Early on Lafollette looked to push the tempo and get out and run and Beloit was very content running right with them. Lafollette was able to get some easy baskets while everything Beloit threw up seemed to drop. I was surprised that throughout the entire game neither team took advantage of their huge advantage at the 4 position. For Beloit 6'6 senior Terrell Parks was matched up on Lafollette's 6'3 senior Chris Redman. Redman is a listed at a very generous 6'3 and Parks probably could of posted him up all day but, choose to play out on the perimeter and not use his size. On the other side Lafollette could of probably spread the floor and let Redmand go one on one with Parks but, Redman seemed content just passing the ball away or pulling up for a mid range jumper which was blocked twice.
Second half there was one story, Marshall Davis. I've said it a many times, Lafollette lacks an inside and presence and it was very evident in this game as Davis was able to score at will with his back to the basket and the times he didn't score he was fouled. When Davis went to the line more times then not he was going to knock the shots down. Lafollette continued to look to push the ball which lead to easy baskets as Beloit was very lazy getting back on defense many times. In the end Davis was just too much and very poor timing of a technical foul on Lafollette's coach sealed the game.
For Beloit there really isn't much to talk about other then Marshall Davis. Davis was a one man team in the game. Davis teams with Parks to form a very solid and athletic front court and their backcourt is just as solid as the rotate six different guys in at the three guard spots and don't lose a thing one through six.
5'11 junior DJ Fuller was once again the leader for Lafollette as he was able to get inside at will but, unfortunatly his passes found surprised teammates who would drop of bobble the ball. Fuller would of probably had close to double digit assists had his teammates held unto the ball. Tonight it seemed no one wanted to shoot the ball besides Fuller. Chris Redman seems to be in coach William's doghouse right now as he didn't start the game and every time Redman did anything wrong he was instantly pulled. This call Redman to never really get into the game as he missed two layups, had a charging call on him, and also had his one technical foul. 6'0 senior Brett Klinker is instant scoring when he comes in as he hit two quick threes as soon as he hit the floor.
Top Players
Marshall Davis 6'5 senior Beloit- Unstoppable tonight. Also a very good free throw shooter for a big man. Also love the goggles.
Terrell Parks 6'6 senior Beloit- Would like to see him play down low more but, runs the court very well and also rebounds pretty good.
DJ Fuller 5'11 junior Lafollette- I don't know if anyone in the state can stay in front of this kid. Can finish at the hoop with a variety of shots.
Brett Klinkner 6'0 senior Lafollette- Very good three point shooter. Instant points off the bench.
Maher Hakim 5'9 senior Lafollette- Solid defender with a very nice floater on offense, can also knock down the three.
Score
Madison Lafollette- 57
Beloit- 62
Box Score (starters in bold and italics)
Lafollette- Fuller 16 Hakim 9 Jon Dybevik 7 Klinkner 7 Ryan Waeffler 6 Lucas DuBois 6 Jaren Singh 4 Redman 2 Kijuan Smith 0
Beloit- Davis 31 Parks 8 Sharod Stone 6 KJ Evans 5 Jordan Young 5 Jahlil Smith 4 Eric Sims 3 Dakot Lindsey 0 Robert Douglas 0
I'm interested to see Beloit play Madison Memorial because Beloit is probably the most athletic team in the conference outside of Memorial. I'm not sure if the Beloit guards can handle the Memorial press but, should be a very fun and interesting game to watch. Madison Lafollette is really struggling right now but, I think they will turn things around and should finish with a record close to .500.
The lack of inside presence was very evident in the most recent lost to Beloit, 62-57, when Beloit big man 6'5 senior Marshall Davis went for 31 points. Early on Lafollette looked to push the tempo and get out and run and Beloit was very content running right with them. Lafollette was able to get some easy baskets while everything Beloit threw up seemed to drop. I was surprised that throughout the entire game neither team took advantage of their huge advantage at the 4 position. For Beloit 6'6 senior Terrell Parks was matched up on Lafollette's 6'3 senior Chris Redman. Redman is a listed at a very generous 6'3 and Parks probably could of posted him up all day but, choose to play out on the perimeter and not use his size. On the other side Lafollette could of probably spread the floor and let Redmand go one on one with Parks but, Redman seemed content just passing the ball away or pulling up for a mid range jumper which was blocked twice.
Second half there was one story, Marshall Davis. I've said it a many times, Lafollette lacks an inside and presence and it was very evident in this game as Davis was able to score at will with his back to the basket and the times he didn't score he was fouled. When Davis went to the line more times then not he was going to knock the shots down. Lafollette continued to look to push the ball which lead to easy baskets as Beloit was very lazy getting back on defense many times. In the end Davis was just too much and very poor timing of a technical foul on Lafollette's coach sealed the game.
For Beloit there really isn't much to talk about other then Marshall Davis. Davis was a one man team in the game. Davis teams with Parks to form a very solid and athletic front court and their backcourt is just as solid as the rotate six different guys in at the three guard spots and don't lose a thing one through six.
5'11 junior DJ Fuller was once again the leader for Lafollette as he was able to get inside at will but, unfortunatly his passes found surprised teammates who would drop of bobble the ball. Fuller would of probably had close to double digit assists had his teammates held unto the ball. Tonight it seemed no one wanted to shoot the ball besides Fuller. Chris Redman seems to be in coach William's doghouse right now as he didn't start the game and every time Redman did anything wrong he was instantly pulled. This call Redman to never really get into the game as he missed two layups, had a charging call on him, and also had his one technical foul. 6'0 senior Brett Klinker is instant scoring when he comes in as he hit two quick threes as soon as he hit the floor.
Top Players
Marshall Davis 6'5 senior Beloit- Unstoppable tonight. Also a very good free throw shooter for a big man. Also love the goggles.
Terrell Parks 6'6 senior Beloit- Would like to see him play down low more but, runs the court very well and also rebounds pretty good.
DJ Fuller 5'11 junior Lafollette- I don't know if anyone in the state can stay in front of this kid. Can finish at the hoop with a variety of shots.
Brett Klinkner 6'0 senior Lafollette- Very good three point shooter. Instant points off the bench.
Maher Hakim 5'9 senior Lafollette- Solid defender with a very nice floater on offense, can also knock down the three.
Score
Madison Lafollette- 57
Beloit- 62
Box Score (starters in bold and italics)
Lafollette- Fuller 16 Hakim 9 Jon Dybevik 7 Klinkner 7 Ryan Waeffler 6 Lucas DuBois 6 Jaren Singh 4 Redman 2 Kijuan Smith 0
Beloit- Davis 31 Parks 8 Sharod Stone 6 KJ Evans 5 Jordan Young 5 Jahlil Smith 4 Eric Sims 3 Dakot Lindsey 0 Robert Douglas 0
I'm interested to see Beloit play Madison Memorial because Beloit is probably the most athletic team in the conference outside of Memorial. I'm not sure if the Beloit guards can handle the Memorial press but, should be a very fun and interesting game to watch. Madison Lafollette is really struggling right now but, I think they will turn things around and should finish with a record close to .500.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
First Round of Team Rankings
I figured that I've seen enough teams to be able to do my first round of team rankings. As last year I will only be ranking the teams that I've actually seen. In ( ) I will put how many times that I've seen the teams play. Even though a team may have beaten another team on the list I only take into consideration the game that I saw the team play, most of the time anyway. (Sorry Sun Prairie I didn't see you guys play Lafollette) This week I'll probably just do top teams and once I see more teams I'll break it down by division.
1. Madison Memorial (2)- By far the most athletic team and best rebounding team that I've seen. Half court offense is alittle rough but, if they can speed the game up there is no stopping them.
2. Milwaukee Washington (1)- Most complete over all team. Three guards that play intense defense and can score. Big men that block shots and rebound.
3. Verona (1)- Ziemer is one of the best players I've seen and Wadzinski is a very good #2 option.
4. Madison Lafollette (1)- I know there record isn't good but, the game I saw them they looked very good. Their three guards are as good as any in the state.
5. Janesville Craig (1)- Kyle Goike and JoJo Pregont are a very solid 1, 2, punch. Lots of team height and solid bench.
6. Baraboo (2)- Very team oriented and move very well without the ball.
7. Waunakee (1)- Another team oriented team, that has a very strong inside play. Just looking for consitant play on perimeter.
8. Randolph (1)- Very patient team on defense and offense. Tillema is tops around and strong interior play.
9. Madison Edgewood (1)- Play harder then any team I've seen but, I just can't get over their lack of height and interior play.
10. Sun Praire (1)- Wasn't very impressed with them when I saw them but, I'm taking it as a bad night.
11. Wisconsin Dells (2)- Right now Jade Royston is the only guy scoring.
Well there are my first round of rankings. I'm sure things will change quiet a bit. yes I know that Lafollette lost to both Janesville Craig and Sun Prairie but, i didn't see those games and don't like to take other peoples opinions on whose better unless I saw the actual game and what happened. Anyway I'm sure Lafollette will fall if they deserve it because I will be seeing them a time or two more throughout the year.
1. Madison Memorial (2)- By far the most athletic team and best rebounding team that I've seen. Half court offense is alittle rough but, if they can speed the game up there is no stopping them.
2. Milwaukee Washington (1)- Most complete over all team. Three guards that play intense defense and can score. Big men that block shots and rebound.
3. Verona (1)- Ziemer is one of the best players I've seen and Wadzinski is a very good #2 option.
4. Madison Lafollette (1)- I know there record isn't good but, the game I saw them they looked very good. Their three guards are as good as any in the state.
5. Janesville Craig (1)- Kyle Goike and JoJo Pregont are a very solid 1, 2, punch. Lots of team height and solid bench.
6. Baraboo (2)- Very team oriented and move very well without the ball.
7. Waunakee (1)- Another team oriented team, that has a very strong inside play. Just looking for consitant play on perimeter.
8. Randolph (1)- Very patient team on defense and offense. Tillema is tops around and strong interior play.
9. Madison Edgewood (1)- Play harder then any team I've seen but, I just can't get over their lack of height and interior play.
10. Sun Praire (1)- Wasn't very impressed with them when I saw them but, I'm taking it as a bad night.
11. Wisconsin Dells (2)- Right now Jade Royston is the only guy scoring.
Well there are my first round of rankings. I'm sure things will change quiet a bit. yes I know that Lafollette lost to both Janesville Craig and Sun Prairie but, i didn't see those games and don't like to take other peoples opinions on whose better unless I saw the actual game and what happened. Anyway I'm sure Lafollette will fall if they deserve it because I will be seeing them a time or two more throughout the year.
Madison Memorial Routes Sun Prairie
I've really been slacking lately and still trying to catch up on my games. Saturday night I went down to check out the Sun Prairie take on Madison Memorial. Sun Prairie had just beaten Madison Lafollette and I wanted to see if Sun Prairie was finally ready to make a jump up in the conference or if Lafollette is actually that bad.
Sun Prairie started the game out very well and I was pretty impressed with them throughout the first five minutes of the game but, then started to go south. Sun Prairie's play started to drop slowly at first but, continued to fall faster and faster as the game wore on and the Memorial defense wore them down. I believe with about three or four minutes left in the half Memorial only had about a seven point lead and that is when their patented press defense came out and Sun Prairie went into a shell shock. Prairie kept turning the ball over right at the end and 6'3 junior Vander Blue knocked down a buzzer three for Memorial. The bright spot though for Sun Prairie with their turnovers, were that they didn't result in easy Memorial baskets. Typically the Cardinals were just throwing the ball out of bounds do to some miscommunication. The press was kept on until midway through the fourth and the final score ended at 70-36.
Sun Prairie played a 2-3 zone throughout the entire game as long as Memorial star 6'6 senior Jeronne Maymon was in. The defense worked in stopping Maymon in that he only scored seven points but, Vander Blue just ate the Cardinals zone up. Blue was able to penetrate to the middle of the zone and knock down the floater. 6'4 freshmen Junior Lomomba also had a strong showing against the zone as he was able to run the baseline and find openings in the defense for easy layups. Once again Memorial dominated the boards offensively and defensively. Tonight Memorial was just the far more athletic team and it showed as they beat Sun Prairie to the loose balls and their hands were also above the outstretched hands of the Cardinals.
Score
Madison Memorial 70
Sun Prairie 36
Box Score (starters in bold and italics)
Memorial- Blue 15 Lomomba 14 Maymon 7 Fred Ringhand 7 Eric Fruhling 7 Ace Davis 6 Tre Creamer 6 Xavier Jones 3 Ed Kluender 3 Russell Henderson 2 Miles Chamberlain 0 Karl Klatt 0 Alvin Olson 0 Mathew Laubmeier 0
Sun Prairie- Sam Marshall 12 Jordan Noskowiak 9 Korey Enstad 4 Michael Boos 3 Tyler Cobb 2 Andrew Peters 2 Jason Davis 2 Jacob Baker 2 Michael Handel 0 William Thiel 0 Anthony Burchette 0 Terrence Porter 0 Chet Pohlman 0 Eric Wilberding 0 Trevor Opps 0
Top Players
Vander Blue 6'3 junior Madison Memorial- This game was Vanders night. He could get to the basket at will, knocked down a couple of threes, and missed a dunk where he tried to go right over a Sun Prairie player.
Junior Lomomba 6'4 freshmen Madison Memorial- Moves extremely well without the ball is also a very good rebounder. Right now may be more of an athlete then anything else.
Sam Marshall 6'4 senior Sun Prairie- One of the few Cardinals that was able to score. Was able to get inside position and get the easy layups.
Jordan Noskowiak 6'3 sophomore Sun Prairie- Looked good early on knocking down some shots and getting to hoop but, was slowed by some foul trouble.
Once again Memorial wins because they are the most athletic team on the court. Right now I don't think they'll play a team from Wisconsin that can compete with them athletically until state where they would see a team from the southeast part of the state. Maybe I just caught Sun Prairie on an off night but, I would say that there still not ready to make the jump to the top half of the conference.
Sun Prairie started the game out very well and I was pretty impressed with them throughout the first five minutes of the game but, then started to go south. Sun Prairie's play started to drop slowly at first but, continued to fall faster and faster as the game wore on and the Memorial defense wore them down. I believe with about three or four minutes left in the half Memorial only had about a seven point lead and that is when their patented press defense came out and Sun Prairie went into a shell shock. Prairie kept turning the ball over right at the end and 6'3 junior Vander Blue knocked down a buzzer three for Memorial. The bright spot though for Sun Prairie with their turnovers, were that they didn't result in easy Memorial baskets. Typically the Cardinals were just throwing the ball out of bounds do to some miscommunication. The press was kept on until midway through the fourth and the final score ended at 70-36.
Sun Prairie played a 2-3 zone throughout the entire game as long as Memorial star 6'6 senior Jeronne Maymon was in. The defense worked in stopping Maymon in that he only scored seven points but, Vander Blue just ate the Cardinals zone up. Blue was able to penetrate to the middle of the zone and knock down the floater. 6'4 freshmen Junior Lomomba also had a strong showing against the zone as he was able to run the baseline and find openings in the defense for easy layups. Once again Memorial dominated the boards offensively and defensively. Tonight Memorial was just the far more athletic team and it showed as they beat Sun Prairie to the loose balls and their hands were also above the outstretched hands of the Cardinals.
Score
Madison Memorial 70
Sun Prairie 36
Box Score (starters in bold and italics)
Memorial- Blue 15 Lomomba 14 Maymon 7 Fred Ringhand 7 Eric Fruhling 7 Ace Davis 6 Tre Creamer 6 Xavier Jones 3 Ed Kluender 3 Russell Henderson 2 Miles Chamberlain 0 Karl Klatt 0 Alvin Olson 0 Mathew Laubmeier 0
Sun Prairie- Sam Marshall 12 Jordan Noskowiak 9 Korey Enstad 4 Michael Boos 3 Tyler Cobb 2 Andrew Peters 2 Jason Davis 2 Jacob Baker 2 Michael Handel 0 William Thiel 0 Anthony Burchette 0 Terrence Porter 0 Chet Pohlman 0 Eric Wilberding 0 Trevor Opps 0
Top Players
Vander Blue 6'3 junior Madison Memorial- This game was Vanders night. He could get to the basket at will, knocked down a couple of threes, and missed a dunk where he tried to go right over a Sun Prairie player.
Junior Lomomba 6'4 freshmen Madison Memorial- Moves extremely well without the ball is also a very good rebounder. Right now may be more of an athlete then anything else.
Sam Marshall 6'4 senior Sun Prairie- One of the few Cardinals that was able to score. Was able to get inside position and get the easy layups.
Jordan Noskowiak 6'3 sophomore Sun Prairie- Looked good early on knocking down some shots and getting to hoop but, was slowed by some foul trouble.
Once again Memorial wins because they are the most athletic team on the court. Right now I don't think they'll play a team from Wisconsin that can compete with them athletically until state where they would see a team from the southeast part of the state. Maybe I just caught Sun Prairie on an off night but, I would say that there still not ready to make the jump to the top half of the conference.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Randolph over Wisconsin Dells
Still working on catching up on games, as I saw this game last Friday night and still have another game to cover from Saturday and could probably discuss the Marquette game that I'm going to be watching but, won't just because I'm trying to catch up and hopefully will be doing my initial rankings in the next couple days.
Well this game was pretty much over from the start. The only lead that the Dells had was 2-0 and from there everything went south very quickly. Offensively Wisconsin Dells could get nothing going. They hit a couple threes early in the first quarter to keep the game close after the first but were never closer then 13 the rest of the game before losing by 20. Dells kept looking to get the ball into their big man 6'9 junior Nate Gibson but, there just wasn't anything there. About half the time they'd throw the ball in Gibson wouldn't even get a hand on it and the ball would go out of bounds or Randolph would still it. When Gibson did get the ball he would bring the ball down and have the shot blocked or would have it block by fellow 6'9 junior Kyle Kelm. Right now Nate Gibson can not get off the ground what so ever so anyone 6'4 or taller can block him. Wisconsin Dells star 6'0 senior Jade Royston really struggled in the first half to find any rhythem shooting whatsoever. I believe he had three points top in the first half. In the second half Royston was able to get out in transition and score along with getting to the free throw line to finish with 16 points. One bright spot for the Chiefs was the play of 6'1 junior Justin Ward. For whatever reason Ward didn't play the first half but, he came off the bench in the second half to provide a huge spark and had nine second half points including a pair of three pointers.
For Randolph they were able to get the ball inside to 6'4 senior Jared Reuter who was able to score at will with his back to the basket. Their lead guard 6'3 senior Tyler Tillema was able to penetrate and score in a variety of ways. Tillema was also able to get the fast break going by picking off passes and grabbing long rebounds which led to easy baskets for himself or assists to his wide open teammates. Randolph was extremely patients on the offensive end, not taking bad shots or making passes where there are no openings. The Rockets also play great defense which led to some of Royston's poor shooting and the inability to the ball into Gibson. As always Randolph rebounds the ball very well and those long rebounds led to baskets are the other end.
Score
Randolph 61
Wisconsin Dells 41
Box Scores (starters bold and italics)
Randolph- Tillema 19 J. Reuter 16 Kelm 11 Brian Kampstra 7 Jay Fish 4 Ben Syverston 2 Corey Pfeffer 2 Chris Compean 0 Justin Laper 0 Max DeVries 0 Fransico Galvan 0 Zach Reuter 0 Andrew Buss 0
Wisconsin Dells- Royston 16 Ward 9 Jake Williams 6 Jimmy Alvin 3 Kyle Stowers 3 Bobby Blaschke 2 Gibson 2 Jake Hall 0
Top Players
Tyler Tillema 6'3 senior Randolph- Very good point guard that leads the break great whether it be taking the ball himself or laying it off to an open teammate.
Jared Reuter 6'4 senior Randolph- Just a beast on the inside that can score at will on the inside and solid rebounder.
Kyle Kelm 6'10 junior Randolph- Has a very nice touch from the outside and runs the court very well, which led to a nice little dunk for him.
Jade Royston 6'0 senior Wisconsin Dells- Handles the ball very well and can create his own shots which he has to many times.
Justin Ward 6'1 junior Wisconisn Dells- Spark off the bench that isn't a afraid to take the shots. Knocked down a couple threes in the game and took the ball strong to the hoop a few times.
As a Wisconsin Dells fan this could be a long season. Right now Royston is the only player looking to score but, the play of Ward makes things appear alittle brighter. The Chiefs will probably end up being one of the top teams in the conference once again but, come tournament time they'll probably be a second round knock out.
Well this game was pretty much over from the start. The only lead that the Dells had was 2-0 and from there everything went south very quickly. Offensively Wisconsin Dells could get nothing going. They hit a couple threes early in the first quarter to keep the game close after the first but were never closer then 13 the rest of the game before losing by 20. Dells kept looking to get the ball into their big man 6'9 junior Nate Gibson but, there just wasn't anything there. About half the time they'd throw the ball in Gibson wouldn't even get a hand on it and the ball would go out of bounds or Randolph would still it. When Gibson did get the ball he would bring the ball down and have the shot blocked or would have it block by fellow 6'9 junior Kyle Kelm. Right now Nate Gibson can not get off the ground what so ever so anyone 6'4 or taller can block him. Wisconsin Dells star 6'0 senior Jade Royston really struggled in the first half to find any rhythem shooting whatsoever. I believe he had three points top in the first half. In the second half Royston was able to get out in transition and score along with getting to the free throw line to finish with 16 points. One bright spot for the Chiefs was the play of 6'1 junior Justin Ward. For whatever reason Ward didn't play the first half but, he came off the bench in the second half to provide a huge spark and had nine second half points including a pair of three pointers.
For Randolph they were able to get the ball inside to 6'4 senior Jared Reuter who was able to score at will with his back to the basket. Their lead guard 6'3 senior Tyler Tillema was able to penetrate and score in a variety of ways. Tillema was also able to get the fast break going by picking off passes and grabbing long rebounds which led to easy baskets for himself or assists to his wide open teammates. Randolph was extremely patients on the offensive end, not taking bad shots or making passes where there are no openings. The Rockets also play great defense which led to some of Royston's poor shooting and the inability to the ball into Gibson. As always Randolph rebounds the ball very well and those long rebounds led to baskets are the other end.
Score
Randolph 61
Wisconsin Dells 41
Box Scores (starters bold and italics)
Randolph- Tillema 19 J. Reuter 16 Kelm 11 Brian Kampstra 7 Jay Fish 4 Ben Syverston 2 Corey Pfeffer 2 Chris Compean 0 Justin Laper 0 Max DeVries 0 Fransico Galvan 0 Zach Reuter 0 Andrew Buss 0
Wisconsin Dells- Royston 16 Ward 9 Jake Williams 6 Jimmy Alvin 3 Kyle Stowers 3 Bobby Blaschke 2 Gibson 2 Jake Hall 0
Top Players
Tyler Tillema 6'3 senior Randolph- Very good point guard that leads the break great whether it be taking the ball himself or laying it off to an open teammate.
Jared Reuter 6'4 senior Randolph- Just a beast on the inside that can score at will on the inside and solid rebounder.
Kyle Kelm 6'10 junior Randolph- Has a very nice touch from the outside and runs the court very well, which led to a nice little dunk for him.
Jade Royston 6'0 senior Wisconsin Dells- Handles the ball very well and can create his own shots which he has to many times.
Justin Ward 6'1 junior Wisconisn Dells- Spark off the bench that isn't a afraid to take the shots. Knocked down a couple threes in the game and took the ball strong to the hoop a few times.
As a Wisconsin Dells fan this could be a long season. Right now Royston is the only player looking to score but, the play of Ward makes things appear alittle brighter. The Chiefs will probably end up being one of the top teams in the conference once again but, come tournament time they'll probably be a second round knock out.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Madison Memorial over Verona
I'm a little behind on my first Madison Memorial game that I saw Thursday night but, I've gone to games the past three nights and haven't had much of a chance to post. This was a highly touted game with Memorial being the #1 team in the state and this being Verona's first year in the Big Eight after being a top team the Badger South the last few years. Both teams have gone to state multiple times in the past five years and many people picked Verona to finish third or second behind Memorial in the conference.
The game opened up with Verona taking the early lead as they were able to knock down some open threes and get some easy layups. Memorial was able to storm back with their trapping defense which allowed for some fast break points. Throughout the first half Memorial dominated the boards getting second and third chances almost every time down the court. Memorial held a small lead at the half. In the second half Memorial came out even more intense with their pressure defense and rebounding and were able to extend their lead to 20 points before both benches were cleared and the final score ended up at 68-55 which may of been much worse had the starters played the entire game.
Madison Memorial is very similar to last years team in that there going to bring the full court trapping pressure and their at their best when they are able to push the tempo and get fast breaks. Still appears that they lack outside shooting like last year, which killed them in the championship game last year. 6'6 senior Jeronne Maymon had a huge overall game as he recorded 24 points 16 rebounds 6 assists and 5 blocked shots. Maymon was able to get out in transition and score as well as get the ball in the post and score or create scoring opportunities for others. Maymon had two nice dunks in the game a one step two handed dunk and a break away dunk that he really cocked back and threw down hard. He also missed a one handed put back dunk. Besides the Maymon show rebounding was a huge key for Memorial when they were unable to get the fast break going. All five of Memorials starters bound the offensive glass. Besides Maymon 6'1 senior Fred Ringhand, 6'3 junior Vander Blue, 6'4 freshmen Junior Lomomba and even 5'10 senior Xavier Jones are all able to get offensive rebounds which led to numerous easy buckets.
The story for Verona in the game was their guards inability to handle the Memorial pressure and the inability to keep Memorial off the glass. The two positives for Verona was their two returning starting forwards 6'4 senior Jason Ziemer and 6'3 junior Adam Wadzinski. I knew these guys were good last year but, this year they appear ready to really break and have great all around games. Everyone knows about Ziemer's great inside game rebounding and scoring in the paint but, in the game he really showcased his outside game. Ziemer knocked down at least one three pointer and was able to penetrate past Memorial defenders and score as well as his normal inside game. Last year Wadzinski was just a roll player, which may of been because he was a sophomore but, this year he appears ready to team with Ziemer to carry this team. Like Ziemer, Wadzinski has greatly improved his perimeter game.
Madison Memorial 68
Verona 55
Box Score (starters in italics)
Memorial- Maymon 24 Blue 19 Lomomba 13 Jones 7 Tre Creamer 4 Ace Davis 1 Russel Henderson 0 Ringhand 0 Eric Blue 0 Miles Chamberlain 0
Verona- Ziemer 24 Wadzinski 12 Travis Schaaf 8 Sam Karls 4 Kevin Reinke 3 Scott Plato 2 Sam Riebau 2 Klayton Brandt 0 Matt Ropel 0 Chris Mason 0 Kaden Nauman 0 Brandon Banzhaf 0 Scott Christensen 0 Taylor Peterson 0 Ethan Malofsky 0
Top Players
Jeronne Maymon 6'6 senior Madison Memorial- His stat line that I stated above pretty much stats it all.
Vander Blue 6'3 junior Madison Memorial- Probably the best rebounding guard in the state right now. Also gets out and runs extremely well.
Junior Lomomba 6'4 freshmen Madison Memorial- Very similar to Blue in rebounding and running and also does a nice job of cutting to the hoop and getting himself open. Needs to work on his hands though, not very soft.
Xavier Jones 5'10 senior Madison Memorial- Hit the only two three point shots for Memorial which will be need later in the season, also had a nice little shake and bake move to get by his defender and found Maymon for the lay in.
Jason Ziemer 6'4 senior Verona- He can now do it all from handling the ball, to shooting the three, and of course his inside game.
Adam Wadzinski 6'3 junior Verona- Can do everything that Ziemer does, just not quiet as good.
Right now I think Memorial is a very beatable team. If your guards can take care of the ball you should be in the game and once you get in past half court you need to pump fake because their guys are very block happy. Defensively I would pack it in with some type of a zone because right now Memorial does not shoot the three ball very well, just like last year.
The game opened up with Verona taking the early lead as they were able to knock down some open threes and get some easy layups. Memorial was able to storm back with their trapping defense which allowed for some fast break points. Throughout the first half Memorial dominated the boards getting second and third chances almost every time down the court. Memorial held a small lead at the half. In the second half Memorial came out even more intense with their pressure defense and rebounding and were able to extend their lead to 20 points before both benches were cleared and the final score ended up at 68-55 which may of been much worse had the starters played the entire game.
Madison Memorial is very similar to last years team in that there going to bring the full court trapping pressure and their at their best when they are able to push the tempo and get fast breaks. Still appears that they lack outside shooting like last year, which killed them in the championship game last year. 6'6 senior Jeronne Maymon had a huge overall game as he recorded 24 points 16 rebounds 6 assists and 5 blocked shots. Maymon was able to get out in transition and score as well as get the ball in the post and score or create scoring opportunities for others. Maymon had two nice dunks in the game a one step two handed dunk and a break away dunk that he really cocked back and threw down hard. He also missed a one handed put back dunk. Besides the Maymon show rebounding was a huge key for Memorial when they were unable to get the fast break going. All five of Memorials starters bound the offensive glass. Besides Maymon 6'1 senior Fred Ringhand, 6'3 junior Vander Blue, 6'4 freshmen Junior Lomomba and even 5'10 senior Xavier Jones are all able to get offensive rebounds which led to numerous easy buckets.
The story for Verona in the game was their guards inability to handle the Memorial pressure and the inability to keep Memorial off the glass. The two positives for Verona was their two returning starting forwards 6'4 senior Jason Ziemer and 6'3 junior Adam Wadzinski. I knew these guys were good last year but, this year they appear ready to really break and have great all around games. Everyone knows about Ziemer's great inside game rebounding and scoring in the paint but, in the game he really showcased his outside game. Ziemer knocked down at least one three pointer and was able to penetrate past Memorial defenders and score as well as his normal inside game. Last year Wadzinski was just a roll player, which may of been because he was a sophomore but, this year he appears ready to team with Ziemer to carry this team. Like Ziemer, Wadzinski has greatly improved his perimeter game.
Madison Memorial 68
Verona 55
Box Score (starters in italics)
Memorial- Maymon 24 Blue 19 Lomomba 13 Jones 7 Tre Creamer 4 Ace Davis 1 Russel Henderson 0 Ringhand 0 Eric Blue 0 Miles Chamberlain 0
Verona- Ziemer 24 Wadzinski 12 Travis Schaaf 8 Sam Karls 4 Kevin Reinke 3 Scott Plato 2 Sam Riebau 2 Klayton Brandt 0 Matt Ropel 0 Chris Mason 0 Kaden Nauman 0 Brandon Banzhaf 0 Scott Christensen 0 Taylor Peterson 0 Ethan Malofsky 0
Top Players
Jeronne Maymon 6'6 senior Madison Memorial- His stat line that I stated above pretty much stats it all.
Vander Blue 6'3 junior Madison Memorial- Probably the best rebounding guard in the state right now. Also gets out and runs extremely well.
Junior Lomomba 6'4 freshmen Madison Memorial- Very similar to Blue in rebounding and running and also does a nice job of cutting to the hoop and getting himself open. Needs to work on his hands though, not very soft.
Xavier Jones 5'10 senior Madison Memorial- Hit the only two three point shots for Memorial which will be need later in the season, also had a nice little shake and bake move to get by his defender and found Maymon for the lay in.
Jason Ziemer 6'4 senior Verona- He can now do it all from handling the ball, to shooting the three, and of course his inside game.
Adam Wadzinski 6'3 junior Verona- Can do everything that Ziemer does, just not quiet as good.
Right now I think Memorial is a very beatable team. If your guards can take care of the ball you should be in the game and once you get in past half court you need to pump fake because their guys are very block happy. Defensively I would pack it in with some type of a zone because right now Memorial does not shoot the three ball very well, just like last year.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Baraboo Upsets Waunakee
In an extremely intense game Baraboo defeated Waunakee 62-61 on a shot that was made with about six seconds remaining in the game. These two teams are considered the top two teams in the Badger North but, Waunakee was considered to be the better team without question as they lost only one starter from last years one lose team. Baraboo won the game and their fans stormed the court and Waunakee has already matched their lose total from a year ago in the first game of the year.
Out of the gates Baraboo was turning the ball over which led to some easy transition baskets for Waunakee and an early lead as Waunakee led throughout much of the first half. Late in the first half some big three pointers by 5'9 senior Jon Schlender and then some good free throw shooting by Baraboo tied the game at half as Schlender hit his second three at the buzzer. The second half opened up the opposite of the first half as Baraboo was able to force the turnovers and jump out to a big lead as 6'2 senior guard Chris Siebert was able to get himself going as he got some easy layups and was highlighted by a nice little two handed dunk. Baraboo was able to extend their lead to double digits before Waunakee was able to charge back behind a couple of their senior leaders and take a one point lead. 6'3 Ryan Gilles stepped up big and scored the majority on his 19 points in the second half. The other senior that stepped up was 6'4 Jason Paulson who was able to score in the post or get fouled and score from the free throw line, unfortunately he struggled from the line and may of cost Waunakee the game. In the end the game came down right to the end. With Baraboo clinging to a one point lead Waunakee looked to go back inside but, were unable and another senior stepped up as 6'3 Eric Helt knocked down the jumper. Baraboo then inbounded the ball and Schlender went the length of the court before he found 6'3 senior Jake Overlien cutting to the hoop and Overlien hit the game winning layup. Waunakee came back down but, their last second shot wouldn't fall.
Baraboo looked much better in this game then they did in their first game against Wisconsin Dells. Schlender was knocked down the outside shots and they were able to force turnovers that led to easy baskets which they didn't do against the Dells. Siebert still appears to be struggling with his shot right now but, was able to get some things going by driving to the hoop and getting some easy transition layups. The player of the game though was Overlien. Not only did he hit the game winning shot but, was able to cut to the hoop, get easy layups all night long, knocked down the open three point shot, and of course hit the majority of his free throws. These things all led to Overlien tying Schlender as the leading scorer.
Despite only losing one starter from last year Waunakee did not look anywhere near as good as they did last year when I saw them. This may be because I saw them at the end of last year while this was their first game of the year. It was fairly obvious in watching the game that this was Waunakee's first game of the year and Baraboo's third game. Waunakee is a senior dominated team and will only get better as the year goes on and will probably find themselves at the top of the conference by the end of the year. 6'7 senior Zach Ripley is the player getting the division one recruits but, he really didn't seem like a division one player tonight. Ripley strikes me as a second option player and not someone that can carry a team. Ripley appeared to force too many shots and this just isn't his game. He works off other players but, isn't the player that everyone else is working off. Waunakee plays some very good defense and don't have any selfish players on there team and share the ball very well. This unselfishness may come to hurt Waunakee as they don't seem to have that go to player when the games on the line, like they had Ryan Staege last year who has now moved on to college.
Baraboo 62
Waunakee 61
Box Score
Baraboo- Overlien 16 Schlender 16 Siebert 11 Ethan Dosier 6 Micah Kutcha 4 Jake Banks 3 Mark Kowalke 3 Taylor Jahn 3 Tony Brandt 0 Pat O'Conner 0
Waunakee- Gilles 19 Ripley 12 Paulson 11 Helt 8 Mitch Roelke 7 Austin Goetsch 2 Beau Murray 2 Jared Staege 0 Cole Cefalu 0
Top Players
Jake Overlien 6'3 senior Baraboo- I basically mentioned everything earlier in the post. Overlien just does all the little things for this Baraboo team and tonight scoring was the thing they needed him to do.
Jon Schlender 5'9 senior Baraboo- Sharpshooter from three point range and is able to penetrate when the opening is there.
Ryan Gilles 6'3 senior Waunakee- Big time scorer that can knock down the three point shot and get inside and score in a variety of ways.
Jason Paulson 6'4 senior Waunakee- Can score with ease in the post with his back to the basket.
Mitch Roelke 6'0 senior Waunakee- Very intense player that is an extremely tenacious defensive player and feeds the post extremely well setting up his teammates to score.
I've now had three out of four games that have been extremely exciting games to witness. Hopefully the rest of the season will be just as exciting.
Out of the gates Baraboo was turning the ball over which led to some easy transition baskets for Waunakee and an early lead as Waunakee led throughout much of the first half. Late in the first half some big three pointers by 5'9 senior Jon Schlender and then some good free throw shooting by Baraboo tied the game at half as Schlender hit his second three at the buzzer. The second half opened up the opposite of the first half as Baraboo was able to force the turnovers and jump out to a big lead as 6'2 senior guard Chris Siebert was able to get himself going as he got some easy layups and was highlighted by a nice little two handed dunk. Baraboo was able to extend their lead to double digits before Waunakee was able to charge back behind a couple of their senior leaders and take a one point lead. 6'3 Ryan Gilles stepped up big and scored the majority on his 19 points in the second half. The other senior that stepped up was 6'4 Jason Paulson who was able to score in the post or get fouled and score from the free throw line, unfortunately he struggled from the line and may of cost Waunakee the game. In the end the game came down right to the end. With Baraboo clinging to a one point lead Waunakee looked to go back inside but, were unable and another senior stepped up as 6'3 Eric Helt knocked down the jumper. Baraboo then inbounded the ball and Schlender went the length of the court before he found 6'3 senior Jake Overlien cutting to the hoop and Overlien hit the game winning layup. Waunakee came back down but, their last second shot wouldn't fall.
Baraboo looked much better in this game then they did in their first game against Wisconsin Dells. Schlender was knocked down the outside shots and they were able to force turnovers that led to easy baskets which they didn't do against the Dells. Siebert still appears to be struggling with his shot right now but, was able to get some things going by driving to the hoop and getting some easy transition layups. The player of the game though was Overlien. Not only did he hit the game winning shot but, was able to cut to the hoop, get easy layups all night long, knocked down the open three point shot, and of course hit the majority of his free throws. These things all led to Overlien tying Schlender as the leading scorer.
Despite only losing one starter from last year Waunakee did not look anywhere near as good as they did last year when I saw them. This may be because I saw them at the end of last year while this was their first game of the year. It was fairly obvious in watching the game that this was Waunakee's first game of the year and Baraboo's third game. Waunakee is a senior dominated team and will only get better as the year goes on and will probably find themselves at the top of the conference by the end of the year. 6'7 senior Zach Ripley is the player getting the division one recruits but, he really didn't seem like a division one player tonight. Ripley strikes me as a second option player and not someone that can carry a team. Ripley appeared to force too many shots and this just isn't his game. He works off other players but, isn't the player that everyone else is working off. Waunakee plays some very good defense and don't have any selfish players on there team and share the ball very well. This unselfishness may come to hurt Waunakee as they don't seem to have that go to player when the games on the line, like they had Ryan Staege last year who has now moved on to college.
Baraboo 62
Waunakee 61
Box Score
Baraboo- Overlien 16 Schlender 16 Siebert 11 Ethan Dosier 6 Micah Kutcha 4 Jake Banks 3 Mark Kowalke 3 Taylor Jahn 3 Tony Brandt 0 Pat O'Conner 0
Waunakee- Gilles 19 Ripley 12 Paulson 11 Helt 8 Mitch Roelke 7 Austin Goetsch 2 Beau Murray 2 Jared Staege 0 Cole Cefalu 0
Top Players
Jake Overlien 6'3 senior Baraboo- I basically mentioned everything earlier in the post. Overlien just does all the little things for this Baraboo team and tonight scoring was the thing they needed him to do.
Jon Schlender 5'9 senior Baraboo- Sharpshooter from three point range and is able to penetrate when the opening is there.
Ryan Gilles 6'3 senior Waunakee- Big time scorer that can knock down the three point shot and get inside and score in a variety of ways.
Jason Paulson 6'4 senior Waunakee- Can score with ease in the post with his back to the basket.
Mitch Roelke 6'0 senior Waunakee- Very intense player that is an extremely tenacious defensive player and feeds the post extremely well setting up his teammates to score.
I've now had three out of four games that have been extremely exciting games to witness. Hopefully the rest of the season will be just as exciting.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Washington comes back to beat Lafollette
Milwaukee Washing beating Madison Lafollette last night will probably be one of the most exciting games I will see all year long. It was a high scoring fast paced game, that was dominated by guard play and those games are always the most entertaining. The final score was 84-73 and three players reached the 20 point mark and another four players reached double figures.
Early on the game went back and forth but, Lafollette was able to get the early lead behind the fast starts of guards 6'3 senior Chris Redman and 5'11 junior DJ Fuller. Washington countered that with 5'9 junior Terry Taylor scoring from all over the court and the rebounding of junior big men 6'5 Dominique Williams and 6'7 Jon Cathey-Macklin. Ultimately Lafollette grabbed the lead because they were knocking down their free throws and Washington wasn't, which was huge because this game was filled with fouls which slowed some players scoring down. In the third quarter Lafollette was able to maintain the lead as 6'0 senior Brett Klinkner came off the bench to knock down three, three point shots. Midway through the fourth quarter Lafollette was up by 11 with about fives minutes left in the game and that is when 6'3 senior Antoine Byrd and Washington took over. Washington went to the full court press which forced Lafollette into numerous turnovers and easy buckets. When Lafollette did get to the basket Cathey-Macklin was there to block their shots. In the end Washington turned the tables and won by 11 points.
I will say this Madison Lafollette is a much better team then I previously though but, they still lack a scoring post player which will hurt them in Big Eight play because the top teams in the conference all have very good big men. Lafollette appeared to be running a dribble drive offense which led to some open threes and then penetration by the guards that led to Lafollette spending a lot of time at the free throw line. If they can find a post game this team might be as good as everyone has said they are. With all their guards though it did surprise me that Washington's press gave them so much trouble but, that may be because the inexperience of the team around Fuller.
Milwaukee Washington will for sure have something to say about the City Conference title. Their guards make them go but, its their big men that make them a great team. Byrd can get to the lane anytime he wants and can pull up or go to the rim hard. Byrd along with Taylor and 5'9 senior Stanley Hobson played some very tough in your face defense. Their big men are very aggressive on the boards and seem to love rebounding which leads to them getting some easy second chance buckets.
Top Players
Chris Redman 6'3 senior Lafollette- A gunner that is always looking to score. When he penetrates has a very nice 15 foot shot and can finish at the hoop in a variety of ways.
DJ Fuller 5'11 junior Lafollette- As always is an ultra quick guard that can get to the hoop but, appears to have improved his outside shooting.
Brett Klinkner 6'0 senior Lafollette- Sharpshooter off the bench who hit four three pointers in the game.
Antoine Byrd 6'3 senior Washington- Can get to the hoop anytime he wants and can knock down the three, also very good at jumping the passing lanes on defense.
Terry Taylor 5'9 junior Washington- Very solid three point shooter and can get inside and finish with a nice little floater. Also another tenacious defender with quick hands.
Dominique Williams 6'5 junior Washington- Beast on the boards that can step out and hit the 15 footer.
Jon Cathey-Macklin 6'7 junior Washington- Another very aggressive rebounder and is very solid on the defense end as he had at least a handful of blocks in the game. Possibly the MVP of the game despite only scoring seven points.
Final Score
Milwaukee Washington 84
Madison Lafollette 73
Box Score
Washington- Byrd 27 Taylor 23 Queyvn Winters 10 Williams 8 Cathey-Macklin 7 Hobson 5 Tony Mayfield 4 Brian Garner 0 Eric Hair 0
Lafollette- Redman 20 Fuller 16 Klinker 12 Jon Dybevik 10 Stephan Marton 5 Ryan Waeffler 4 Jaren Singh 4 Lucas DuBois 2
Early on the game went back and forth but, Lafollette was able to get the early lead behind the fast starts of guards 6'3 senior Chris Redman and 5'11 junior DJ Fuller. Washington countered that with 5'9 junior Terry Taylor scoring from all over the court and the rebounding of junior big men 6'5 Dominique Williams and 6'7 Jon Cathey-Macklin. Ultimately Lafollette grabbed the lead because they were knocking down their free throws and Washington wasn't, which was huge because this game was filled with fouls which slowed some players scoring down. In the third quarter Lafollette was able to maintain the lead as 6'0 senior Brett Klinkner came off the bench to knock down three, three point shots. Midway through the fourth quarter Lafollette was up by 11 with about fives minutes left in the game and that is when 6'3 senior Antoine Byrd and Washington took over. Washington went to the full court press which forced Lafollette into numerous turnovers and easy buckets. When Lafollette did get to the basket Cathey-Macklin was there to block their shots. In the end Washington turned the tables and won by 11 points.
I will say this Madison Lafollette is a much better team then I previously though but, they still lack a scoring post player which will hurt them in Big Eight play because the top teams in the conference all have very good big men. Lafollette appeared to be running a dribble drive offense which led to some open threes and then penetration by the guards that led to Lafollette spending a lot of time at the free throw line. If they can find a post game this team might be as good as everyone has said they are. With all their guards though it did surprise me that Washington's press gave them so much trouble but, that may be because the inexperience of the team around Fuller.
Milwaukee Washington will for sure have something to say about the City Conference title. Their guards make them go but, its their big men that make them a great team. Byrd can get to the lane anytime he wants and can pull up or go to the rim hard. Byrd along with Taylor and 5'9 senior Stanley Hobson played some very tough in your face defense. Their big men are very aggressive on the boards and seem to love rebounding which leads to them getting some easy second chance buckets.
Top Players
Chris Redman 6'3 senior Lafollette- A gunner that is always looking to score. When he penetrates has a very nice 15 foot shot and can finish at the hoop in a variety of ways.
DJ Fuller 5'11 junior Lafollette- As always is an ultra quick guard that can get to the hoop but, appears to have improved his outside shooting.
Brett Klinkner 6'0 senior Lafollette- Sharpshooter off the bench who hit four three pointers in the game.
Antoine Byrd 6'3 senior Washington- Can get to the hoop anytime he wants and can knock down the three, also very good at jumping the passing lanes on defense.
Terry Taylor 5'9 junior Washington- Very solid three point shooter and can get inside and finish with a nice little floater. Also another tenacious defender with quick hands.
Dominique Williams 6'5 junior Washington- Beast on the boards that can step out and hit the 15 footer.
Jon Cathey-Macklin 6'7 junior Washington- Another very aggressive rebounder and is very solid on the defense end as he had at least a handful of blocks in the game. Possibly the MVP of the game despite only scoring seven points.
Final Score
Milwaukee Washington 84
Madison Lafollette 73
Box Score
Washington- Byrd 27 Taylor 23 Queyvn Winters 10 Williams 8 Cathey-Macklin 7 Hobson 5 Tony Mayfield 4 Brian Garner 0 Eric Hair 0
Lafollette- Redman 20 Fuller 16 Klinker 12 Jon Dybevik 10 Stephan Marton 5 Ryan Waeffler 4 Jaren Singh 4 Lucas DuBois 2
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Baraboo over Wisconsin Dells
For a Wisconsin Dells fan this game was a very ugly game to watch. Luckily though this was the first game of the year and things should turn around after this. Honestly though there isn't much to write about this game. It wasn't pretty, exciting, and know one played that great.
The two big differences in this game was free throws and offensive rebounding. Baraboo made 26 free throws to the Dells 10. I'm not sure what Baraboo shot as a team but, Wisconsin Dells was 10-20 from the line and of those free throws senior Jade Royston was 5-6, so the rest of the team was 5-14 from the line. When Baraboo did miss those free throws it seemed they got the offensive rebound every time. That brings up another thing that the Dells did a poor job of and that is boxing out. Baraboo was able to get second and third chances down the court every time.
Offensively it seemed that no one wanted to shoot the ball outside of their star 6'0 Royston who struggled a bit tonight but, still finished with 15 points. The other preseason star for the Chiefs was 6'9 junior Nate Gibson but, he was almost a non-factor in the game aside from a few rebounds. The Dells passes were to soft leading to the ball being knocked away and when Gibson did get the ball he was unable to convert.
For Baraboo it was really a team effort as four different players had 8-12 points and eight different players made at least one free throw. No one really stood out.
Baraboo 51
Wisconsin Dells 33
Box Score
Baraboo- Mark Kowalke 12 Jake Overlein 9 Taylor Jahn 9 Chris Siebert 8 Jon Schlender 5 Ethan Dosier 4 Jake Banks 3 Pat O'Conner 1 Micah Kuchta 0 Tony Brandt 0 Jame Meiller 0
Dells- Royston 15 Gibson 5 Kyle Stowers 4 Jimmy Alvin 3 Justin Ward 3 Jake Williams 3 Jake Hall 0 Bobby Blaschke 0
Top Players
Taylor Jahn 6'4 senior Baraboo- Despite being outside by the bigger Gibson did a great job of getting Gibson in foul trouble and then was able to knock down the free throws.
Mark Kowalke 6'5 sophomore Baraboo- Came off the bench huge to score 12 points and lead the T-Birds in scoring and hit a huge three towards the end of the game.
Jade Royston 6'0 senior Wisconsin Dells- Struggled in this game but, did a good job of penetrating and getting fouled and making his free throws. Leading scorer with 15 points.
I know I didn't write much about this game but, there just wasn't much to write about like I said earlier. It was an ugly game from start to finish, hopefully things will turn around for the Chiefs.
The two big differences in this game was free throws and offensive rebounding. Baraboo made 26 free throws to the Dells 10. I'm not sure what Baraboo shot as a team but, Wisconsin Dells was 10-20 from the line and of those free throws senior Jade Royston was 5-6, so the rest of the team was 5-14 from the line. When Baraboo did miss those free throws it seemed they got the offensive rebound every time. That brings up another thing that the Dells did a poor job of and that is boxing out. Baraboo was able to get second and third chances down the court every time.
Offensively it seemed that no one wanted to shoot the ball outside of their star 6'0 Royston who struggled a bit tonight but, still finished with 15 points. The other preseason star for the Chiefs was 6'9 junior Nate Gibson but, he was almost a non-factor in the game aside from a few rebounds. The Dells passes were to soft leading to the ball being knocked away and when Gibson did get the ball he was unable to convert.
For Baraboo it was really a team effort as four different players had 8-12 points and eight different players made at least one free throw. No one really stood out.
Baraboo 51
Wisconsin Dells 33
Box Score
Baraboo- Mark Kowalke 12 Jake Overlein 9 Taylor Jahn 9 Chris Siebert 8 Jon Schlender 5 Ethan Dosier 4 Jake Banks 3 Pat O'Conner 1 Micah Kuchta 0 Tony Brandt 0 Jame Meiller 0
Dells- Royston 15 Gibson 5 Kyle Stowers 4 Jimmy Alvin 3 Justin Ward 3 Jake Williams 3 Jake Hall 0 Bobby Blaschke 0
Top Players
Taylor Jahn 6'4 senior Baraboo- Despite being outside by the bigger Gibson did a great job of getting Gibson in foul trouble and then was able to knock down the free throws.
Mark Kowalke 6'5 sophomore Baraboo- Came off the bench huge to score 12 points and lead the T-Birds in scoring and hit a huge three towards the end of the game.
Jade Royston 6'0 senior Wisconsin Dells- Struggled in this game but, did a good job of penetrating and getting fouled and making his free throws. Leading scorer with 15 points.
I know I didn't write much about this game but, there just wasn't much to write about like I said earlier. It was an ugly game from start to finish, hopefully things will turn around for the Chiefs.
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