Well with the 08-09 season coming to an end its time to begin looking towards next year and who might be the favorites. To follow is a list for each division of favorites that may challenge for a state title next year. Teams are listed in no particular order and are listed by who comes to mind first.
D1
Madison Memorial- State champs bring back three starters to form a very good three headed monster in Vander Blue, Tre Creamer, and Junior Lomomba, also have a few very good sophomores and freshmen coming up.
Madison East- Only team that beat Madison Memorial this year return their two top players in Nimrod Hilliard and Marquis Mason as long as their top four bench players.
Milwaukee Washington- Bring back their leading scorer Quevyn Winters and third leading scorer Terry Taylor. They also bring back their top big men Jon Cathey-Macklin and Dominique Williams and have a strong freshmen class.
Milwaukee Hamiliton- Return five sophomores that are all ranked in the top 50 in the state and all started at least once this past year.
Kimberly- This team was talked up all year long and was one of the top teams in the FVA and bring back four of their top players.
Hamiliton Sussex- Huge senior class with the majority of players will be in their third year on varsity and a few their fourth.
D2
Northwestern- Bring back lots of height and scoring in Steve Tecker and Donnie Hissa.
Wisconsin Lutheran- With Flavian Davis anything is possible.
Port Washington- Strong conference play will prepare them and their lead by Josh Gasser.
Milwaukee Lutheran- Same conference as Port Washington and have Chim Kadima.
Catholic Memorial- Always strong team and have star TJ Bray.
Seymour- Look to be returning to glory and have a very strong sophomore class.
St. Johns- Lose only one player from one loss team.
D3
Fall Creek- They bring back all five starters.
Eau Claire Regis- Have Eaton, Ganske, and Miller all come back should make for three more great battles with Fall Creek next year.
Roncalli- They lose all their height but, return most of their team and a strong sophomore class. Not too mention that can shoot the lights out.
Cuba City- With Evan Richard averaging close to 30 anythings possible.
Dominican- Only lose three players from a very good team.
D4
Randolph- Have the tradition and a 6'10 big man.
Benton- Return two very strong underclassman in David Neis and Matt Savatski and big man Michael Droessler.
Blair Taylor- Lose only one player from their final four finish, if they don't get moved up to D3.
Their are my early favorites for next year. If these team live up to their hype and how good they can be anyway but, who can ever truly tell with nearly eight months until the season starts. A lot could change between now and next November but, it's always fun to guess who will be good.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Final Round Player Rankings
Final team rankings were done so now it's time for the final player rankings. This was extremely difficult for me because the cause that I believe are towards the top I have seen more then once and it seems that they each had at least one bad game which hinders them in my rankings. In my thoughts though I try to let the good play out way the bad and just compare players when I've seen them at their best.
1. Latavious Williams 6'7 senior forward Christian Life Texas- College size forward that can move well and jump out of the gym. Loves to get out and run and throw it down.
2. Vander Blue 6'4 junior guard Madison Memorial- Fastest player I've seen with the ball in his hand. Finishes extremely well in transition with thundering dunks. Great on the ball defender and can really knock down the three.
3. Jeronne Maymon 6'7 senior forward Madison Memorial- Just a beast on the boards and easily best rebounder in the state. Finishes at the rim with a variety of moves, runs the court well, doesn't miss from 15 feet and in, and can completely take a game over with out even scoring when he puts his mind to it.
4. Jamil Wilson 6'7 senior forward Racine Horlick- Most versatile and athletic player I've seen. Has a big man's body but, plays like a guard. Handles the ball well, shoots the three, and dunks with the best of them. Only thing that reminds you of a big guy is he's a tremendous shot blocker.
5. Antoine Byrd 6'3 senior guard Milwaukee Washington- Very tough competitor that is nearly impossible to keep away from the hoop. Very tough defender and knocks down the three.
6. Jake Hottenstine 6'3 senior guard Bay Port- Another kid that can jump out of the gym and throw down and block shots. Shoots the three really well and is a very intense competitor.
7. Antwon Oliver 6'5 senior forward Racine Horlick- Very similar to Wilson. Super athletic, great dunker, blocks shots, and can step outside and hit the three.
8. Flavian Davis 6'4 junior guard Wisconsin Lutheran- Big time player that always seems to hit the big shots. Can play any of the five positions on the floor with his size and versatility.
9. Marquis Mason 6'4 junior forward Madison East- Player that dominates the inside with his strength and jumping ability. When he puts his mind to it he can block tons of shots and control the boards.
10. TJ Bray 6'4 junior guard Catholic Memorial- College size guard that can knock down the three at will and get to the rim. Very unselfish player that's a great team player.
11. Nicholas Ford 5'9 senior guard Fond du Lac- Great pass first point guard, that can take over and score when he wants to but, is just as happy setting his teammates up .
12. Junior Cadougan 6'1 senior guard Christian Life Texas- Another great pass first point guard with best cross over I've seen.
13. Ben Averkamp 6'8 senior forward Germantown- Honestly should probably be ranked higher but, just wasn't that impressive in the one game I saw him. Very solid with his back to the basket and a very good shot blocker but, game is limited right now.
14. Tank Johnson 6'5 senior forward Oshkosh North- A beast in the paint at 285 and very soft hands. Controls the paint both on the offensive and defensive side even though he doesn't really get off the ground much.
15. Mitch Tordoff 6'0 senior guard Monroe- Big time scorer that can shoot the three with the best of them. Pretty much single handly carried his team to that state championship game.
16. Evan Richard 6'3 junior guard Cuba City- Can hit any shot on the court with no problem. Jumps out of the gym as well and is the leader of his team.
17. Steve Tecker 6'5 junior forward Northwestern- Incredibly strong player that can play any position on the court and guard any position. Shoots well, rebounds well, and dunks well.
18. Jerrel Harris 5'10 senior guard Whitefish Bay Dominican- Supreme ball handler and it doesn't seem anyone can stay in front of him. Plays extremely hard.
19. Jason Ziemer 6'4 senior forward Verona- Right behind Maymon for best rebounder in the state. Works harder then any player in the state, with a nice touch around the rim. Knocks down the three point shot when he spots up.
20. Tyler Tillema 6'3 senior guard Randolph- Great point guard that makes get decisions in the transition. Can score at the rim, rebound and get out and run, hit the three pointers, and in the clutch he comes through with the big play.
21. Tyler Brown 6'7 senior forward Eau Claire North- Big body the rebounds very well and has a soft touch. Shoots the mid range jumper very well. Probably needs to work on his foot speed though.
22. Eric Williams 6'3 senior forward Wauwatosa East- Does a little bit of everything from shooting the three, running the point, or posting up. Also might be the teams best rebounder.
23. Garrett Schwarz 6'2 senior guard Sauk Prairie- Nearly single handily took down Madison Memorial. Great off the dribble whether its pulling up for a shot, which he usually hits, or getting to the rim.
24. Jade Royston 6'0 senior guard Wisconsin Dells- Another guy that can put a team on his back and carry them. Has very good ball handling skills and can knock down shots from anywhere on the court.
25. Tyler Mazur 6'3 senior guard Reedsburg- Sharpshooter that can go off at any minute. One of the best three point shooters around. Also a strong competitor that jumps well and rebounds.
HM
Antoine Howard 6'4 senior forward Milwaukee Bay View
Kyle Kelm 6'10 junior forward Randolph
Nimrod Hilliard 5'11 guard sophomore Madison East
Ranking of classes will only include players from the state of Wisconsin.
Seniors
1. Jeronne Maymon 6'7 forward Madison Memorial
2. Jamil Wilson 6'7 forward Racine Horlick
3. Antoine Byrd 6'3 guard Milwaukee Washington
4. Jake Hottenstine 6'3 guard Bay Port
5. Antwon Oliver 6'5 forward Racine Horlick
6. Nicholas Ford 5'9 guard Fond du Lac
7. Ben Averkamp 6'8 forward Germantown
8. Tank Johnson 6'5 forward Oshkosh North
9. Mitch Tordoff 6'0 guard Monroe
10. Jerrel Harris 5'10 guard Whitefish Bay Dominican
HM
Jasom Ziemer 6'4 forward Verona
Tyler Tillema 6'3 guard Randolph
Tyler Brown 6'7 forward Eau Claire North
Eric Williams 6'3 forward Wauwatosa East
Juniors
1. Vander Blue 6'4 guard Madison Memorial
2. Flavian Davis 6'4 guard Wisconsin Lutheran
3. Marquis Mason 6'4 forward Madison East
4. TJ Bray 6'4 guard Catholic Memorial
5. Evan Richard 6'3 guard Cuba City
6. Steve Tecker 6'5 forward Northwestern
7. Kyle Kelm 6'10 forward Randolph- Versatile big man that moves well and can knock down the three point shot.
8. Tre Creamer 6'4 guard Madison Memorial- Long lanky guard that can get to the rim using his length and has a very nice floater.
9. Donnie Hissa 6'8 forward Northwestern- Versatile big man that rebounds well and can shoot the three point shot.
10. Taylor Cameron 6'4 guard Oshkosh North- Uptempo lead guard that has a very nice floater in the lane and makes great decisions.
HM
Terry Taylor 5'9 guard Milwaukee Washington
Brett Meinecke 6'1 guard Hamiliton Sussex
Kamero Cerroni 6'2 guard Hamiliton Sussex
Sophomores
1. Nimrod Hilliard 5'11 guard Madison East- Great lead guard with a killer cross over, nice outside shot, and isn't afraid to go inside and score.
2. Queyvn Winters 6'4 forward Milwaukee Washington- Very solid in the post and can run the court.
3. Ben Stelzer 6'0 guard Manitowoc Roncalli- Sharp shooter that moves very well without the ball.
4. Noah Baryenbruch 6'0 guard River Valley- Solid point guard that goes to the hoop strong.
5. Bryan Tordoff 6'0 guard Monroe- Another sharpshooter, that moves well without the ball but, can also go in the post and score.
6. Alex Richard 6'4 forward River Valley- Banger on the inside that rebounds well and isn't afraid to get physical. Scores well with his back to the hoop.
7. Matt Savastki 6'2 guard Benton- Guy that can play inside or outside and can shoot the three well.
8. Brian Kampstra 6'3 forward Randolph- Solid defender and can knock down the three.
9. Michael Barrett 6'1 guard Monroe- Solid guard that can create his own shot and plays good defense.
10. Mark Kowalke 6'5 forward Baraboo- Very solid in the post and can shoot the three.
HM
Connor Miller 6'0 guard Eau Claire Regis
Jordan Noskowiak 6'3 forward Sun Prairie
Beau Murray 6'2 guard Waunakee
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.
3. J.P. Tokoto 6'4 forward Menomonee Falls- Versatile player that can do it all.
4. Zak Showalter 6'1 guard Germantown- Three point sharpshooter that isn't afraid to stick his nose in their and go after the loose balls.
5. Dalton Sjong 6'3 forward Westosha Central- Very strong post player on both offense and defense.
6. Jamall Taylor 6'0 guard Whitefish Bay Dominican- Great three point shooter that can also handle the ball.
7. Davis Neis 5'10 guard Benton- Great three point shooter that moves very well without the ball.
8. Larry Fitzgerald 6'2 forward Milwaukee Pius- Does a little bit of everything for his team.
9. Josh Mongan 5'9 guard Germantown- Solid point guard that handles the ball very well.
10. Steve Teschner 6'2 forward Milwaukee Pius- Goes to the hoop very hard and can score.
Well those are my final rankings of the year. There may be some disagreement on where I rank players because my rankings are only on based on the games I've actually seen. If I was to rank the players based on what I've heard I might rank the players differently. Well I've got a couple more topics to talk about before I'm done with my basketball topic and then its on to softball talk and the summer where my blog really gets weak and the post are few and far between and aren't always the best of most interesting.
1. Latavious Williams 6'7 senior forward Christian Life Texas- College size forward that can move well and jump out of the gym. Loves to get out and run and throw it down.
2. Vander Blue 6'4 junior guard Madison Memorial- Fastest player I've seen with the ball in his hand. Finishes extremely well in transition with thundering dunks. Great on the ball defender and can really knock down the three.
3. Jeronne Maymon 6'7 senior forward Madison Memorial- Just a beast on the boards and easily best rebounder in the state. Finishes at the rim with a variety of moves, runs the court well, doesn't miss from 15 feet and in, and can completely take a game over with out even scoring when he puts his mind to it.
4. Jamil Wilson 6'7 senior forward Racine Horlick- Most versatile and athletic player I've seen. Has a big man's body but, plays like a guard. Handles the ball well, shoots the three, and dunks with the best of them. Only thing that reminds you of a big guy is he's a tremendous shot blocker.
5. Antoine Byrd 6'3 senior guard Milwaukee Washington- Very tough competitor that is nearly impossible to keep away from the hoop. Very tough defender and knocks down the three.
6. Jake Hottenstine 6'3 senior guard Bay Port- Another kid that can jump out of the gym and throw down and block shots. Shoots the three really well and is a very intense competitor.
7. Antwon Oliver 6'5 senior forward Racine Horlick- Very similar to Wilson. Super athletic, great dunker, blocks shots, and can step outside and hit the three.
8. Flavian Davis 6'4 junior guard Wisconsin Lutheran- Big time player that always seems to hit the big shots. Can play any of the five positions on the floor with his size and versatility.
9. Marquis Mason 6'4 junior forward Madison East- Player that dominates the inside with his strength and jumping ability. When he puts his mind to it he can block tons of shots and control the boards.
10. TJ Bray 6'4 junior guard Catholic Memorial- College size guard that can knock down the three at will and get to the rim. Very unselfish player that's a great team player.
11. Nicholas Ford 5'9 senior guard Fond du Lac- Great pass first point guard, that can take over and score when he wants to but, is just as happy setting his teammates up .
12. Junior Cadougan 6'1 senior guard Christian Life Texas- Another great pass first point guard with best cross over I've seen.
13. Ben Averkamp 6'8 senior forward Germantown- Honestly should probably be ranked higher but, just wasn't that impressive in the one game I saw him. Very solid with his back to the basket and a very good shot blocker but, game is limited right now.
14. Tank Johnson 6'5 senior forward Oshkosh North- A beast in the paint at 285 and very soft hands. Controls the paint both on the offensive and defensive side even though he doesn't really get off the ground much.
15. Mitch Tordoff 6'0 senior guard Monroe- Big time scorer that can shoot the three with the best of them. Pretty much single handly carried his team to that state championship game.
16. Evan Richard 6'3 junior guard Cuba City- Can hit any shot on the court with no problem. Jumps out of the gym as well and is the leader of his team.
17. Steve Tecker 6'5 junior forward Northwestern- Incredibly strong player that can play any position on the court and guard any position. Shoots well, rebounds well, and dunks well.
18. Jerrel Harris 5'10 senior guard Whitefish Bay Dominican- Supreme ball handler and it doesn't seem anyone can stay in front of him. Plays extremely hard.
19. Jason Ziemer 6'4 senior forward Verona- Right behind Maymon for best rebounder in the state. Works harder then any player in the state, with a nice touch around the rim. Knocks down the three point shot when he spots up.
20. Tyler Tillema 6'3 senior guard Randolph- Great point guard that makes get decisions in the transition. Can score at the rim, rebound and get out and run, hit the three pointers, and in the clutch he comes through with the big play.
21. Tyler Brown 6'7 senior forward Eau Claire North- Big body the rebounds very well and has a soft touch. Shoots the mid range jumper very well. Probably needs to work on his foot speed though.
22. Eric Williams 6'3 senior forward Wauwatosa East- Does a little bit of everything from shooting the three, running the point, or posting up. Also might be the teams best rebounder.
23. Garrett Schwarz 6'2 senior guard Sauk Prairie- Nearly single handily took down Madison Memorial. Great off the dribble whether its pulling up for a shot, which he usually hits, or getting to the rim.
24. Jade Royston 6'0 senior guard Wisconsin Dells- Another guy that can put a team on his back and carry them. Has very good ball handling skills and can knock down shots from anywhere on the court.
25. Tyler Mazur 6'3 senior guard Reedsburg- Sharpshooter that can go off at any minute. One of the best three point shooters around. Also a strong competitor that jumps well and rebounds.
HM
Antoine Howard 6'4 senior forward Milwaukee Bay View
Kyle Kelm 6'10 junior forward Randolph
Nimrod Hilliard 5'11 guard sophomore Madison East
Ranking of classes will only include players from the state of Wisconsin.
Seniors
1. Jeronne Maymon 6'7 forward Madison Memorial
2. Jamil Wilson 6'7 forward Racine Horlick
3. Antoine Byrd 6'3 guard Milwaukee Washington
4. Jake Hottenstine 6'3 guard Bay Port
5. Antwon Oliver 6'5 forward Racine Horlick
6. Nicholas Ford 5'9 guard Fond du Lac
7. Ben Averkamp 6'8 forward Germantown
8. Tank Johnson 6'5 forward Oshkosh North
9. Mitch Tordoff 6'0 guard Monroe
10. Jerrel Harris 5'10 guard Whitefish Bay Dominican
HM
Jasom Ziemer 6'4 forward Verona
Tyler Tillema 6'3 guard Randolph
Tyler Brown 6'7 forward Eau Claire North
Eric Williams 6'3 forward Wauwatosa East
Juniors
1. Vander Blue 6'4 guard Madison Memorial
2. Flavian Davis 6'4 guard Wisconsin Lutheran
3. Marquis Mason 6'4 forward Madison East
4. TJ Bray 6'4 guard Catholic Memorial
5. Evan Richard 6'3 guard Cuba City
6. Steve Tecker 6'5 forward Northwestern
7. Kyle Kelm 6'10 forward Randolph- Versatile big man that moves well and can knock down the three point shot.
8. Tre Creamer 6'4 guard Madison Memorial- Long lanky guard that can get to the rim using his length and has a very nice floater.
9. Donnie Hissa 6'8 forward Northwestern- Versatile big man that rebounds well and can shoot the three point shot.
10. Taylor Cameron 6'4 guard Oshkosh North- Uptempo lead guard that has a very nice floater in the lane and makes great decisions.
HM
Terry Taylor 5'9 guard Milwaukee Washington
Brett Meinecke 6'1 guard Hamiliton Sussex
Kamero Cerroni 6'2 guard Hamiliton Sussex
Sophomores
1. Nimrod Hilliard 5'11 guard Madison East- Great lead guard with a killer cross over, nice outside shot, and isn't afraid to go inside and score.
2. Queyvn Winters 6'4 forward Milwaukee Washington- Very solid in the post and can run the court.
3. Ben Stelzer 6'0 guard Manitowoc Roncalli- Sharp shooter that moves very well without the ball.
4. Noah Baryenbruch 6'0 guard River Valley- Solid point guard that goes to the hoop strong.
5. Bryan Tordoff 6'0 guard Monroe- Another sharpshooter, that moves well without the ball but, can also go in the post and score.
6. Alex Richard 6'4 forward River Valley- Banger on the inside that rebounds well and isn't afraid to get physical. Scores well with his back to the hoop.
7. Matt Savastki 6'2 guard Benton- Guy that can play inside or outside and can shoot the three well.
8. Brian Kampstra 6'3 forward Randolph- Solid defender and can knock down the three.
9. Michael Barrett 6'1 guard Monroe- Solid guard that can create his own shot and plays good defense.
10. Mark Kowalke 6'5 forward Baraboo- Very solid in the post and can shoot the three.
HM
Connor Miller 6'0 guard Eau Claire Regis
Jordan Noskowiak 6'3 forward Sun Prairie
Beau Murray 6'2 guard Waunakee
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.
3. J.P. Tokoto 6'4 forward Menomonee Falls- Versatile player that can do it all.
4. Zak Showalter 6'1 guard Germantown- Three point sharpshooter that isn't afraid to stick his nose in their and go after the loose balls.
5. Dalton Sjong 6'3 forward Westosha Central- Very strong post player on both offense and defense.
6. Jamall Taylor 6'0 guard Whitefish Bay Dominican- Great three point shooter that can also handle the ball.
7. Davis Neis 5'10 guard Benton- Great three point shooter that moves very well without the ball.
8. Larry Fitzgerald 6'2 forward Milwaukee Pius- Does a little bit of everything for his team.
9. Josh Mongan 5'9 guard Germantown- Solid point guard that handles the ball very well.
10. Steve Teschner 6'2 forward Milwaukee Pius- Goes to the hoop very hard and can score.
Well those are my final rankings of the year. There may be some disagreement on where I rank players because my rankings are only on based on the games I've actually seen. If I was to rank the players based on what I've heard I might rank the players differently. Well I've got a couple more topics to talk about before I'm done with my basketball topic and then its on to softball talk and the summer where my blog really gets weak and the post are few and far between and aren't always the best of most interesting.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Final Team Rankings
I have neglected my rankings of teams and players for almost a month now so, I figured I might as well do a final round of rankings since the season is now over. As always I will only be taking in to account games that I've actually seen played. This may mean that a team may of beaten another team but, I won't be taking those games into consideration and the team that lost the head to head match up may actually be ranked higher then the other team. As always I will have in ( ) how many times I've seen each team play. Well here are my rankings...
1. Humble Christian Life Texas (1)- A team that could probably compete will smaller college teams. They have two guys that are ranked nationally and four guys that are for sure going to D1 colleges. They play a national schedule and are head and shoulders above any team in Wisconsin.
2. Madison Memorial (12)- They won state and were impressive doing it. They are another team that has a possible four D1 college athletes and have the number one senior, junior, and freshmen in the state. Easy the most athletic team in the state and best rebounding.
3. Bay Port (2)- Pushed Memorial to the limit in the state semi final game and play great as a team. Every player on their team can shoot and can played a slow paced game, as well as the fast paced game.
4. Racine Horlick (4)- Have a big front line that are extremely athletic and can get up and block shots, and are extremely versatile. Point guard Davontae Mullen gives them a solid lead guard.
5. Oshkosh North (3)- One player puts this team here. Tank Johnson. Tank is just a beast in the post and controls the paint on both ends of the court. Taylor Cameron runs the offense very well and is surround by a bunch of very good role players.
6. Milwakuee Washington (2)- Very athletic team that plays very tough in your face defense and loves to push the tempo. When they aren't getting out and running they can knock down the three. Lost to Oshkosh North because they had a bad game and had no answer for Tank Johnson on the inside.
7. Germantown (1)- Team with a lot of size on the inside and shoot the three very well from the outside. Led by D1 recruit Ben Averkamp.
8. Waunakee (6)- Very similar to Bay Port in that they are very team oriented and have great depth. In the six games I've seen them play they've had five different leading scorers. They can go nine or ten deep and not lose a thing.
9. Madison East (4)- Were the only team to beat Madison Memorial this year. Another team with a lot of depth and actually go to their bench late in games. Marquis Mason and Nimord Hilliard form one of the best inside, outside punches in the state.
10 Beloit (4)- Very athletic team that loves to get up and down the court and play aggressive defense and have two very solid big man on the inside. Another team that is very balanced.
11. Wisconsin Lutheran (2)- Flavian Davis is an absolute star and will be a D1 athlete. The rest of the team are very solid roll players and play great defense.
12. Waukesha Catholic Memorial (1)- Very fundamentally sound team, that is solid in all areas and have a very good guard in TJ Bray.
13. Verona (4)- Another very balanced team that is very fundamentally sound and rebound exceptionally well, which is led by Jason Ziemer who is just a tireless work on the boards and scoring on the inside.
14. Racine St. Catherines (3)- Play some of the best defense of any team in the state and have a very solid starting five guys who can all score from anywhere on the court.
15. Northwestern(1)- Very tall team that has a very nice inside out where they use their height on the inside or to shoot over smaller defenders. Steve Tecker is a great player that can do a little bit of everything.
HM
Fond du lac
Whitefish Bay Dominican
Monroe
Wauwatosa East
Division rankings are only based on Wisconsin teams.
D1
1. Madison Memorial
2. Bay Port
3. Racine Horlick
4. Oshkosh North
5. Milwaukee Washington
6. Germantown
7. Waunakee
8. Madison East
9. Beloit
10. Verona
HM
Fond du Lac
Wauwatosa East
Eau Claire North
D2
1. Wisconsin Lutheran
2. Waukesha Catholic Memoria
3. Northwestern
4. Monroe (5)- May not be the tallest team but, they play the hardest. Mitch Tordoff can go off for 30 points in any game.
5. Appleton Xavier (2)- Team with a lot of depth, that likes to get out and run, and typically has four guys that play like guards on the court at one time.
6. Madison Edgewood (2)- Another undersized team that plays extremely hard and shoot the three very well.
7. Wisconsin Dells (8)- Very physically team that plays very tough defense. Jade Royston is the type of player that can put a team on his back.
8. River Valley(2)- Very balanced team that has some guards that aren't afraid to take the big shots in crunch time. Along with their great guards have some big guys that battle on the inside and rebound well.
9. Reedsburg (3)- Have a great big three in the sharpshooting Mazur brothers and the super athletic Jordan VanCleave.
10. Portage (1)- Hardnosed team, that have good shoots in John Loomans and Kevin Hurd and have a solid inside game with big man Darrell Anderson.
HM
Mauston (1)
D3
1. Racine St. Catherines
2. Whitefish Bay Dominican (1)- Jerrell Harris is impossible to stay in front of and he has an entire team that he can dish the ball to and knock down the three. Athletic team that is also fundamentally sound and box out very well.
3. Lacrosse Aquinas (2)- Jimmy Whitehead is another guy that can get to the rim at well and the rest of the team is just very solid on defense and rebounding.
4. Marshall (1)- Big athletic team that loves to push the ball and take a lot of shots and they get a ton of offensive rebounds and second chance points.
5. Eau Claire Regis (1)- Yes I know Fall Creek beat them twice but, Regis just looked like the better team when I saw each team. Very sound in the offensive they run and are very patient and take good shots.
6. Cuba City (1)- Evan Richard can light it up and could probably average 30 a game if he wanted and didn't sit during blow out games. Joe Scweigert is a good second option that can score on the inside.
7. Manitowoc Roncalli (1)- Shoot lots of threes and every guy on the team can shoot them with the exception of their big man who rebounds well.
8. Fall Creek (1)- Didn't look great in their game against St. Cats. Have two big man with good size that are very versatile.
9. Brookfield Academy (1)- Have two solid guards and have a fairly tall team.
D4
1. Randolph (2)- Yes they didn't win state or even make it there but, I still think their the best team in D4 and if they hadn't had a bad game would of won state. Kelm and Tillema are just too good when their on.
2. Benton (3)- Team that likes to get up and down the court and love to shoot the threes, which they shoot very well.
3. Wisconsin Rapids Assumption (2)- 1-3-1 defense is one of the best zone defenses I've seen and Alex Erdman is a big time scorer.
4. Burlington Catholic Central (1)- Solid defensive team and shoot the three well enough.
5. Blair Taylor (1)- Have a good inside out game. Ball handling is a question but, once they get in their offense their pretty solid and shoot the ball well.
6. St. Mary Central (1)- Very good spot up shooters and have a solid inside game.
7. Williams Bay (1)- Honestly the only other D4 team I've seen so they get the call here.
Well there are my final rankings and as I had mentioned early I do have some teams ranked higher then teams that have beaten them but, I'm only going by games that I've seen because I have no idea what happened in the games I didn't see. Was a player hurt, foul trouble, or just a plain bad game played. Tomorrow will hopefully be player rankings if I get a chance.
1. Humble Christian Life Texas (1)- A team that could probably compete will smaller college teams. They have two guys that are ranked nationally and four guys that are for sure going to D1 colleges. They play a national schedule and are head and shoulders above any team in Wisconsin.
2. Madison Memorial (12)- They won state and were impressive doing it. They are another team that has a possible four D1 college athletes and have the number one senior, junior, and freshmen in the state. Easy the most athletic team in the state and best rebounding.
3. Bay Port (2)- Pushed Memorial to the limit in the state semi final game and play great as a team. Every player on their team can shoot and can played a slow paced game, as well as the fast paced game.
4. Racine Horlick (4)- Have a big front line that are extremely athletic and can get up and block shots, and are extremely versatile. Point guard Davontae Mullen gives them a solid lead guard.
5. Oshkosh North (3)- One player puts this team here. Tank Johnson. Tank is just a beast in the post and controls the paint on both ends of the court. Taylor Cameron runs the offense very well and is surround by a bunch of very good role players.
6. Milwakuee Washington (2)- Very athletic team that plays very tough in your face defense and loves to push the tempo. When they aren't getting out and running they can knock down the three. Lost to Oshkosh North because they had a bad game and had no answer for Tank Johnson on the inside.
7. Germantown (1)- Team with a lot of size on the inside and shoot the three very well from the outside. Led by D1 recruit Ben Averkamp.
8. Waunakee (6)- Very similar to Bay Port in that they are very team oriented and have great depth. In the six games I've seen them play they've had five different leading scorers. They can go nine or ten deep and not lose a thing.
9. Madison East (4)- Were the only team to beat Madison Memorial this year. Another team with a lot of depth and actually go to their bench late in games. Marquis Mason and Nimord Hilliard form one of the best inside, outside punches in the state.
10 Beloit (4)- Very athletic team that loves to get up and down the court and play aggressive defense and have two very solid big man on the inside. Another team that is very balanced.
11. Wisconsin Lutheran (2)- Flavian Davis is an absolute star and will be a D1 athlete. The rest of the team are very solid roll players and play great defense.
12. Waukesha Catholic Memorial (1)- Very fundamentally sound team, that is solid in all areas and have a very good guard in TJ Bray.
13. Verona (4)- Another very balanced team that is very fundamentally sound and rebound exceptionally well, which is led by Jason Ziemer who is just a tireless work on the boards and scoring on the inside.
14. Racine St. Catherines (3)- Play some of the best defense of any team in the state and have a very solid starting five guys who can all score from anywhere on the court.
15. Northwestern(1)- Very tall team that has a very nice inside out where they use their height on the inside or to shoot over smaller defenders. Steve Tecker is a great player that can do a little bit of everything.
HM
Fond du lac
Whitefish Bay Dominican
Monroe
Wauwatosa East
Division rankings are only based on Wisconsin teams.
D1
1. Madison Memorial
2. Bay Port
3. Racine Horlick
4. Oshkosh North
5. Milwaukee Washington
6. Germantown
7. Waunakee
8. Madison East
9. Beloit
10. Verona
HM
Fond du Lac
Wauwatosa East
Eau Claire North
D2
1. Wisconsin Lutheran
2. Waukesha Catholic Memoria
3. Northwestern
4. Monroe (5)- May not be the tallest team but, they play the hardest. Mitch Tordoff can go off for 30 points in any game.
5. Appleton Xavier (2)- Team with a lot of depth, that likes to get out and run, and typically has four guys that play like guards on the court at one time.
6. Madison Edgewood (2)- Another undersized team that plays extremely hard and shoot the three very well.
7. Wisconsin Dells (8)- Very physically team that plays very tough defense. Jade Royston is the type of player that can put a team on his back.
8. River Valley(2)- Very balanced team that has some guards that aren't afraid to take the big shots in crunch time. Along with their great guards have some big guys that battle on the inside and rebound well.
9. Reedsburg (3)- Have a great big three in the sharpshooting Mazur brothers and the super athletic Jordan VanCleave.
10. Portage (1)- Hardnosed team, that have good shoots in John Loomans and Kevin Hurd and have a solid inside game with big man Darrell Anderson.
HM
Mauston (1)
D3
1. Racine St. Catherines
2. Whitefish Bay Dominican (1)- Jerrell Harris is impossible to stay in front of and he has an entire team that he can dish the ball to and knock down the three. Athletic team that is also fundamentally sound and box out very well.
3. Lacrosse Aquinas (2)- Jimmy Whitehead is another guy that can get to the rim at well and the rest of the team is just very solid on defense and rebounding.
4. Marshall (1)- Big athletic team that loves to push the ball and take a lot of shots and they get a ton of offensive rebounds and second chance points.
5. Eau Claire Regis (1)- Yes I know Fall Creek beat them twice but, Regis just looked like the better team when I saw each team. Very sound in the offensive they run and are very patient and take good shots.
6. Cuba City (1)- Evan Richard can light it up and could probably average 30 a game if he wanted and didn't sit during blow out games. Joe Scweigert is a good second option that can score on the inside.
7. Manitowoc Roncalli (1)- Shoot lots of threes and every guy on the team can shoot them with the exception of their big man who rebounds well.
8. Fall Creek (1)- Didn't look great in their game against St. Cats. Have two big man with good size that are very versatile.
9. Brookfield Academy (1)- Have two solid guards and have a fairly tall team.
D4
1. Randolph (2)- Yes they didn't win state or even make it there but, I still think their the best team in D4 and if they hadn't had a bad game would of won state. Kelm and Tillema are just too good when their on.
2. Benton (3)- Team that likes to get up and down the court and love to shoot the threes, which they shoot very well.
3. Wisconsin Rapids Assumption (2)- 1-3-1 defense is one of the best zone defenses I've seen and Alex Erdman is a big time scorer.
4. Burlington Catholic Central (1)- Solid defensive team and shoot the three well enough.
5. Blair Taylor (1)- Have a good inside out game. Ball handling is a question but, once they get in their offense their pretty solid and shoot the ball well.
6. St. Mary Central (1)- Very good spot up shooters and have a solid inside game.
7. Williams Bay (1)- Honestly the only other D4 team I've seen so they get the call here.
Well there are my final rankings and as I had mentioned early I do have some teams ranked higher then teams that have beaten them but, I'm only going by games that I've seen because I have no idea what happened in the games I didn't see. Was a player hurt, foul trouble, or just a plain bad game played. Tomorrow will hopefully be player rankings if I get a chance.
Monday, March 23, 2009
State Championship All Tournamet Team
Well I figure everyone probably watched the state championship games this weekend. In the lower three divisions the teams expected to win won without much problems with the exception of Wisconsin Lutheran out lasting Northwestern by one point. After watching a full weekend of games here are my all tournament team from the state championship games.
1st Team
Vander Blue 6'4 junior Madison Memorial- Was a dunking machine this weekend, knocking down three pointers, and simply took over their quarter final game against Germantown.
Mitch Tordoff 6'0 senior Monroe- Set the scoring record for division two state tournament and was money all day from long range.
Flavian Davis 6'4 junior Wisconsin Lutheran- Was the go to player all weekend for Wisconsin Lutheran. Basically carried them offensively at times in the championship game.
Jeronne Maymon 6'7 senior Madison Memorial- Dominated the boards all tournament long and really turned on the offensive game in the championship game.
Jamil Wilson 6'7 senior Racine Horlick- A shot blocking machine all tournament long and looked like a pro player handling the ball and knocking down jumpers.
2nd Team
Jake Hottenstine 6'3 senior Bay Port- Really opened some eyes this weekend as he was extremely impressive shooting the ball and jumping out of the gym dunking, rebounding, or blocking shots.
Tank Johnson 6'5 senior Oshkosh North- Just a absolute beast on the inside. Without him there is no way North would of beaten Washington or been in the game against Horlick.
Jake Thomas 6'3 senior Racine St. Catherines- Just couldn't miss in the first game and was just slightly less impressive against in the championship game.
Antwon Oliver 6'5 senior Racine Horlick- Was right there with Wilson in blocking a ton of shots. At times when Wilson was in foul trouble really carried the team.
Jimmy Whitehead 6'1 senior Lacrosse Aquinas- Nearly impossible to keep him from getting to the hoop when he really wanted to. Had the best cross over of the weekend.
3rd Team
Alex Erdmann 6'2 senior Wisconsin Rapids Assumption- Was the key to the Assumption 1-3-1 defense with his long arms and could score at will in their first game.
Jordan Hendricks 6'1 senior Benton- Was the one guy hitting the shots, when no one else was hitting.
Davonte Mullen 5'10 junior Racine Horlick- Was the difference in their game against Eau Claire North getting in the lane and scoring and was able to knock down the three all weekend long.
PJ Marion 5'10 senior Wisconsin Lutheran- Was money from long range all weekend long and forced Northwestern to put a box and one on him which really opened things up for teammate Davis.
Steve Tecker 6'5 junior Northwestern- Was by far the most impressive player that only played in one game. Was able to get to the rim at will and was pretty solid battling against Flavian Davis.
Well there are my picks for all tournament team for this weekend. This was a great weekend of basketball and the season has sadly come to an end.
1st Team
Vander Blue 6'4 junior Madison Memorial- Was a dunking machine this weekend, knocking down three pointers, and simply took over their quarter final game against Germantown.
Mitch Tordoff 6'0 senior Monroe- Set the scoring record for division two state tournament and was money all day from long range.
Flavian Davis 6'4 junior Wisconsin Lutheran- Was the go to player all weekend for Wisconsin Lutheran. Basically carried them offensively at times in the championship game.
Jeronne Maymon 6'7 senior Madison Memorial- Dominated the boards all tournament long and really turned on the offensive game in the championship game.
Jamil Wilson 6'7 senior Racine Horlick- A shot blocking machine all tournament long and looked like a pro player handling the ball and knocking down jumpers.
2nd Team
Jake Hottenstine 6'3 senior Bay Port- Really opened some eyes this weekend as he was extremely impressive shooting the ball and jumping out of the gym dunking, rebounding, or blocking shots.
Tank Johnson 6'5 senior Oshkosh North- Just a absolute beast on the inside. Without him there is no way North would of beaten Washington or been in the game against Horlick.
Jake Thomas 6'3 senior Racine St. Catherines- Just couldn't miss in the first game and was just slightly less impressive against in the championship game.
Antwon Oliver 6'5 senior Racine Horlick- Was right there with Wilson in blocking a ton of shots. At times when Wilson was in foul trouble really carried the team.
Jimmy Whitehead 6'1 senior Lacrosse Aquinas- Nearly impossible to keep him from getting to the hoop when he really wanted to. Had the best cross over of the weekend.
3rd Team
Alex Erdmann 6'2 senior Wisconsin Rapids Assumption- Was the key to the Assumption 1-3-1 defense with his long arms and could score at will in their first game.
Jordan Hendricks 6'1 senior Benton- Was the one guy hitting the shots, when no one else was hitting.
Davonte Mullen 5'10 junior Racine Horlick- Was the difference in their game against Eau Claire North getting in the lane and scoring and was able to knock down the three all weekend long.
PJ Marion 5'10 senior Wisconsin Lutheran- Was money from long range all weekend long and forced Northwestern to put a box and one on him which really opened things up for teammate Davis.
Steve Tecker 6'5 junior Northwestern- Was by far the most impressive player that only played in one game. Was able to get to the rim at will and was pretty solid battling against Flavian Davis.
Well there are my picks for all tournament team for this weekend. This was a great weekend of basketball and the season has sadly come to an end.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
State Predictions
With the state predictions starting tomorrow might as well do my predictions. For the final four and eight teams of each divisions.
Day One
Racine St. Catherines over Fall Creek- St. Cats has played bigger schools all year long and should have the advantage when they meet Fall Creek. St. Cats defense will be something Fall Creek hasn't seen all year long.
Lacrosse Aquinas over Roncalli- Whitehead is one of the best players in division three and should create match up problems for Roncalli. Roncalli's three point shooting should keep them in the game but, in the end Aquinas's experience and toughness will be too much.
Milwaukee Washington over Oshkosh North- Washington has too much speed and athleticism for North to match up with. Tank Johnson will be a problem for Washington to stop but, just too many weapons for Washington.
Racine Horlick over Eau Claire North- North's defense will keep them in the game but, the strong play of Oliver and Wilson will be too much for North. Horlick will run away with this one in the end.
Madison Memorial over Germantown- For Germantown Averkamp will have a huge game but, I don't think Germantown's guards will be able to handle the Memorial pressure.
Beloit over Bay Port- Bay Port may be undefeated but, they haven't faced a team with Beloit's athleticism. Should be a close game but, Beloit will out last Bay Port.
Day Two
Benton over Blair Taylor- Both teams like to push the tempo but, Benton just has more athletes then BT and seem to be a team of destiny.
Assumption over St. Mary Central- Assumption's full court press will be too much for St. Mary's to handle.
Northwestern over Wisconsin Lutheran- Wisco is a very good team led by a star in Flavian Davis by Northwestern has more good players and have the height advantage.
Xavier over Monroe- Xavier is a very good team that is extremely balanced and Monroe only has a couple guys that due the scoring, so advantage to Xavier who won't be depending on one or two guys.
These games are if I picked the correct winners from Day one...
Milwaukee Washington over Racine Horlick- Oliver and Wilson are great for Horlick but, I give a huge edge to Washington's role players.
Madison Memorial over Beloit- Memorial has taken down Beloit twice in the regular season and this game should be no different.
Championship Day
Benton over Assumption- Another fast paced game where the team of destiny will come out on top.
Northwestern and Xavier- Once again Northwestern's height will help them win out.
Racine St. Catherines over Lacrosse Aquinas- Once again St. Cats defense and abundance of athletes will carry them to victory.
Madison Memorial over Milwaukee Washington- Guards should balance each other out in this game but, Maymon should run wild in the post.
Well there are my predictions for state. For the most part my picks are the same as nearly everyone else has picked who follows high school basketball fairly closely. Tomorrow is the big day and we will see how things play out.
Day One
Racine St. Catherines over Fall Creek- St. Cats has played bigger schools all year long and should have the advantage when they meet Fall Creek. St. Cats defense will be something Fall Creek hasn't seen all year long.
Lacrosse Aquinas over Roncalli- Whitehead is one of the best players in division three and should create match up problems for Roncalli. Roncalli's three point shooting should keep them in the game but, in the end Aquinas's experience and toughness will be too much.
Milwaukee Washington over Oshkosh North- Washington has too much speed and athleticism for North to match up with. Tank Johnson will be a problem for Washington to stop but, just too many weapons for Washington.
Racine Horlick over Eau Claire North- North's defense will keep them in the game but, the strong play of Oliver and Wilson will be too much for North. Horlick will run away with this one in the end.
Madison Memorial over Germantown- For Germantown Averkamp will have a huge game but, I don't think Germantown's guards will be able to handle the Memorial pressure.
Beloit over Bay Port- Bay Port may be undefeated but, they haven't faced a team with Beloit's athleticism. Should be a close game but, Beloit will out last Bay Port.
Day Two
Benton over Blair Taylor- Both teams like to push the tempo but, Benton just has more athletes then BT and seem to be a team of destiny.
Assumption over St. Mary Central- Assumption's full court press will be too much for St. Mary's to handle.
Northwestern over Wisconsin Lutheran- Wisco is a very good team led by a star in Flavian Davis by Northwestern has more good players and have the height advantage.
Xavier over Monroe- Xavier is a very good team that is extremely balanced and Monroe only has a couple guys that due the scoring, so advantage to Xavier who won't be depending on one or two guys.
These games are if I picked the correct winners from Day one...
Milwaukee Washington over Racine Horlick- Oliver and Wilson are great for Horlick but, I give a huge edge to Washington's role players.
Madison Memorial over Beloit- Memorial has taken down Beloit twice in the regular season and this game should be no different.
Championship Day
Benton over Assumption- Another fast paced game where the team of destiny will come out on top.
Northwestern and Xavier- Once again Northwestern's height will help them win out.
Racine St. Catherines over Lacrosse Aquinas- Once again St. Cats defense and abundance of athletes will carry them to victory.
Madison Memorial over Milwaukee Washington- Guards should balance each other out in this game but, Maymon should run wild in the post.
Well there are my predictions for state. For the most part my picks are the same as nearly everyone else has picked who follows high school basketball fairly closely. Tomorrow is the big day and we will see how things play out.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Madison Memorial beats Waunakee to get to state
In a sectional final match up the heavily favored Madison Memorial Spartans took on the Waunakee Warriors, who had just recently beaten a Madison East squad that many people thought could challenge Memorial in getting to state. Madison Memorial is made up of the top senior, top junior, and top freshmen in the state, while Waunakee is made up of almost entirely seniors. Everyone thought that Memorial would win this game easily but, I could of easily seen Waunakee take down the Memorial team.
Early on Waunakee came out very strong and used physical play to keep the game close. The Warriors looked inside to their big man 6'4 senior Jason Paulson who was able to use his size and strength to score in the paint. The thing that doomed Waunakee was their inability to handled the Memorial trap. Waunakee turned the ball over numerous times leading to easy baskets for Memorial. Memorial freshmen 6'4 Junior Lomomba benefited greatly from these fast breaks which led to two big dunks out of the freshmen and the majority of his points in the first half.
The second half continued much the same as Memorial continued to get out an run on the turnovers. Waunakee was unable to continue to go to the inside because Paulson was saddled with foul trouble. It seemed like throughout the entire second half Memorial was scoring four points for every Waunakee two. Memorial 6'4 junior Vander Blue got things going in the first half getting out and running and finishing with some acrobatic lay ups. In the end Memorial cruised to the 20 point victory.
Top Players
Vander Blue 6'4 junior Madison Memorial- Knocking down a three early and was able to get out in transition and finish at the rim.
Junior Lomomba 6'4 freshmen Madison Memorial- Another guy that was running and was finishing at the rim strong.
Tre Creamer 6'4 junior Madison Memorial- Used his athleticism and length to take the ball to the rim and finish.
Eric Helt 6'2 senior Waunkaee- One of the players that benefited from the Memorial trap as he was able to find wide open shots on the baseline and he dropped them.
Jason Paulson 6'4 senior Waunakee- Very strong in the post that the Memorial defenders had a very tough time stopping.
Box Score
Madison Memorial 72- Blue 21 Creamer 13 Lomomba 13 Jeronne Maymon 10 Xavier Jones 9 Russell Henderson 5 Eric Fruhling 2 Fred Ringhand 0 Erick Blue 0 Karl Klatt 0 Alvin Jones 0 Mathew Laubmeier 0 Ed Kluender 0
Waunakee 49- Helt 12 Paulson 11 Zach Ripley 11 Mitch Roelke 8 Austin Goetsch 0 Jeff Tagarelli 2 Ryan Gilles 0 Paul Fitzpatrick 0 Matt Gorman 0 Chris Braatz 0 Kyle Newhouse 0 Beau Murray 0 Jared Staege 0 Cole Cefalu 0 Austin Prusha 0
Right now Madison Memorial is playing some of their best basketball of the year and look destined to play either Racine Horlick or Milwaukee Washington in the state championship game. With all the athletes Memorial have they are a tough match up for any team in the state.
Early on Waunakee came out very strong and used physical play to keep the game close. The Warriors looked inside to their big man 6'4 senior Jason Paulson who was able to use his size and strength to score in the paint. The thing that doomed Waunakee was their inability to handled the Memorial trap. Waunakee turned the ball over numerous times leading to easy baskets for Memorial. Memorial freshmen 6'4 Junior Lomomba benefited greatly from these fast breaks which led to two big dunks out of the freshmen and the majority of his points in the first half.
The second half continued much the same as Memorial continued to get out an run on the turnovers. Waunakee was unable to continue to go to the inside because Paulson was saddled with foul trouble. It seemed like throughout the entire second half Memorial was scoring four points for every Waunakee two. Memorial 6'4 junior Vander Blue got things going in the first half getting out and running and finishing with some acrobatic lay ups. In the end Memorial cruised to the 20 point victory.
Top Players
Vander Blue 6'4 junior Madison Memorial- Knocking down a three early and was able to get out in transition and finish at the rim.
Junior Lomomba 6'4 freshmen Madison Memorial- Another guy that was running and was finishing at the rim strong.
Tre Creamer 6'4 junior Madison Memorial- Used his athleticism and length to take the ball to the rim and finish.
Eric Helt 6'2 senior Waunkaee- One of the players that benefited from the Memorial trap as he was able to find wide open shots on the baseline and he dropped them.
Jason Paulson 6'4 senior Waunakee- Very strong in the post that the Memorial defenders had a very tough time stopping.
Box Score
Madison Memorial 72- Blue 21 Creamer 13 Lomomba 13 Jeronne Maymon 10 Xavier Jones 9 Russell Henderson 5 Eric Fruhling 2 Fred Ringhand 0 Erick Blue 0 Karl Klatt 0 Alvin Jones 0 Mathew Laubmeier 0 Ed Kluender 0
Waunakee 49- Helt 12 Paulson 11 Zach Ripley 11 Mitch Roelke 8 Austin Goetsch 0 Jeff Tagarelli 2 Ryan Gilles 0 Paul Fitzpatrick 0 Matt Gorman 0 Chris Braatz 0 Kyle Newhouse 0 Beau Murray 0 Jared Staege 0 Cole Cefalu 0 Austin Prusha 0
Right now Madison Memorial is playing some of their best basketball of the year and look destined to play either Racine Horlick or Milwaukee Washington in the state championship game. With all the athletes Memorial have they are a tough match up for any team in the state.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Marshall outguns Cuba City
In a great division three match up in the sectional semi final game Marshall was able to out gun Cuba City in a high scoring game. Marshall is a team that is going to take a lot of shots, some good some bad but, with their height their able to get a lot of rebounds and second chance points. Cuba City looks to their star Evan Richard to do most of the scoring and the rest of the team just plays around him.
Marshall came out gunning early lead by 6'4 senior Max Franklin who came out very aggressive looking to score. Franklin did begin to take some bad shots but, when he did miss 6'6 senior Alex Koeller was down low to get the rebound and the put back. For Cuba City it was the Evan Richard show as the 6'3 junior was knocking everything down. He has a pretty quick release and can create his own shot.
The second half of the game got very physical as Cuba City tried to counter Marshall's height advantage by getting trying to push Marshall around. Marshall's star 6'6 senior Mike Boebel spent a good portion of the second half on the floor but, still was able to control the boards and getting numerous put back buckets. Boebel and Koeller completely controlled the interior throughout the entire game which was the biggest reason Marshall won. Both Boebel and Koeller were able to step outside away from the physical play and knocked down a three as well as a couple outside jumpers. For Cuba City Richard continued to do his thing but, they found another offensive option in 6'4 senior Joe Schweigert was able to score at will on the inside. Schweigert was just to strong on the inside for the Marshall big men. In the end Marshall's depth was just too much for Cuba City as Marshall rolled to victory.
Top Players
Mike Boebel 6'6 senior Marshall- Really needs to get bigger and stronger to play D2 college ball but, rebounds very well, great free throw shooter, and can step out and hit the three point shot.
Max Franklin 6'4 senior Marshall- Guard with a very large reach that causes problems on the defense. A scoring minded player that is always looking to score. Very good off the dribble and moves well without the ball.
Alex Koeller 6'6 senior Marshall- Very tough rebounder on the inside and can also hit the three point shot.
Evan Richard 6'3 junior Cuba City- Very smooth shooter that can knock down any shot on the court, moves very well without the ball, and can get up, which was highlighted by a nice two handed dunk.
Joe Schweigert 6'4 senior Cuba City- A beast on the inside that loves to battle. Scored at will when he had the defender on his back.
Box Score
Marshall 81- Boebel 26 Franklin 21 Koeller 19 Greg Haag 8 Devron Crews 4 Alex Fry 3 Blake Ward 0 Skyler Myers 0 Zac Hurley 0 Jeremy Liwarz 0
Cuba City 67- Richard 34 Schweigert 21 Jeremy Vaassen 5 Derek Tranel 4 Wells Kaiser 2 24 Alt 1 Kyler Kaiser 0 Tyler Speth 0 Jake Guerin 0 Tanner Oglesby 0 David Ludwig 0 Brandon Stecklan 0
After seeing Marshall play I wouldn't be completely surprised to see Marshall defeat the highly favored Lacrosse Aquinas team. Marshall probably has more depth but, the question mark is can Marshall stay in front of Aquinas star Jimmy Whitehead.
Marshall came out gunning early lead by 6'4 senior Max Franklin who came out very aggressive looking to score. Franklin did begin to take some bad shots but, when he did miss 6'6 senior Alex Koeller was down low to get the rebound and the put back. For Cuba City it was the Evan Richard show as the 6'3 junior was knocking everything down. He has a pretty quick release and can create his own shot.
The second half of the game got very physical as Cuba City tried to counter Marshall's height advantage by getting trying to push Marshall around. Marshall's star 6'6 senior Mike Boebel spent a good portion of the second half on the floor but, still was able to control the boards and getting numerous put back buckets. Boebel and Koeller completely controlled the interior throughout the entire game which was the biggest reason Marshall won. Both Boebel and Koeller were able to step outside away from the physical play and knocked down a three as well as a couple outside jumpers. For Cuba City Richard continued to do his thing but, they found another offensive option in 6'4 senior Joe Schweigert was able to score at will on the inside. Schweigert was just to strong on the inside for the Marshall big men. In the end Marshall's depth was just too much for Cuba City as Marshall rolled to victory.
Top Players
Mike Boebel 6'6 senior Marshall- Really needs to get bigger and stronger to play D2 college ball but, rebounds very well, great free throw shooter, and can step out and hit the three point shot.
Max Franklin 6'4 senior Marshall- Guard with a very large reach that causes problems on the defense. A scoring minded player that is always looking to score. Very good off the dribble and moves well without the ball.
Alex Koeller 6'6 senior Marshall- Very tough rebounder on the inside and can also hit the three point shot.
Evan Richard 6'3 junior Cuba City- Very smooth shooter that can knock down any shot on the court, moves very well without the ball, and can get up, which was highlighted by a nice two handed dunk.
Joe Schweigert 6'4 senior Cuba City- A beast on the inside that loves to battle. Scored at will when he had the defender on his back.
Box Score
Marshall 81- Boebel 26 Franklin 21 Koeller 19 Greg Haag 8 Devron Crews 4 Alex Fry 3 Blake Ward 0 Skyler Myers 0 Zac Hurley 0 Jeremy Liwarz 0
Cuba City 67- Richard 34 Schweigert 21 Jeremy Vaassen 5 Derek Tranel 4 Wells Kaiser 2 24 Alt 1 Kyler Kaiser 0 Tyler Speth 0 Jake Guerin 0 Tanner Oglesby 0 David Ludwig 0 Brandon Stecklan 0
After seeing Marshall play I wouldn't be completely surprised to see Marshall defeat the highly favored Lacrosse Aquinas team. Marshall probably has more depth but, the question mark is can Marshall stay in front of Aquinas star Jimmy Whitehead.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
D1 Sectionals
The final predictions to make are the D1 sectionals. The division may not be as much up for grabs as D2 but, there still are a lot of good games.
Marshfield Sectional
Superior over Eau Claire North- I'm really on the bubble with this game. I could go either way on this game but, Superior has already beaten North this year and Superior plays in a much tougher conference.
Wausau East over Antigo- Only going with East because they are a higher seed and everyone says Antigo isn't as good as their record shows.
Superior over Wausau East- Once again Superior has played in a tougher conference and whoever wins between them and North gets the edge over the other sectional.
Green Bay Sectional
Bay Port over Depere- Bay Port is undefeated for a reason and should win this with ease.
Kimberly over Manitowoc Lincoln- Lincoln is hot right now but, Kimberly has been the stronger team all year.
Bay Port over Kimberly- Bay Port is undefeated and has been strong all year while Kimberly had a slump during the year.
Waunakee Sectiona
Madison Memorial over Baraboo- Baraboo is lucky to be in this game and their luck will run out.
Madison East over Waunakee- This was another tough pick as Waunakee is playing great right now but, gotta go with East and their two stars Mason and Hilliard, they just seem to keep pulling games out.
Madison Memorial over Madison East- Memorial just has too many stars for East to compete with but, will be very close.
Oshkosh Sectional
Oshkosh North over Neenah- North has been strong all year and should cruise to victory.
Oshkosh West over Sheboygan South- West has the experience and the size factor in this one.
Oshkosh North over Oshkosh West- North has been the better team all year and this game should be no different.
Milwaukee Sectional 1
Germantown over Hartford- Averkamp is just to strong for anyone in this sectional.
Waukesha North over Menomonee Falls- Falls has been impressive as of late but, North dismantled Milwaukee Vincent and are playing strong.
Germantown over Waukesha North- Germantown is easily the class of this sectional for a reason.
Janesville Sectional
Beloit over Kenosha Tremper- Beloit has more athletes and is more battle tested then Tremper.
Verona over Elkhorn- Verona has played better competition all year long and should pay off in this matchup.
Beloit over Verona- In my brackets I picked Verona but, have changed my mind and I think Beloit is just too athletic for Verona.
Racine Sectional
Racine Horlick over Whitnall- Horlick's size and athleticism is just too much for Whitnall.
Milwaukee Hamiliton over Racine Park- Hamiliton is playing stellar defense and come out of tougher conference.
Racine Horlick over Milwaukee Hamiliton- Hamiliton is probably one year away from a state run and don't have Horlicks experience.
Milwaukee Sectional 2
Milwaukee Washington over Milwaukee Bradley Tech- Tech is a cinderella story but, that stops here against a very good Washington team.
Wauwatosa East over Milwaukee Marquette- Tosa East has been here before and return a large group from their state championship team.
Milwaukee Washington over Wauwatosa East- Washington has their one lose out of the way this year and without the pressure should be able to take Tosa East down this year.
Should be another great weekend of games. Thursday night gonna try and get into the Marshall verse Cuba City game and then hopefully have tickets for the Saturday's Waunakee D1 sectional final.
Marshfield Sectional
Superior over Eau Claire North- I'm really on the bubble with this game. I could go either way on this game but, Superior has already beaten North this year and Superior plays in a much tougher conference.
Wausau East over Antigo- Only going with East because they are a higher seed and everyone says Antigo isn't as good as their record shows.
Superior over Wausau East- Once again Superior has played in a tougher conference and whoever wins between them and North gets the edge over the other sectional.
Green Bay Sectional
Bay Port over Depere- Bay Port is undefeated for a reason and should win this with ease.
Kimberly over Manitowoc Lincoln- Lincoln is hot right now but, Kimberly has been the stronger team all year.
Bay Port over Kimberly- Bay Port is undefeated and has been strong all year while Kimberly had a slump during the year.
Waunakee Sectiona
Madison Memorial over Baraboo- Baraboo is lucky to be in this game and their luck will run out.
Madison East over Waunakee- This was another tough pick as Waunakee is playing great right now but, gotta go with East and their two stars Mason and Hilliard, they just seem to keep pulling games out.
Madison Memorial over Madison East- Memorial just has too many stars for East to compete with but, will be very close.
Oshkosh Sectional
Oshkosh North over Neenah- North has been strong all year and should cruise to victory.
Oshkosh West over Sheboygan South- West has the experience and the size factor in this one.
Oshkosh North over Oshkosh West- North has been the better team all year and this game should be no different.
Milwaukee Sectional 1
Germantown over Hartford- Averkamp is just to strong for anyone in this sectional.
Waukesha North over Menomonee Falls- Falls has been impressive as of late but, North dismantled Milwaukee Vincent and are playing strong.
Germantown over Waukesha North- Germantown is easily the class of this sectional for a reason.
Janesville Sectional
Beloit over Kenosha Tremper- Beloit has more athletes and is more battle tested then Tremper.
Verona over Elkhorn- Verona has played better competition all year long and should pay off in this matchup.
Beloit over Verona- In my brackets I picked Verona but, have changed my mind and I think Beloit is just too athletic for Verona.
Racine Sectional
Racine Horlick over Whitnall- Horlick's size and athleticism is just too much for Whitnall.
Milwaukee Hamiliton over Racine Park- Hamiliton is playing stellar defense and come out of tougher conference.
Racine Horlick over Milwaukee Hamiliton- Hamiliton is probably one year away from a state run and don't have Horlicks experience.
Milwaukee Sectional 2
Milwaukee Washington over Milwaukee Bradley Tech- Tech is a cinderella story but, that stops here against a very good Washington team.
Wauwatosa East over Milwaukee Marquette- Tosa East has been here before and return a large group from their state championship team.
Milwaukee Washington over Wauwatosa East- Washington has their one lose out of the way this year and without the pressure should be able to take Tosa East down this year.
Should be another great weekend of games. Thursday night gonna try and get into the Marshall verse Cuba City game and then hopefully have tickets for the Saturday's Waunakee D1 sectional final.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
D2 Sectionals
Division two probably has the best games for sectionals of the four divisions. In each sectional there are at least two teams that have legitimate shots to make it to state.
Menomonie Sectional
Northwestern over Osceola- Northwestern just has too much talent for Osceola. There is a reason their undefeated.
Adams Friendship over Onalaska- Adams has already beaten two of the top teams from Onalaska's conference and are playing their best basketball right now.
Northwestern over Adams Friendship- I wanna go with Adams but, I just think Northwesterns height and talent will be too much.
Green Bay Sectional
Seymour over West DePere- Seymour has a great coach and has played some tough competition to prepare themselves for this game.
Xavier over New London- New London is coming off the huge win but, Xavier is just too deep of a team.
Xavier over Seymour- Experience and depth give Xavier the advantage.
Sun Prairie Sectional
Monroe over Wisconsin Dells- Two good guards in the Tordoff brothers out way Dells Mr. Everything Jade Royston.
Catholic Memorial over Madison Edgewood- Memorials overall height will be too much for Edgewood along with the fact they have no one to guard TJ Brey.
Catholic Memorial over Monroe- Memorial size will once again carry them past Monroe.
Milwaukee Sectional
Pewaukee over Sheboygan Falls- Pewaukee has been very impressive coming out of the states top D2 region.
Whitefish Bay over Wisconsin Lutheran- Coming out of the toughest conference gives Whitefish Bay the advantage.
Whitefish Bay over Pewaukee- Bay has been beating D1 teams all year so this game should be easy.
So my final four are Northwestern, Xavier, Catholic Memorial, and Whitefish Bay, which happen to be the final four I picked at the beginning of the playoffs. From here its anyones title to win.
Menomonie Sectional
Northwestern over Osceola- Northwestern just has too much talent for Osceola. There is a reason their undefeated.
Adams Friendship over Onalaska- Adams has already beaten two of the top teams from Onalaska's conference and are playing their best basketball right now.
Northwestern over Adams Friendship- I wanna go with Adams but, I just think Northwesterns height and talent will be too much.
Green Bay Sectional
Seymour over West DePere- Seymour has a great coach and has played some tough competition to prepare themselves for this game.
Xavier over New London- New London is coming off the huge win but, Xavier is just too deep of a team.
Xavier over Seymour- Experience and depth give Xavier the advantage.
Sun Prairie Sectional
Monroe over Wisconsin Dells- Two good guards in the Tordoff brothers out way Dells Mr. Everything Jade Royston.
Catholic Memorial over Madison Edgewood- Memorials overall height will be too much for Edgewood along with the fact they have no one to guard TJ Brey.
Catholic Memorial over Monroe- Memorial size will once again carry them past Monroe.
Milwaukee Sectional
Pewaukee over Sheboygan Falls- Pewaukee has been very impressive coming out of the states top D2 region.
Whitefish Bay over Wisconsin Lutheran- Coming out of the toughest conference gives Whitefish Bay the advantage.
Whitefish Bay over Pewaukee- Bay has been beating D1 teams all year so this game should be easy.
So my final four are Northwestern, Xavier, Catholic Memorial, and Whitefish Bay, which happen to be the final four I picked at the beginning of the playoffs. From here its anyones title to win.
Monday, March 9, 2009
D3 and D4 Sectional Predictions
With sectionals coming up the end of the week figured I could do my sectional predictions. Today will be division three and four with division one and two following in the next couple days.
D4
Spooner Sectional
Prentice over South Shore- South Shore is a seven seed that has gotten hot and I think their cinderella story stops here.
Blair Taylor over Mcdonell Central- Blair Taylor has been one of the top teams in D4 all year long and have a much better record.
Blair Taylor over Prentice- BT has been the pick all year long and will prove it here.
Fort Atkinson Sectional
Benton over Catholic Central- Benton just has too many weapons for Catholic Central to contend with.
Randolph over Sheboygan County Christian- Just too much Tillema and Kelm here.
Randolph over Benton- Kelm and Tillema are the two best players in D4 and Benton doesn't have the size to stop them.
Appleton Sectional
Conserve School over Rosholt- Honestly no real reason for this pick over then the fact that Conserve is a one seed and should win.
Suring over St Mary Central- Suring is a high scoring team with a strong tradition.
Suring over Conserve School- Picking Suring because I know they can score with the best teams around.
Onalaska Sectional
Assumption over Gilmanton- Assumptions defense and speed will be too much for Gilmanton.
Hillsboro over Potosi- Hillsboro's size will just be too much.
Assumption over Hillsboro- Once again Assumption speed and athleticism too much.
D3
Eau Claire Sectional
Eau Claire Regis over Prescott- Regis has played a much tougher schedule all year long and are battle testerd.
Fall Creek over Ladysmith- Fall Creek similar to Regis in schedule and battle tested.
Eau Claire Regis over Fall Creek- I picked Fall Creek over Regis in my brackets but, changing it to Regis due to the fact that Regis has finished the season very strong, while Creek struggled a little bit at the end.
West Allis Sectional
Cedar Grover Belgium over Cambridge- Don't know much about either team so I go with my guy and CDB.
Racine St Catherines over Dominican- St. Cats has beaten Dominican twice already this year and I think their height is just too much for Dominican.
St. Cats over Cedar Grove Belgium- St. Cats is practically a D1 team and CDB will be no match.
Ashwaubenon Sectional
Marathon over Three Lakes- Just going with a guy feeling with this one again.
Laconia over Roncalli- Laconia's experience is just too much for the young Roncalli team.
Laconia over Marathon- Semenas and company will be too much for Marathon.
Baraboo Sectional
Lacrosse Aquinas over Aburndale- Jimmy Whitehead is too much for anyone in D3 to stop.
Marshall over Cuba City- Marshall just has to many weapons for the Cubans and I wasn't that impressed with Cuba City last year.
Aquinas over Marshall- No one to stay with White head once again.
Well there are my picks for D3 and D4. As you can probably tell I know a lot more about division three then I do about division four. Well should be a great next couple days of games.
D4
Spooner Sectional
Prentice over South Shore- South Shore is a seven seed that has gotten hot and I think their cinderella story stops here.
Blair Taylor over Mcdonell Central- Blair Taylor has been one of the top teams in D4 all year long and have a much better record.
Blair Taylor over Prentice- BT has been the pick all year long and will prove it here.
Fort Atkinson Sectional
Benton over Catholic Central- Benton just has too many weapons for Catholic Central to contend with.
Randolph over Sheboygan County Christian- Just too much Tillema and Kelm here.
Randolph over Benton- Kelm and Tillema are the two best players in D4 and Benton doesn't have the size to stop them.
Appleton Sectional
Conserve School over Rosholt- Honestly no real reason for this pick over then the fact that Conserve is a one seed and should win.
Suring over St Mary Central- Suring is a high scoring team with a strong tradition.
Suring over Conserve School- Picking Suring because I know they can score with the best teams around.
Onalaska Sectional
Assumption over Gilmanton- Assumptions defense and speed will be too much for Gilmanton.
Hillsboro over Potosi- Hillsboro's size will just be too much.
Assumption over Hillsboro- Once again Assumption speed and athleticism too much.
D3
Eau Claire Sectional
Eau Claire Regis over Prescott- Regis has played a much tougher schedule all year long and are battle testerd.
Fall Creek over Ladysmith- Fall Creek similar to Regis in schedule and battle tested.
Eau Claire Regis over Fall Creek- I picked Fall Creek over Regis in my brackets but, changing it to Regis due to the fact that Regis has finished the season very strong, while Creek struggled a little bit at the end.
West Allis Sectional
Cedar Grover Belgium over Cambridge- Don't know much about either team so I go with my guy and CDB.
Racine St Catherines over Dominican- St. Cats has beaten Dominican twice already this year and I think their height is just too much for Dominican.
St. Cats over Cedar Grove Belgium- St. Cats is practically a D1 team and CDB will be no match.
Ashwaubenon Sectional
Marathon over Three Lakes- Just going with a guy feeling with this one again.
Laconia over Roncalli- Laconia's experience is just too much for the young Roncalli team.
Laconia over Marathon- Semenas and company will be too much for Marathon.
Baraboo Sectional
Lacrosse Aquinas over Aburndale- Jimmy Whitehead is too much for anyone in D3 to stop.
Marshall over Cuba City- Marshall just has to many weapons for the Cubans and I wasn't that impressed with Cuba City last year.
Aquinas over Marshall- No one to stay with White head once again.
Well there are my picks for D3 and D4. As you can probably tell I know a lot more about division three then I do about division four. Well should be a great next couple days of games.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Regional Final Day
Yesterday I was able to take in three regional final games. Started the day off in Baraboo watching Wisconsin Dells verse River Vally, then headed to Madison to watch Memorial and Sauk Prairie, and ended the night in Waunakee with their match up against Madison Lafollette. Division one regional finals can hardly be called regional finals because it's still only a second round match up and in some cases it may be that D1s first game of the playoffs, either way all teams have two games left after Saturdays games. Since I saw three games in one day I'm only go to do a short summary of each game.
Wisconsin Dells 59 River Valley 56
This was an extremely physical game which is the way Wisconsin Dells likes to play. Dells was led by their star 6'0 senior Jade Royston who is playing out of his mind right now in the playoffs. Royston was unstoppable for the first three quarters before Dells decided to just hang on to the lead and not extend it at the end. Wisconsin Dells was up 12 points with about 2:30 left in the game and that's when Wisconsin Dells stopped playing and let River Valley back into the game. The Dells weren't hitting their free throws and a couple three point shots and drives to the basket and River Valley had tied the game at 56 with four seconds remaining and were looking towards overtime when Royston took the inbounds pass and pulled up from half court to bank in the game winning shot.
Top Players
Jade Royston 6'0 senior Wisconsin Dells- Mr. Everything for the Dells right now, can score at will, whether he's in the post, shooting the three, penetrating, or apparently from half court.
Jimmy Alvin 6'0 senior Wisconsin Dells- Very good spot up shooter that knocked down three, three pointers, as well as adding five free throws.
Noah Baryenburch 6'0 sophomore River Valley- Leader of the team goes to his left very strong and has a nice floater that he uses to score most of his points and can knock down the three.
Alex Richard 6'4 sophomore River Valley- Very tough player that scores on the inside and knocked down a pair of big three pointers late in the game.
Top Scorers
WD- Royston 28 Alvin 14 Nate Gibson 7
RV- Baryenburch 20 Richard 17 Craig Johnson 6
Madison Memorial 47 Sauk Prairie 38
Madison Memorial came out extremely flat and missed a lot of easy shots and then got into foul trouble which kept the game much closer then most people thought. The strong play of Madison Memorial 6'7 senior Jeronne Maymon was just too much for the undersized Sauk team. The most impressive player of the game though was Sauk Prairie's 6'2 senior Garret Schwarz who was unstoppable in this game. Memorial did not have a defender that could stay infront of Schwarz as he was able to score at will or get fouled where he would convert from the line.
Top Players
Jeronne Maymon 6'7 senior Madison Memorial- Didn't have a great game but, kept playing hard getting offensive rebounds and getting second chance points.
Russell Henderson 6'0 senior Madison Memorial- Came off the bench and had another big game. When Memorial was struggling against Sauk's zone Henderson had two three pointers and penetrated and found Maymon for a basket.
Garrett Schwarz 6'2 senior Sauk Prairie- Pretty much said it all just unstoppable today.
Top Scorers
MM- Maymon 15 Henderson 8 Junior Lomomba 8
SP- Schwarz 24 Drew Carden 6 Chad Pings 4
Waunakee 67 Madison Lafollette 56
Lafollette came out as usual, really looking to push the ball which led to them being a bit out of control and taking some wild shots that weren't falling for them. Waunakee on the other hand looked very solid and handled the Lafollette intensity very well which led to a big early lead for Waunakee. Lafollette continued to push the ball which eventually led to some open shots and when Waunakee began missing shots and turning the ball over Lafollette began dropping the threes. In the end though Lafollette's shooting went cold and Waunakee was able to hold on to the win.
Top Players
Mitch Roelke 6'0 senior Waunakee- I love this kid as a point guard. Handled the Lafollette pressure pretty well, had a couple of very nice no look passes, and pounds the glass pretty well for a guard.
Jason Paulson 6'4 senior Waunakee- Size really gave Lafollette a lot of problems on the offensive end and hit two big threes that were unexpected.
Chris Redman 6'3 senior Madison Lafollette- Does a great job of grabbing the rebounds and was main reason Lafollette crawled back into the game with some big threes.
Top Scorers
W- Roelke 13 Zach Ripley 13 Paulson 10 Eric Helt 10
ML- Redman 16 Marcus Henley 11 DJ Fuller 9
In the next couple days I'll be doing my predictions for sectionals for next weekend as there are only two rounds left until state starts.
Wisconsin Dells 59 River Valley 56
This was an extremely physical game which is the way Wisconsin Dells likes to play. Dells was led by their star 6'0 senior Jade Royston who is playing out of his mind right now in the playoffs. Royston was unstoppable for the first three quarters before Dells decided to just hang on to the lead and not extend it at the end. Wisconsin Dells was up 12 points with about 2:30 left in the game and that's when Wisconsin Dells stopped playing and let River Valley back into the game. The Dells weren't hitting their free throws and a couple three point shots and drives to the basket and River Valley had tied the game at 56 with four seconds remaining and were looking towards overtime when Royston took the inbounds pass and pulled up from half court to bank in the game winning shot.
Top Players
Jade Royston 6'0 senior Wisconsin Dells- Mr. Everything for the Dells right now, can score at will, whether he's in the post, shooting the three, penetrating, or apparently from half court.
Jimmy Alvin 6'0 senior Wisconsin Dells- Very good spot up shooter that knocked down three, three pointers, as well as adding five free throws.
Noah Baryenburch 6'0 sophomore River Valley- Leader of the team goes to his left very strong and has a nice floater that he uses to score most of his points and can knock down the three.
Alex Richard 6'4 sophomore River Valley- Very tough player that scores on the inside and knocked down a pair of big three pointers late in the game.
Top Scorers
WD- Royston 28 Alvin 14 Nate Gibson 7
RV- Baryenburch 20 Richard 17 Craig Johnson 6
Madison Memorial 47 Sauk Prairie 38
Madison Memorial came out extremely flat and missed a lot of easy shots and then got into foul trouble which kept the game much closer then most people thought. The strong play of Madison Memorial 6'7 senior Jeronne Maymon was just too much for the undersized Sauk team. The most impressive player of the game though was Sauk Prairie's 6'2 senior Garret Schwarz who was unstoppable in this game. Memorial did not have a defender that could stay infront of Schwarz as he was able to score at will or get fouled where he would convert from the line.
Top Players
Jeronne Maymon 6'7 senior Madison Memorial- Didn't have a great game but, kept playing hard getting offensive rebounds and getting second chance points.
Russell Henderson 6'0 senior Madison Memorial- Came off the bench and had another big game. When Memorial was struggling against Sauk's zone Henderson had two three pointers and penetrated and found Maymon for a basket.
Garrett Schwarz 6'2 senior Sauk Prairie- Pretty much said it all just unstoppable today.
Top Scorers
MM- Maymon 15 Henderson 8 Junior Lomomba 8
SP- Schwarz 24 Drew Carden 6 Chad Pings 4
Waunakee 67 Madison Lafollette 56
Lafollette came out as usual, really looking to push the ball which led to them being a bit out of control and taking some wild shots that weren't falling for them. Waunakee on the other hand looked very solid and handled the Lafollette intensity very well which led to a big early lead for Waunakee. Lafollette continued to push the ball which eventually led to some open shots and when Waunakee began missing shots and turning the ball over Lafollette began dropping the threes. In the end though Lafollette's shooting went cold and Waunakee was able to hold on to the win.
Top Players
Mitch Roelke 6'0 senior Waunakee- I love this kid as a point guard. Handled the Lafollette pressure pretty well, had a couple of very nice no look passes, and pounds the glass pretty well for a guard.
Jason Paulson 6'4 senior Waunakee- Size really gave Lafollette a lot of problems on the offensive end and hit two big threes that were unexpected.
Chris Redman 6'3 senior Madison Lafollette- Does a great job of grabbing the rebounds and was main reason Lafollette crawled back into the game with some big threes.
Top Scorers
W- Roelke 13 Zach Ripley 13 Paulson 10 Eric Helt 10
ML- Redman 16 Marcus Henley 11 DJ Fuller 9
In the next couple days I'll be doing my predictions for sectionals for next weekend as there are only two rounds left until state starts.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Wisconsin Dells eliminates Reedsburg
In a second round match up Wisconsin Dells was able to eliminate the shooting Reedsburg team. Wisconsin Dells jumped out to the early lead but, Reedsburgs hot three point shooting pulled them back within reach but, the Dells was able to pull back away lead by their star 6'0 senior Jade Royston, who went off for 34 points in the game.
This game started much the same as the Reedsburg verse Portage game. Reedsburg was struggling to make a shot while the opposing team was able to jump out to the early lead, before the Beavers were able to start making the outside shots and pull back into the game. For whatever reason the last two games I've seen the Dells play their opponents decide to play behind 6'9 junior Nate Gibson with a guy that is giving up five plus inches. This allowed Gibson to have a big game as the Dells fed him the ball on almost every possession. Reedsburg tried to stay in the game with the three point shot, which was falling early on.
In the second half the threes for Reedsburg stopped falling and Royston decided to take the game over. Royston was able to drive to the lane and finish at will. Late in the game Royston had two straight steals which led to seven consecutive points. Reedsburg was getting very frustrated late in the game when it seemed every call was going the Dells way and nothing was going right for Reedsburg. In the end Royston finished off the game knocking down the free throws. I believe Royston went about 13-16 from the free throw line or somewhere around there.
Top Players
Jade Royston 6'0 senior Wisconsin Dells- May of had the best game of his career as he scored 34 points. Really looked to penetrate a lot more then he has in the past. Free throws solid as ever.
Nate Gibson 6'9 junior Wisconsin Dells- Keeps looking better and better every time I see him. When he gets his defender on his back he's going to score at will.
Tyler Mazur 6'3 senior Reedsburg- Very quick release and plays as hard as anyone on the court. When he's hot can knock down the three from anywhere.
Jordan Van Cleave 6'2 junior Reedsburg- Goes to the hoop very hard and can finish in a variety of ways. Like always jumps out of the gym and nearly hand the dunk of the year when he bricked a dunk when he tried going over Gibson.
Wisconsin Dells 72- Royston 34 Gibson 19 Michael Morse 7 Justin Ward 7 Jimmy Alvin 4 Kyle Stowers 1 Jake Hall 0 Bobby Blaschke 0 Zach Batchelor 0
Reedsburg 57- T. Mazur 18 VanCleave 15 Chad Mazur 10 Lucas Farber 5 Jon Stolte 4 Matt Kneeland 3 Matt Rockweiler 2 Mike Bindl 0 Jared Park 0 Durrell Naquin 0 Josh Jorandby 0
Right now Wisconsin Dells is looking great and I believe that they will be able to defeat River Valley tomorrow night but, I don't see them being anywhere near a state team. Whoever wins that Regional final game will more then likely be defeated by Monroe. Tomorrow I'm planning on going to the Wisconsin Dells verse River Valley game, then probably Madison Memorial verse Sauk Prairie, and then Waunakee verse Madison Lafollette.
This game started much the same as the Reedsburg verse Portage game. Reedsburg was struggling to make a shot while the opposing team was able to jump out to the early lead, before the Beavers were able to start making the outside shots and pull back into the game. For whatever reason the last two games I've seen the Dells play their opponents decide to play behind 6'9 junior Nate Gibson with a guy that is giving up five plus inches. This allowed Gibson to have a big game as the Dells fed him the ball on almost every possession. Reedsburg tried to stay in the game with the three point shot, which was falling early on.
In the second half the threes for Reedsburg stopped falling and Royston decided to take the game over. Royston was able to drive to the lane and finish at will. Late in the game Royston had two straight steals which led to seven consecutive points. Reedsburg was getting very frustrated late in the game when it seemed every call was going the Dells way and nothing was going right for Reedsburg. In the end Royston finished off the game knocking down the free throws. I believe Royston went about 13-16 from the free throw line or somewhere around there.
Top Players
Jade Royston 6'0 senior Wisconsin Dells- May of had the best game of his career as he scored 34 points. Really looked to penetrate a lot more then he has in the past. Free throws solid as ever.
Nate Gibson 6'9 junior Wisconsin Dells- Keeps looking better and better every time I see him. When he gets his defender on his back he's going to score at will.
Tyler Mazur 6'3 senior Reedsburg- Very quick release and plays as hard as anyone on the court. When he's hot can knock down the three from anywhere.
Jordan Van Cleave 6'2 junior Reedsburg- Goes to the hoop very hard and can finish in a variety of ways. Like always jumps out of the gym and nearly hand the dunk of the year when he bricked a dunk when he tried going over Gibson.
Wisconsin Dells 72- Royston 34 Gibson 19 Michael Morse 7 Justin Ward 7 Jimmy Alvin 4 Kyle Stowers 1 Jake Hall 0 Bobby Blaschke 0 Zach Batchelor 0
Reedsburg 57- T. Mazur 18 VanCleave 15 Chad Mazur 10 Lucas Farber 5 Jon Stolte 4 Matt Kneeland 3 Matt Rockweiler 2 Mike Bindl 0 Jared Park 0 Durrell Naquin 0 Josh Jorandby 0
Right now Wisconsin Dells is looking great and I believe that they will be able to defeat River Valley tomorrow night but, I don't see them being anywhere near a state team. Whoever wins that Regional final game will more then likely be defeated by Monroe. Tomorrow I'm planning on going to the Wisconsin Dells verse River Valley game, then probably Madison Memorial verse Sauk Prairie, and then Waunakee verse Madison Lafollette.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Reedsburg upsets Portage
Well it's tournament time for the state of Wisconsin, which is the best time of the year. Opening night of the tournament Reedsburg was able to defeat Portage in a mini upset. Portage was the three seed while Reedsburg was the six. Reedsburg made the comeback in the second half to clinch the 60-58 win. The game turned out to be a three on three match up between the top three players from each team.
Portage was able to jump out to the early first quarter lead 15-6 as they looked to their big man on the inside 6'4 senior Darrell Anderson over the smaller Reedsburg defender and 6'0 junior point guard Kevin Hurd was able to knock down the jumpers. Portage made a conscious effort to lock down Reedsburg's top player 6'3 senior Tyler Mazur, which opened the door for brother Chad Mazur, 6'2 sophomore to step up and have a big first half. Chad hit the first two baskets for Reedsburg, a pair of threes, to give Reedsburg their only points in the first quarter. The younger Mazur started off hot and carried Reedsburg through the rest of the first half. The halftime score finished with Portage having the lead 24-20.
In the second half the younger Mazur cooled off and that's when older brother and 6'2 junior Jordan Van Cleave picked up their game. Tyler Mazur and Van Cleave were able to get out in transition and make some easy baskets. On the defensive side Reedsburg made a big switch having a bigger defender in 6'6 junior Jon Stolte guard the Portage big man Anderson. This defense switched worked great as Stolte was able to get a couple blocks and Anderson was limited to mainly a couple free throws in the second half. The other switch Reedsburg made was putting Tyler Mazur on Hurd, which limited Hurd's ability to get a shot off. Portage went to their third scorer in 6'4 senior John Loomans who was able to score from the outside, as well as scoring on the inside. Unfortunately for Portage, Loomans was outshone by Reedsburgs big time scorer Tyler Mazur, who went off in the fourth quarter knocking down the long range three point shots and scoring in the transition.
Top Players
Kevin Hurd 6'0 junior Portage- Knocked down the the jumper all night long and also had a couple nice finishes in the lane.
John Loomans 6'4 senior Portage- Loomans was able to take his defender in the post all game long and knocked down a couple three pointers late in the game.
Darrell Anderson 6'4 senior Portage- Was just a beast on the inside and was very tough to stop. Has very nice free throw shot.
Chad Mazur 6'2 sophomore Reedsburg- When he can set his feet and spot up the shot is falling.
Jordan Van Cleave 6'2 junior Reedsburg- Is at his best when he's out in transition. Best assest he brings to the game is his jumping ability, can flat out jump outta the gym.
Tyler Mazur 6'3 senior Reedsburg- Flat out sharpshooter that needs no time or space to knock down the shots. Came out with extremely high energy level to carry Reedsburg to victory.
Box Score
Portage 58- Loomans 17 Anderson 15 Hurd 14 Greg Koch 6 Michael Bain 5 Tyler Olson 3 Ben Boeck 0 Kasi Schroeder 0
Reedsburg 60- T. Mazur 22 C. Mazur 17 Van Cleave 14 Jon Stolte 4 Matt Kneeland 3 Lucas Farber 0 Matt Rockweiler 0
As a Wisconsin Dells fan this game makes me extremely nervous. Reedsburg was shooting the ball very well and looked very tough to beat right now. Their big three appear to be peaking at the right time and they way they shoot the three they are a very dangerous team.
Portage was able to jump out to the early first quarter lead 15-6 as they looked to their big man on the inside 6'4 senior Darrell Anderson over the smaller Reedsburg defender and 6'0 junior point guard Kevin Hurd was able to knock down the jumpers. Portage made a conscious effort to lock down Reedsburg's top player 6'3 senior Tyler Mazur, which opened the door for brother Chad Mazur, 6'2 sophomore to step up and have a big first half. Chad hit the first two baskets for Reedsburg, a pair of threes, to give Reedsburg their only points in the first quarter. The younger Mazur started off hot and carried Reedsburg through the rest of the first half. The halftime score finished with Portage having the lead 24-20.
In the second half the younger Mazur cooled off and that's when older brother and 6'2 junior Jordan Van Cleave picked up their game. Tyler Mazur and Van Cleave were able to get out in transition and make some easy baskets. On the defensive side Reedsburg made a big switch having a bigger defender in 6'6 junior Jon Stolte guard the Portage big man Anderson. This defense switched worked great as Stolte was able to get a couple blocks and Anderson was limited to mainly a couple free throws in the second half. The other switch Reedsburg made was putting Tyler Mazur on Hurd, which limited Hurd's ability to get a shot off. Portage went to their third scorer in 6'4 senior John Loomans who was able to score from the outside, as well as scoring on the inside. Unfortunately for Portage, Loomans was outshone by Reedsburgs big time scorer Tyler Mazur, who went off in the fourth quarter knocking down the long range three point shots and scoring in the transition.
Top Players
Kevin Hurd 6'0 junior Portage- Knocked down the the jumper all night long and also had a couple nice finishes in the lane.
John Loomans 6'4 senior Portage- Loomans was able to take his defender in the post all game long and knocked down a couple three pointers late in the game.
Darrell Anderson 6'4 senior Portage- Was just a beast on the inside and was very tough to stop. Has very nice free throw shot.
Chad Mazur 6'2 sophomore Reedsburg- When he can set his feet and spot up the shot is falling.
Jordan Van Cleave 6'2 junior Reedsburg- Is at his best when he's out in transition. Best assest he brings to the game is his jumping ability, can flat out jump outta the gym.
Tyler Mazur 6'3 senior Reedsburg- Flat out sharpshooter that needs no time or space to knock down the shots. Came out with extremely high energy level to carry Reedsburg to victory.
Box Score
Portage 58- Loomans 17 Anderson 15 Hurd 14 Greg Koch 6 Michael Bain 5 Tyler Olson 3 Ben Boeck 0 Kasi Schroeder 0
Reedsburg 60- T. Mazur 22 C. Mazur 17 Van Cleave 14 Jon Stolte 4 Matt Kneeland 3 Lucas Farber 0 Matt Rockweiler 0
As a Wisconsin Dells fan this game makes me extremely nervous. Reedsburg was shooting the ball very well and looked very tough to beat right now. Their big three appear to be peaking at the right time and they way they shoot the three they are a very dangerous team.
Monday, March 2, 2009
D1 Waunakee Sectional
The D1 Waunakee sectional is the sectional that I have followed the closes all year long and will probably will follow the closes throughout the playoffs. Madison Memorial is the favorite as usual but, this year Waunakee and Madison East are right there to challenge them and their will probably be a few upsets here and there.
Regional Quaterfinals
(1) Madison Memorial over (16) Monona Grove- Memorial has one lose while MG has only 4 wins, Memorial is the easy pick.
(8) Lacrosse Logan over (9) Sauk Prairie- Trevor Jorgenson is just too big and strong on the inside and gives Logan the edge.
(5) Lacrosse Central over (12) Watertown- Don't know much about Watertown but, Central is a much higher seed with a better record so I'll give them the win.
(4) Baraboo over (13) Madison West- West always seems to pull a few upsets come playoff time but, they just don't have the athletes or players that they've had in the past.
(2) Madison East over (15) Tomah- East is just way to go for Tomah here.
(10) Middleton over (7) Sun Prairie- Prairie just hasn't impressed me whenever I've seen them and I also give Middleton a coaching edge.
(6) Madison Lafollette over (11) Deforest- Lafollette's underachieved all year so wouldn't be completely surprised to see Deforest win but, I just think Lafollette is too quick for Deforest.
(3) Waunakee over (13) Holmen- Waunakee is playing great and Holmen just isn't very good.
Regional Finals
(1) Madison Memorial over (8) Lacrosse Logan- Mississippi Vally just can't compete with the tops of the Big Eight.
(5) Lacrosse Central over (4) Baraboo- Baraboo has been playing terrible as of late so will give it to Central.
(2) Madison East over (10) Middleton- Middleton will give them a game but, there is a reason why they were on opposite ends of the standings.
(3) Waunakee over (7) Madison Lafollette- If Lafollette shoots well there in this game but, like I said Waunakee is just playing too well right now.
Sectional Semifinals
(1) Madison Memorial over (5) Lacrosse Central- Once again Big Eight better then Mississippi Valley.
(2) Madison East over (3) Waunakee- This was the toughest game for me to pick. With Waunakee playing so well but, East just seems to always be able to pull it off.
Sectional Finals
(1) Madison Memorial over (2) Madison East- Memorial is determined to get to state this year and East won't be any match for this Memorial team.
Well I really didn't do much for predicting in this round since I went with the higher seeded team but, the higher seeded teams are just that much better.
Regional Quaterfinals
(1) Madison Memorial over (16) Monona Grove- Memorial has one lose while MG has only 4 wins, Memorial is the easy pick.
(8) Lacrosse Logan over (9) Sauk Prairie- Trevor Jorgenson is just too big and strong on the inside and gives Logan the edge.
(5) Lacrosse Central over (12) Watertown- Don't know much about Watertown but, Central is a much higher seed with a better record so I'll give them the win.
(4) Baraboo over (13) Madison West- West always seems to pull a few upsets come playoff time but, they just don't have the athletes or players that they've had in the past.
(2) Madison East over (15) Tomah- East is just way to go for Tomah here.
(10) Middleton over (7) Sun Prairie- Prairie just hasn't impressed me whenever I've seen them and I also give Middleton a coaching edge.
(6) Madison Lafollette over (11) Deforest- Lafollette's underachieved all year so wouldn't be completely surprised to see Deforest win but, I just think Lafollette is too quick for Deforest.
(3) Waunakee over (13) Holmen- Waunakee is playing great and Holmen just isn't very good.
Regional Finals
(1) Madison Memorial over (8) Lacrosse Logan- Mississippi Vally just can't compete with the tops of the Big Eight.
(5) Lacrosse Central over (4) Baraboo- Baraboo has been playing terrible as of late so will give it to Central.
(2) Madison East over (10) Middleton- Middleton will give them a game but, there is a reason why they were on opposite ends of the standings.
(3) Waunakee over (7) Madison Lafollette- If Lafollette shoots well there in this game but, like I said Waunakee is just playing too well right now.
Sectional Semifinals
(1) Madison Memorial over (5) Lacrosse Central- Once again Big Eight better then Mississippi Valley.
(2) Madison East over (3) Waunakee- This was the toughest game for me to pick. With Waunakee playing so well but, East just seems to always be able to pull it off.
Sectional Finals
(1) Madison Memorial over (2) Madison East- Memorial is determined to get to state this year and East won't be any match for this Memorial team.
Well I really didn't do much for predicting in this round since I went with the higher seeded team but, the higher seeded teams are just that much better.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)