With 2011 season coming to an end, time to look ahead to next year. It's never too early to look ahead and makes some picks for next year. This is without a whole lot of research just the first teams that jump to my mind when I think about the top teams from last year. The teams are listed in no particular order just when they come to mind.
Division One
Might be the return of the Milwaukee dominance as three teams from Milwaukee will have a legitimate chance to win a state title. That is off course if the prep school doesn't hit the City hard again.
Milwaukee Hamilton- Lost in the final four this year and bring back four of their five starters that played the entire game at state. Three of those starters were freshmen so Hamilton will be a contender for three years if all the kids stay.
Milwaukee King- Have one of the best coaches in the state in Coach Gosz and return the majority of their team including 6'5 junior Arroyo Edwards and possibly the return of 6'6 junior Cimmeon Bowers who is no longer on the roster. Had only three seniors on an extremely deep team that lost only three games this year.
Milwaukee Riverside- Only lost to one team in Wisconsin and a total of three teams overall, while winning the City Conference. Graduate their best player but, return everyone else that was on the team as he was the only senior on the team.
Madison Memorial- State champs bring back three starters including Mr. Clutch 6'1 sophomore Brendan Ortiz, their best player during the regular season, 6'5 junior Junior Lomomba, and big man 6'6 junior Jamar Morris who missed the majority of this past season. They have two capable starters in two 6'4 players off the bench sophomore Jester Weah and junior Ngijol Songolo who started much of this year anyway and have a very strong sophomore class as a whole.
Germantown- Lost only two games all year and had only two seniors that actually played significant minutes. Had plenty of sophomores and even freshmen are varsity that will be a year older. 6'2 junior Zak Showalter should once again have a huge year.
Menomonee Falls- Have one of the best players in the country and the best player in the state in 6'7 junior JP Tokoto. If he transfers to prep school will struggle to be a .500 team.
De Pere- State runner ups bring back 6'6 junior Brett Vanden Bergh who will be a 20 a game scorer and a handful of sophomores and will once again be tough in the Northeast sectional.
Oshkosh North- Return about half their team and should be very long and athletic.
Division Two
Just like every year in D2, we should see a completely different set of teams at state as all the teams were very senior dominated.
Madison Edgewood- Juniors 6'6 Austin Arians and 6'2 Spencer Brink will be back for their third year starting and return fellow starter 6'4 junior Jack Zwittler as well as the majority of their bench.
Onalaska- Will easily be the favorite in D2 as they return a pair of D1 college recruits in 6'8 junior Nick Arenz and 6'1 sophomore Matt Thomas.
Wauwatosa East- Lose only three players from this years team and bring back their top scorers in 6'6 junior Darrell Bowie and 6'1 sophomore Anthony Carroll.
Rice Lake- Will have an extremely strong senior class highlighted by 6'5 Wally Ellenson and 6'2 Alex Cuskey. Only had two seniors this past year.
Division Three
D3 will once again be the deepest division and you can nearly take this years top 10 and pencil them in for top 10 next year.
Lacrosse Aquinas- State champs bring back super sophs 6'2 Bronson Koenig and 6'6 Mike Conway.
GET- Lost only one game this year and only had two seniors. Bring back their star 6'3 junior Riley Bambeck.
East Troy- Bring back most of their scoring and size with a front line of 6'7 junior Tanner Plumb and 6'8 sophomores Brett and Alex Pahl. 6'3 sophomore Nate Dodge should really improve next year as well and he was great this year.
Brillion- Will be lead be lead by their backcourt in 5'8 sophomore Eric Kittel and 5'9 junior Tevor Krizenskey. Have experience success as of recent and it should continue.
Whitefish Bay Dominican- Will have one of the best back courts in the state with 6'1 junior Jamall Taylor and 6'1 sophomore Duane Wilson.
Racine St. Catherines- State runner ups bring back their top player in 6'5 junior Jordan Fouse and they are St. Cats.
Lodi- Showed some strong success behind an incredibly strong sophomore and freshmen class.
Wisconsin Dells- Won their conference this past year and didn't have a senior on the roster.
Division Four
Honestly don't know much here and no one really stands out too much.
Cuba City- One of the best coached teams in the state and lose only three seniors from this years team.
Colfax- Only other team that sticks out to me and they return most of their team and seem to have a lot of youth.
Division Five
Another one I really don't know other then just saying Randolph and your basically right every year.
Randolph- Have a pair of possible stars next year in 6'7 junior Cody Reuter and 6'3 sophomore Aaron Retzlaff. Not to mention they are Randolph.
Sheboygan Area Lutheran- 6'7 junior Sam Dekker is the best player in this division and could possibly carry his team to the title.
These are my early picks for top teams next year. I will try to possibly rank the teams I have seen this year, not sure if I will or not because you can basically see where everyone finished and one was the real #1 and so on. I will try to rank the players I have seen but, it has been so long since I last ranked them it will be difficult to do. One thing I will be doing is looking at my predictions from the beginning of the season to now and see how close I was.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
State All Tournament Team
I know it has been a few days since the state tournament has ended but here is my all tournament team. I decided to go with 10 players in no particular order. The players I'm choosing either had to have one extremely impressive game or two pretty good games.
Brendan Ortiz 6'1 sophomore Madison Memorial- Honestly didn't have the greatest state tournament but, his clutch play in the three overtime state championship game gives him the nod.
Cody Hanke 6'3 senior Marathon- Just an impressive player in both of their two games. May of been MVP of the tournament had Ortiz not had his heroics. Has got to be closer to 6'5 or 6'6. Love the way he plays at the top of the 1-3-1 defense which allowed him two get three big dunks and just extremely solid in the post where he's impossible to stop.
Reece Zoelle 6'4 senior De Pere- Moves extremely well without the ball in his hands, comes off the screens looking to shoot immediately. Isn't afraid to take the big shot and usually makes it.
Ron Patten Jr 6'6 senior Whitefish Bay- Early on I thought he was taking some bad shots from three point range but, then he started dropping them. High energy player that loves to play on the perimeter but, is pretty solid in the post as well.
Brent Myers 6'0 senior Grantsburg- Was the sole reason that Grantsburg made the huge comeback win against Blair Taylor. Just kept knocking down the threes with his pretty shot and then in the game against Marathon guarded the much bigger Hanke.
TJ Huzienga 6'4 senior Randolph- Very very tough in transition with the ball in his hands. Grabs the rebound or loose ball and gets to the other end of the court as quick as any one in the state. Didn't have a great championship game but, took it upon himself to take Tyler Ketz out of his game and still had enough left in the tank to have a big finish scoring late in the game.
Tyler Ketz 6'0 senior Clayton- Love how he lets the game come to him and doesn't force things. Kind of just sits back and then makes a strong cut and comes off the screen ready to shoot immediately. Had one of the best mid range jumpers at state.
Paul Jesperson 6'7 senior Merrill- I knew he was a shooter coming in but, I didn't realize how well he handled the ball, particularly for a kid that is 6'7. Had the size to get his shot off at anytime he wants.
Bronson Koenig 6'2 sophomore Lacrosse Aquinas- Shows flashes of the player that North Carolina thinks he will be. Handles the ball extremely well and really zips the passes into his teammates in the post. Can really get his shot anytime he wants and just seems he settles for the assist many times. Can be too fancy at times causing turnovers or settling for difficult shots, which he will make half the time.
Brett Vanden Bergh 6'6 junior De Pere- A good shooter that can handle the ball as well. Didn't really stick out a lot but, at the end of every game he had some of the best stat lines in the game. Has another year to go and will only get better.
There is my all tournament team and there were probably about 15 to 20 more players that could easily be mentioned as there were some great games at state and the stars really showed up. One last note is that you have to feel some what sorry for Blair Taylor's Hank Kujak and Lucas Howe who have been to state three years straight and didn't get a gold ball let alone a silver ball and this year really was suppose to be their chance after going undefeated throughout the year but, they just couldn't hold on in the semi final against Grantsburg.
Brendan Ortiz 6'1 sophomore Madison Memorial- Honestly didn't have the greatest state tournament but, his clutch play in the three overtime state championship game gives him the nod.
Cody Hanke 6'3 senior Marathon- Just an impressive player in both of their two games. May of been MVP of the tournament had Ortiz not had his heroics. Has got to be closer to 6'5 or 6'6. Love the way he plays at the top of the 1-3-1 defense which allowed him two get three big dunks and just extremely solid in the post where he's impossible to stop.
Reece Zoelle 6'4 senior De Pere- Moves extremely well without the ball in his hands, comes off the screens looking to shoot immediately. Isn't afraid to take the big shot and usually makes it.
Ron Patten Jr 6'6 senior Whitefish Bay- Early on I thought he was taking some bad shots from three point range but, then he started dropping them. High energy player that loves to play on the perimeter but, is pretty solid in the post as well.
Brent Myers 6'0 senior Grantsburg- Was the sole reason that Grantsburg made the huge comeback win against Blair Taylor. Just kept knocking down the threes with his pretty shot and then in the game against Marathon guarded the much bigger Hanke.
TJ Huzienga 6'4 senior Randolph- Very very tough in transition with the ball in his hands. Grabs the rebound or loose ball and gets to the other end of the court as quick as any one in the state. Didn't have a great championship game but, took it upon himself to take Tyler Ketz out of his game and still had enough left in the tank to have a big finish scoring late in the game.
Tyler Ketz 6'0 senior Clayton- Love how he lets the game come to him and doesn't force things. Kind of just sits back and then makes a strong cut and comes off the screen ready to shoot immediately. Had one of the best mid range jumpers at state.
Paul Jesperson 6'7 senior Merrill- I knew he was a shooter coming in but, I didn't realize how well he handled the ball, particularly for a kid that is 6'7. Had the size to get his shot off at anytime he wants.
Bronson Koenig 6'2 sophomore Lacrosse Aquinas- Shows flashes of the player that North Carolina thinks he will be. Handles the ball extremely well and really zips the passes into his teammates in the post. Can really get his shot anytime he wants and just seems he settles for the assist many times. Can be too fancy at times causing turnovers or settling for difficult shots, which he will make half the time.
Brett Vanden Bergh 6'6 junior De Pere- A good shooter that can handle the ball as well. Didn't really stick out a lot but, at the end of every game he had some of the best stat lines in the game. Has another year to go and will only get better.
There is my all tournament team and there were probably about 15 to 20 more players that could easily be mentioned as there were some great games at state and the stars really showed up. One last note is that you have to feel some what sorry for Blair Taylor's Hank Kujak and Lucas Howe who have been to state three years straight and didn't get a gold ball let alone a silver ball and this year really was suppose to be their chance after going undefeated throughout the year but, they just couldn't hold on in the semi final against Grantsburg.
Monday, March 21, 2011
State Tournament
I'm assuming most people already know how state turned out by this time so I won't waste your time by going over what happened at state and just focusing on some final thoughts for each of the divisions.
Division Five
For the most part this division played out how I predicted. Randolph played their usual great team basketball and got the job done without much of a challenge. I was hoping to see Green Bay NEW Lutheran really push Randolph but, they just didn't come to play early in the game. NEW Lutheran had a great second half and made the game close late. It would of been nice to see GBNL play a solid game from start to finish and play to their potential. The other game wasn't too exciting. Clayton had the edge throughout and Wauzeka-Steuben just seemed to hang around and never gave up and at times looked like they were going to come back but, never could get over the hump. In the championship game Randolph's leader TJ Huzienga didn't have a great game but, still played his typical solid defense game guarding Clayton's best player Tyler Kertz, who hit some shots but, just wasn't his normal self. Randolph cruised to the win number nine for them.
Division Four
This was a surprising division as the two undefeated teams lost in the semis and Marathon was extremely impressive in defeating Grantsburg and Cody Hanke was about the most impressive player on the weekend. Marathon's 1-3-1 zone defense was just too tough for Oostburg and they cruised to the big win. In the other semi final Blair Taylor really chocked away a game they should of win. BT was up by double digits late in the game and then Grantsburg put on the full court pressure and Blair Taylor fell apart. Hank Kujak had the chance to seal the game late but, couldn't get the free throws to foul and in OT it was all Grantsburg. Big credit to Trevor Thompson and Brent Meyers who carried Granstburg. In the championship Thompson and Meyers were just as impressive but, they just didn't have the size to match up with Hanke and company. Marathon got the title and they are the second team at state to credit their 1-3-1 defense to former Adams Friendship Coach Klass, the first being Wisconsin Rapids Assumption a few years ago. It truly is amazing to see how much some coaches affect the game.
Division Three
The all private school division plus Little Chute also played out as expected. Lakeside Lutheran came out looking to run and that played right into the hands of Lacrosse Aquinas who seemed to be able to run just as good if not better then Lakeside and ran them right out of the gym. Evan Pederson was the real star, as he was able to drive past the defenders and set up the big men with two foot layups all game long. In game two Racine St Cats won by outlasting Little Chute. St. Cats wasn't overly impressive but, just kept playing their game and worn down Little Chute and got the win. In the championship St. Cats did their best to hang with Lacrosse Aquinas but, Aquinas just had too much talent for them.
Division Two
Another shocker in this division. Waunakee and Seymour came into state as the overwhelming favorites and both teams lost. Waunakee is a team that I had followed for most of the year and was really pulling for them unfortunately they just couldn't hold on to the win and unfortunately their leading scoring Beau Murray didn't play very well and really struggled to find his shot. Despite Murray's struggles though Waunakee led most of the game but, just couldn't put Merrill and Paul Jesperson away. A very tough break for Waunakee was Jesperson on a break away and was fouled by Ryan Staege. Jesperson made the shot and Staege got called for the intential. Jesperson ended up making the foul shots and Merrill got the ball back to seal the game. In the other game Seymour and Whitefish Bay was a game of runs that just went back and forth all game long. Whitefish Bay weathered Seymour's hot three point shooting in the first half and got a huge play from Jamie Schneck who barely played in the game but, had the game winning tip in at the buzzer to win. In the championship game Jesperson played his heart out but, in the end it was Whitefish Bay's Ron Patten who stole the show and basically out played everyone on the floor and carried his team to the victory and state title.
Division One
Game one Madison Memorial outlasted Milwaukee Hamilton in a fairly ugly game that wasn't real exciting. Everyone had to be impressed with the three freshmen that played the entire game, their long and athletic and can do alittle bit of everything will be a fairly interesting team to follow in the next three years. In game two everyone thought it would be Appleton East but, De Pere came out extremely impressive and they matched eachother shot for shot all game long. I loved watching Reece Zoelle move without the ball and getting open and hit big shot after big shot. I'm not sure if I have to say much more about the championship game. It was probably the greatest Wisconsin State championship game ever. The game went to three overtimes and four seperate occasions Brendan Ortiz was the hero and was without a questions the MVP of the state tournament games. Madison Memorial has really cemented itself as a dynasty within the state and can nearly be penciled in at state every year. This team was up and down and wasn't as strong as some of the previous teams but, they pulled off the huge win that some of those previous teams didn't.
I a bit of a time crunch right now so I'll be doing my all tournament team tomorrow.
Division Five
For the most part this division played out how I predicted. Randolph played their usual great team basketball and got the job done without much of a challenge. I was hoping to see Green Bay NEW Lutheran really push Randolph but, they just didn't come to play early in the game. NEW Lutheran had a great second half and made the game close late. It would of been nice to see GBNL play a solid game from start to finish and play to their potential. The other game wasn't too exciting. Clayton had the edge throughout and Wauzeka-Steuben just seemed to hang around and never gave up and at times looked like they were going to come back but, never could get over the hump. In the championship game Randolph's leader TJ Huzienga didn't have a great game but, still played his typical solid defense game guarding Clayton's best player Tyler Kertz, who hit some shots but, just wasn't his normal self. Randolph cruised to the win number nine for them.
Division Four
This was a surprising division as the two undefeated teams lost in the semis and Marathon was extremely impressive in defeating Grantsburg and Cody Hanke was about the most impressive player on the weekend. Marathon's 1-3-1 zone defense was just too tough for Oostburg and they cruised to the big win. In the other semi final Blair Taylor really chocked away a game they should of win. BT was up by double digits late in the game and then Grantsburg put on the full court pressure and Blair Taylor fell apart. Hank Kujak had the chance to seal the game late but, couldn't get the free throws to foul and in OT it was all Grantsburg. Big credit to Trevor Thompson and Brent Meyers who carried Granstburg. In the championship Thompson and Meyers were just as impressive but, they just didn't have the size to match up with Hanke and company. Marathon got the title and they are the second team at state to credit their 1-3-1 defense to former Adams Friendship Coach Klass, the first being Wisconsin Rapids Assumption a few years ago. It truly is amazing to see how much some coaches affect the game.
Division Three
The all private school division plus Little Chute also played out as expected. Lakeside Lutheran came out looking to run and that played right into the hands of Lacrosse Aquinas who seemed to be able to run just as good if not better then Lakeside and ran them right out of the gym. Evan Pederson was the real star, as he was able to drive past the defenders and set up the big men with two foot layups all game long. In game two Racine St Cats won by outlasting Little Chute. St. Cats wasn't overly impressive but, just kept playing their game and worn down Little Chute and got the win. In the championship St. Cats did their best to hang with Lacrosse Aquinas but, Aquinas just had too much talent for them.
Division Two
Another shocker in this division. Waunakee and Seymour came into state as the overwhelming favorites and both teams lost. Waunakee is a team that I had followed for most of the year and was really pulling for them unfortunately they just couldn't hold on to the win and unfortunately their leading scoring Beau Murray didn't play very well and really struggled to find his shot. Despite Murray's struggles though Waunakee led most of the game but, just couldn't put Merrill and Paul Jesperson away. A very tough break for Waunakee was Jesperson on a break away and was fouled by Ryan Staege. Jesperson made the shot and Staege got called for the intential. Jesperson ended up making the foul shots and Merrill got the ball back to seal the game. In the other game Seymour and Whitefish Bay was a game of runs that just went back and forth all game long. Whitefish Bay weathered Seymour's hot three point shooting in the first half and got a huge play from Jamie Schneck who barely played in the game but, had the game winning tip in at the buzzer to win. In the championship game Jesperson played his heart out but, in the end it was Whitefish Bay's Ron Patten who stole the show and basically out played everyone on the floor and carried his team to the victory and state title.
Division One
Game one Madison Memorial outlasted Milwaukee Hamilton in a fairly ugly game that wasn't real exciting. Everyone had to be impressed with the three freshmen that played the entire game, their long and athletic and can do alittle bit of everything will be a fairly interesting team to follow in the next three years. In game two everyone thought it would be Appleton East but, De Pere came out extremely impressive and they matched eachother shot for shot all game long. I loved watching Reece Zoelle move without the ball and getting open and hit big shot after big shot. I'm not sure if I have to say much more about the championship game. It was probably the greatest Wisconsin State championship game ever. The game went to three overtimes and four seperate occasions Brendan Ortiz was the hero and was without a questions the MVP of the state tournament games. Madison Memorial has really cemented itself as a dynasty within the state and can nearly be penciled in at state every year. This team was up and down and wasn't as strong as some of the previous teams but, they pulled off the huge win that some of those previous teams didn't.
I a bit of a time crunch right now so I'll be doing my all tournament team tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
State Predictions
With the final four teams finally set now for all of the five divisions here are my predictions for state.
Division One
Madison Memorial over Milwaukee Hamilton
I think that Hamilton's inexperience and lack of depth will get to them and Memorial will break this game open late. Memorial seems to be on a tare at the right time.
Appleton East over De Pere
This was a very tough pick for me but, East is undefeated and have five guys that basically average double digits scoring. De Pere has a ton of height but, I think East's three point shooting will negate that and East was at the Kohl Center a year ago.
Appleton East over Madison Memorial
East has been my pick before the playoffs started and I will stick with them. East has the experience to handle the Memorial pressure and rebound just as good as they do.
Division Two
Waunakee over Merrill
Waunakee just seems destined to play in the championship game this year. Merrill has Jesperson but, just don't think they have enough to beat Waunakee. Yes Merrill has played a lot of D1 schools but, Waunakee is no stranger to playing D1s so no advantage there. Jesperson may have a big scoring night but, sticking with Waunakee.
Seymour over Whitefish Bay
Don't know much about Whitefish Bay but, Seymour only losses to top ranked teams with the exception of a lose to Appleton West who has played with some very good teams.
Seymour over Waunakee
Seymour has two players that average nearly 20 points a game that I think will carry them to the title. Waunakee goes into some scoring droughts at times and I think that will hurt them here. If Austin Maly has a real good game though I could be proved wrong. Along with the D1 title game this one seems very difficult for me to pick.
Division Three
Lacrosse Aquinas over Lakeside Lutheran
I have seen each team play once and really don't think this game will be that close. If Lakeside is hitting their threes they may stay close but. Aquinas is just too quick and athletic here. Looking forward to the matchup of Pederson and Jarnigo in this one.
Racine St. Catherines over Little Chute
Know nothing about Little Chute but, St. Cats is St. Cats so go with them and their coach. They are battle tested and as everyone knows they have been there before.
Lacrosse Aquinas over Racine St. Catherines
Aquinas has the biggest star and have more athletes then St. Cats and should cruise to the victory. Guessing St. Cats will look to slow the tempo, while Aquinas will push it.
Division Four
Blair Taylor over Grantsburg
BT has the better record and is just the better team, not much else to be said.
Oostburg over Marathon
Oostburg has played better competition and will be prepared for this game.
Blair Taylor over Oostburg
Third time is the charm for BT. Most of these players have been here twice before and won't let the excitement or the moment get to them.
Division Five
Clayton over Wauzeka-Steuben
Going with this pick because Clayton was here a year ago and have the experience edge.
Randolph over Green Bay NEW Lutheran
Lutheran will push Randolph to the limit but, in the end Randolph has been the more consistent team and won't get nervous when the pressure is on. This game may be within five points.
Randolph over Clayton
Think the championship will actually be decided in the semi final game and Randolph should win this one easily.
Super Tuesday
Just some quick thoughts on the Super Tuesday for D1. If there are not going to be eight D1 teams at state then this is the best alternative. The teams got to play at college facilities and the games were broadcast on the Internet and you could actually watch all four games at the same time. It may of been a better experience if my computer or Internet connection were better and it was constantly buffering but, sounded like most people had no problem viewing the games. There were some glitches with some clock, which will only add fuel to the fire of the debate that these games should of been at the Kohl Center. Yes I would of liked to have seen these games at state but, like I said if that isn't a possibility this was a good setup and will be in favor of it instead of going to a normal sectional final and then state with the final four teams. Now if they go back to eight D1s at state I will be all in favor of it.
With the long weekend of basketball coming up I probably won't be back until next week, maybe Sunday but, probably not tell Monday or Tuesday.
Division One
Madison Memorial over Milwaukee Hamilton
I think that Hamilton's inexperience and lack of depth will get to them and Memorial will break this game open late. Memorial seems to be on a tare at the right time.
Appleton East over De Pere
This was a very tough pick for me but, East is undefeated and have five guys that basically average double digits scoring. De Pere has a ton of height but, I think East's three point shooting will negate that and East was at the Kohl Center a year ago.
Appleton East over Madison Memorial
East has been my pick before the playoffs started and I will stick with them. East has the experience to handle the Memorial pressure and rebound just as good as they do.
Division Two
Waunakee over Merrill
Waunakee just seems destined to play in the championship game this year. Merrill has Jesperson but, just don't think they have enough to beat Waunakee. Yes Merrill has played a lot of D1 schools but, Waunakee is no stranger to playing D1s so no advantage there. Jesperson may have a big scoring night but, sticking with Waunakee.
Seymour over Whitefish Bay
Don't know much about Whitefish Bay but, Seymour only losses to top ranked teams with the exception of a lose to Appleton West who has played with some very good teams.
Seymour over Waunakee
Seymour has two players that average nearly 20 points a game that I think will carry them to the title. Waunakee goes into some scoring droughts at times and I think that will hurt them here. If Austin Maly has a real good game though I could be proved wrong. Along with the D1 title game this one seems very difficult for me to pick.
Division Three
Lacrosse Aquinas over Lakeside Lutheran
I have seen each team play once and really don't think this game will be that close. If Lakeside is hitting their threes they may stay close but. Aquinas is just too quick and athletic here. Looking forward to the matchup of Pederson and Jarnigo in this one.
Racine St. Catherines over Little Chute
Know nothing about Little Chute but, St. Cats is St. Cats so go with them and their coach. They are battle tested and as everyone knows they have been there before.
Lacrosse Aquinas over Racine St. Catherines
Aquinas has the biggest star and have more athletes then St. Cats and should cruise to the victory. Guessing St. Cats will look to slow the tempo, while Aquinas will push it.
Division Four
Blair Taylor over Grantsburg
BT has the better record and is just the better team, not much else to be said.
Oostburg over Marathon
Oostburg has played better competition and will be prepared for this game.
Blair Taylor over Oostburg
Third time is the charm for BT. Most of these players have been here twice before and won't let the excitement or the moment get to them.
Division Five
Clayton over Wauzeka-Steuben
Going with this pick because Clayton was here a year ago and have the experience edge.
Randolph over Green Bay NEW Lutheran
Lutheran will push Randolph to the limit but, in the end Randolph has been the more consistent team and won't get nervous when the pressure is on. This game may be within five points.
Randolph over Clayton
Think the championship will actually be decided in the semi final game and Randolph should win this one easily.
Super Tuesday
Just some quick thoughts on the Super Tuesday for D1. If there are not going to be eight D1 teams at state then this is the best alternative. The teams got to play at college facilities and the games were broadcast on the Internet and you could actually watch all four games at the same time. It may of been a better experience if my computer or Internet connection were better and it was constantly buffering but, sounded like most people had no problem viewing the games. There were some glitches with some clock, which will only add fuel to the fire of the debate that these games should of been at the Kohl Center. Yes I would of liked to have seen these games at state but, like I said if that isn't a possibility this was a good setup and will be in favor of it instead of going to a normal sectional final and then state with the final four teams. Now if they go back to eight D1s at state I will be all in favor of it.
With the long weekend of basketball coming up I probably won't be back until next week, maybe Sunday but, probably not tell Monday or Tuesday.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sectional Weekend
I'm alittle late on the posting of these games so I will just do a quick recap on the three games that I saw this weekend one on Thursday and two on Saturday. Had some great games with lots of excitement, building up to the state tournament the end of this week.
Sun Prairie 72 Madison East 66
Thursday night was the match up of Sun Prairie and Madison East playing in the sectional semi final. This was a great game as both teams seemed to be playing their best basketball late in the season. Sun Prairie would score and then East would come down in score. Senior 6'0 Nimrod Hillard was impossible to stay in front of as he got to the hoop with ease and found open teammates who were hitting the threes in this game, particularly sophomore 6'0 Jermel Mclin who came up with 19 points the majority of them coming from behind the arc. Sun Prairie's top scorers 6'5 sophomore Nick Fuller and 6'5 senior Chris Hawkins had huge games controlling the inside on both ends. Fuller and Hawkins really used their height to their advantage against the much smaller East team and once again the difference was height like it has been all year for East. Both Fuller and Hawkins had highlight dunks in the second half as Sun Prairie simply went to four corners and let Fuller and Hawkins go one on one and beat their defender and threw down some monster dunks. Hillard did have a pretty good scoring night scoring most of his points late in the game. The real difference is this game was the defensive ability of 6'0 senior Jaron Schaffner on Hillard. Schaffner was quick enough to stay with Hillard and deny him the ball and East simply threw the ball away at least three times in the second half and he really seemed to frustrate Hillard.
Top Players
Nick Fuller 6'5 sophomore Sun Prairie- Hit the three in the game, battled well on the inside, and scored in transition.
Chris Hawkins 6'5 senior Sun Prairie- Was the usual beast self on the inside where he completely dominated and had a couple of impressive dunks.
Nimrod Hillard 6'0 senior Madison East- Impossible to stay in front of and was able to score or find open teammates.
Jermel McLin 6'0 sophomore Madison East- Was money from the outside where he just didn't seem to miss.
Top Scorers
SP- Hawkins 19 Fuller 18 Schaffner 11
East- Hillard 25 McLin 19 Rudy Bently 9
Lakeside Lutheran 56 Prairie du Chien 42
Saturday afternoon took in Lakeside Lutheran and Prairie du Chien in a battle to go to state. This game was over early as Lakeside jumped out to a 24-5 first quarter lead and never really looked back. Lakeside took a ton of three point shots and made a ton of three point shots and PDC always seemed to leave a guy wide open out there. Prairie never could get good looks at the hoop and took contested shots and three pointers three point behind the line. 6'0 junior Connor Morovits seemed to have a very sweet shot for Prairie but had a lower release that forced him to have to really be open to take his shot. Morovits did get a couple of open shots but, Lakeside did a nice job of following him off the screens and not letting him go open and then he got into foul trouble and he was limited for most of the second half. In the second half Prairie was able to claw back into the game behind their zone defense and Lakeside seemed to go cold from the outside. Offensively Prairie finally got things going behind 6'3 junior Colin Roach he was able to drive to the left all game long and score at will. 6'4 senior Tanner Roach is the star but, it was the younger Roach that carried the team in this game.
Top Players
Jake Jarnigo 5'10 senior Lakeside- Didn't have a great game shooting but, really ran the offense well and I don't think their was a defender that could stay in front of him. Super quick player.
Sam Kuehl 6'4 senior Lakeside- Was the hottest shooter for Lakeside from the outside as he connected on three first half threes.
Colin Roach 6'3 junior PDC- Impossible to start going to his left which he went to all game long.
Top Scorers
Lakeside- Jarnigo 18 Kuehl 13
PDC- C. Roach 12 T. Roach 9 Morovitis 8
Madison Memorial 67 Sun Prairie 64
Early on it seemed that Sun Prairie had the edge and was thinking they were going to win this one but, then a pair of injuries to Fuller and Schaffner hit them and the momentum starter to swing back to Memorial's way. Memorial starter to turn up their classic pressure defense and forced Sun Prairie to turn the ball over numerous times resulting to some easy baskets. On their final possession of the first half Memorial got a three from 5'10 junior Thomas Parkman who only played that one possession the entire game that was like a dagger to Sun Praire giving Memorial the four point halftime lead. Second half Memorial continued their in your face defense and really looked like the Memorial of a year ago and got some easy buckets and dunks that really got the crowd going. Memorial just seemed to be a step quicker then Sun Prairie all game long and seemed to want the game a bit more. Time and time again Memorial plays were on the ground diving for a loose ball and seemed to get at least two shots at the hoop each time if not three or four shots at times. There was always four Memorial players going for the offensive rebounds and more then not they were gonna get that rebound. In the end it was Sun Prairie fouling and two players for Memorial came up huge in 6'1 sophomore Brendan Ortiz and 6'5 senior Miles Chamberlain. Ortiz was 9 for 10 from the line and had all the confidence in the world at the line and really seemed to want the ball in his hand to get fouled. I'm guessing Chamberlain was 12-15 from the line. As a whole Memorial really struggled but, in those final three minutes they were as good as anyone from the line.
Top Players
Junior Lomomba 6'5 junior Madison Memorial- Just an overall solid game. Did most of his scoring in the first half but, really carried Memorial when Sun Prairie was at their best.
Jamar Morris 6'6 junior Madison Memorial- Yes Hawkins had a big game but, Morris did a nice job battling Hawkins and Hawkins did most of his scoring when Morris was out of the game. Might be the key to the team as he rebounds very well and controls the inside. Gives Memorial seven very good players in their rotation.
Miles Chamberlain 6'5 senior Madison Memorial- Really made his presence felt at the free throw line but, did a good job of moving the ball on the perimeter and finding open teammates.
Chris Hawkins 6'5 senior Sun Prairie- Really showed he wanted this game as he did it all. Shot the three, looked to score on the inside, and did his best to control the inside but, Memorial just had more overall size.
Jaron Schaffner 6'0 senior Sun Prairie- Carried Sun Prairie at times with his deadly three point shooting. Also did a nice job of running the point.
Nick Fuller 6'5 sophomore Sun Prairie- Didn't have the greatest game but, stepped up late and scored at will in the fourth quarter. Maybe forced things alittle too much at times but, the future is super bright for Fuller no doubt.
Top Scorers
Memorial- Lomomba 16 Chamberlain 16 Jamar Morris 11
SP- Hawkins 25 Schaffner 17 Fuller 16
It will be interesting to see Madison East next year without Hillard, they return alot but, losing Hillard is a huge huge lose. Bently should have a very big year. Prairie du Chien appears to have a strong program going now and will have their shot at making it to the same distance a year from now in the playoffs. Sun Prairie had their team of the decade possibly and just couldn't get past Memorial, Fuller will be back so the next two years they will be a factor in the conference race. Lakeside Lutheran shot a ton of threes and made them but, honestly I don't see them staying within 20 points of Lacrosse Aquinas unless their shooting out of their minds at state and then I'm still not so sure. Madison Memorial really is peaking at the right time and honestly I'm picking them to beat Milwaukee Riverside and head to state.
Sun Prairie 72 Madison East 66
Thursday night was the match up of Sun Prairie and Madison East playing in the sectional semi final. This was a great game as both teams seemed to be playing their best basketball late in the season. Sun Prairie would score and then East would come down in score. Senior 6'0 Nimrod Hillard was impossible to stay in front of as he got to the hoop with ease and found open teammates who were hitting the threes in this game, particularly sophomore 6'0 Jermel Mclin who came up with 19 points the majority of them coming from behind the arc. Sun Prairie's top scorers 6'5 sophomore Nick Fuller and 6'5 senior Chris Hawkins had huge games controlling the inside on both ends. Fuller and Hawkins really used their height to their advantage against the much smaller East team and once again the difference was height like it has been all year for East. Both Fuller and Hawkins had highlight dunks in the second half as Sun Prairie simply went to four corners and let Fuller and Hawkins go one on one and beat their defender and threw down some monster dunks. Hillard did have a pretty good scoring night scoring most of his points late in the game. The real difference is this game was the defensive ability of 6'0 senior Jaron Schaffner on Hillard. Schaffner was quick enough to stay with Hillard and deny him the ball and East simply threw the ball away at least three times in the second half and he really seemed to frustrate Hillard.
Top Players
Nick Fuller 6'5 sophomore Sun Prairie- Hit the three in the game, battled well on the inside, and scored in transition.
Chris Hawkins 6'5 senior Sun Prairie- Was the usual beast self on the inside where he completely dominated and had a couple of impressive dunks.
Nimrod Hillard 6'0 senior Madison East- Impossible to stay in front of and was able to score or find open teammates.
Jermel McLin 6'0 sophomore Madison East- Was money from the outside where he just didn't seem to miss.
Top Scorers
SP- Hawkins 19 Fuller 18 Schaffner 11
East- Hillard 25 McLin 19 Rudy Bently 9
Lakeside Lutheran 56 Prairie du Chien 42
Saturday afternoon took in Lakeside Lutheran and Prairie du Chien in a battle to go to state. This game was over early as Lakeside jumped out to a 24-5 first quarter lead and never really looked back. Lakeside took a ton of three point shots and made a ton of three point shots and PDC always seemed to leave a guy wide open out there. Prairie never could get good looks at the hoop and took contested shots and three pointers three point behind the line. 6'0 junior Connor Morovits seemed to have a very sweet shot for Prairie but had a lower release that forced him to have to really be open to take his shot. Morovits did get a couple of open shots but, Lakeside did a nice job of following him off the screens and not letting him go open and then he got into foul trouble and he was limited for most of the second half. In the second half Prairie was able to claw back into the game behind their zone defense and Lakeside seemed to go cold from the outside. Offensively Prairie finally got things going behind 6'3 junior Colin Roach he was able to drive to the left all game long and score at will. 6'4 senior Tanner Roach is the star but, it was the younger Roach that carried the team in this game.
Top Players
Jake Jarnigo 5'10 senior Lakeside- Didn't have a great game shooting but, really ran the offense well and I don't think their was a defender that could stay in front of him. Super quick player.
Sam Kuehl 6'4 senior Lakeside- Was the hottest shooter for Lakeside from the outside as he connected on three first half threes.
Colin Roach 6'3 junior PDC- Impossible to start going to his left which he went to all game long.
Top Scorers
Lakeside- Jarnigo 18 Kuehl 13
PDC- C. Roach 12 T. Roach 9 Morovitis 8
Madison Memorial 67 Sun Prairie 64
Early on it seemed that Sun Prairie had the edge and was thinking they were going to win this one but, then a pair of injuries to Fuller and Schaffner hit them and the momentum starter to swing back to Memorial's way. Memorial starter to turn up their classic pressure defense and forced Sun Prairie to turn the ball over numerous times resulting to some easy baskets. On their final possession of the first half Memorial got a three from 5'10 junior Thomas Parkman who only played that one possession the entire game that was like a dagger to Sun Praire giving Memorial the four point halftime lead. Second half Memorial continued their in your face defense and really looked like the Memorial of a year ago and got some easy buckets and dunks that really got the crowd going. Memorial just seemed to be a step quicker then Sun Prairie all game long and seemed to want the game a bit more. Time and time again Memorial plays were on the ground diving for a loose ball and seemed to get at least two shots at the hoop each time if not three or four shots at times. There was always four Memorial players going for the offensive rebounds and more then not they were gonna get that rebound. In the end it was Sun Prairie fouling and two players for Memorial came up huge in 6'1 sophomore Brendan Ortiz and 6'5 senior Miles Chamberlain. Ortiz was 9 for 10 from the line and had all the confidence in the world at the line and really seemed to want the ball in his hand to get fouled. I'm guessing Chamberlain was 12-15 from the line. As a whole Memorial really struggled but, in those final three minutes they were as good as anyone from the line.
Top Players
Junior Lomomba 6'5 junior Madison Memorial- Just an overall solid game. Did most of his scoring in the first half but, really carried Memorial when Sun Prairie was at their best.
Jamar Morris 6'6 junior Madison Memorial- Yes Hawkins had a big game but, Morris did a nice job battling Hawkins and Hawkins did most of his scoring when Morris was out of the game. Might be the key to the team as he rebounds very well and controls the inside. Gives Memorial seven very good players in their rotation.
Miles Chamberlain 6'5 senior Madison Memorial- Really made his presence felt at the free throw line but, did a good job of moving the ball on the perimeter and finding open teammates.
Chris Hawkins 6'5 senior Sun Prairie- Really showed he wanted this game as he did it all. Shot the three, looked to score on the inside, and did his best to control the inside but, Memorial just had more overall size.
Jaron Schaffner 6'0 senior Sun Prairie- Carried Sun Prairie at times with his deadly three point shooting. Also did a nice job of running the point.
Nick Fuller 6'5 sophomore Sun Prairie- Didn't have the greatest game but, stepped up late and scored at will in the fourth quarter. Maybe forced things alittle too much at times but, the future is super bright for Fuller no doubt.
Top Scorers
Memorial- Lomomba 16 Chamberlain 16 Jamar Morris 11
SP- Hawkins 25 Schaffner 17 Fuller 16
It will be interesting to see Madison East next year without Hillard, they return alot but, losing Hillard is a huge huge lose. Bently should have a very big year. Prairie du Chien appears to have a strong program going now and will have their shot at making it to the same distance a year from now in the playoffs. Sun Prairie had their team of the decade possibly and just couldn't get past Memorial, Fuller will be back so the next two years they will be a factor in the conference race. Lakeside Lutheran shot a ton of threes and made them but, honestly I don't see them staying within 20 points of Lacrosse Aquinas unless their shooting out of their minds at state and then I'm still not so sure. Madison Memorial really is peaking at the right time and honestly I'm picking them to beat Milwaukee Riverside and head to state.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Regional Final Weekend
Ended up attending two region finals on Saturday after getting a flat tire Friday night and not being able to attend any games. I got over to Sun Prairie to watch them play Watertown and then drove over to Verona to watch Deforest and Monroe play.
The first game was technically called a D1 regional final but, it was the first game for both of these teams so it could hardly be called a regional final. I didn't stay tell the very end of the game so not sure if Sun Praire received a plaque for their win but, personally I wouldn't feel that I truly earned it being that they only got the one playoff win while other divisions won as many as three games to claim their regional title.
Early on Watertown hung with Sun Prairie matching them basket for basket as Sun Prairie had a 15-14 point lead at one quarter. Watertown did a nice job of not turning the ball over early and really looking to their big man 6'9 senior Joe Sokovich who really showed a nice touch around the rim and had a nice hook shot working for him, he does need to add some size and strength though, as the game wore on Sun Prairie was able to lean on him and push on him all game long and really seemed to be worn down late in the game. Part of his fatigue may of been because he played nearly the entire game and rarely sat. Early on Sun Prairie was ice cold from the outside as Watertown gave them open three time and again but, in the second half Sun Prairie was able to push the tempo and force Watertown into turnovers and when Watertown didn't turn the ball over Sun Prairie was able to push the ball off the rebound and get easy baskets. In the end Sun Praire wound up blowing Watertown out 66-38.
Top Players
Chris Hawkins 6'5 senior Sun Prairie- Really showcased his overall game. Hawkins was able to step out and hit the outside jumper and showed some ability to penetrate to the rim.
Nick Fuller 6'5 sophomore Sun Prairie- Couldn't get the outside shot going but, did a nice job of battling inside and getting out in transition. Had a couple of very nice passes.
Joe Sokovich 6'9 senior Watertown- Said it early just showed a real nice touch around the rim. Thinking he is a scholarship player maybe not D1 but, probably a D2.
Top Scorers
Hawkins 20 Fuller 15
Sokovich 14
Game two headed over to Verona to watch the D2 regional final between Monroe and Deforest.
I hadn't seen Deforest play this year but, they just had defeated Edgewood so they were obviously playing some good basketball. Early one neither team could but a basket as it seemed shot after shot would bounce off the rim. At the end of the first quarter the score was only 4 to 3 with Deforest up. For Deforest 6'1 senior Kenny Derlein finally got things going as he scored all eight of his points in the second quarter to get Deforest the 16-12 halftime lead. In the first half Monroe's two star seniors 6'0 Bryan Tordoff and 6'2 Michael Barrett were nearly non existent. In the second half that changed as Tordoff came out really looking to score. Tordoff took some bad shots but, about half way through the third he really got things going. Monroe continued to give Deforest spot up three pointers and they knocked them down but, Tordoff was always there to answer. Everyone in the gym knew Tordoff was looking to shoot and he was still able to get his shot off. With the game very close in the fourth Barrett finally came alive driving to the hoop. Late in the game it was either Barrett or Tordoff taking every shot while Deforest marched to the free throw line the final three minutes or so. Every time I thought Deforest would but the game away there was Monroe bringing it close. In the end Monroe was down by two and Barrett drove baseline for the last second shot that rimmed in and out and Deforst got the two point win.
Top Players
Bryan Tordoff 6'0 senior Monroe- You can see some times he just says screw it when the offense isn't working and just jacks up the three and when he gets hot he's nearly impossible to stop coming off the screen and when he shoots it the shot is going in.
Michael Barrett 6'3 senior Monroe- Had a tough game but, was able to get to the hoop with ease late in the game and score.
Eric Steward 6'0 senior Deforest- Really think he could of scored more but, was content just running the offense. Was easily the quickest player on the court and that's with a monstrous knee brace on his one leg.
Kyle Renz 6'3 senior Deforest- Was very tough in the post scoring as he got a couple and one baskets. Really made his mark being the clutch free throw shooter late in the game.
Top Scores
M- Tordoff 22 Barrett 13
D- Renz 18 Steward 9 Derlein 8
Was a fun weekend and should be another good one coming up. Hoping to catch the Sun Prairie sectional games as well as the D3 sectional in Middleton on Saturday. I think Waunakee should be able to handle Deforest just like they did in the regular season but, right now Deforest is running on emotion and they are a hot team right now. Sun Praire should defeat Madison East, setting up an epic match up with Madison Memorial for a third time this season.
The first game was technically called a D1 regional final but, it was the first game for both of these teams so it could hardly be called a regional final. I didn't stay tell the very end of the game so not sure if Sun Praire received a plaque for their win but, personally I wouldn't feel that I truly earned it being that they only got the one playoff win while other divisions won as many as three games to claim their regional title.
Early on Watertown hung with Sun Prairie matching them basket for basket as Sun Prairie had a 15-14 point lead at one quarter. Watertown did a nice job of not turning the ball over early and really looking to their big man 6'9 senior Joe Sokovich who really showed a nice touch around the rim and had a nice hook shot working for him, he does need to add some size and strength though, as the game wore on Sun Prairie was able to lean on him and push on him all game long and really seemed to be worn down late in the game. Part of his fatigue may of been because he played nearly the entire game and rarely sat. Early on Sun Prairie was ice cold from the outside as Watertown gave them open three time and again but, in the second half Sun Prairie was able to push the tempo and force Watertown into turnovers and when Watertown didn't turn the ball over Sun Prairie was able to push the ball off the rebound and get easy baskets. In the end Sun Praire wound up blowing Watertown out 66-38.
Top Players
Chris Hawkins 6'5 senior Sun Prairie- Really showcased his overall game. Hawkins was able to step out and hit the outside jumper and showed some ability to penetrate to the rim.
Nick Fuller 6'5 sophomore Sun Prairie- Couldn't get the outside shot going but, did a nice job of battling inside and getting out in transition. Had a couple of very nice passes.
Joe Sokovich 6'9 senior Watertown- Said it early just showed a real nice touch around the rim. Thinking he is a scholarship player maybe not D1 but, probably a D2.
Top Scorers
Hawkins 20 Fuller 15
Sokovich 14
Game two headed over to Verona to watch the D2 regional final between Monroe and Deforest.
I hadn't seen Deforest play this year but, they just had defeated Edgewood so they were obviously playing some good basketball. Early one neither team could but a basket as it seemed shot after shot would bounce off the rim. At the end of the first quarter the score was only 4 to 3 with Deforest up. For Deforest 6'1 senior Kenny Derlein finally got things going as he scored all eight of his points in the second quarter to get Deforest the 16-12 halftime lead. In the first half Monroe's two star seniors 6'0 Bryan Tordoff and 6'2 Michael Barrett were nearly non existent. In the second half that changed as Tordoff came out really looking to score. Tordoff took some bad shots but, about half way through the third he really got things going. Monroe continued to give Deforest spot up three pointers and they knocked them down but, Tordoff was always there to answer. Everyone in the gym knew Tordoff was looking to shoot and he was still able to get his shot off. With the game very close in the fourth Barrett finally came alive driving to the hoop. Late in the game it was either Barrett or Tordoff taking every shot while Deforest marched to the free throw line the final three minutes or so. Every time I thought Deforest would but the game away there was Monroe bringing it close. In the end Monroe was down by two and Barrett drove baseline for the last second shot that rimmed in and out and Deforst got the two point win.
Top Players
Bryan Tordoff 6'0 senior Monroe- You can see some times he just says screw it when the offense isn't working and just jacks up the three and when he gets hot he's nearly impossible to stop coming off the screen and when he shoots it the shot is going in.
Michael Barrett 6'3 senior Monroe- Had a tough game but, was able to get to the hoop with ease late in the game and score.
Eric Steward 6'0 senior Deforest- Really think he could of scored more but, was content just running the offense. Was easily the quickest player on the court and that's with a monstrous knee brace on his one leg.
Kyle Renz 6'3 senior Deforest- Was very tough in the post scoring as he got a couple and one baskets. Really made his mark being the clutch free throw shooter late in the game.
Top Scores
M- Tordoff 22 Barrett 13
D- Renz 18 Steward 9 Derlein 8
Was a fun weekend and should be another good one coming up. Hoping to catch the Sun Prairie sectional games as well as the D3 sectional in Middleton on Saturday. I think Waunakee should be able to handle Deforest just like they did in the regular season but, right now Deforest is running on emotion and they are a hot team right now. Sun Praire should defeat Madison East, setting up an epic match up with Madison Memorial for a third time this season.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Sauk Prairie over Baraboo
First round of the playoffs took in the 8/9 match up of the Janesville Craig D2 sectional. There weren't alot of good match ups close to me on opening night of the playoffs and this game was very close to me and seemed to be a pretty good match up of conference opponents. The game did end up being a close game but, in all honesty this was kind of an ugly game to watch and wasn't that entertaining to watch.
This disappointing game kind of capped off a disappointing season for Baraboo. Baraboo had three pretty strong players in 5'11 senior Josh Statz, 6'7 senior Mark Kowalke, and 6'4 junior Sean McGann. Throughout the year all three had great games but, apparently couldn't put it together throughout the entire year as Baraboo finished 12-11 on the year. This was a team that I thought would battle Waunakee for the conference title but, in the end Waunakee was easily the class of the Badger North and outside of some close games really showed they were the class of the conference.
Well back to the game. Both teams started off very slow missing shot after shot and neither team seemed to be able to get in any rhythm. One thing that I think threw Baraboo off was the fact that Statz wasn't able to handle the ball as much as they would of liked because he was shadowed extremely close by Sauk Prairie senior 5'9 Brendan Coy and Statz never seemed to touch the ball until the ball was past half court and he was usually coming off a screen to get the ball. Those screens were costly as Baraboo got two early fouls within the first two minutes of the game setting moving screens which got them into foul trouble and those fouls ultimately allowed Sauk to get a lead late in the first quarter and carry it into halftime. In the second quarter Sauk went to a 1-3-1 zone defense which gave Baraboo even more problems, as they had a tough time figuring out the zone and seemed to spend alot of time just standing around on offense and when they tried to get the ball to the middle of the zone it seemed the ball was always tipped and Sauk ended up with the ball. Baraboo countered the Sauk zone with a zone of their own going to a 2-3 zone defense. The difference was Sauk was able to get the ball to the middle of the zone either score or kick the ball to open teammates. Halftime Sauk was up 21-14.
Honestly there isn't a whole lot more to talk about. Sauk was willing to give up the corner three point shots in the zone defense and Baraboo missed them again and again, I'm guessing Baraboo shot 1-7 from three point range in the first half and maybe shot slightly better in the second half as they did hit three, three point shots late. Midway through the third quarter it appeared that Baraboo was going to take the lead as McGann got hot hitting three straight shots including one of those corner threes and then the shots stopped falling for him and no one else could score. Kowalke was a non factor until he hit a pair of threes in the final minute to make the score close. For Sauk 6'1 senior Matt Rudig had a solid game not great but, did score 14 points half from the foul line and did hit some very tough jumpers, which he seemed to be settling for, in the first half. 6'3 senior Kenny McNeil and foul shooting were the real reasons that Sauk won the game. McNeil came off the bench and was a huge factor playing at the top of the 1-3-1 zone defense tipping balls and getting steals and then on the offensive end finding the opening in the zone defense and scoring. Foul shooting can be summed up with the fact that Baraboo hit four foul shots and Sauk hit 16 foul shots. Sauk shot probably around 75% for the game from the line and I believe they missed only one foul shot in the first half. Sauk won 39-36.
Top Players
Josh Statz 5'11 senior Baraboo- One of the few Baraboo players that actually looked to drive against the zone and score. Struggled at times though with his outside shot.
Sean McGann 6'4 junior Baraboo- Really carried his team in the third quarter and nearly got them a lead. When he got hot seemed every shot he took was going to fall.
Matt Rudig 6'1 senior Sauk Prairie- Just a solid overall game. Did a nice job rebounding on the defensive end and hit some nice jumpers.
Kenny McNeil 6'3 senior Sauk Prairie- Player of the game in my opinion, basically said it all earlier.
Box Score
Baraboo- McGann 14 Kowalke 9 Statz 9 Jesse Klink 2 Erik Anderson 2 Mike Weinke 0 Emerson Halbach 0 Caleb Leonhardt 0 Joe Becraft 0 Jed Traxler 0 Jacob Hacker 0
Sauk Prairie- Rudig 14 McNeil 13 Derek Sullivan 4 Jay Kuenster 3 Cameron Schwarz 3 Lucas Baier 2 Coy 0 Erik Meyer 0
I know I didn't have a ton of comments but, there wasn't much of a game. This game almost felt like the teams were sleep walking and there wasn't alot of excitement in the game. Sauk had a fairly small student section considering this could be their last game of the year and it's playoffs. Baraboo's season has ended and would be completely shocked if Waunakee didn't handle Sauk Prairie with ease, at least looking at the way Sauk looked tonight.
This disappointing game kind of capped off a disappointing season for Baraboo. Baraboo had three pretty strong players in 5'11 senior Josh Statz, 6'7 senior Mark Kowalke, and 6'4 junior Sean McGann. Throughout the year all three had great games but, apparently couldn't put it together throughout the entire year as Baraboo finished 12-11 on the year. This was a team that I thought would battle Waunakee for the conference title but, in the end Waunakee was easily the class of the Badger North and outside of some close games really showed they were the class of the conference.
Well back to the game. Both teams started off very slow missing shot after shot and neither team seemed to be able to get in any rhythm. One thing that I think threw Baraboo off was the fact that Statz wasn't able to handle the ball as much as they would of liked because he was shadowed extremely close by Sauk Prairie senior 5'9 Brendan Coy and Statz never seemed to touch the ball until the ball was past half court and he was usually coming off a screen to get the ball. Those screens were costly as Baraboo got two early fouls within the first two minutes of the game setting moving screens which got them into foul trouble and those fouls ultimately allowed Sauk to get a lead late in the first quarter and carry it into halftime. In the second quarter Sauk went to a 1-3-1 zone defense which gave Baraboo even more problems, as they had a tough time figuring out the zone and seemed to spend alot of time just standing around on offense and when they tried to get the ball to the middle of the zone it seemed the ball was always tipped and Sauk ended up with the ball. Baraboo countered the Sauk zone with a zone of their own going to a 2-3 zone defense. The difference was Sauk was able to get the ball to the middle of the zone either score or kick the ball to open teammates. Halftime Sauk was up 21-14.
Honestly there isn't a whole lot more to talk about. Sauk was willing to give up the corner three point shots in the zone defense and Baraboo missed them again and again, I'm guessing Baraboo shot 1-7 from three point range in the first half and maybe shot slightly better in the second half as they did hit three, three point shots late. Midway through the third quarter it appeared that Baraboo was going to take the lead as McGann got hot hitting three straight shots including one of those corner threes and then the shots stopped falling for him and no one else could score. Kowalke was a non factor until he hit a pair of threes in the final minute to make the score close. For Sauk 6'1 senior Matt Rudig had a solid game not great but, did score 14 points half from the foul line and did hit some very tough jumpers, which he seemed to be settling for, in the first half. 6'3 senior Kenny McNeil and foul shooting were the real reasons that Sauk won the game. McNeil came off the bench and was a huge factor playing at the top of the 1-3-1 zone defense tipping balls and getting steals and then on the offensive end finding the opening in the zone defense and scoring. Foul shooting can be summed up with the fact that Baraboo hit four foul shots and Sauk hit 16 foul shots. Sauk shot probably around 75% for the game from the line and I believe they missed only one foul shot in the first half. Sauk won 39-36.
Top Players
Josh Statz 5'11 senior Baraboo- One of the few Baraboo players that actually looked to drive against the zone and score. Struggled at times though with his outside shot.
Sean McGann 6'4 junior Baraboo- Really carried his team in the third quarter and nearly got them a lead. When he got hot seemed every shot he took was going to fall.
Matt Rudig 6'1 senior Sauk Prairie- Just a solid overall game. Did a nice job rebounding on the defensive end and hit some nice jumpers.
Kenny McNeil 6'3 senior Sauk Prairie- Player of the game in my opinion, basically said it all earlier.
Box Score
Baraboo- McGann 14 Kowalke 9 Statz 9 Jesse Klink 2 Erik Anderson 2 Mike Weinke 0 Emerson Halbach 0 Caleb Leonhardt 0 Joe Becraft 0 Jed Traxler 0 Jacob Hacker 0
Sauk Prairie- Rudig 14 McNeil 13 Derek Sullivan 4 Jay Kuenster 3 Cameron Schwarz 3 Lucas Baier 2 Coy 0 Erik Meyer 0
I know I didn't have a ton of comments but, there wasn't much of a game. This game almost felt like the teams were sleep walking and there wasn't alot of excitement in the game. Sauk had a fairly small student section considering this could be their last game of the year and it's playoffs. Baraboo's season has ended and would be completely shocked if Waunakee didn't handle Sauk Prairie with ease, at least looking at the way Sauk looked tonight.
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