Reedsburg over Portage

I decided to not do a final rankings because the rankings just didn't change enough as most teams only played one game in the final week. I also decided to not do a division five predictions because I just don't know enough about D5 and would simple be picking the lower seed. Basically there wasn't a point in those two things.

Well last night was opening night of the playoffs which meant that there just weren't very many good games to go to. I went to Portage for the simple fact that I work in Portage and they were playing Reedsburg who always seems to give Portage a tough game and upset them a time or two in the past.

In the first half Portage really shot out of a cannon led by 6'4 senior Craig Steele who hit a pair of shots right off the bat and it really looked to be a blow out right off the bat. Portage was the far better team at least in my eyes but, fouls were the story in the first half. Portage could just never pull aways as the fouls were in Reedsburgs favor 15-2 which led to Reedsburg cutting the lead without a lot of time coming off the clock and Steele getting three first half fouls which limited him. I'm not sure why 6'1 senior Erik Isakson didn't start and apparently he normally does start. Isakson did a nice job of driving the lane and finding ways to score over and around defenders. Portage did have a half time lead of 35-30.

I know everyone will want to play this game on the refs but, I really thinking it was the poor Portage defense in the second half. Reedsburg was able to continually drive the lane and score, either with the layup or kicking it out to an open shooter. Speaking of the outside shooting it seemed like everything was falling from the outside. It was either 6'4 senior Tyson Tully or 6'0 sophomore Will Fuhrmann driving the lane and scoring or kicking it out to a team mate in the corner. Steele did his best but, the fouls really limited him as did their two other bigger guys 6'4 senior Nolan Paul and 6'4 junior Eli Considine. With the big guys on the bench Tully really took control and then let Will Fuhrmann keep it going late and Tully pitched in some free throws. It was a tough break for Portage as I think they were the better team but, Reedsburg evidently was the better team tonight.

Top Players
Tyson Tully 6'4 senior Reedsburg- Was able to use a quick first step to get by the Portage defenders and when Portage went to zone he was able to get to the middle of the zone and they ran their offense through him. He was also money from the free throw line.

Will Fuhrmann 6'0 sophomore Reedsburg- Completely took the game over in the second half. Could do whatever he wanted on offense. He drove the lane and scored, showcased the floater, and he was money from down town. Probably the player of the game in my mind.

Craig Steele 6'4 senior Portage- A flat out shooter that could get his shot off at anytime. He was able to drive the lane and score. I think he could of actually drove the lane a little more too using his quickness.

Erik Isakson 6'1 senior Portage- The one guy who could get to the rim on a consistent basis and he was able to finish in a variety of ways at the rim.

Eli Considine 6'4 junior Portage- I really loved his mid range jump shot. Has a very quick first step and then he is able to elevate over the defender to get his shot off and score.

Box Score 
Reedsburg 80- Ty Tully 28 W Fuhrmann 27 Carter Daniels 15 Max Tully 3 Ben Fuhrmann 3 Jacob Dregney 2 Wyatt Molitor 2 Matthew Kohlmeyer 0
Reedsburg 75- Steele 25 Isakson 19 Considine 10 Brett Walker 10 Paul 7 Nick Anderson 4 Grant Garrigan 0 Cuyler Pfaff 0 Matthew Miles 0

Well the season has ended for Portage and honestly Reedsburg will probably lose in the next round to Monona Grove.

Division Four Predictions

I'll be first to admit that I don't know a ton about D4 so this will be mostly passed on records and rankings.

Sectional One New Richmond
My Pick 
Clear Lake- There undefeated and ranked four in the division enough said right there.

Contenders
Grantsburg- Have only lost two games and they are ranked in the top 10.
Osseo Fairchild- They are the other #1 seed so gotta have them right?
Eau Claire Regis- They seem to be coming into form late in the season and they always seem to be a team to be recond with.

Long Shot
Melrose Mindoro- Preseason topped ranked team that didn't live up to the hype. Those are always tough teams come playoffs.

Clear Lake over Osseo Fairchild

Sectional Two Wausau East
My Pick
Auburndale- Another team that has been ranked all year long and they have the history of being a tough out when it comes to playoffs.

Contender
Shiocton- A team that has underachieve a bit but, they still got a two seed. Senior dominated team as well.
Marathon- Same conference as Auburndale and another team that has spent a good chunk of the season ranked. Will be a tough out of course.
Oconto- A one seed and they had a very good record but, question is who have they played.

Long Shot
Pacelli- Seem to be playing their best right now and they are battled tested after a pretty tough schedule.

Auburndale over Shiocton

Sectional Three Baraboo
New Glarus- Undefeated team, senior dominated, and have been a top three team in the rankings all year long.

Contenders 
Mineral Point- Top ranked team all year long and have extremely talented players even though they are very young.
Wisconsin Heights- Team that has flirted with being ranked all year long  and have a tremendous record and have seen New Glarus twice already.
Fennimore- Another ranked team all year long with a great record.
Pardeeville- Up to a couple weeks ago they were undefeated but, lost a pair of games late in the season.

Long Shot
La Crosse Aquinas- They are always a long shot team because of the drop down affect and being that they spend the season playing D2s all year.

New Glarus over Mineral Point

Sectional Four Waukesha South
My Pick
The Prairie School- They just have so much talent for a D4 team and seem to be playing at their best. They also have the top player in D4 in JC Butler.

Contender
Destiny- Defending state champs that have a ton of talent and have played tough competition all year long. Have seemed to struggle a bit at the end of the year though.
Milwaukee Academy of Science- Beat Destiny just recently and have beaten some very good teams of late.
Roncalli- A ton of tradition there and their seeded one.
Kohler- Ranked team that has a great record.
Howards Grove- Probably same as what I said for Kohler.
Winnebago Lutheran- Extremely tall D4 team and have some guards that can really shoot the outside three.

The Prairie School over Kohler

New Glarus over Auburndale
The Prairie School over Clear Lake

The Prairie School over New Glarus

Division Three Predictions

We have three days until the playoffs start so I have to get my final predictions made before then.

Sectional One Menomonie
My Pick 
Prescott- State runner ups a year ago and they have possibly the best scorer in the state in Petey Brookshaw. I saw them play once and came away extremely impressed.

Contenders 
Bloomer- Another team with a great record but, again you question who have they played.
Wisconsin Dells- They haven't lost to a team from the state of Wisconsin but, I still question have they really played anyone. Their length and defense will give anyone trouble.
GET- Yes they lost to Black River Falls recently but, they have a very strong tradition going on and have some very experienced players.

Prescott over Wisconsin Dells

Long Shots
Ellsworth- They have a really good record but, just recently they were destroyed by Prescott so it's tough to see them as a legit team to make it out of the sectional.
Black River Falls- Ethan Anderson and company seem to be really rounding in to shape but, the way they lost to the Dells early in the season is still in my mind.

Sectional Two Appleton East
My Pick
Appleton Xavier- Really there is no other choice here. They are the defending champs, undefeated, and they have been flat out crushing teams all year long.

Contenders
Valders- Lost only two games all year. Honestly this is probably the only team in the sectional that has any other chance.

Long Shot
Wrightstown- I don't know enough about anyone else in the sectional but, they are one of the only other teams with a great record.

Appleton Xavier over Prescott

Sectional Three Middleton

My Pick
Martin Luther-They've been a top team all year long and probably have the most talent in the sectional.

Contenders 
Racine St Catherines- They've battled Martin Luther all year long in conference play and will not be fazed playing Luther.
East Troy- They are battled tested playing a very tough schedule that prepared them for the playoffs.
Lakeside Lutheran- This team has a ton of talent and have really underachieved this year. They will be a tough out but, have been put in the tough have of the sectional.
Platteville- Don't know a thing about them but, they are a one seed so that must mean something.

Long Shot 
Lodi- They can shoot the three and have a lot of overall team length and height.
Lake Mills- They are very undersized but, they play extremely hard and of course the three is the great equalizer.

Martin Luther over Lodi

Sectional Four Whitefish Bay
My Pick
Brown Deer- The Genry brothers are as tough as anyone at the guard position and they always benefit from playing up all regular season.

Contenders
Dominican- Another battled tested team and Gacoby Jones is a tough lead guard himself.
Waupun- Won state two years ago so they have the experience and Owen Theune and Marcus Domask.
Brookfield Academy- Another team with a great record but, questionable who they have actually played this year.

Long Shot
Kettle Moraine Lutheran- Beat Waupun already this year and also have that great record as well.

Brown Deer over Waupun

State Picks
Appleton Xavier over Prescott
Brown Deer over Martin Luther

Appleton Xavier over Brown Deer 

Sun Prairie over Madison La Follette

I've decided this year that whenever I can get the chance to see Sun Prairie playing a decent game I go to see them play. This game really lived up to the hype even though the game really wasn't that close.

It was senior night for La Follette so I thought that maybe they would come out firing on all cylinders but, Sun Prairie jumped out big early and kind of cruised to a victory. Early on Sun Prairie was able to push the tempo and just get easy bucket after easy bucket as the shots weren't falling for La Follette. La Follette is a very undersized team so they weren't going to get any offensive rebounds and they had a tough time getting good looks over Sun Prairie's size so they ended up settling for deep threes all game long. Mid way through the first half La Follette started hitting threes and climbed back into the game. The final five minutes of the first half Sun Prairie went on a monster run solidified by a pair of dunks on back to back plays from 6'4 senior Marlon Ruffin and then 6'2 senior Taylor Jansen who ended up getting a technical on that one, which I thought was very questionable. Ruffin's dunk may of been the best I've seen as he posterized the La Follette defender. La Follette score the final bucket of the half to make it 41-24.

In the second half Sun Prairie went into cruise control and allowed La Follette to get back into the game. La Follette started to lock down their defense and on the other end they begain to hit the three point shot. In the end though La Follete went cold late and 6'8 sophomore Jalen Johnson and company dominated the glass and probably doubled La Follette in rebounds. I have to say that Ruffin really forced things at times and tries to do too much. On the other side leading scorer 5'9 junior Donneil Gray barely played for whatever reason and other big scorer 5'11 junior Troy Reeves didn't get into the game until late in the first half. Sun Prairie ended up winning 70 to 57.

Top Players 
Jalen Johnson 6'8 sophomore Sun Prairie- Hit his first three shots of the game all threes right off the bat, which is the first time he looked good from the outside this year. Dominated the defensive glass and guessing he was between 15-20 rebounds. Had a nice steal and pick for a monster tomahawk jam.

Marlon Ruffin 6'4 senior Sun Prairie- Liked I said he forced things too much at times but, he's a guy that can really score. Had the play of the night with his dunk along with another big dunk as well. Really got out and moved in transition.

Taylor Jansen 6'2 senior Sun Prairie- Another superior athlete that had two big dunks in this one. Also had a few very nice post up homes where he used his strength and hops to score.

Troy Reeves 5'11 junior Madison La Follette- Really showed a nice ability to hit the deep jumper off the jump shot.

Kierre Washington 6'2 senior Madison La Follette- Carried his team early on scoring their first seven points with the ability to hit the jumper over the taller defender.

Anthony West 5'10 senior Madison La Follette- Was the quickest player on the court with the ball in his hands. Used that quickness and ball handling to get in the middle of the Sun Prairie defense and score.

Box Score
Sun Prairie 70- Johnson 18 Ruffin 17 Jansen 12 Colin Schaefer 12 Caden White 3 Marty Strey 3 Alec Schaefer 3 Rajai WIlliams 2 Delware Hale 0
La Follette 57- Reeves 13 Isaiah Stewart 13 West 12 Washington 8 Nate Seward 6 Gray 3 Jaden Nix 2 Sam Schmitt 0 Ben Probst 0 Charles Suggs 0

After watching this way I guarantee that Sun Prairie will get to state and if they played like they did the last five minutes of the first half they could very well win state. On the other side I just can't see La Follette doing too much with their lack of height overall.

Top Dunks and Scorers

Top Dunks 
1. Trej Holloman 6'2 8th grader Minneapolis North vs Kaukauna January 27
Questionable if he actually finished the dunk but, that ball went in the hoop and his hand was on the rim. On a break away I thought we was just gonna lay it in but, I could see he was gathering himself to jump and 6'8 Kaukauna senior Dylan Kurey was trailing. Kurey went up to block the shot and ended up getting posterized by Holloman.

2. Prince Aligbe 6'5 8th grader Minnehaha Academy vs Stevens Point January 27
In a two point game with under three minutes left Minnehaha star Jalen Suggs drove a threw up the lay up which went long and Aligbe caught it and threw down the monster put back dunk to give them a four point leave. After the dunk Aligbe let out a Garnett type growl.

3. Marlon Ruffin 6'4 senior Sun Prairie vs Madison Memorial February 8
This dunk was all about the momentum. In a very tight game Ruffin got the ball on the break with a trailing 6'6 sophomore Yacouba Traore Jr who made the mistake of trying to block the shot. Ruffin had the powerful one handed dunk and the foul on Traoroe. After some chawing from both sides led to a double technical and another on the Memorial bench, Ruffin sank all three free throws leading to a five point play.

4. Patrick Cartier 6'7 senior Brookfield East vs Homestead February 10
This was more about the play but, Cartier tipped the ball away on defense tracked it down and got free with a behind the back dribble and fnished it off with the powerful one handed dunk.

5. Prince Aligbe 6'5 8th grader Minnehaha Academy vs Stevens Point January 27
Within the first five minutes of the game Aligbe grabbed the offensive rebound and in one quick move went right back up and threw down the dunk and left everyone in aw right off the bat.

6. Jalen Johnson 6'8 sophomore Sun Prairie vs Bay Port February 17
Yes this was a breakaway but, you don't see a lot of windmill for in game dunks.

7. Terrence Thompson 6'7 sophomore La Crosse Central vs Stoughton January 30
I'm always partial to put back dunks and this one almost happened to quick to enjoy. Johnny Davis drove the lane and threw up a lay up that came off very hard but, Thompson was there for a very quick put back dunk as no one blocked him out. It was hard with authority and at a time when Stoughton was making a run.

8. Prince Aligbe 6'5 8th grader Minnehaha Academy vs Stoughton January 13
Maybe it's because he is an 8th grader but, he really had a great dunk. The guard drove the lane and found him on the left block and he threw down a power dunk over the Stoughton defender.

9. Jalen Johnson 6'8 sophomore Sun Prairie vs Madison East December 21
Johnson caught the ball in transition one dribble to cut back to the middle to the court from the left side and threw it down over an East defender. This was very much a Giannis type dunk.

10. Jalen Johnson 6'8 sophomore Sun Prairie vs Bay Port February 17
Johnson cut to the free throw line caught the pass and as the defense parted like the red sea threw down the monster one handed dunk.

Top Scorers
1. 40 points Drew Blair 6'3 senior Stevens Point vs Minnehaha Academy January 27 

2. 39 points Nasir El-Amin 6'0 junior Minnapolis North vs Kaukauna January 27 

3. 38 points Brady Schipper 6'0 senior Stoughton vs Monona Grove January 12 

4. 36 points Jordan McCabe 6'0 senior Kaukauna vs Minneapolis North January 27 
                Jalen Suggs 6'4 sophomore Minnehaha Academy vs Stevens Point January 27

6. 34 points Petey Brookshaw 6'0 senior Prescott vs Lake City MN January 27

7. 32 points Payton Dachel 6'3 senior Bloomer vs La Crosse Logan January 13

8. 30 points Mitch Listau 6'5 senior Waunakee vs Nicolet January 6
                    Jay Gentry 6'1 senior Brown Deer vs Stoughton February 10
                    Desmond Polk 6'3 sophomore New Berlin West vs Milwaukee Messmer Feb 10

11. 29 points JC Butler 6'5 senoir The Prairie School vs Caledonia January 13
                    Cameron Cloud 6'0 senior Stevens Point Pacelli vs Spring Grove MN January 27

13. 28 points Max Beuthin 6'4 sophomore Ripon vs Lakeside Lutheran January 6
                      Ryan Waddell 6'0 junior Homestead vs Brookfield East February 10

15. 27 points Marlon Ruffin 6'4 senior Sun Prairie vs Bay Port February 17 
                      Jack Plumb 6'8 senior Bay Port vs Sun Prairie February 17

17. 26 points Keshawn Justice 6'6 senior Madison East vs Sun Prairie December 21 
                    Mason Peterson 6'3 senior Baraboo vs Wisconsin Dells December 5
                    Keyron Gouveia 6'0 senior Milwaukee Messmer vs New Berlin West February 10

20. 25 points Keshawn Justice 6'6 senior Madison East vs Minneapolis DeLaSalle January 6 
                     Keaton Ferris 5'10 sophomore Kaukauna vs Minnepolis North January 27

22. 24 points Mitch Listau 6'5 senior Waunakee vs Milwaukee Riverside December 16
                    Drew Blair 6'3 senior Stevens Point vs Waunakee January 13
                   Marc Kjos 5'10 senior Lake City MN vs Prescott January 27

25. 23 points Gabe Kalscheur 6'4 senior Minneaplois DeLaSalle vs Madison East January 6 
                      Kyle Kroener 6'2 senior Tomah vs La Crosse Central January 22
                      Johnny Davis 6'5 sophomore La Crosse Central vs North St Paul January 27

Division Two Predictions

To be honest I may very well take the top D2 teams over many of the D1 teams this year.

Sectional One Stevens Point
My Pick
La Crosse Central- They've been the cream of the crop in the Northwest D2 this year and the defending champs have a very impressive sophomore class leading the way with three D1 recruits.

Contenders
Onalaska- They beat Central once this year already and had not been some bumps at the end of the season would of been the number one seed.
Rhinelander- 19-2 record says it all and honestly I don't know a whole lot more about this team.

Long Shot
Tomah- I saw this team give Central a very good game and with their length they are going to give some teams some real trouble.

La Crosse Central over Rhinelander

Sectional Two Manitowoc Lincoln
My Pick 
Kaukauna- Jordan McCabe might be the best player in the state and Kaukauna may of been the best team in the state, that was until Oshkosh North beat them. Eric Carl and Dylan Kurey gives them some very good #2 options.

Contenders
Cedarburg- With John Diener anything is possible and they lost in the state final a year ago. Matt Barber is also a very solid player.
Pulaski- The style they play will keep them in the game with anyone. That slow style could really annoy a team like Kaukauna.

Long Shot 
Nicolet- Yes there a three seed but, really no one is looking past Kaukauna and Cedarburg. They are a big athletic team though that will be battle tested.

Kaukauna over Cedarburg

Sectional Three Oregon
My Pick
Westosha Central- Have a great record and their win in the Illinois Border Battle really opened up my eyes.

Contenders
Monona Grove- Yes they have the best record but, it just sticks in my head the game I saw Stoughton just crush them.
Mount Horeb- Team that battle Waunakee all year and just had a rough last couple weeks that did them in.
Stoughton- Played a tremendously tough schedule this year so they will be tested. Just a very tough team that can shoot the three and can control the tempo. If I was to be honest I'd say I'd give Stoughton, Monona Grove, and Westosha Central equal changes to make the run to state.
Union Grove- I don't know much about them but, they are a one seed for a reason.

Long Shot
Waukesha West- Another team that I don't know much about but, they play bigger schools all season long so thats always a chance for success.

Westosha Central over Stoughton

Sectional Four New Berlin West
My Pick 
Milwaukee Washington- Been nearly unstoppable in the state of Wisconsin. Have probably the most talent in D2 at this time led by a pair of future college players in Deontay Long and Michael Foster.

Contenders 
Pewaukee- Have good team size over all and have only lost one game all year long. Also have their share of college players.
Whitnall- Tyler Herro is all you need to know. Arguably the top player in the state that could carry his team to state.

Long Shot
New Berlin West- Maybe this is just because I saw them and was impressed  but, I was. Desmond Polk is a big time player and they have enough talent around him to make a run.

Milwaukee Washington over Pewaukee

As I did my predictions I've found myself getting very excited for the D2 bracket as there are numerous teams with opportunities to get to state and some of the best players in the state reside in D2.

D1 Predictions

With the playoffs just a week away I figured it was time to come up with my predictions and favorites to get to state.

Sectional One Marshfield
My Pick 
Oshkosh North- Has been the top team in D1 just about the entire year. They won one of the toughest conferences in the state in the Fox Valley and just beat Kaukauna by about 20. The have a pair of Division One College players and Tyrese Haliburton

Contenders 
Eau Claire North- Don't know a ton about them but, they have an experienced back court and have a great record.
Stevens Point - With Drew Blair anything is possible and they are the defending state champs for a reason.
Kimberly- Another battle tested team from the Fox Valley who also beat Kaukauna earlier in the year.

Long Shot
Oshkosh West- Another Fox Valley team, do I need to say more? Started the year super hot beating some top teams.

Oshkosh North over Stevens Point

Sectional Two Sheboygan South
My Pick 
Bay Port- Just saw this team play and they have a good inside out balance with some tremendous three point shooting. Doesn't hurt to have 6'8 Jack Plumb in the middle.

Contenders 
Kettle Moraine- I've had them in my top 15 for the second half of the year so they must be good.
Arrowhead- Have a pretty strong tradition and are battle tested playing in same conference as Kettle Moraine and coming out ahead of them.

Long Shot
Hamilton Sussex- Just kind of a hunch here. Have been some pretty good teams playing in the Greate Metro.

Bay Port over Arrowhead

Sectional Three Sun Prairie
My Pick 
Sun Prairie- If Jalen Johnson is playing his best no one in the state will beat them. Marlon Ruffin is also a high level college player as well and might form the best one two punch in the state. Won the Big Eight for a reason.

Contenders
Waunakee- Really like their back court of Mitch Listau and Mason Steffen and now they have their big man back in 6'6 Nate Carter. Have been to state last two years in D2.
Madison East- This team is just a roller coaster. At their best they can play with anyone but, they could just about lose to anyone as well.
Madison Memorial- Their boring as heck to watch but, have tremendous length and have one of the best coaches in the state in Collins. At least in my opinion.
Madison La Follette- Have three guys that can really score but their lack of height is a huge concern. Their used to being undersized so.

Long Shot
Mukwonago- They've taken down the mighty Memorial twice in the last few years when they were underdrogs so you have to pay them some respect.
Middleton- When everyones a conference opponent you have a chance because their familiar and Middleton always seems to beat someone they shouldn't.

Sun Prairie over Madison East

Sectional Four West Allis Central
My Pick
Brookfield Central- Lost some tough games to some very good teams but, this was a state team a year ago and bring back most of their scoring including their starting back court.

Contenders
Brookfield East- Have only lost one game all year which was to Central and have one of the best post players in the state in 6'7 Patrick Cartier.
Racine Park- Probably the most athletic team in the state and have a ton of size and length headlined by 6'9 Nobal Days.
Franklin- Don't know a thing about them but, they've only lost one game all year long.

Long Shot 
Milwaukee Riverside- Carlos Curtis is one of the elite players in the state and if a team will run with them they have a chance.

Brookfield Central over Franklin

State Picks (Interesting that they will be seeding state this year)
Oshkosh North over Bay Port
Sun Prairie over Brookfield Central 

Oshkosh North over Sun Prairie

Honestly that championship could go any direction and besides Bay Port I could see anyone winning the championship.

Week 13 Rankings

With only one week left of the season these ranking are just about final.

Division One
Racine Park lost to a team from Illinois which I don't hold against them. Bay Port lost to Sun Prairie which is to be expected but, still felt I had to drop them to 10. Mukwonago dropped a game to Arrowhead and drop down to 12. Madison La Follette lost to Madison East and fall to 15 but, hang on to the rankings even though I nearly replaced them with East.

1. Oshkosh North
2. Brookfield East
3. Franklin
4. Sun Prairie
5. Waunakee
6. Racine Park
7. Brookfield Central
8. Kimberly
9. Stevens Point
10. Bay Port
11. Eau Claire North
12. Mukwonago
13. Madison Memorial 
14. Kettle Moraine
15. Madison La Follette


Division Two
Kaukauna lost to top ranked Oshkosh North which I debated about even holding against them and I just had to drop them to three. Onalaska lost to La Crosse Central and Tomah and fall to eight. Pulaski lost to Bay Port and droped down to 12. Mount Horeb lost to Waunakee and DeForest and Notre Dame lost to De Pere all tough games so they hang on at 14 and 15.

1. Milwaukee Washington
2. Pewaukee
3. Kaukauna
4. Monona Grove 
5. La Crosse Central
6. Cedarburg
7. Rhinelander
8. Onalaska
9. Whitnall
10. Union Grove
11. Westosha Central
12. Pulaski
13. Rice Lake
14. Mount Horeb
15. Green Bay Notre Dame


Division Three
Dominican drops to 12 having lost to Racine St Catherines who lost to a team from Illinois which I don't hold against them. Lakeside Lutheran dropped a game to Watertown Luther Prep and fall from the rankings replaced by East Troy.

1. Appleton Xavier
2. Waupun
3. Prescott
4. Brown Deer
5. Wisconsin Dells
6. Valders
7. Bloomer
8. Martin Luther
9. Brookfield Academy
10. Racine St Catherines
11. Wrightstown
12. Dominican
13. Ellsworth
14. Kettle Moraine Lutheran
15. East Troy


Division Four
Destiny lost to Milwaukee Washington but, honestly no one in D4 was gonna beat Washington so they stay put. Howards Grove lost to Kohler because of their record I dropped them just one spot to five. Roncalli lost to Valders and I felt that I had them alittle high all year so gave me the opportunity to drop them to 15.

1. New Glarus
2. Clear Lake
3. Destiny
4. The Prairie School
5. Howards Grove
6. Marathon
7. Webster
8. Mineral Point
9. Fennimore
10. Grantsburg
11. Wisconsin Heights
12. Pardeeville
13. Winnebago Lutheran
14. Kohler
15. Roncalli


Division Five
Rio lost to Randolph and Royal lost to Kickapoo dropping both teams to nine and ten followed by Lake Holcome who lost to New Auburn. Amherst lost to Assumption and drop to 15 just behind them. I kept calling South Shore, Solon Springs to I corrected that and put South Shore at six and Solon Springs at 12.  Port Edwards lost to Pacelli and Almond Bancroft lost to Westfield knocking both from the rankings. Deerfield is back into the rankings at 12.

1. Bangor
2. Columbus Catholic
3. Seneca
4. Auburndale
5. Sheboygan Lutheran
6.  South Shore
7. Desoto
8. Wauzeka Steuben
9. Rio 
10. Royal 
11. Lake Holcombe
12. Deerfield
13. Solon Springs
14. Assumption
15. Amherst

Sun Prairie over Bay Port

Went down to Sun Prairie to watch them take on a fellow top 10 team in Bay Port. When you get a top team from out of the area to come close to home I always like to get out and watch them play because otherwise I'll never see them.

Early on this was the Jalen Johnson show. The 6'8 sophomore had three dunks in the first eight minutes of the game. Johnson had a nice little two handed dunk off a loose ball that just found him, came off a curl in the half court received the pass and after a power dribble finished it off hard with the one handed dunk, and punctuated it all with a break away windmill dunk. Johnson even had a little shoulder shrug moment when he went one on one with Bay Port big man 6'8 senior Jack Plumb, when he pulled up from mid range and banked the shot in. Speaking of Plumb he had a bit of a tough start dealing with the speed of the game but, he got going late in the first half as it really showed that Johnson isn't comfortable defending in the post at this time. Plumb uses his size and soft touch to score around Johnson. Bay Port also shot the three ball extremely well led by 6'2 senior Lucas LaMue off bench who hit three threes in the first half. Outside of Johnson the usual suspect 6'4 senior Marlon Ruffin did his thing. Ruffin looked to drive the lane and showcased a nice floater in this game.

In the second half it looked like Sun Prairie might blow this game open but, they kind of let their foot off the gas and allowed Bay Port to get back in the game. Plumb continued to be unstoppable in the post and then point guard 5'11 senior Deeland Phillips got things going driving to the left and finishing and getting fouled. All night long whenever it looked like Sun Prairie might break away Bay Port was able to get a huge three. For Sun Prairie Ruffin and Johnson continue to due their thing scoring. Ruffin was slashing to the rim and Johnson was the post presence. In the end Sun Prairie was just too athletic for Bay Port.

Top Players
Jack Plumb 6'8 senior Bay Port- Just a force in the paint that couldn't be stopped. Looks like stereotype football player with the soft touch and soft hands around the rim.

Deland Phillips 5'11 senior Bay Port- Was the quickest player tonight on the court driving to the rim and finishing through contact.

Lucas LaMue 6'2 senior Bay Port- Just couldn't miss from three point range as he came off the bench gunning in this one.

Jalen Johnson 6'8 sophomore Sun Praire- I've already said it all. There are some very talented seniors this year so next year he will be the top player in the state. Showcased the ball handling  mid range shot, and showed he could get his shot off at any time.

Marlon Ruffin 6'4 senior Sun Prairie- Just one of the most superior athletes in the state. Can get where he wants at any time and get his shot at any time. Ruffin hit the three and showcased a floater in this game.

Sun Prairie really should end their season at state but, things don't seem to ever work out that way for Sun Prairie. Bay Port could be a state team if things fall their way. They are a very good team.

Lodi captures Capitol Conference

Went to Lodi last night to take in a huge Capitol Conference game between Lodi and Lake Mills. If Lake Mills had won the game it would of been a three way tie for first in the conference and a Lodi win would mean they would capture the conference title outright. I have seen Lake Mills play a bit in the last three years including once this year and I hadn't seen Lodi play in a few years so didn't know what to expect.

I have to say I came away fairly impressed with this Lodi team. They had good length and had a lot of depth in this team as they had 10 different players see the court and really didn't lose much at all. One thing I found very interesting is that Lodi went five in with their very first sub in the game and then gradually worked their starters back in. Second half they weren't the same but, still played four guys off the bench heavy minutes. Lake Mills is a team that I really enjoy watching play. They remind me a lot of the old Roncalli teams that made some state runs. Lake Mills is very undersized basically playing five guards at all the times, they shoot a lot of threes, push the tempo, and have a couple guys that are not afraid to mix it up underneath despite giving up a ton of size. Both Ben Dunkleberger and Hayden Iverson are 6'0 seniors that look like they spend some time in the weight room and play very physical and are forced to guard post players.

Early on it was obvious that Lodi was pumped up. They were taking a lot of quick shots but, they were knocking them down. Seemed every shot they took was going to fall. Despite their size advantage thought they really didn't look to the inside and their big man 6'5 senior Jackson Kolinski. This was my first time seeing Kolinski but, he seemed to prefer staying outside and shooting the three then banging on the inside. Eventually the outside shooting cooled for Lodi and then Lake Mills outside shooting took over after some initial struggles. Everyone for Lake Mills can hit threes but, it was 6'0 sophomore Matt Johnson led the way early on hitting a pair of threes early. Lake Mills also got some huge play from their bench in 5'11 sophomore Mike Herrington and 6'2 freshmen Charlie Bender. Both guys were instant offense when they came in the game and they weren't afraid to drive the lane and score and didn't settle for the threes. Both Herrington and Bender were in the game to make the stretch runs. At the half Lake Mills was up 31-30.

In the second half Lake Mills went a little cool from the outside and Lodi finally started to look inside and to drive the lane as well. They looked inside to Kolinski a bit in the paint but, it was really 6'3 senior Carter Breunig off the bench that was huge in the paint. Breunig had a pair of and one baskets and I believe had all nine of his points in the second half. In the end Lake Mills streaking shooting and lack of depth did them in and Lodi got the 69-61 win.

Top Players 
Jackson Kolinski 6'5 senior Lodi- Big man that moves really well and can really shoot the three. Just a real smooth player to watch play.

Canyon Bacon 6'1 senior Lodi- Used his quickness to get to the rim and score. Was really able to finish at the rim in a variety of ways.

Casey Breunig 6'3 senior Lodi- Consistent the entire game hitting the outside shot.

Carter Breunig 6'3 senior Lodi- Like I said earlier came off the bench and really solidified the post presence for Lodi. Was the big energy player in the second half.

Matt Johnson 6'0 sophomore Lake Mills- Sharpshooter in the first half that helped Lake Mills get back into the game and take the lead at halftime.

Mike Herrington 5'11 sophomore Lake Mills- Huge scorer off the bench. Showed the ability to hit the three and the ability to drive the lane and finish.

Hayden Iverson 6'0 senior Lake Mills- Love watching him battle in the post and he's really the glue that holds this team together. When he can set his feet he's going to hit the three.

Box Score
Lodi 69- Kolinski 16 Bacon 12 Cas Breunig 12 Jack Persike 9 Car Breunig 9 Dominic Scola 4 Riley Faust 3 Jackson Furniss 3 Cole Steinhoff 1 Will Richards 0
Lake Mills 61- Johnson 12 Herrington 12 JT Toepfer 9 Iverson 9 Adam Moen 8 Dunlberger 5 Bender 4

I think Lake Mills can beat anyone in D3 because of their outside shooting but, their just going to have a hard time doing it because of their lack of size. Lodi on the other side is not my favorite by any means but, with their size and depth I wouldn't be surprised to see them at least make a sectional run. Once your in sectionals anything can happen.

Top Dunks and Scorers

Updating time on these.


Top Dunks 
1. Trej Holloman 6'2 8th grader Minneapolis North vs Kaukauna January 27
Questionable if he actually finished the dunk but, that ball went in the hoop and his hand was on the rim. On a break away I thought we was just gonna lay it in but, I could see he was gathering himself to jump and 6'8 Kaukauna senior Dylan Kurey was trailing. Kurey went up to block the shot and ended up getting posterized by Holloman.

2. Prince Aligbe 6'5 8th grader Minnehaha Academy vs Stevens Point January 27
In a two point game with under three minutes left Minnehaha star Jalen Suggs drove a threw up the lay up which went long and Aligbe caught it and threw down the monster put back dunk to give them a four point leave. After the dunk Aligbe let out a Garnett type growl.

3. Marlon Ruffin 6'4 senior Sun Prairie vs Madison Memorial February 8
This dunk was all about the momentum. In a very tight game Ruffin got the ball on the break with a trailing 6'6 sophomore Yacouba Traore Jr who made the mistake of trying to block the shot. Ruffin had the powerful one handed dunk and the foul on Traoroe. After some chawing from both sides led to a double technical and another on the Memorial bench, Ruffin sank all three free throws leading to a five point play.

4. Patrick Cartier 6'7 senior Brookfield East vs Homestead February 10
This was more about the play but, Cartier tipped the ball away on defense tracked it down and got free with a behind the back dribble and fnished it off with the powerful one handed dunk.

5. Prince Aligbe 6'5 8th grader Minnehaha Academy vs Stevens Point January 27
Within the first five minutes of the game Aligbe grabbed the offensive rebound and in one quick move went right back up and threw down the dunk and left everyone in aw right off the bat.

6. Terrence Thompson 6'7 sophomore La Crosse Central vs Stoughton January 30
I'm always partial to put back dunks and this one almost happened to quick to enjoy. Johnny Davis drove the lane and threw up a lay up that came off very hard but, Thompson was there for a very quick put back dunk as no one blocked him out. It was hard with authority and at a time when Stoughton was making a run.

7. Prince Aligbe 6'5 8th grader Minnehaha Academy vs Stoughton January 13
Maybe it's because he is an 8th grader but, he really had a great dunk. The guard drove the lane and found him on the left block and he threw down a power dunk over the Stoughton defender.

8. Jalen Johnson 6'8 sophomore Sun Prairie vs Madison East December 21
Johnson caught the ball in transition one dribble to cut back to the middle to the court from the left side and threw it down over an East defender. This was very much a Giannis type dunk.

9. JC Butler 6'5 senior The Prairie School vs Caledonia January 13 
Had a monster break away dunk where he nearly ripped the rim off. Had a trailer right behind him which I thought might foul him and he didn't even seem to notice the defender.

10. Jalen Johnson 6'8 sophomore Sun Prairie vs Madison East December 21
Dunk came 30 seconds after the previous one. Was your normal break away dunk but, he cupped it with his right hand and threw it down right handed. This was also right after the crowd was riding him.


Top Scorers
1. 40 points Drew Blair 6'3 senior Stevens Point vs Minnehaha Academy January 27 

2. 39 points Nasir El-Amin 6'0 junior Minnapolis North vs Kaukauna January 27 

3. 38 points Brady Schipper 6'0 senior Stoughton vs Monona Grove January 12 

4. 36 points Jordan McCabe 6'0 senior Kaukauna vs Minneapolis North January 27 
                Jalen Suggs 6'4 sophomore Minnehaha Academy vs Stevens Point January 27

6. 34 points Petey Brookshaw 6'0 senior Prescott vs Lake City MN January 27

7. 32 points Payton Dachel 6'3 senior Bloomer vs La Crosse Logan January 13

8. 30 points Mitch Listau 6'5 senior Waunakee vs Nicolet January 6
                    Jay Gentry 6'1 senior Brown Deer vs Stoughton February 10
                    Desmond Polk 6'3 sophomore New Berlin West vs Milwaukee Messmer Feb 10

11. 29 points JC Butler 6'5 senoir The Prairie School vs Caledonia January 13
                    Cameron Cloud 6'0 senior Stevens Point Pacelli vs Spring Grove MN January 27

13. 28 points Max Beuthin 6'4 sophomore Ripon vs Lakeside Lutheran January 6
                      Ryan Waddell 6'0 junior Homestead vs Brookfield East February 10

15. 26 points Keshawn Justice 6'6 senior Madison East vs Sun Prairie December 21 
                    Mason Peterson 6'3 senior Baraboo vs Wisconsin Dells December 5
                    Keyron Gouveia 6'0 senior Milwaukee Messmer vs New Berlin West February 10

18. 25 points Keshawn Justice 6'6 senior Madison East vs Minneapolis DeLaSalle January 6 
                     Keaton Ferris 5'10 sophomore Kaukauna vs Minnepolis North January 27

20. 24 points Mitch Listau 6'5 senior Waunakee vs Milwaukee Riverside December 16
                    Drew Blair 6'3 senior Stevens Point vs Waunakee January 13
                   Marc Kjos 5'10 senior Lake City MN vs Prescott January 27

23. 23 points Gabe Kalscheur 6'4 senior Minneaplois DeLaSalle vs Madison East January 6 
                      Kyle Kroener 6'2 senior Tomah vs La Crosse Central January 22
                      Johnny Davis 6'5 sophomore La Crosse Central vs North St Paul January 27

Week 11 and 12 Rankings

I didn't do my rankings last week so trying to catch up with a two week ranking this week. The standings function isn't working on wishoops so doing my best to update the rankings.

Division One
Racine Park lost to Franklin and Kenosha Bradford knocking them down a couple spots to six. Madison Memorial lost games to Madison East and Sun Prairie dropping them all the way to 14 behind La Follette who they had recently lost to.

1. Oshkosh North
2. Brookfield East
3. Franklin
4. Sun Prairie
5. Waunakee
6. Racine Park
7. Bay Port
8. Mukwonago
9. Brookfield Central
10. Kimberly
11. Stevens Point
12. Eau Claire North
13. Madison La Follette
14. Madison Memorial 
15. Kettle Moraine

Division Two
Cedarburg was upset by West Bend West and drop down to seven. Stoughton lost games to La Crosse Central, Monroe, and Brown Deer and drop from the rankings even though all those teams are very good. Whitnall dropped a game to Brown Deer and fall to 10. Rice Lake lost games to River Falls and Eau Claire North  but, hang on to the rankings at 15. Westosha Central lost to Elkhorn but, because of their record and Stoughton dropping out they stayed at 14 and Notre Dame is the new team to the rankings.

1. Kaukauna
2. Milwaukee Washington
3. Pewaukee
4. Onalaska
5. Monona Grove
6. La Crosse Central 
7. Cedarburg
8. Pulaski
9. Rhinelander
10. Whitnall
11. Union Grove
12. Mount Horeb
13. Green Bay Notre Dame
14. Westosha Central 
15. Rice Lake

Division Three
Waupun beat KML this time but, KML stays in the rankings at 15. Martin Luther lost to St Catherines and drop a couple spots to eight. Lakeside Lutheran lost to Lake Mills and Monona Grove and fall a bit to 13. Dominican lost to The Prairie School but, hang tight at 10. Lodi lost to Lakeside Lutheran, DeForest, Columbus, and Sauk Prairie and are out of the rankings and Ellsworth is the new team at 14.

1. Appleton Xavier
2. Waupun
3. Prescott
4. Brown Deer
5. Wisconsin Dells
6. Valders
7. Bloomer
8. Martin Luther
9. Brookfield Academy
10. Dominican
11. Racine St Catherines
12. Wrightstown
13. Lakeside Lutheran
14. Ellsworth
15. Kettle Moraine Lutheran

Division Four
Howards Grove lost their first game of the year losing to Roncalli and drop two spots to four. Fennimore lost to Cuba City and fall behind conference opponent Mineral Point. Manitowoc Lutheran lost to Sheboygan Lutheran and Oostburg and fall from the rankings replaced by Kohler.

1. New Glarus
2. Clear Lake
3. Destiny
4. Howards Grove
5. The Prairie School
6. Marathon
7. Webster
8. Roncalli
9. Mineral Point
10. Fennimore
11. Grantsburg
12. Wisconsin Heights
13. Pardeeville
14. Winnebago Lutheran
15. Kohler

Division Five
Royal lost to Bangor and drop all the way to six. Solon Springs lost to South Shore, Washburn, and Drummond but, still sit at nine because I couldn't find anyone to replace them. Sheboygan Lutheran lost to Saint Mary Catholic and drop just a couple spots to seven. Port Edwards lost to Rosholt and Pittsville and drop to 13. Desoto lost to River Ridge but, they did beat Wauzeka-Steuben so move up to 10 followed by Wauzeka at 11. Almond Bancrot lost to Pacelli and Gresham falling to 14. Assumption lost to Edgar and drop to 15.

1. Bangor
2. Columbus Catholic
3. Seneca
4. Auburndale
5. Rio
6. Royal
7. Sheboygan Lutheran
8. Lake Holcombe
9. Solon Springs
10. Desoto
11. Wauzeka Steuben
12. Amherst
13. Port Edwards
14. Almond Bancroft
15. Assumption

John Chekoursa Classic

Went down to Homestead yesterday to check out some teams I hadn't had the chance to see this year. This was my first chance to see Brown Deer, Racine Park, and Brookfield East, I actually hadn't seen any of these teams play in the past five years. I didn't go into the day with very high expectations but, game away with some very good games.


Winnebago Lutheran 73 Kewaskum 42
Well this game was not real enjoyable as Winnebago jumped out early and never looked back. Winnebago is a very tall team and Kewaskum is a very small team. Winnebago started 6'7 and 6'8 and had 6'7 off the bench and one point had all three in the game at the same time while Kewaskum rarely played anyone over six foot. I was really impressed with the outside shooting of Winnebago senior 6'2 Mason Herkstroeter who just couldn't miss in the first half and misses just a couple in the second half before finishing with 22 points.

Sturgeon Bay 40 Milwaukee South 38
Wasn't the most impressive or exciting game but, it was close. Early on it seemed like the size of Sturgeon Bay was going to be too much for the undersized South team. I was really impressed by South coach Ty Moseler despite his teams lack of talent. Moseler forced his team to play slow and be extremely patient. Moseler seemed to completely control his team from the sideline. His coaching and style led to the low scoring game. Sturgeon Bay had the big lead and South clawed there way back and when they put the pressure on they got back into the game and tied it at 38. With 10 seconds left though South lost the Sturgeon Bay player for the wide open layup.

New Berlin West 88 Milwaukee Messmer 78
This was the game I knew the least about but, it ended up being the most exciting. Messmer is full of extremely talented guards and they really pushed the tempo. West had one of the most unknown talented players in 6'3 sophomore Desmond Polk. Polk was extremely extremely impressive. Off the dribble Polk was tough to stop and he loved shooting the three of the dribble which he did on a consistent basis. On the other side Messmer had multiple guards but, the most impressive was 6'0 senior Keyron Gouvela who was coming off an injury. Gouvela didn't start due to the injury and he took a while to heat up but, in the second half he came live. Gouvela didn't demand the ball and just played within the offense he got his fair share of shots and he couldn't miss in the second half and allowed Messmer to cut into a 25 point deficit and get within six before West sealed the deal. I have to mention the other impressive guard 6'0 junior Jalen Brown-Morrow. Brown-Morrow is a kid that physical is really put together and his lightning quick and has some real bounce but, forced things a bit too much. In the end Messmer just played too fast.

Brown Deer 70 Stoughton 65
What a heart breaker for Stoughton as they led this one for roughly 32 of the 36 minutes of the game. In the first half Stoughton was playing great defense and they were hitting all their threes and led at the half by 11. Brown Deer looked a little shell shocked and just couldn't get good lucks. Stoughton senior 6'4 Tommy McClain played the best game I've seen him play this year hitting a pair of threes and leading his team with 19 points. In the second half Brown Deer star 6'1 senior Jay Gentry started using his strength to come alive. Gentry used his strength to get into the post. It felt like every possession ended with Gentry in the post with and one baskets leading to 30 points.

Racine Park 65 Muskego 53
Muskego was never really in this game. Like much of the early game Park is long and athletic and Muskego is very small. Muskego seem content with just shooting threes and Park seems to love to get out and run. Park has 6'9 junior Nobal Parks getting the boards and starting the fast break and junior guard 6'2 Larry Canady does the finishing at the rim. This kind of play leads to Parks not scoring a ton because he ignites the break doesn't finish it. This really wasn't a great game so not a whole lot else to say.

Brookfield East 74 Homestead 63
East is a good solid team but, Homestead fought hard. East really battle on the glass and I can see why 6'7 senior Patrick Cartier is considered one of the top post players in the state. Cartier does a great job of getting position in the post and putting the defender in a bad position. Cartier seemed nearly automatic in the post. Also a big props to bench player 6'2 junior Riley Le Tourneau. Tourneau battled on the offensive glass all night long getting second and third chance baskets and spending a lot of time at the free throw line. For Homestead 6'0 junior Ryan Waddell just wouldn't give up. Each time it seemed the East was in control Waddell was able to drive the lane and get the and one baskets and three point play the old fashion way. Waddell ended up 28 points in this one. Cartier did have the play of the day with a steal behind the back dribble and then finished with the monster one handed dunk.

Was a pretty good day of basketball but, I'm not sure I saw state championship team. Probably the team that would be the mostly likely is Brown Deer but, they had a very rough first half. East and Park could make some noise but, they'd knock each other out and they come out of the always tough southeastern sectional. Winnebago Lutheran is another team that could potentially do something in D4 as they were fairly impressive but, I don't know much about their sectional.

Sun Prairie over Madison Memorial

This was a battle of two top 10 teams but, you really wouldn't know it if this was the only game you had ever seen. Neither team could get anything going and maybe it was the defense but, neither team could make the shots and both teams were turning the ball over. Thankfully the house was packed and the game was close which made for some excitement.

The first half saw Sun Prairie's stars struggling and being non factors. 6'8 sophomore Jalen Johnson picked up two early fouls and sat most of the first half while fellow star 6'4 senior Marlon Ruffin couldn't even get a look at the basket. Thankfully no one could get things going as the half time score was only 13-13. The highlight of the first half had to of been when 6'6 Memorial sophomore Yacouba Traore Jr entered the game. Traore went to Sun Prairie a year ago so when he entered the game Johnson started the trash talking instantly and every time Traore touched the ball the traitor chant started up.

Second half the scoring picked up a bit. Sun Prairie absolutely dominated the glass getting offensive rebound after offensive rebound. Typically Memorial dominates the glass but, tonight it was Sun Prairie that was all over the glass. The second chance points allowed Sun Prairie to have long extended possessions which did limit the scoring a bit. The real momentum swing was when Ruffin took the ball on the break away and threw down the one handed dunk and he got the and one foul on Traore who had tried to block the shot. Then the talking started between Johnson and Traore which resulted in double technical being called on both players. This upset Memorial coach Collins who ended up getting a technical as well. Ruffin ended up hitting all three free throws and then Sun Prairie got the ball back which led to another bucket and essentially a 7-0 play. In the end Sun Prairie won 41 to 32. I didn't mention much about Memorial but, their wasn't much to say most of their buckets came off of second chance garbage baskets.

Top Players
Marlon Ruffin 6'4 senior Sun Prairie- The only guy that really got going scoring 13 second half points. Hit a couple big threes and had the monster dunk and free throws that changed the game.

Marty Strey 6'3 senior Sun Prairie- Obviously didn't score much but, you have to love the energy he plays with on the defensive end and rebounding the ball.

Taylor Jansen 6'2 senior Sun Prairie- This kid is kind of an annoyance to the other team but, who doesn't love that. Played tough defense, rebounded well, and had a pair of big dunks of his own.

Nick Caropreso 6'5 junior Madison Memorial- Really seems to be coming into his own as far as an offensive player. Moves really well for a big guy and battles on the glass. Hit a huge three late in the game to bring Memorial close.

Cade Ellingson 6'2 junior Madison Memorial- Another guy that's coming into his own offensively. Really looks to score and get his shot off. Took couple questionable threes late but, I think this team needs his aggression.

Box Score
Sun Prairie 41- Ruffin 13 Johnson 7 Taylor Jansen 6 Colin Schaefer 6 Marty Strey 5 Caden White 2 Delware Hale 2 Rajai Williams 0 Alec Schaefer 0 Cooper Nelson 0
Memorial 33- Caropreso 13 Ellingson 10 Ian Brown 5 Elliot Grays 2 Jack Krumbaach 2 Dryden Schaefer 0 Traore 0 Amaree Howard 0

I really think that Sun Prairie is a state team and if Johnson plays to his full potential no one is going to stop him. Memorial on the other hand will probably see an end to their conference title runs.

Monona Grove over Lakeside Lutheran

Took in a battle of a pair of top 10 teams in the respective divisions tonight. Monona Grove in D2 and Lakeside Lutheran in D3. This was also a battle of top big men with Monona Grove's senior 6'7 Jake Schroeckenthaler going against 6'6 Lakeside junior Cameron Paske. Both big men played well in this one doing their own thing but, it was evident early on that there is a difference between a D2 and D3 school. Typically Lakeside is a very physical team but, Monona Grove was the physical team and brought the pressure. Lakeside did a nice job of adjusting at the half but, they were alittle shell shocked early on.

Like I said early on MG was doing their thing hitting the outside shots and pounding the ball into Schroeckenthaler. Lakeside decided to just let Paske go man to man with Schroeckenthaler but, that was a mistake because Paske is as tall as him but, he's just so wide that Paske had a hard time getting around him and when he fronted the MG guards did a nice job of throwing the pass over the top. Paske got his own points on the other side as he showed some nice moves using his quickness and showed that nice step back base line post up shot that I had seen him shoot in the past. I think Lakeside could of looked for Paske a little more in the post. Lakeside's guards had a tough time just getting the ball across half court at times leading to some easy buckets for MG. At the half Monona Grove threatened to blow things out up 46-32.  Grove looked bigger and faster in every aspect in the game.

In the second half Lakeside tighten up the defense and they found a nice mismatch in going to 6'4 junior Jack Monis in the post. Monis was fairly quiet in the first half but, in the second he was aggressive in the post and he was tough to stop. Everything was running through Monis and Lakeside was able to cut the lead down to eight or possibly seven at one point. In the end though Schroeckenthaler was just too much of a disruption in the paint and Lakeside just gave MG too much of a lead to start the game. Final was 83 to 74. The game was never really in doubt but, it was still an entertaining game none the less.

Top Players 
Jake Schroeckenthaler 6'7 senior Monona Grove- There is a reason he is considered one of the top post players in the state. Has very soft hands and has a high basketball IQ. Really knows how to post up and he's willing to do it even when he's not getting the ball, really seals his defender off.

Sam Hepp 6'7 junior Monona Grove- Had a huge first half hitting his mid range jump shot and hitting a huge three. Also was more aggressive on the glass then I had seen him the first time around. Has the height but, prefers to play on the perimeter.
Turn
Caden Nelson 6'1 junior Monona Grove- Solid lead guard. Hit the three early on which forced defenders to come out on him which allowed him to drive right by them and get to the rim. Showed a nice floater as well.

Cameron Paske 6'6 junior Lakeside Lutheran- Another true big man that used his quickness to score in the paint. Like I said earlier has a nice step back shot on the baseline when he's posting. Willing to battle on the glass.

Jack Monis 6'4 junior Lakeside Lutheran- High energy player that has a lot of highs and lows. Was really tough in the post tonight scoring and dishing to open team mates.

Will DeNoyer 6'0 junior Lakeside Lutheran- He's always going to get his points. Turned the ball over a bit too much tonight and probably takes some bad shots. Does a great job of getting to the middle of the defense and can hit the short to mid range jumper. Really elevates on his shot to get it off over bigger defenders.

Box Score
Monona Grove 83- Schroeckenthaler 29 C Nelson 19 Hepp 11 Jimmy Thome 10 Max Nelson 8 Alex Ogden 4 Henry Huston 2 Kyle Nett 0 Jayden Robinson 0 Anthony Ellis-Krehl 0 Austin Elmer 0
Lakeside Lutheran 74- DeNoyer 18 Paske 18 Monis 15 Caleb Kuepers 11 Cade Olszewski 5 Isaiah Lenz 5 Caleb Raymon 2 Seth Hackbarth 0 Brevin Jegerlehner 0 Isaac Heckmann 0 Charlie Miller 0 Jacob Ulrich 0

I have to say Monona Grove was much more impressive then the last time I saw them play. With their size and post play Monona Grove could make a decent drive in the playoffs. I still like what I see out of Lakeside Lutheran but, with their junior class I think next year will be their year. I honestly could even see them make the deep run this year.

Madison East over Madison Memorial

In a huge Big Eight match up last night I took in Madison Memorial hosting Madison East. This game would either allow Memorial to stay right behind Sun Prairie or allow East to get back in the conference in a long shot fourth place but, still a chance. East has been up and down all year and Memorial seemed to be struggling lately and this was all evident in this game.

East came out gunning behind the strong play of 6'0 senior Earl Lewis who hit a pair of early threes and was using his quickness to get to the rim and score. It looked like East might blow Memorial out but, 6'5 junior Nick Caropreso came to the rescue driving to the rim and hitting a pair of threes of his own. Caropreso did just enough to keep Memorial at least within striking distance as East had a half time lead of 10. Memorial couldn't make anything from the outside and was just too slow for East who is a pretty quick team. Memorial did have the height advantage and I thought they could of used it a little more as they really didn't seem to take advantage of it other then Caropreso a couple times.

The second half started out more of the same as East was doing everything right and Memorial was no where to be seen. East star 6'6 senior Keshawn Justice wasn't hitting the threes again but, he was scoring in the paint and getting fouled where he was hitting his foul shots. Again the game looked to be a blowout when Memorial's leading scorer 6'2 junior Logan Ellingson got going. Ellingson scored all his 11 points in the second half. East slacked off on defense and Ellingson took advantage and drove the lane for some easy baskets. In the end thought East had control throughout before nearly throwing the game away. East missed numerous free throws late and took some ill advised shots and game Memorial a chance at the end. Memorial promptly threw the game away them selves taking four straight wild three point shots that never had chances to go in.

Top Players
Earl Lewis 6'0 senior Madison East- Lewis was just to quick in this game. He was able to get to the rim any time he wanted and he hit some big threes early on.

Keshawn Justice 6'6 senior Madison East- Like I've seen too much for him this year the three point shot wasn't falling. Justice did a nice job of going into the paint to do his damage scoring in the post. Justice drew fouls all night long where he made his free throws and looked really good on the defensive end where he had some monster blocks.

Logan Ellingson 6'2 junior Madison Memorial- Always a heady player running the offense and handling the ball. Really looked to score in the second half driving the ball to the lane and real picked his times right.

Nick Caropreso 6'5 junior Madion Memorial- Really showed the complete game tonight offensively. He was hitting threes early on, drove the ball to the lane and scored using the euro step, and was able to post up smaller defenders.

Box Score
East 70- Justice 21 Lewis 18 Damontae Thompson 14 Keonte Jones 6 Anthony Washington 6 Justin Milke 4 Davion Washington 1 Marcus Justice 0
Memorial 63- Caropreso 21 Ellingson 11 Ian Brown 7 Amare Howard 6 Elliot Grays 4 Yacouba Traore Jr 4 Tyshawn Caldwell 4 Dryden Schaefer 3 Jack Krumbach 3

Well these are two teams going completely different directions. East might be peaking at just the right time while Memorial is really struggling and I think the lack of outside shooting is really hurting them and they don't have a guy that can just go out and get his own at any time.

La Crosse Central over Stoughton

Went to Stoughton high school for the first time ever to get another chance to watch La Crosse Central play. I have to say that Stoughton might be the toughest school I've been to, to figure out where to go into the gym. The gym is hidden around back and there is only one skinny little drive way to get there. I drove around the school twice and then past the drive once before finally finding the gym. Once I got there they have a really nice set up with gym, field house, and performing arts center.

I was disappointed to see that Stoughton's number two guy 6'1 senior Max Fernholz wasn't playing a figured the Central would run away with this one but, it ended up being a good game throughout. The three's were going down early for Stoughton as 6'1 senior Aidan McGee hit a pair right off the bat and the they had a couple guys off the bench chip in for some threes as well. Leading scorer 6'0 senior Brady Schipper had kind of a tough first half and struggled with the quickness of Central. Central was led by their man 6'5 sophomore Johnny Davis who game out gunning scoring a quick 11 points to start the game and had 15 in the first half. Davis used his quickness and athleticism to score in the paint and get out a and run in transition. I think that Central could of really put Stoughton away early but, their over all shooting is pretty poor right now. Davis and company really struggled from the free throw line throughout the game and they shouldn't even think about taking a three. I've seen Central four times now and they only guy that can hit consistently from the outside is 5'10 junior David Hayden and he didn't start and didn't seem like himself and he wasn't even there for last Saturdays game, so I'm guessing he was possibly sick?

In the second half Schipper got himself going a bit just putting his head down and using some strength and a quick first step to get to the rim. The outside shooting wasn't there as much in the second half. For Central they did a nice job of driving and then dishing to their big man 6'7 sophomore Terrence Thompson. Thompson had a big second half by simply standing under the rim and his team mates found him. Thompson had a few nice mores but, it was mostly the drives of Johnny Davis or 6'1 junior point guard Noah Parcher finding him on the weak side as they drove. Thompson also did a nice job of battling on the glass. The size and quickness won the game for Central.

Top Players 
Johnny Davis 6'5 sophomore La Crosse Central- He's usually the best athlete on the court and he can use that ability to drive the lane and finish on some pretty wild shots. Does a tremendous job on the defensive glass and he's even able to post up at times when Thompson goes to the high post.

Terrence Thompson 6'7 sophomore La Crosse Central- Big man that really made his presence felt on both ends. Really battled on the glass on both ends, had a nice block, and had a great dunk on a put back. Was one of the few guys that was hitting his free throws too. Would like him use his left hand a little more in the post as he always goes to the right even if that's the tougher shot.

Brady Schipper 6'0 senior Stoughton- Struggled at times but, he's a strong lead guard with a quick first step. Used both of those things to his advantage as he was able to get some space and score against the bigger defenders.

Box Score
Central 58- Joh Davis 21 Thompson 19 Parcher 8 Jordan Davis 6 Hayden 4 De'Andre Davis 0 Jacob Servais 0 Clayton Phillips 0 Brecken Austin 0
Stoughton 53- Schipper 16 A McGee 11 Cael McGee 8 Adam Hobson 6 Tommy McGlain 4 Sean McLaury 2 Trenton Conklin 0

Central is slow close to putting things together. If they could just get some outside shooting going they would be tough to stop. I wouldn't be surprised to see Central make a deep playoff run but, it's probably going to be the next two years when Central gets things going and could very well make back to back state runs. For Stoughton I just don't know if they have enough talent to make a deep run. If their outside shooting is there they could possibly beat some teams but, I just don't think they have the size and the quickness to be a favorite to make state.