Thursday, February 28, 2019

Lodi Regional Win

Playoffs have started which means I'm going to do my best to get to a game each round of the playoffs. Since the five divisions have started its tough to find a good game the opening round because so many teams have byes. Usually I end up going to a smaller school game as D1 typically only has the bottom two seeds play each other in each sectional. I took in the River Valley verse Lodi game as this was a match up of the eight and nine seed and also two teams that played a week ago and Lodi won by six.

The game started off a little rough for River Valley as some how they got their starters marked wrong and ended up with their star 6'4 junior Josh Maier on the bench. Maier checked in after the first dead ball. The game did start out pretty good as both teams were scoring back and forth hitting their outside shots. 5'10 senior Sammy Rosenberg was leading the way for River Valley scoring from the outside including hitting a three just inside the half court line to bring River Valley within five at the half. For Lodi 5'11 senior Jackson Furniss came out hot early hitting three threes in the first half but, it was Lodi's size on the inside that was the difference. 6'5 senior Cole Steinhoff was just too wide and strong on the inside all night. The starting bigs for River Valley were just too skinny to keep Steinhoff away from the hoop. If they fronted him, he was just seal them off if they played behind him he was simply go through them.

In the second off Steinhoff really completely took over. Partially I think this was a poor coaching decision. River Valley kept Maier on Steinhoff who just wasn't strong enough or thick enough to stop Steinhoff while they kept 6'6 senior Connor Mickelson on the bench. Now I know Michelson didn't bring much offensively he was a big body that seemed to give Steinhoff some issues. So I guess it comes down to do you think the defense can counter the lack of offense. Lodi was able to get there lead up to 21 before River Valley finally started to come back. Lodi seemed to forget that they could run the clock and Maier got things going on the offensive end. In the end though River Valley just couldn't hit the three point shot and Lodi shot just good enough from the free throw line.

Top Players
Sammy Rosenberg 5'10 senior River Valley- Used his quickness to get open and was able to knock down the outside shot. Was hindered in the second half as he went down with what appeared to be an ankle injury.
Josh Maier 6'4 junior River Valley- Was so tough to stop in the paint specifically in the second half. Was able to use his quickness and athleticism to score.
Jackson Furniss 5'11 senior Lodi- Really an elite outside shooter that didn't need a lot of room to elevate and get his shot off which was falling early.
Cole Steinhoff 6'5 senior Lodi- Pretty much said it already but, really a big body in the paint that was just too quick and strong to stop.

Box Score 
Lodi 64- Steinhoff 24 Furniss 14 Jack Persike 8 Quinn Faust 5 Logan Richards 5 Riley Faust 4 Max Hamilton 2 Dylan Streeter 2 Owen Jelinek 0
River Valley 54- Maier 16 Rosenberg 12 Taylor Knutson 8 Will Jewel 6 Will Bailey 6 Mickelson 4 Taylor Nachreiner 2 Joe Ryan 0 Ben Fortney 0 

Was a nice game to start the playoffs with. Lodi will probably be taken out by Prairie du Chien the one seed in the next round but, he it's playoffs anything can happen.

Monday, February 25, 2019

State Predictions

Just a quick prediction of my picks for state this year. D4 and D5 I'll just being making my state picks because I don't know enough to know much more then that.

Division One
State Picks
Kimberly- Honestly don't know who else to even take for this sectional. The Fox Valley Association teams are always tough but, I think that they are down this year.
Sussex Hamilton- A bit of a hunch here since its such a tough sectional but, it usually comes down to who has the best players and Patrick Baldwin is probably the best there is. Brookfield Central lost their point guard for the year so I count them out. Brookfield East is a tough out as well because their so disciplined and play so well together but, come playoff time I go with talent. Arrowhead is another team that intrigues me because they've beaten some very good teams this year but, not sure they can keep that going for four games to get to state.
Racine Park- This was another tough one for me because Madison East is there but, I could see them losing to the next three teams in the Big Eight Conference Lafollette, Memorial, and Sun Prairie fairly easily. Park has one thing that no one else has and thats 6'9 Nobal Days. No one else has height anywhere near that so I went with them. Park has dropped some games they really should of won during the season so who knows.
Waukesha West- West seems to of struggled a little bit that in the year but, when I saw them I was just so impressed with their size and athleticism. West Allis Central has a great record but, I just don't know enough about them. I've seen Franklin and Marquette and I just wasn't that impressed with them.

Final
Sussex Hamilton over Waukesha West

Division Two
Lacrosse Central- Central is peaking at the right time and there just isn't anyone in the Northwest to challenge them.
Nicolet- There just too too good. Green Bay Southwest and Kaukauna are very good teams but, Nicolet is a once and a life time team.
Westosha Central- Beating Waukesha West the way they did really opened up my eyes to them and their tremendous record says something. Mount Horeb wouldn't shock me one bit here as they've played a very tough schedule and East Troy was at state a year ago in D3.
Milwaukee Washington- Very similar call as the Nicolet one. This sectional is down a bit and Washington has three big time D1 college players.

Final 
Nicolet over Milwaukee Washington

Division Three
Prescott- There are some teams with very very good records but, stick with history here. Stratford, Mauston, and Wisconsin Dells are all also possible options here.
Wrightstown- It's either them or Xavier here but, Xavier doesn't have the team they've had in the past and Wrightstown is a very determined disciplined team.
Martin Luther- This is a tough one because St Cats split with them during the season. St Johns has a very good record but, you have to question who they've played this year.
Waupun- Clear cut favorite and they really won't face anyone until the sectional final after the other teams beat up on each other. Brookfield Academy, Milwaukee Golda Meir, Dominican, and Lake County Lutheran wouldn't be completely out of the question but, only one can get to Waupun and they have Marcus Damask.

Final 
Martin Luther over Waupun

Division Four
Clear Lake 
Lourdes Academy
Darlington 
Roncalli

Final 
Roncalli over Lourdes Academy
The winner between Roncalli and Milwaukee Academy of Science will take this one.

Division Five
McDonell Catholic Central 
Columbus Catholic
Wauzek Steuben 
Sheboygan Lutheran

Final 
Sheboygan Lutheran over Columbus Catholic
Sheboygan Lutheran has the best player in Jacob Organavic so they win.





Saturday, February 23, 2019

La Crosse Central over Madison Memorial

Last night made the trek up to La Crosse to watch my last high school game of the regular season. This was a chance to see Central play again which is a team that I really don't get much of a chance to see during the season and to play a pretty decent team in Madison Memorial.

I knew Memorial had the size to battle Central but, I questioned if they would have the athleticism. Having seen Memorial play quite a bit this year I was kind of surprised by the way the game went. Central absolutely dominated the glass on both ends which typically Memorial does that and Memorial was shooting a ton of threes and making them. The reasoning for the rebounding advantage for Central was because of their athleticism that I previously mentioned. Early on for Central it was the offensive rebounding getting it done and the quickness of Central point guard 6'1 senior Noah Parcher. Parcher was just to quick for the Memorial defenders and too strong as he has numerous three point plays where he was fouled and still scored. Like I mentioned earlier Memorial was actually dropping the threes early. I'm not sure if it was poor scouting and just no other choice but, Central had their big man 6'7 junior Terrence Thompson guarding Memorials 6'4 senior Dryden Schaefer. Thompson refused to come out on Schaefer early and in my personal opinion Schaefer is probably their best three point shooter and he came out firing tonight and hit a pair of threes to lead the charge early as did everyone on the team tonight. I think Memorial hit ten plus threes in the first half. It took a while for super star 6'5 junior Johnny Davis to get things going for Central but, he did eventually get going with his slashing game attacking the rim. Davis was able to get a few three point plays of his own.

Typically I don't complain much about coaching but, something I can't stand is how Memorial's coach Collins loves to constantly sub his guys. Most of the guys play very limited minutes when they come in and I feel like guys come in afraid to take chances or be aggressive because they are going to get pulled right away. I'm not sure what has happened with 6'5 senior Ian Brown but, he seems to of completely lost it right now. That being said there could very well be things going on that limit his minutes and has caused him to be off his game but, right now he is only playing short minute spurts and seems to timid to me. This was also the case for 6'6 junior Yacouba Traore Jr tonight. Traore was hurt early in the year or at least out so I know he's behind right now. With Memorial being killed on the glass they brought Traore in and he did a solid job on the glass and battling but, his offensive game was clearly lacking. Every time Traore would make a turnover or poor shot selection he was back to the bench. I know he was hurting them offensively but, I think having that big body on the glass would of benefited them so much more. That being said in this game it wasn't going to matter.

Second half left much to be desired for Memorial as the shots just stopped falling and Central continued their strong game. Central finally hit a pair of threes in the second half which they didn't do in the first half and they cruised to a 23 point win.

Top Players
Dryden Schaefer 6'4 senior Madison Memorial- Played the way I thought he would all year. Was really aggressive from three point range and seemed to be looking for his shot a little more then normal.
Johnny Davis 6'5 junior La Crosse Central- Really aggressive driving to the hoop and crashing the glass on both ends. Had some very pretty finish around the rim and a couple nice mid range jumpers hit. Just too strong and athletic in this one.
Noah Parcher 6'1 senior La Crosse Central- Just too too quick tonight. Memorial had a very tough time staying in front of Parcher as he was able to drive to the lane all game long.
Terrance Thompson 6'7 junior La Crosse Central- Big man created so much havoc on the glass tonight. Even when he was getting the boards he was creating rebounds for his team mates.

Box Score
Central 84- Parcher 25 Joh Davis 24 Thompson 16 Jordan Davis 7 David Hayden 7 Clayton Philips 3 Jacob Servais 2 De'Andre Davis 0 Jaiquon Ingram 0 Brecken Austin 0 Devon Fielding 0 CHarlie Maseqicz 0 Payton Fife 0 Porter Pretasky 0
Memorial 61- Schaefer 14 Nick Caropreso 8 Kyle Yu 8 Cade Ellingson 7 Daemiontae Bates 6 Brown 5 Amaree Goodall 4 Kwan Lewis 3 Justin Jackson 3 Logan Younk 2 Traore 1 Drew Collins 0 Kole Kerkhoff 0 JR Mitchell 0

Well it seems that Central may just be peaking at the right time and I would be very surprised if we didn't see them in Madison when the season ends. Now there probably not going to beat Nicolet by any means but, they will be in the final four. Memorial is going to have a very tough time just making it out of regionals let a lone sectionals but, when your battling conference opponents anything can happen.

Friday, February 22, 2019

Top Scorers and Dunks

Top Dunks
1. Ace Evans 6'2 senior Martin Luther vs Brookfield Central December 29
This dunk had the entire gym buzzing. The game was late and Central pretty much had the game in hand. Evans drove left and threw down a very angry dunk right on top of poor Central big man 6'6 sophomore David Joplin. All Joplin could do was smile after the dunk.

2. Prince Aligbe 6'5 freshmen Minnehaha Academy vs Onalaska January 26 
Yes he missed like three or four dunks in the game but, this was one of the top of the year. After all the missed I think the team was determined to get him a dunk. First play of the second half out of the half court set Jalen Suggs found Aligbe on the weak side and Aligbe skied out jumping the Onalaska defender and then it right down on him.

3. Prince Aligbe 6'5 freshmen Minnehaha Academy vs La Crosse Central January 19 
Nice out of bounds play where the in bounder threw the lob pass over the backboard and Aligbe grabbed it one handed and threw down the dunk all in one motion.

4. Nobal Days 6'9 senior Racine Park vs Milwaukee Vincent February 2
Park was on a two on one breakaway. I can't recall who threw Days the ally oop but, days grabbed it with one hand and in one motion threw it down hard.

5. Keonte Jones 6'3 junior Madison East vs Sun Prairie February 9
Off the half court set offense Jones drove baseline and threw it down hard two handed. This was one of the first plays of the game and was kind of a surprise as I think most people thought Jones would just lay it in.

6. Jalen Suggs 6'4 junior Minnehaha Academy vs La Crosse Central January 19 
Kind of a transition dunk where Suggs had a defender running side by side and Suggs threw it down on the defender.

7. Johnny Davis 6'5 junior La Crosse Central vs Minnehaha Academy January 19
Very nice out of bounce sideline play. Brother Jordan Davis found brother Johnny Davis cutting to the hoop on the back side and Johnny absolutely skied to the rim to complete the ally oop dunk.

8. Jamari Sibley 6'9 junior Nicolet vs Sussex Hamilton December 15
Nicolet pulled the ball out and went to a four corners. Star Jalen Johnson handled the ball from the left wing and drove the lane. At the same time Sibley cut back door added by a back screen and Johnson found him with the lob and the completed alley oop dunk.

9. Brayden Dailey 6'5 sophomore Mineral Point vs Wisconsin Dells November 30
Point guard Isaac Lindsey drove just left of the free throw line penetrating the Dells zone while Dailey came from the weak side and Lindsey found him with a nice ally oop pass and dunk.

10. Amani Glosson 6'5 junior Milwaukee Academy of Science vs Kettle Moraine Lutheran December 29
Can't recall how Glosson got the ball whether it was a steal or long rebound but, as he was getting his steps timed up the defenders caught up to him which allowed Glosson to throw down a monster dunk right on their heads.

Top Scorers
1. 36 Mayson Hazaert Wrightstown vs Brown Deer December 8
        Will Pytleski Green Bay Southwest vs Wisconsin Lutheran December 29

3. 35 Karter Thomas Oshkosh West vs Brown Deer December 29

4. 34 Riley LeTourneau Brookfield East vs Apply Valley Mn January 26

5. 33 Armani Jones Milwaukee Academy of Science vs Kettle Moraine Lutheran December 29

6. 32 Jacob Ognacevic Sheboygan Lutheran vs St Thomas More December 30
         Trequan Carrington Martin Luther vs Minneapolis North January 19

8. 31 Gabe Madsen Rochester Mayo vs Waupun January 26

9. 30 Jalen Johnson Nicolet vs Sussex Hamilton December 15
         Reed Gunnick Laconia vs Lake Mills January 5
         Larry Canady Racine Park vs Milwaukee Vincent February 2

12. 29 Nolan Dahmen Kettle Moraine vs New Berlin West December 2926

13. 28 Ryan Waddell Homestead vs Brown Deer December 15
         Austin Westra DeForest vs Lakeside Lutheran January 8 
         Riley Eck Wisconsin Dells vs Mauston January 18 
         Logan Jedwabny Kaukauna vs La Crosse Logan January 19 
         Brock Voigt Sun Prairie vs Madison LaFollette February 19

18. 27 Riley Murphy Seymour vs Merrill December 8
         Cole Nau Brookfield Central vs Martin Luther December 29
         Brayden Dailey Mineral Point vs Milwaukee Academy of Science December 30
         Reid Gastner Lake City Mn vs Clear Lake January 26
         Jalen Suggs Minnehaha Academy Mn vs Onalaska January 26

23. 26 Brock Voigt Sun Prairie vs Madison Memorial November 29
     Justin Steinike Wauwatosa West vs Kaukauna December 8 
     Ace Evans Marin Luther vs Brookfield Central December 29
     Isaac Lindsey Mineral Point vs Milwaukee Academy of Science December 30
     Jason Larson Mount Horeb vs Milwaukee Lutheran December 29
     Nick Otto Appleton Xavier vs Milwaukee Pius December 30
     Zach Longueville St Croix Lutheran Mn vs Whitefish Bay January 26
     Ashton Janowski Pewaukee vs Homestead February 2

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Francis Howell and La Follette get the Ws

Took in a pair of games in the last two days. Monday night I happened to be down in Missouri visiting my brother so we went over to watch the high school he teaches at to catch a game. He teaches at Francis Howell a team that has only lost two games and are ranked in the top 10 teams in the biggest division in Missouri.

Franics Howell 67 Holt 42 
It was fairly obvious from the get go that Howell was a much better team but, took their time blowing Holt out late. It was senior night for Howell so they started their five seniors which I always love to see on senior night. The other big thing was that Missouri still plays the four quarters. I have to say I prefer the two halves of Wisconsin much more as far as a fans prospective. Four quarters allows you to play your starters more minutes and subbing not needing as much. It didn't come into play in this game but, also gives teams two more chances to hold the ball waiting for the last shot of the quarter.

You could almost tell that Howell knew they were the better team as they just looked to jump the passing lanes which led to numerous fast break buckets for Howell and wide open lay ups for Holt. Howell's lack of defense also led to numerous open three point looks for Holt who was able to hit those shots early on. At the half Howell was up 33 to 26. In the second half Holt stopped hitting the threes and those long rebounds led to run outs by Howell. Howell's side was just too much for Hoyt as 6'9 sophomore Sam Thompson controlled the glass and 5'8 senior Daylan Dalton was able to get out and run and lead the team in scoring. Dalton used his quickness just beat the defenders down the court and he was able to hit the spot up threes. For Holt there top guy was 6'2 senior Aaron Henrich who was able to find himself open for three time and time again where he was one of the few guys that could consistently hit the outside shot. I'll be honest that I didn't pay as close attention to this game as I could of so don't have the most detail on the game.

Madison LaFollette 62 Sun Prairie 61
Really a fun game to watch that came right down to the end. Very contrasting teams as Sun Prairie looked to use their size while LaFollette tried to use their quickness. I would say that LaFollette controlled the tempo for much of the game which at times actually helped Sun Prairie. Early on as the game got a little ragged LaFollette was able to hit the three point shots led by 6'1 junior Ben Probst as their usual star 5'9 senior Donneil Gray who just couldn't get things going offensively. On the other side Sun Prairie really looked to pound it inside to their trio of 6'5 senior big men in Brock and Alex Voigt and Cooper Nelson. Alex Voigt is pretty strong in the post while brother Brock is better facing the hoop and loves to get the ball in the high post and go to work. A pair of fast break dunks by Brock Voigt carried Sun Prairie early on as well as a pair of threes from 6'0 senior Anfernee Auston. For LaFollette it was really a team game as nearly everyone that played scored in the game.

For Sun Prairie it was great to see 6'0 junior Colin Schaefer play. This was the first game that I had seen Schaefer play all year due to injury. Schaefer looked a little slower and his shot is way off but, he still brings a lot to the game and helps out Sun Prairie. A foul and technical on LaFollette senior 6'1 Troy Reeves game Sun Prairie a six point swing and tied the game up late and both teams battled it out. A drive and score by 6'0 junior Derrick Gray gave LaFollette a one point lead but, then Sun Prairie came back do and gave it to Brock Voigt who drove from the free throw line to score and give Sun Prairie the one point lead. With six seconds left LaFollette looked to Donneil Gray who was doubled teamed so ended up going to Derrick Gray and as he made his move to the hoop was fouled. Gray made both free throws to give LaFollette the win. The foul was very questionable and obviously angered Sun Prairie immensely as well as the coaching staff. I personally wouldn't of called the foul but, maybe it was. Either way it was a very unsatisfying way to end the game.



Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Top Dunks and Scorers

Top Dunks
1. Ace Evans 6'2 senior Martin Luther vs Brookfield Central December 29
This dunk had the entire gym buzzing. The game was late and Central pretty much had the game in hand. Evans drove left and threw down a very angry dunk right on top of poor Central big man 6'6 sophomore David Joplin. All Joplin could do was smile after the dunk.

2. Prince Aligbe 6'5 freshmen Minnehaha Academy vs Onalaska January 26 
Yes he missed like three or four dunks in the game but, this was one of the top of the year. After all the missed I think the team was determined to get him a dunk. First play of the second half out of the half court set Jalen Suggs found Aligbe on the weak side and Aligbe skied out jumping the Onalaska defender and then it right down on him.

3. Prince Aligbe 6'5 freshmen Minnehaha Academy vs La Crosse Central January 19 
Nice out of bounds play where the in bounder threw the lob pass over the backboard and Aligbe grabbed it one handed and threw down the dunk all in one motion.

4. Nobal Days 6'9 senior Racine Park vs Milwaukee Vincent February 2
Park was on a two on one breakaway. I can't recall who threw Days the ally oop but, days grabbed it with one hand and in one motion threw it down hard.

5. Keonte Jones 6'3 junior Madison East vs Sun Prairie February 9
Off the half court set offense Jones drove baseline and threw it down hard two handed. This was one of the first plays of the game and was kind of a surprise as I think most people thought Jones would just lay it in.

6. Jalen Suggs 6'4 junior Minnehaha Academy vs La Crosse Central January 19 
Kind of a transition dunk where Suggs had a defender running side by side and Suggs threw it down on the defender.

7. Johnny Davis 6'5 junior La Crosse Central vs Minnehaha Academy January 19
Very nice out of bounce sideline play. Brother Jordan Davis found brother Johnny Davis cutting to the hoop on the back side and Johnny absolutely skied to the rim to complete the ally oop dunk.

8. Jamari Sibley 6'9 junior Nicolet vs Sussex Hamilton December 15
Nicolet pulled the ball out and went to a four corners. Star Jalen Johnson handled the ball from the left wing and drove the lane. At the same time Sibley cut back door added by a back screen and Johnson found him with the lob and the completed alley oop dunk.

9. Brayden Dailey 6'5 sophomore Mineral Point vs Wisconsin Dells November 30
Point guard Isaac Lindsey drove just left of the free throw line penetrating the Dells zone while Dailey came from the weak side and Lindsey found him with a nice ally oop pass and dunk.

10. Amani Glosson 6'5 junior Milwaukee Academy of Science vs Kettle Moraine Lutheran December 29
Can't recall how Glosson got the ball whether it was a steal or long rebound but, as he was getting his steps timed up the defenders caught up to him which allowed Glosson to throw down a monster dunk right on their heads.

Top Scorers
1. 36 Mayson Hazaert Wrightstown vs Brown Deer December 8
        Will Pytleski Green Bay Southwest vs Wisconsin Lutheran December 29

3. 35 Karter Thomas Oshkosh West vs Brown Deer December 29

4. 34 Riley LeTourneau Brookfield East vs Apply Valley Mn January 26

5. 33 Armani Jones Milwaukee Academy of Science vs Kettle Moraine Lutheran December 29

6. 32 Jacob Ognacevic Sheboygan Lutheran vs St Thomas More December 30
         Trequan Carrington Martin Luther vs Minneapolis North January 19

8. 31 Gabe Madsen Rochester Mayo vs Waupun January 26

9. 30 Jalen Johnson Nicolet vs Sussex Hamilton December 15
         Reed Gunnick Laconia vs Lake Mills January 5
         Larry Canady Racine Park vs Milwaukee Vincent February 2

12. 29 Nolan Dahmen Kettle Moraine vs New Berlin West December 2926

13. 28 Ryan Waddell Homestead vs Brown Deer December 15
         Austin Westra DeForest vs Lakeside Lutheran January 8 
         Riley Eck Wisconsin Dells vs Mauston January 18 
         Logan Jedwabny Kaukauna vs La Crosse Logan January 19 

17. 27 Riley Murphy Seymour vs Merrill December 8
         Cole Nau Brookfield Central vs Martin Luther December 29
         Brayden Dailey Mineral Point vs Milwaukee Academy of Science December 30
         Reid Gastner Lake City Mn vs Clear Lake January 26
         Jalen Suggs Minnehaha Academy Mn vs Onalaska January 26

22. 26 Brock Voigt Sun Prairie vs Madison Memorial November 29
     Justin Steinike Wauwatosa West vs Kaukauna December 8 
     Ace Evans Marin Luther vs Brookfield Central December 29
     Isaac Lindsey Mineral Point vs Milwaukee Academy of Science December 30
     Jason Larson Mount Horeb vs Milwaukee Lutheran December 29
     Nick Otto Appleton Xavier vs Milwaukee Pius December 30
     Zach Longueville St Croix Lutheran Mn vs Whitefish Bay January 26
     Ashton Janowski Pewaukee vs Homestead February 2

Monday, February 11, 2019

Madison gets a pair of wins

Saturday I took in a pair of games down in Madison. In the afternoon I took in Madison Memorial verse Dekalb Illinois who I actually knew nothing about obviously but, they were a solid team that gave a good game. The night cap I saw Sun Prairie verse Madison East which was one of the better games of the year I've seen this year. Overall I would say that it was a successful day of basketball in Madison.

Madison Memorial 55 Dekalb Il 52
This game was very obvious that these two teams were not familiar with each other as it felt that they were feeling each other out the entire time and neither team really seemed to fall into their normal flows. Early on Dekalb really struggled from the outside but, they were able to find the opening in the Memorial zone. Typically it was 6'3 Dekalb senior Michael Newman that was finding himself right in the middle of the zone with the ball where he was able to score. Things got a little sloppy at times which seemed to favor Dekalb in this one. Madison Memorial couldn't get anything going on the offensive end throughout the first half but, they were able to control the glass on both ends. At half time Dekalb was up four points.

In the second half Memorial was able to force the pressure and force Deklab into turnovers which allowed Memorial to take the lead. Memorial was also able to start hitting threes which combined with the defense allowed them to take a big lead. 6'4 Memorial senior Dryden Schaefer was the offensive leader hitting the threes from the outside. Memorial got up double figures before Dekalb started getting things going offensively as the threes began to fall for them. 5'10 junior Zach Russell came off the bench to make four three point shots all in the second half while 5'11 sophomore Trenton Kyle hit four of his own in leading Dekalb. Some poor Memorial free throw shooting let Dekalb back into the game. In the end Dekalb had the chance to tie the game at the buzzer but, a three point shot with a questionable non foul call fell just short.

Madison Eat 65 Sun Prairie 59
This was an intense game from the get go. The fans were into it and the players were in to it. When you watch Madison East everything starts and ends with 6'3 junior Keonte Jones. Jones seems to love when the crowd gets on him and he can give it back to the crowd. I really think he loves the back and forth and being a bit of enemy number one of the opposing fans. During warm ups the Sun Prairie students were giving it to Jones and Jones was doing some talking back. Right off the bat Jones drove baseline out of the half court set and through down the job and gave it right to the Sun Prairie students. That was one of the few highlights for East in the first half as the shots just weren't falling from the outside and they struggled with the size of Sun Prairie. Sun Prairie's size combined with the foul trouble of 5'10 East senior Damontae Thompson allowed Sun Prairie to jump out to the first half lead. Jones did his best driving to the lane and scoring but, they just couldn't stop Sun Prairie from scoring in the paint. 6'5 Sun Prairie twins Brock and Alex Voigt both had big nights scoring in the post throughout the entire game. At half Sun Prairie led by nine and threatened to blow the game out.

In the second half Madison East showed why they were one of the best teams in the state and took it too Sun Prairie. Sun Prairie fans will probably blame this on the reffing and East being allowed to play very physical with Sun Prairie. Easts stars came to play in the second half as well. Thompson came out in the second half very fresh gunning as he nailed a pair of threes right out of the gate. The last couple games Thompson has been the most consistent offensive player for East and despite his height he can get his shot off at any time. 6'4 big man Marcus Justice was really able to use his size and strength in the post to score over the longer defenders in the post. Jones continued to be his tough self slashing to the lane and scoring or finding his open team mates on the week side. Jones hit a pair of monster back to back threes mid way through the second to give East the lead for good. Late the pressure got to Sun Prairie which allowed East to get out and run and that's when their top guy 6'3 junior Anthony Washington is at his best. Washington sealed the deal with a monster two handed dunk.

I truly think that Keonte Jones has nearly caught Washington as top player on East and could very well be playing himself into a D1 scholarship player. Washington is a better athlete, leaper, and rebounder but, I think Jones handles the ball better and shoots it better at this point. Both can play very good defense when they want to which is a huge thing. Typically Jones takes the better offensive player but, Washington might actually be the better defender. In conclusion East may of finally made me a believer. that they can get to state and maybe even challenge for a title.

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Chekouras Classic

Saturday I went down to Homestead to take in the Chekouras Classic. I know it wasn't the greatest teams playing but, a day of basketball is a day of basketball. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with the out come of the day though. I have to say with the exception of a couple games most of the games were entertaining either by fun teams to watch or games that were close throughout.

Milwaukee Golda Meir 76 Beloit Turner 67
Got to this game just slightly late so I wasn't able to keep track of the scoring but, I came away pretty impressed with Golda Meir and Turner isn't too bad either. Golda Meir is super athletic and a very long team that is also senior dominated. Golda Meir was the more talented team with their pair of 6'6 twin big men in Mario Williams and Brandon Harmon. Both are long and athletic and pound the glass on both ends. Both can really elevate to get to the rim and finish at the rim. Other notable players was 6'2 senior Kai Parham who came off the bench and hit four three point shot if my memory serves me. Probably the top player of the game was 5'9 senior Marvin Jones. Jones can really handle the ball and used his ball handling skills and strength to get to the rim and score or kick it to one of his previous players mentioned. Despite Golda Meir being the more talented player Turner did their best to keep things close led by 5'11 junior Jordan Majeed who is a flat out scorer and really carried his team until his team mate 6'4 senior Steve Dillard got going late to claw back into the game. In the end Golda Meir had more talent and they were able to use their quickness to push the tempo and take control forcing Turner into poor shots and turning the ball over.

Lake County Lutheran 70 Sturgeon Bay 51
This game really shocked me. Lake County Lutheran really only played one player over 6'0 while Sturgeon Bay played five players 6'3 or taller in their eight man rotation. Lake County jumped out to an 18-2 lead and never looked back. 6'0 sophomore Luke Haertle led the charge early on with four threes in route to 16 first half points. The entire team outside of Haertle was really shooting the three point shots and knock them down. In the second half 6'3 junior Joey Braatz came alive using his jumping ability to score at the time and grabbing offensive rebounds. Nothing was going right for Sturgeon Bay as they were missing everything and couldn't seem to stop LCL's outside shooting. 6'7 senior Carson Talbert was very solid in the post but, unfortunately most of his points came late in the game. You could really tell that LCL is used to being the undersized team as they did a great job of playing against the bigger Sturgeon Bay players and did a nice job of swatting at the ball when the Sturgeon Bay big men brought the ball down.

Grafton 63 Stoughton 40
This game was kind of an ugly game to watch. Early on the game was very physical and a slow pace and in the second half Grafton started hitting the threes. Grafton was led by 6'3 junior Alex Huibregtse who is a very smooth outside shooter and did a great job of getting into the passing lanes leading to steals and easy buckets. This was a battle of 6'7 big man Grafton's sophomore JP Benzschawel and Stoughton's junior Jack Nelson. The two big men kind of cancelled each other out and the outside shooting and transition game came alive in the second half to lead Grafton to the victory.

Racine Park 84 Milwaukee Vincent 56
Vincent played right into Park's hands as the pushed the tempo and took quick shots. Park wants to run run run. Every time I see Park the try to push things led by 6'9 senior Nobal Days who gets every rebound or block shots which starts the fast break. 6'2 senior Larry Canady was the go to man as he is able to score at will whether in the transition or pulling up for the long range jumper. Canady really runs the court so well and loves to play in transition. Late in the game 6'0 senior Zyiere Carey starting hitting the threes to salt the game away as Vincent ran out of gas late. Personally feel like Vincent just rested there starters too long in this one.

Monroe 54 Milwaukee Academy of Science 52
Monroe had a huge height advantage but, it as Academy that led the game late and ended up giving it away late. Academy only played one player over 6'0 who got in foul trouble so they decided to just basically play street ball allowing their players to go one on one and see if they could score on their own. 6'0 sophomore Donald McHenry took full advantage of this where he was able to finish with floaters time and time again. When McHenry wasn't scoring it was 5'10 junior Brandon Wilder bombing from the outside. Wilder hit six three point shots in this game to lead Academy. Late in the game Academy had the lead but, they didn't slow the tempo and decided to continue to attack the rim. This allowed Monroe to claw back into it late and finally finish the game off as they hit the shot at the buzzer to get the win. Monroe's three bigs really killed throughout in 6'6 senior Kade King, 6'7 sophomore Cade Meyer, and 6'5 freshmen JT Seagreaves. King was particular good is this one as he had the size and strength to score at any time he wanted.

DeForest 51 Milwaukee Marquette 50
Another ugly game that went back and forth. Early one Marquette couldn't get anything to fall while Deforest senior 6'5 Jack Bogan had his way in the inside. Early in the second half Marquette big man 6'5 junior Aiden Flynn got things going. Flynn was able to use his quickness facing the basket and scoring from 15 feet and in. This game was physical throughout and got a little chippy late. Some poor foul shooting let Deforest hang around and take the lead and when Flynn couldn't score no one else really could for Deforest.

Pewaukee 74 Homestead 65
Really the game of the day with lots of crowd involvement and some great play. This game also got very very chippy. Pewaukee came out gunning early and jumped out to a huge lead hitting the threes early on. Late in the second half Pewaukee kind of went on cruise control which allowed Homestead to make this a game. The score really doesn't show how big of a lead that Pewaukee had throughout the game. The future is bright for Pewaukee as they had three freshmen make huge impacts in 5'11 Ashton Janowski who had 26 points inclouding four threes, 6'5 Logan Dobbertein who blocked shots and scored in the post, and then 6'3 Josh Terrian who didn't score a bunch but, was still a big contributor.

Monday, February 4, 2019

Third Round Player Rankings

Just a quick note with all the Minnesota teams that I've now seen. Out of state teams players will be included in the overall rankings but, then when I break down by class I only include Wisconsin players.

Overall Rankings
1. Jalen Johnson 6'9 junior Nicolet- Has NBA written all over him. There's only been a handful of kids I have said that about. Johnson and Baldwin are two of those. Can hit the three off the bounce, can handle the ball, has that NBA step back shot, plays like a wing despite being 6'9, and can also play a little D guarding on the wing or blocking shots.

2. Patrick Baldwin 6'9 sophomore Sussex Hamilton- Repeat everything I just said for Johnson. Might be a slightly better ball handler and a little quicker. Doesn't have Johnson's strength or explosion yet.

3. Jalen Suggs 6'4 junior Minnehaha Academy- Suggs is an elite athlete and everything just screams college player. Can sky to the rim, can shoot the three, handles the ball, and passes. Basically everything you think of with a big time point guard Suggs fills that.

4. Gabe Madsen 6'5 junior Rochestor Mayo- Another elite athlete. Offensively he's as good as anyone at least in the scoring department. Off the bounce he can get his shot at anytime and it doesn't matter if someone is in his face or not he can get the shot off and good chance its going in.

5. Jamari Sibley 6'9 junior Nicolet- An elite athlete. Can guard anyone on the court and is a big time shot blocker. Can also jump out of the gym and runs the court like a deer. Has the ability to shoot the jumper but, wasn't falling in the game I saw.

6. Tyrell Terry 6'3 senior Minneapolis De La Salle- A very smooth shooter that does a solid job running the show. Also showed some bounce in being able to get up and throw down the dunk. Not super quick but, everything he does is so smooth.

7. Johnny Davis 6'5 junior La Crosse Central- Another elite athlete. Really attacks the rim and can finish in a variety of ways around the rim. Has also showed the ability to step out and hit the three point shot. Can get up and block some shots and can rebound pretty well as well.Second time I saw him really showed the ability to elevate at the rim and showed that he can handle the ball as well.

8. Nobal Days 6'9 senior Racine Park- Doesn't score much but, really controls the game without scoring. Probably the best shot blocker in the state and is a very good rebounder. Moves extremely well for 6'9 high school player.

9. Larry Canady 6'3 senior Racine Park- Flat out scorer that has a little bit of a James Harden game. Shoots the ball extremely well off the dribble and has a nice little step back shot.

10. Quentin Winterfeldt 6'4 senior Waupun- Really impressed me with the way he moved without the ball to get himself open. Also able to drive the lane and score as well. I very solid good defender as well on the other side.

11. Xzavier Jones 6'5 senior Martin Luther- Just watching him warm up you can tell he's an elite athlete, can just jump out of the rim. When he gets the ball 15 feet and in he's going to score if he wants to. With his leaping ability he's a great rebounder and shot blocker as well.

12. Isaac Lindsey 6'4 junior Mineral Point- Really a true point guard that can score when he needs to. When he is able to spot up can knock down the three or has the ability to penetrate to the middle of the defense and finish. Really controls the offense as a point guard.

13. Marcus Domask 6'6 senior Waupun- Just strong disciplined player that does all the little things. Has the athletic ability to throw it down at the rim or over a defender. A strong rebounder as well., Can kncoked down the spot up three when the shot is there.

14. Mason Madsen 6'3 junior Rochestor Mayo- Not quite as athletic as his brother but, another flat out scorer. Can shoot and hit the three off the bounce or spotting up.

15. Ryan Waddell 6'2 senior Homestead- Really attacks the basket. Can elevate and finish through contact and bigger defenders. When his feet are set he can also hit the three point shot. Big time competitor.

16. Justin Steinike 6'1 junior Wauwatosa West- Really like this kid, he's a shooter. Comes off the screen and can set his feet very quick and knock the shot down. When you give him space and the time to set his feet that shot is going to fall. Has the three point shot as well as the mid range shot and can also handle the ball a little bit.

17. Brayden Dailey 6'5 sophomore Mineral Point- Long lanky kid that is a very good shooter. Just seems to have a high basketball IQ. Can real get up and finish when he attacks the rim and that same leaping ability allows him to be a strong rebounder.

18. Trequan Carrington 5'10 senior Martin Luther- Might be the best ball handler in the state right now and his shot off the dribble is just so pure. Lightning quick player as well with the ball in this hand.

19. Kendall Brown 6'7 sophomore East Ridge Mn- Just a smooth lanky big man that can hit the outside shot and has the ability to drive to the rim. Plays more like a wing player and moves extremely well for a long guy.

20. Reed Gunnink 6'4 junior Laconia- Just a super super smooth player. Has a very nice outside shot with the nice arc and all. Also has the ability to drive the lane and finish over small defenders.

21. Ben Carlson 6'10 East Ridge Mn- A big man that moves extremely well and can really run the court. Can step back and hit the outside shot and does a tremendous job crashing the glass on both ends.

22. Ace Evans 6'2 senior Martin Luther- Could be the best athlete in the state. Goes to his left a bit too much but, man can this kid finish. Can slam it down or can finish in a variety of ways around the rim.

23. Anthony Washington 6'3 junior Madison East- Tremendous athlete that can jump out of the gym. That ability allows him to be able to attack the rim and finish. When he wants to he can really control the glass on both ends.

24. Donneil Gray 5'9 senior Madison La Follette- Another tremendous point guard. Despite his height can get his shot off at any time and can drive it to the rim and finish over and around the big men. Has a very nice shot off the dribble.

25. Chet Holmgen 7'0 sophomore Minnehaha Academy- Another big man that can really move.  Blocks a ton of shots and can hit the three point shot. I'm not sure that I've seen a seven footer move as well as he does. Needs to put a little muscle on though.

Seniors
1. Nobal Days 6'9 senior Racine Park
2. Larry Canady 6'3 senior Racine Park
3. Quentin Winterfeldt 6'4 Waupun
4. Xzavier Jones 6'5 senior Martin Luther
5. Marcus Domask 6'6 senior Waupun
6. Ryan Waddell 6'2 Homestead
7. Trequan Carrington 5'10 senior Martin Luther
8. Ace Evans 6'2 senior Martin Luther
9. Gage Malensek 6'0 Brookfield Central- A heady lead guard that really leads his team. Can hit the outside shot and can get to the rim and finish over and around bigger defenders.
10. Donovan Ivory 6'5 Kaukauna- Feel like I'm using the word athlete a lot but, it's trust. There's a lot of athletes in the elite players. Tenacious rebounder and plays some very good defense where he can guard anyone on the court whether in the post or on the wing.

Juniors
1. Jalen Johnson 6'9 Nicolet
2. Jamari Sibley 6'9 Nicolet
3. Johnny Davis 6'5 La Crosse Central
4. Isaac Lindsey 6'4 Mineral Point
5. Justin Steinike 6'1 Wauwatosa West
6. Reed Gunnink 6'4 junior Laconia-
7. Anthony Washington 6'3 Madison East
8. Riley Murphy 5'11 SeymourA shooter that really hunts his shot and moves with out the ball. Showed the ability to hit the spot up three, off the dribble, or coming off the screen. Another big time competitor.
9. Jacob Ognacevic 6'7 junior Sheboygan LutheranMore of a traditional big man but, he runs the court very very well and can hit the three when he spots up. Just knows how to make space in the post.
10. Karter Thomas 6'0 junior Oshkosh WestShooting is his game and he's pretty good at it. Has a quick release and doesn't need a ton of space.

Sophomores
1. Patrick Baldwin 6'9 Sussex Hamilton
2. Brayden Dailey 6'5 Mineral Point
3. Ben Nau 6'1 Brookfield CentralShooter shooter shooter. Can hit the three spotted up, off the screen, or off the dribble. Just seems like a very smart kid.
4. David Joplin 6'6 Brookfield CentralBig man with a very soft tough around the rim. Battles on the glass and another big that can really move and run the court.
5. Jayden Jackson 6'3 Whitefish Bay- Very strong lead guard that can hit the three or use his strength to drive to the rim. Solid defender as well.
6. Cam Palesse 6'4 Waukesha West- Long lanky guard that can drive to the lane or hit the mid range shot.
7. Tanner Resch 6'0 Sussex Hamilton- Tremendous three point shooter but, also has the ability to score off the dribble with a nice little floater.
8. Liam Stumpf 6'0 Mineral Point- Very very good three point shooter that can also really handle that ball as well.
9. Gavin McGrath 6'9 Onalaska- Big man with a very soft touch around the rim. Rebounds well and blocks shots as well.
10. Mason Dorn 5'10 Seymour- Sharpshooter from the outside that can really light it up.

Freshmen
1. Armani Jones 5'7 Milwaukee Academy of Science- Very tough ball handler, that gets buckets in a hurry, and can get his shot at any time. Can hit the three as well.
2. Casey Verhagen 5'11 Sheboygan Lutheran- Just a strong heady player, that can be the point guard or play off the ball. Goes to the hoop very strong and can hit the three.
3. Tyson Blanchard 6'2 Clear Lake- Can hit the three or get to the rim and score. Really just an offensive player right now.
4. Aaron Rhode 6'0 Brookfield Central- A shooter off the bench that can really shoot the three.
5. Josh Riegler 6'0 New Berlin West- A very athletic player that can do a bit of everything but, not a great shooter right now.
6. Riley Peterson 6'4 Clear Lake- A lanky player that can get to the rim and score and shoot the outside shot.
7. Austin Wagner 6'2 Kettle Moraine Lutheran- Had five points in the game but, don't remember them.
8. Max Weisbrod 5'10 Deforest- Starts for Deforest.