Since I have seen one more game and it was the end of another week I figured I could update the rankings with the two new teams that I saw. No one from Sauk Praire will be in the rankings but, a couple guys from Wisconsin Dells made the rankings.
Player Rankings
1. Marquis Mason 6'5 forward sophomore Madison East-As I've said before this kid can do it all and was the most impressive player at the Big Eight Shootout. He can jump out of the gym, can post up, shoot the jumper out to the three point line and is typically stronger then the guy defending him.
2. Cashton Craig 6'1 guard senior Madison Lafollette- When Craig is hot from the outside he's unstoppable. Handles the ball very well and can get his shot off at any time. Moves very well without the ball whether that be coming off of a screen or cutting to the hoop.
3. Lucas Burns 6'6 forward senior Janesville Craig- I've said it many times one of the smoothest players I've seen. Can shoot the three or go inside and score using a variety of moves.
4. Johnnie Lacy 5'11 guard junior Milwaukee Bay View- Has a very very good shot from the outside that he can take off the dribble or spotting up. Has the ability to get inside at any time and finish with a layup or a pass to an open teammate.
5. Jimmy Whitehead 6'1 guard junior Lacrosse Aquinas- Handles the ball very well and does a great job of handling pressure. Best part of his game is the ability to stop on a dime and pull up for the midrange jumper, can also get to the hoop and finish strong.
6. Derek Braucht 6'6 forward junior Madison Edgewood- Very good shooter. At 6'6 and a high release can get his shot off at anytime. A very unselfish player that can penetrate and find an open teammate or just as easily score himself.
7. Ryan Wenkman 5'11 guard senior Wisconsin Dells- Very hard nosed player that can knock down the three point shot and uses his strength to penetrate and score. Also plays some very good defense and crashes the boards well.
8. Charles Lee 5'7 guard freshmen Milwaukee Bay View- The ultimate point guard. Can get by anyone and get into the lane and is always looking to set his teammates up for the layup. If anyone besides Lacy scores on the team it is because of Lee.
9. Jojo Pregont 6'6 center junior Janesville Craig- Very strong player on the inside. Really takes the ball strong to the hoop and does a great job of rebounding on the defensive and offensive ends.
10. Jade Royston 6'0 guard junior Wisconsin Dells- Another very smooth player that has a very pretty shot. Hits the three point shot with ease and has a very nice midrange jumper.
11. Lucas Morrissey 6'3 forward senior Lacrosse Aquinas- Really is a guard but, does a good job of rebounding and playing like a big man. Has the ability to step out and hit the three and help bring the ball up the court if needed.
12. Corvonn Gaines 6'5 forward senior Madison West- Runs the floor very well and can knock down the open three pointer if given the shot.
13. Mike Hanson 6'6 forward junior Lacrosse Aquinas- Very soft touch for a big man. Has the ability to shoot the three and go inside and score also.
14. Keegan Meier 6'3 forward junior Eau Claire Memorial- Kid that is a very good shooter that when hot can hit from anywhere on the court and be able to drive to the hoop and finish.
15. Casey Balczewski 6'4 forward senior Madion Edgewood- Floor general on the court that always gives 110% and is not afraid to go inside and bang with bigger players.
HM
Michael Collins 6'3 guard senior Madison West
Deon Johnson 6'4 guard senior Madison West
Zach Rickaway 6'3 forward senior Lacrosse Aquinas
Collin Cooper 6'3 forward senior Eau Claire Memorial
Senior Rankings
1. Cashton Craig 6'1 guard Madison Lafollette
2. Lucas Burns 6'6 forward Janesville Craig
3. Ryan Wenkman 5'11 guard Wisconsin Dells
4. Lucas Morrissey 6'3 forward Lacrosse Aquinas
5. Corvonn Gaines 6'5 forward Madison West
6. Casey Balczewski 6'4 forward Madison Lafollette
7. Michael Collins 6'3 guard Madison West- Real good shooter from three point range and is strongth enough to get inside and score or get fouled.
8. Deon Johnson 6'4 guard Madison West- Another kid that can jump outta the gym and really pounds the glass.
9. Zach Rickaway 6'3 forward Lacrosse Aquinas- Helps bring the ball up, can shoot the three, gets assists, and pounds the the glass on both ends.
10. Collin Cooper 6'3 forward Eau Claire Memorial- High energy player that always gives his all has a very good running floater.
Junior Rankings
1. Johnnie Lacy 5'11 guard Milwaukee Bay View
2. Jimmy Whitehead 6'1 guard Lacrosse Aquinas
3. Derek Braucht 6'6 forward Madison Edgewood
4. Jojo Pregont 6'6 center Janesville Craig
5. Jade Royston 6'0 guard Wisconsin Dells
6. Mike Hanson 6'6 forward Lacrosse Aquinas
7. Keegan Meier 6'3 forward Eau Claire Memorial
8. Kyle Goike 6'3 forward Janesville Craig- Big kid who can play inside or step outside and shoot the three, and plays some pretty good defense.
9. Joey Kennedy 5'11 guard Janesville Craig- Does a pretty good job of running the point and can shoot the three pointers when open.
10. Stephan Thompson 6'3 forward Milwaukee Bay View- Kid that really likes to go inside and bang with the bigger guys.
HM
Antoine Howard 6'3 forward Milwaukee Bay View
Sophomore Rankings
1. Marquis Mason 6'5 forward Madison East
2. Jon Dybevik 6'0 guard Madison Lafollette- Handles the ball really well against the pressure and has the ability to go inside and finish strong.
3. Robert Littleton 6'1 guard Milwaukee Bay View- Athletic player that really likes to run the court, also is willing to crash the boards.
4. Demetrius Turner 6'4 forward Milwaukee Bay View- Another athletic player that likes to run the court and does a good job of battling in the post.
5. Jeff Hull 6'3 forward Madison East- Big strong post player that scores well with his back to the basket.
6. Nate Gibson 6'9 center Wisconsin Dells- Right now a big kid thats a little raw. Looks decent with his back to the basket but, just needs to get stronger. His height is his biggest asset.
Freshmen Rankings
1. Charles Lee 5'7 guard Milwaukee Bay View
2. Samar Powell 5'6 guard Milwaukee Bay View- Little guy with a nice outside shot and not afraid to go inside and mix it up.
3. Darnell Harris 6'6 forward Milwaukee Bay View- Big athletic guy that can jump outta the gym.
4. Elgin Cook 6'3 forward Milwaukee Bay View- Another athletic kid that likes to get out and run and will go inside and battle for rebounds.
Theres my updated list. Have had a hard time getting to games because of weather and the fact that I really don't wanna go to games by myself. I have gone to a few games here and there by myself but, it is more fun to go with someone. So will see, I have my sights set on Janesville Craig and Madison West this weekend and possibly a stop by Wisconsin Dells vs Nekoosa, thats a big maybe though.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Badgers too much for Panthers
Wisconsin easily handled UW Milwaukee tonight 61-39. Milwaukee was able to hang with Wisconsin early but, in the second half Wisconsin's size and athleticism took over. Wisconsin was able to get second and third chances all night long and were able to get to every lose ball. When Milwaukee had the ball the turned the ball over way too much and tried to force passes into places where there wasn't an opening.
Tonight Marcus Landry finally looked like the player that I had been expecting to see all year long. With Stiemsma now coming off the bench Landry has been allowed to play more in the post where he is more comfortable. Landry was able to take the UW Milwaukee big men inside and use his patented spin move to score, as he led Wisconsin with 16 points. Brian Butch was he's usual impressive self as he was able to score inside over the smaller Panther players. Trevon Hughes may not of done the scoring that we have seen in past games but, he really played a very good game as a point guard. Hughes only took one long three point shot that I can remember and focused on penetrating and scoring or dishing to a teammate for a wide open three pointer. Michael Flowers also had a pretty solid game both on the defensive and offensive end. Joe Krabenhoft and Jason Bohannon continue to disappoint me. Krabenhoft only had two points, three boards, and two assists. I guess that isn't terribly bad but, I'm just expecting alittle more from him. Bohannon is really non-existent right now, as he didn't take a shot in the game right now.
For UW Milwaukee there weren't many positives. Torre Johnson is a really good player but, got into early foul trouble which slowed him down and then seemed to shy away from aggressive play the rest of the game. Milwaukee is a pretty young team that is going to struggle a bit this year. They have some good players but, just don't seem to have a team concept down as their players seem to go one on one alittle too much.
Milwaukee is really in rebuilding mode this year, so I don't see this game as a turn around game for Wisconsin just winning a game they should win. So far Wisconsin has beat the teams they should beat and lost to the good teams, it will be very interesting to see how the Big Ten season plays out.
Tonight Marcus Landry finally looked like the player that I had been expecting to see all year long. With Stiemsma now coming off the bench Landry has been allowed to play more in the post where he is more comfortable. Landry was able to take the UW Milwaukee big men inside and use his patented spin move to score, as he led Wisconsin with 16 points. Brian Butch was he's usual impressive self as he was able to score inside over the smaller Panther players. Trevon Hughes may not of done the scoring that we have seen in past games but, he really played a very good game as a point guard. Hughes only took one long three point shot that I can remember and focused on penetrating and scoring or dishing to a teammate for a wide open three pointer. Michael Flowers also had a pretty solid game both on the defensive and offensive end. Joe Krabenhoft and Jason Bohannon continue to disappoint me. Krabenhoft only had two points, three boards, and two assists. I guess that isn't terribly bad but, I'm just expecting alittle more from him. Bohannon is really non-existent right now, as he didn't take a shot in the game right now.
For UW Milwaukee there weren't many positives. Torre Johnson is a really good player but, got into early foul trouble which slowed him down and then seemed to shy away from aggressive play the rest of the game. Milwaukee is a pretty young team that is going to struggle a bit this year. They have some good players but, just don't seem to have a team concept down as their players seem to go one on one alittle too much.
Milwaukee is really in rebuilding mode this year, so I don't see this game as a turn around game for Wisconsin just winning a game they should win. So far Wisconsin has beat the teams they should beat and lost to the good teams, it will be very interesting to see how the Big Ten season plays out.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Team Rankings Week 2
Well Milwaukee Vincent was able to beat Madison West by about 30 points so I am now 5-5 in my predictions. Now that I have seen two more teams in Wisconsin Dells and Sauk Praire I will be adding them to my team rankings. Tomorrow I will have updated player rankings with players added from Wisconsin Dells and possibly Sauk Praire.
Rankings
1. Janesville Craig- Will have the height advantage over most teams they play, combined with their 2-3 zone they will be tough for anyone to beat. Offensively Lucas Burns is one of the smoothest shooters around and Jojo Pregont is a force inside.
2. Madison Lafollette- Team that really likes to push the ball for an easy layup or spot up for the open three point shot. If they have an off shooting night they may struggle and against bigger teams they will struggle for sure. They do have one of the best shooters in the state in Cashton Craig, who can get his shot off at anytime.
3. Milwaukee Bay View- A very young team that likes to run. They will pressure many teams into turning the ball over, which will relate into easy buckets on the offensive end. Will rely heavily on star Johnnie Lacy in the half court set and the penetration of freshmen Charles Lee.
4. Lacrosse Aquinas- One of the most disciplined and well coached teams out there. Have the ability to run'n'gun or slow the tempo in a half court set. Lucas Morrissey holds the team together by doing all the little things and junior Jimmy Whitehead is a star in the making.
5. Madison Edgewood- Very similar to Aquinas in that they are very disciplined and very well coached. They have a true star in Derek Braucht and everyone else knows their roll on the team and don't try to do too much. Height may be a concern but, as always Edgewood will put forth a 110% effort into rebounding.
6. Madison East- Marquis Mason may be the most athletic player in the state but, as of right now he's a one man team. Unless Mason can score 50 a game East will probably remain around a 500 team.
7. Wisconsin Dells- The Chiefs have one of the best back courts in Division two in Ryan Wenkman and Jade Royston, who are both averaging 20 plus points a game. The two man team can only take the Dells so far as they lack any kind of front court presence what so ever. Conference wise and regular season they will be very good but, as soon as the meet up with a tall team they are really going to struggle.
8. Madison West- A very athletic team that lacks discipline and will struggle against teams that are patient, particularly on the defensive end. They will win games based on their athleticism alone but, in the long run they will find themselves towards the bottom of the Big Eight conference.
9. Eau Claire Memorial- Lack the athletic ability to compete with teams from bigger conferences but, should be alright in the Big Rivers conference. As of right now they really lack a go to player that is willing to put the scoring load on their shoulders and have the ability to do so.
10. Sauk Praire- A team that's only ranked because I have only seen 10 teams so far this year. Sauk is a very undersized team that plays very hard and really attacks the boards on offense and defense. Scrappy is probably the best word to describe the Eagles.
In my team rankings I will be ranking the top 15 overall teams. Once I have seen over 15 teams I will continue to rank the top 15 teams and then be breaking the rankings down by division.
Rankings
1. Janesville Craig- Will have the height advantage over most teams they play, combined with their 2-3 zone they will be tough for anyone to beat. Offensively Lucas Burns is one of the smoothest shooters around and Jojo Pregont is a force inside.
2. Madison Lafollette- Team that really likes to push the ball for an easy layup or spot up for the open three point shot. If they have an off shooting night they may struggle and against bigger teams they will struggle for sure. They do have one of the best shooters in the state in Cashton Craig, who can get his shot off at anytime.
3. Milwaukee Bay View- A very young team that likes to run. They will pressure many teams into turning the ball over, which will relate into easy buckets on the offensive end. Will rely heavily on star Johnnie Lacy in the half court set and the penetration of freshmen Charles Lee.
4. Lacrosse Aquinas- One of the most disciplined and well coached teams out there. Have the ability to run'n'gun or slow the tempo in a half court set. Lucas Morrissey holds the team together by doing all the little things and junior Jimmy Whitehead is a star in the making.
5. Madison Edgewood- Very similar to Aquinas in that they are very disciplined and very well coached. They have a true star in Derek Braucht and everyone else knows their roll on the team and don't try to do too much. Height may be a concern but, as always Edgewood will put forth a 110% effort into rebounding.
6. Madison East- Marquis Mason may be the most athletic player in the state but, as of right now he's a one man team. Unless Mason can score 50 a game East will probably remain around a 500 team.
7. Wisconsin Dells- The Chiefs have one of the best back courts in Division two in Ryan Wenkman and Jade Royston, who are both averaging 20 plus points a game. The two man team can only take the Dells so far as they lack any kind of front court presence what so ever. Conference wise and regular season they will be very good but, as soon as the meet up with a tall team they are really going to struggle.
8. Madison West- A very athletic team that lacks discipline and will struggle against teams that are patient, particularly on the defensive end. They will win games based on their athleticism alone but, in the long run they will find themselves towards the bottom of the Big Eight conference.
9. Eau Claire Memorial- Lack the athletic ability to compete with teams from bigger conferences but, should be alright in the Big Rivers conference. As of right now they really lack a go to player that is willing to put the scoring load on their shoulders and have the ability to do so.
10. Sauk Praire- A team that's only ranked because I have only seen 10 teams so far this year. Sauk is a very undersized team that plays very hard and really attacks the boards on offense and defense. Scrappy is probably the best word to describe the Eagles.
In my team rankings I will be ranking the top 15 overall teams. Once I have seen over 15 teams I will continue to rank the top 15 teams and then be breaking the rankings down by division.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Badgers Lose Tough One
Well with the chance of bad weather I decided it wasn't worth the drive to Madison to watching the Madison West vs Milwaukee Vincent game. With staying home I was able to take it a good amount of college basketball though including the big Wisconsin vs Marquette game. I had predicted Marquette to win this one by five to ten points which was right on the head as Marquette won 81-76.
Marquette was able to force Wisconsin into turning the ball over numerous times late in the game, which allowed Marquette to seal the game. Wisconsin was unable to keep Marquette from getting into the lane and finishing or finding an open teammate for the easy layup. Both Dominic James and Jerel McNeal were able to blow by the Wisconsin defenders at will. James led Marquette with 20 points, while McNeal chipped in 14. Big man Dwight Burke was the unsung hero of the game as he collected seven offensive rebounds which allowed Marquette to get second and third opportunities to score. Marquette was unable to hit the three point shot but, that didn't matter in this game because the were able to get so many easy layups off the penetration.
Wisconsins best offense at times was to miss the shot and get the offensive rebound and get the put back layup. Outside of turning the ball over Wisconsins biggest fall out was that Trevon Hughes kept taking three point shots and was not making them. Brian Butch had another strong outting and appears to really be looking to have a huge senior season and live up to some of his high school hype of being an All American. He's now had two pretty big games against Duke and Marquette and really seems to be bring a high level of intensity to every game. The other senior Michael Flowers also had a pretty good game but was limited by foul trouble. Flowers went 6-7 from the floor and scored 14 points. Trevon Hughes did score 16 points but, half of those came from the free throw line.
If I had to guess right now I would put Wisconsin behind Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois, and Indiana as of right now but once the Big Ten season rolls around anything can happen. Marquette will for sure be in the top three in the Big East. I haven't seen many of the Big East teams play yet but, of the ones that I have seen they have been the most impressive. So I am saying that they have been more impressive then Georgetown, Lousiville, and Syracuse, which are all teams that have been picked to be towards the top of the Big East.
Within the next couple days I will be updating my high school team rankings and player rankings since I saw one more game this past week. The rankings will not be changing very much since I only saw two more teams play. We will also see how my prediction did for the Madison West vs Milwaukee Vincent game which I'm fairly confident in.
Marquette was able to force Wisconsin into turning the ball over numerous times late in the game, which allowed Marquette to seal the game. Wisconsin was unable to keep Marquette from getting into the lane and finishing or finding an open teammate for the easy layup. Both Dominic James and Jerel McNeal were able to blow by the Wisconsin defenders at will. James led Marquette with 20 points, while McNeal chipped in 14. Big man Dwight Burke was the unsung hero of the game as he collected seven offensive rebounds which allowed Marquette to get second and third opportunities to score. Marquette was unable to hit the three point shot but, that didn't matter in this game because the were able to get so many easy layups off the penetration.
Wisconsins best offense at times was to miss the shot and get the offensive rebound and get the put back layup. Outside of turning the ball over Wisconsins biggest fall out was that Trevon Hughes kept taking three point shots and was not making them. Brian Butch had another strong outting and appears to really be looking to have a huge senior season and live up to some of his high school hype of being an All American. He's now had two pretty big games against Duke and Marquette and really seems to be bring a high level of intensity to every game. The other senior Michael Flowers also had a pretty good game but was limited by foul trouble. Flowers went 6-7 from the floor and scored 14 points. Trevon Hughes did score 16 points but, half of those came from the free throw line.
If I had to guess right now I would put Wisconsin behind Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois, and Indiana as of right now but once the Big Ten season rolls around anything can happen. Marquette will for sure be in the top three in the Big East. I haven't seen many of the Big East teams play yet but, of the ones that I have seen they have been the most impressive. So I am saying that they have been more impressive then Georgetown, Lousiville, and Syracuse, which are all teams that have been picked to be towards the top of the Big East.
Within the next couple days I will be updating my high school team rankings and player rankings since I saw one more game this past week. The rankings will not be changing very much since I only saw two more teams play. We will also see how my prediction did for the Madison West vs Milwaukee Vincent game which I'm fairly confident in.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Saturday Previews
Got a couple game predictions to make for tomorrow. As I had stated before I hope to make it down to the Madison West vs Milwaukee Vincent game and then with Marquette playing Wisconsin I will be DVRing that game and watching when I get home. If the weather is to great then I'll just be sitting home and watching the Wisconsin vs Marquette game.
The Vincent vs West game is really an easy call to make. Vincent should handle this one from start to finish and should win by 20 plus points. The reason that I'm hoping to go to this game is that it is pretty rare that I get a chance to see one of the top teams from the Milwaukee area and despite Madison West not being the best team they should make things fairly exciting to watch. West really looks to push the ball and Vincent will be very happy playing that style of play which will hopefully lead to a high scoring game and some highlight reel dunks. West will just be over matched talent wise in this one. I saw West already this year and I expect a lot of threes and some out of control penetration to the hoop.
I saw Vincent in the preseason tournament but, that doesn't mean I truly saw them because teams change a lot once the regular season starts and guys that were starting or playing alot then may not even be seeing the court now. I'm interested to see how 6'3 junior Michael Weems looks in structured play and if he's able to get those open looks for three that he got in preseason. Also interested in seeing how 6'2 freshmen Larry Bradley is incorporated into Vincent's game plan, along with getting a chance to see fifth year senior Shavon Scott who didn't play in preseason and has been one of the Vikings top scorers thus far in the season. Big match up of the day will probably be 6'4 senior Marvin Fitzgerald of Vincent and 6'5 senior Corvon Gaines of West. Both players are about the same size, play the same type of game, and could probably pass as cousins if not brothers.
Honestly I had completely forgot about the big Marquette vs Wisconsin game with all the excitment of the high school basketball season being under way. I plan to watch this game fairly closely whether it be live or on DVR when I get home. This game will probably go back and forth all game long but, Marquette will apply some pressure late in the game and the Badgers won't be able to handle it and Marquette will win the game by five to ten points. I think the big three guards of James, McNeal, and Mathews will just be too much for Flowers and Hughes to handle.
I'm really excited to see Hughes going against three very good guards like Marquette has and then see Flowers guarding James or McNeal, whoever Bo Ryan decides to put him on. Flowers may be able to cancel one guard out but, there are still two other guards that will be able to score. Wisconsin does have the advantage inside at least on the offensive end but, the advantage that Marquette has in the back court out ways the advantage that Wisconsin has in the front court.
Hopefully be back tomorrow night with thoughts on both games.
Side note after getting last nights prediction right I am now 4-5 in my high school basketball predictions.
The Vincent vs West game is really an easy call to make. Vincent should handle this one from start to finish and should win by 20 plus points. The reason that I'm hoping to go to this game is that it is pretty rare that I get a chance to see one of the top teams from the Milwaukee area and despite Madison West not being the best team they should make things fairly exciting to watch. West really looks to push the ball and Vincent will be very happy playing that style of play which will hopefully lead to a high scoring game and some highlight reel dunks. West will just be over matched talent wise in this one. I saw West already this year and I expect a lot of threes and some out of control penetration to the hoop.
I saw Vincent in the preseason tournament but, that doesn't mean I truly saw them because teams change a lot once the regular season starts and guys that were starting or playing alot then may not even be seeing the court now. I'm interested to see how 6'3 junior Michael Weems looks in structured play and if he's able to get those open looks for three that he got in preseason. Also interested in seeing how 6'2 freshmen Larry Bradley is incorporated into Vincent's game plan, along with getting a chance to see fifth year senior Shavon Scott who didn't play in preseason and has been one of the Vikings top scorers thus far in the season. Big match up of the day will probably be 6'4 senior Marvin Fitzgerald of Vincent and 6'5 senior Corvon Gaines of West. Both players are about the same size, play the same type of game, and could probably pass as cousins if not brothers.
Honestly I had completely forgot about the big Marquette vs Wisconsin game with all the excitment of the high school basketball season being under way. I plan to watch this game fairly closely whether it be live or on DVR when I get home. This game will probably go back and forth all game long but, Marquette will apply some pressure late in the game and the Badgers won't be able to handle it and Marquette will win the game by five to ten points. I think the big three guards of James, McNeal, and Mathews will just be too much for Flowers and Hughes to handle.
I'm really excited to see Hughes going against three very good guards like Marquette has and then see Flowers guarding James or McNeal, whoever Bo Ryan decides to put him on. Flowers may be able to cancel one guard out but, there are still two other guards that will be able to score. Wisconsin does have the advantage inside at least on the offensive end but, the advantage that Marquette has in the back court out ways the advantage that Wisconsin has in the front court.
Hopefully be back tomorrow night with thoughts on both games.
Side note after getting last nights prediction right I am now 4-5 in my high school basketball predictions.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Chiefs handle Eagles
I nearly prediction this one exactly right. I predicted the Chiefs to win by 15 and they ended up winning by 14. Wisconsin Dells was able to jump out to a 10 point lead and held it at 10 until the third quarter when they were able to extend it to 15. In the fourth Sauk Praire was able to cut the lead to nine but, in the end the Chiefs were able to get the lead back to a 14 point margin by hitting their free throws. Dells was the more talented team but, Sauk is one of those teams that are very scrappy and make games ugly and just seem to hang around, remaining within striking distance.
Wisconsin Dells is pretty much a two man team as I expected as 6'0 junior guard Jade Royston led the Chiefs with 21 points while 5'11 senior guard Ryan Wenkman netted 19. Its not that either of these guys are ball hogs by any means but, no one else on the team really looks to shoot so the two guards are really counted on to score. Wenkman did the majority of his scoring right out of the gate early in the game, while Royston carried the team late in the game, hitting some clutch free throws. Wenkman is a very hard nosed player that is not afraid to mix it up inside and crash the boards, which does lead to some foul trouble. The senior also has the ability to knock down the three point shot, as well as get into the lane and take the ball strong to the hoop. Royston is a very smooth guard who shys away from contact alittle more then Wenkman. Royston is a guy that scores the majority of his points from the outside but, when the opportunity arises to score inside he takes it.
I stated in my prediction that I was interested in seeing the the two Dells guards and also seeing the 6'9 sophomore Nate Gibson. Gibson is a very big kid probably about 250 pounds but, needs to get stronger. When Sauk brought in their 6'8 senior Alec Rilling, who was probably around the same weight if not slightly bigger, he was able to push Gibson around a bit. You could really see the difference between a sophomore and senior. Another thing I noticed was that when Gibson he brought it down right away and when your that tall you have to keep the ball up high were no one else can get to it. The kid is raw but, I have to remember that he is only a sophomore and in his first year on varsity. Gibson did make one real nice move with his back to the basket, which appears he prefers over facing up to the hoop. One thing that the Chiefs need to work on, which was pointed out by the Deforest coaches behind me, is that they need to box out. With their lack of size they really need to box out strong or they will get killed against taller teams.
Sauk Praire is a team with not a lot of talent and will probably struggle a lot this year but, with there hard scrappy play they should be able to keep games close and low scoring. The Eagles did a pretty good job of attacking the offensive glass and got a lot of second chance points. (this may of just been because of the Dells poor boxing out) The only real player I saw for Sauk for 6'0 junior guard Garret Schwarz who settled for outside shots that weren't dropping and finished with only seven. The other big player for Sauk I had talked about was 6'0 junior Chad Pings who did score 14 points but, most of those were second chance garbage points.
Top Scores
Royston 21 Wenkman 19 Laddie Lucke 6
Pings 14 Schwarz 7 Tyler Halverson 5
After watching this game I've concluded the Wisconsin Dells probably won't run through the South Central Conference as easily as I had previously thought but, I still think they will be right there towards the top at the end of the year. Meanwhile Sauk Praire will probably end up towards the bottom of the Badger North Conference but, will probably keep most games close.
Wisconsin Dells is pretty much a two man team as I expected as 6'0 junior guard Jade Royston led the Chiefs with 21 points while 5'11 senior guard Ryan Wenkman netted 19. Its not that either of these guys are ball hogs by any means but, no one else on the team really looks to shoot so the two guards are really counted on to score. Wenkman did the majority of his scoring right out of the gate early in the game, while Royston carried the team late in the game, hitting some clutch free throws. Wenkman is a very hard nosed player that is not afraid to mix it up inside and crash the boards, which does lead to some foul trouble. The senior also has the ability to knock down the three point shot, as well as get into the lane and take the ball strong to the hoop. Royston is a very smooth guard who shys away from contact alittle more then Wenkman. Royston is a guy that scores the majority of his points from the outside but, when the opportunity arises to score inside he takes it.
I stated in my prediction that I was interested in seeing the the two Dells guards and also seeing the 6'9 sophomore Nate Gibson. Gibson is a very big kid probably about 250 pounds but, needs to get stronger. When Sauk brought in their 6'8 senior Alec Rilling, who was probably around the same weight if not slightly bigger, he was able to push Gibson around a bit. You could really see the difference between a sophomore and senior. Another thing I noticed was that when Gibson he brought it down right away and when your that tall you have to keep the ball up high were no one else can get to it. The kid is raw but, I have to remember that he is only a sophomore and in his first year on varsity. Gibson did make one real nice move with his back to the basket, which appears he prefers over facing up to the hoop. One thing that the Chiefs need to work on, which was pointed out by the Deforest coaches behind me, is that they need to box out. With their lack of size they really need to box out strong or they will get killed against taller teams.
Sauk Praire is a team with not a lot of talent and will probably struggle a lot this year but, with there hard scrappy play they should be able to keep games close and low scoring. The Eagles did a pretty good job of attacking the offensive glass and got a lot of second chance points. (this may of just been because of the Dells poor boxing out) The only real player I saw for Sauk for 6'0 junior guard Garret Schwarz who settled for outside shots that weren't dropping and finished with only seven. The other big player for Sauk I had talked about was 6'0 junior Chad Pings who did score 14 points but, most of those were second chance garbage points.
Top Scores
Royston 21 Wenkman 19 Laddie Lucke 6
Pings 14 Schwarz 7 Tyler Halverson 5
After watching this game I've concluded the Wisconsin Dells probably won't run through the South Central Conference as easily as I had previously thought but, I still think they will be right there towards the top at the end of the year. Meanwhile Sauk Praire will probably end up towards the bottom of the Badger North Conference but, will probably keep most games close.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Sauk Praire vs Wisconsin Dells preview
I apologize to anyone out there that reads my blog, that I haven't been posting the last couple days. I haven't had much to talk about lately, as I haven't been to any games lately with the weather. Well hopefully tomorrow things will change and I will be able to attend my hometowns game against Sauk Praire. I have decided to also make predictions about games that I have an interest in and not just games that I will be going to watch, which will allow me to have more post about my thoughts of each game before the are played.
On paper it appears that the Dells should win this game easily but, I'm not so sure that will be the case. Sauk is 0-2 this year after losing all five starters from a year ago. Wisconsin Dells is 3-0 and is one of the favorites in the SCC. Both teams are perimeter originated and are led by two very good guards, which should at least lead to a good match in the back court. Sauk has had a pretty good basketball tradition going in recent years and the Dells has a tendency to play down to their opponents level so this game will probably remain close for much of the way.
Wisconsin Dells is led by two very good 5'11 guards in senior Ryan Wenkman and junior Jade Royston. The two guards are averaging 23 and 22 points a piece. In the past I've always thought Wenkman was a real good player that had the ability to take over games and now it appears he's getting the chance. I've always heard that Royston was a real good player also but, hadn't ever got the opportunity to show it. I'm excited to see these two high scoring guards play together. One other player I will be watching for is the 6'8 sophomore Nate Gibson. I'm curious to if this kid is really that good or if he's just tall. Gibson he's averaging nine points a game but, that may just because of his height. I have heard Gibson is a good shooter so we will see tomorrow.
I know very little about Sauk Praire as the don't return much from last year. From the only box score I have seen it appears that their top players are two 6'0 junior guards, which should provide a good match up for the two Dells guards. In a losing effort against Mcfarland Chad Pings had 21 points while Garret Schwarz had 13. Sauk has a 6'8 player in senior Alec Rilling but, guessing from his two points against Mcfarland he may just be tall and not the most talented big man. Either way at least the two 6'8 players will be able to match up with each other.
With all I've said saying this will be a good game I still believe that the WD will pull this game out by about 15 points. It will remain fairly close for the first three quarters but, in the end the Chiefs will come out with the win. They have alittle more height then Sauk and I feel that the Dells guards have the edge of the Sauk guards. Hopefully tomorrow I will have a recap of the game and then this weekend weather providing I'll be at the Milwaukee Vincent vs Madison West game.
On paper it appears that the Dells should win this game easily but, I'm not so sure that will be the case. Sauk is 0-2 this year after losing all five starters from a year ago. Wisconsin Dells is 3-0 and is one of the favorites in the SCC. Both teams are perimeter originated and are led by two very good guards, which should at least lead to a good match in the back court. Sauk has had a pretty good basketball tradition going in recent years and the Dells has a tendency to play down to their opponents level so this game will probably remain close for much of the way.
Wisconsin Dells is led by two very good 5'11 guards in senior Ryan Wenkman and junior Jade Royston. The two guards are averaging 23 and 22 points a piece. In the past I've always thought Wenkman was a real good player that had the ability to take over games and now it appears he's getting the chance. I've always heard that Royston was a real good player also but, hadn't ever got the opportunity to show it. I'm excited to see these two high scoring guards play together. One other player I will be watching for is the 6'8 sophomore Nate Gibson. I'm curious to if this kid is really that good or if he's just tall. Gibson he's averaging nine points a game but, that may just because of his height. I have heard Gibson is a good shooter so we will see tomorrow.
I know very little about Sauk Praire as the don't return much from last year. From the only box score I have seen it appears that their top players are two 6'0 junior guards, which should provide a good match up for the two Dells guards. In a losing effort against Mcfarland Chad Pings had 21 points while Garret Schwarz had 13. Sauk has a 6'8 player in senior Alec Rilling but, guessing from his two points against Mcfarland he may just be tall and not the most talented big man. Either way at least the two 6'8 players will be able to match up with each other.
With all I've said saying this will be a good game I still believe that the WD will pull this game out by about 15 points. It will remain fairly close for the first three quarters but, in the end the Chiefs will come out with the win. They have alittle more height then Sauk and I feel that the Dells guards have the edge of the Sauk guards. Hopefully tomorrow I will have a recap of the game and then this weekend weather providing I'll be at the Milwaukee Vincent vs Madison West game.
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