In division three most of the top seeds have held strong. The only big upset was Fall Creek losing to Thorp. Many people thought Fall Creek had a chance to win state and would at least make it to state. Thorp pulled the big upset and it now appears Eau Claire Regis is gonna be at state now. The only other top team to go down has been Roncalli but, they were defeated by a very good Brillon team. In D4 there really isn't much to talk about other then defending state champion Benton has gone home but, the rest of South East sectional has remained intact with the probable D4 champion coming out of this sectional.
Division Three
Eau Claire North Sectional
Eau Claire Regis over Webster- Regis has the big talent edge and is practically playing at home. They have a hand full of players that have played at state and are looking to get back to state.
Thorp over Ladysmith- Thorp beat Fall Creek so Ladysmith should be no problem. Thorp is obviously playing their best ball right now.
Eau Claire Regis over Thorp- Regis once again has the big edge talent wise and have a big three in Connor Miller, Jack Eaton, and Adam Ganske.
Ashwaubenon Sectional
Marathon over Three Lakes- Marathon is probably undefeated and should keep that up in this game.
Brillon over Weayawega Freemont- Brillon comes out of a tough conference with D2 schools and coming off a big win over Roncalli.
Brillon over Marathon- Brillon has played a tougher schedule all year long and should be well tested for this game.
Baraboo Sectional
Blair Taylor over Aquinas- BT returns most of their guys from a state team a year ago and Aquinas is a year away from making a real run at a state title.
Cuba City over Poynette- Poynette has benefited from a weak regional and Cuba should take them down easily.
Cuba City over Blair Taylor- Evan Richard best player in D3 should take down Blair Taylor.
West Allis Central
Brookfield Academy over Winnebago Lutheran- BA played in a much tougher conference and should be battle tested and have Troy Huff.
Dominican over St Cats- Dominican has more stars then St Cats and should have the edge.
Dominican over Brookfield Academy- Dominican has a ton of talent and should be able to out run BA up and down the court.
Division Four
Spooner Sectional
Clayton over Drummond- Clayton has only lost one game this year and has the winning tradition.
Marshfield Columbus over Prentice- Columbus comes out of a very tough conference and have been a top 5 team all year long.
Columbus over Clayton- Columbus has been the favorite all year long and this year should be no different.
Appleton North Sectional
Green Lake over Wausau Newman- Green Lake has the height and talented big men.
GB New Lutheran over Laona- Honestly just a hunch on this one. Always go with the private school.
Green Lake over GB New Lutheran- Green Lake seems poised for a rematch with Randolph in the title game.
Onalaska Sectional
Mcdonell Central over New Lisbon- Very surprised to see NL here Central should dominate.
Potosi over Royal- I don't have much respect for the Scenic Bluffs to going with Potois.
Mcdonell Central over Potosi- Central has played in the toughest D3 conference in the state and should be prepared for this game.
Fort Atkinson
Barneveld over Monticello- Logan Johnson is the best player in this game so I'll go with them.
Randolph over Sheboygan County Christian- Kelm has had a great season and should really be the deference in this game.
Randolph over Barneveld- Kelm is a great player and Randolph appears to be a more balanced team then last year.
Not much to say here. As you can see I really don't know much about the two lower divisions so don't have any added comments.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
D1 sectionals and D2 sectional predictions
Well sectionals only a week away I figured I'd do my new predictions now that we know whose actually getting to state. For the most part D1 has played out as expected but, this is mostly due to the fact that there has only been two rounds played and typically the upsets won't occur until sectionals because you seeding 1-16 in regionals so there is a wide gap between teams. The Big Eight has really shown their muscle as they account for six of the 32 teams left in D1. D2 has been somewhat different as far as the underdogs go. One of the favorites Port Washington went down to Whitefish Bay for the second time this year and in the Waunakee sectional only one, one seed made it to sectionals and a team that took last place in their conference is still alive. One big development is the return of Northwestern's star Steve Tecker who lead Northwestern to a final four finish a year ago and has been out all year after have surgery on his hips right around the start of the season but, has returned for the last two weeks and apparently scored 15 points in the regional final. Should be a great weekend of basketball if I can actually manage to get some tickets for some sectional game. There is no way that I will be able to get tickets for the Middleton Sectional that I would like to go to so may have to settle for a lower tear game. I'm thinking of heading to Deforest to catch Sauk Prairie and Mt Horeb play since its the closes game and I work until 6pm. Hopefully Saturday I will get to catch the huge Cuba City vs Blair Taylor or Aquinas that should be a great game with the winner going to state.
Division One
Marshfield Sectional
Superior over Merrill- I'm alittle nervous about this pick because every year I pick Superior to make it to state and they never do. Merrill could be poised for another upset after defeated preseason favorite Wausau West.
Antigo over Eau Claire North- Another game that makes me alittle nervous because Antigo is undefeated but, who have they really played. North has Evan Anderson and I can't imagine Antigo has gone up against many 7 footers.
Antigo over Superior- In my official wishoops bracket I have Superior here but, they've just let me down year after year and have decided to go the other way. I would really like to see Jordan Mach at state.
Green Bay West Sectional
Depere over Appleton West- Haven't seen either team or know much about them but, Depere has one of the best records in the state and has been many peoples favorite throughout the entire year.
Kaukauna over Appleton East- Tough pick here as these two are conference opponents but, East lives and dies by the three and I think they die here. Kaukauna was the better team during the regular season.
Depere over Kaukauna- Honestly this game could be a coin flip. Depere has been a let down the past few years when it appeared they were headed to state and Kaukauna comes out of the tougher conference.
Middleton Sectional
Madison East over Middleton- East is flat out the better team but, Middleton will keep this close since they will be at home but, won't be able to score on the inside or get offensive rebounds with Marquis Mason controlling the middle.
Madison Memorial over Sun Prairie- Should be a great game as Sun Prairie plays to their opponents ability and have defeated Memorial once this year already but, Memorial is playing their best ball right now and should win as long as isn't lighting it up from the outside.
Madison Memorial over Madison East- Yes they split during the regular season but, I honestly think Memorial out played East in both games and like I said Memorial is peaking at the right time.
Oshkosh Sectional
Oshkosh North over Sheboygan South- North was at state a year ago and have the best player in the sectional in Taylor Cameron.
Neenah over Beaver Dam- Neenah comes out of the tougher conference and should be battle tested for this game.
Neenah over Oshkosh North- Neenah seems to be very hot as of late and another team that appears to be peaking at the right time.
Germantown Sectional 1
Arrowhead over Waukesha West- I don't believe West has the ability to keep up with the high scoring Arrowhead team. West's best player 6'6 Ryan Solberg should beat contained by 7'1 Ben Mills for Arrowhead.
Menomonee Falls over Germantown- Falls has the height and experience over Germantown in this one. Not to mention they have JP Tokoto.
Menomonee Falls over Arrowhead- Falls gets revenge after their early defeat to Arrowhead. Falls pushes the tempo which keeps Mills out of his comfort zone.
Beloit Sectional
Beloit over Kenosha Bradford- Beloit comes out of the toughest conference in that state and should easily defeat Bradford in this one.
Verona over Burlington- Verona is battle tested and should easily win this one as well.
Beloit over Verona- Beloit has defeated Verona twice this year already and has home field advantage.
Greenfield Sectional
Milwaukee Hamiliton over Brookfield Central- Even without Cook in the game Hamiliton is far superior athletically.
Racine Park over Waterford- Park has superior talent and should force tempo causing Waterford to turn the ball over.
Milwaukee Hamiliton over Racine Park- Both teams are extremely talented but, Hamiliton's bigs are more talented.
Germantown Sectional 2
Milwaukee King over Nicolet- Both teams have survived some very close games but, King has more depth and talent and are battle tested.
Milwaukee Washington over Milwaukee Marquette- If Washington had Winters I would take them in a heartbeat but, now not so sure. Washington gets the edge because I just can't imagine Marquette upsetting another City team.
Milwaukee King over Milwaukee Washington- King is at full strength Washington isn't so they win.
Division Two
Durand Sectional
Northwestern vs Baldwin Woodville- Northwestern was at state a year ago and should benefit from having their star Steve Tecker back even though he's not at full strength.
Onalaska over Adams Friendship- Adams has benefited from a weak regional and that should be evident in this game as Onalaska wins easily.
Onalaska over Northwestern- If Northwestern was at full strength they would win this easily but, with Tecker not at full strength Onalaska gets the win.
Green Bay West Sectional
Seymour over Shawano- Seymour looks to be back to its old self behind a very strong junior class.
Waupun over Kiel- Waupun has already defeated Kiel twice this year and should be able take them down for a third time.
Waupun over Seymour- Waupun has had a slightly tougher schedule and don't think Seymour can keep up with a high scoring Waupun team.
Waunakee Sectional
Sauk Prairie over Mt Horeb- Sauk took second in the Badger North while Mt Horeb took seventh. Easy pick here.
Madison Edgewood over Delavan Darien- Edgewood seems to be peaking at the right time and comes from the better conference.
Sauk Prairie over Madison Edgewood- Sauk is just more athletic then Edgewood and has more size.
Germantown Sectional
Whitefish Bay over Ripon- Whitefish Bay has defeated a very good Port Washington team twice and play in a very tough North Shore Conference.
Wisconsin Lutheran over Catholic Memorial- Best sectional semi final game. Two great players in TJ Bray and Flavian Davis. Wisco won the last time so I go with them again.
Wisconsin Lutheran over Whitefish Bay- Wisco are the defending champs and Bay doesn't have anyone that can stop Davis.
Well should be a very very exciting weekend of basketball and heres to hoping I can get in to a couple good games.
Division One
Marshfield Sectional
Superior over Merrill- I'm alittle nervous about this pick because every year I pick Superior to make it to state and they never do. Merrill could be poised for another upset after defeated preseason favorite Wausau West.
Antigo over Eau Claire North- Another game that makes me alittle nervous because Antigo is undefeated but, who have they really played. North has Evan Anderson and I can't imagine Antigo has gone up against many 7 footers.
Antigo over Superior- In my official wishoops bracket I have Superior here but, they've just let me down year after year and have decided to go the other way. I would really like to see Jordan Mach at state.
Green Bay West Sectional
Depere over Appleton West- Haven't seen either team or know much about them but, Depere has one of the best records in the state and has been many peoples favorite throughout the entire year.
Kaukauna over Appleton East- Tough pick here as these two are conference opponents but, East lives and dies by the three and I think they die here. Kaukauna was the better team during the regular season.
Depere over Kaukauna- Honestly this game could be a coin flip. Depere has been a let down the past few years when it appeared they were headed to state and Kaukauna comes out of the tougher conference.
Middleton Sectional
Madison East over Middleton- East is flat out the better team but, Middleton will keep this close since they will be at home but, won't be able to score on the inside or get offensive rebounds with Marquis Mason controlling the middle.
Madison Memorial over Sun Prairie- Should be a great game as Sun Prairie plays to their opponents ability and have defeated Memorial once this year already but, Memorial is playing their best ball right now and should win as long as isn't lighting it up from the outside.
Madison Memorial over Madison East- Yes they split during the regular season but, I honestly think Memorial out played East in both games and like I said Memorial is peaking at the right time.
Oshkosh Sectional
Oshkosh North over Sheboygan South- North was at state a year ago and have the best player in the sectional in Taylor Cameron.
Neenah over Beaver Dam- Neenah comes out of the tougher conference and should be battle tested for this game.
Neenah over Oshkosh North- Neenah seems to be very hot as of late and another team that appears to be peaking at the right time.
Germantown Sectional 1
Arrowhead over Waukesha West- I don't believe West has the ability to keep up with the high scoring Arrowhead team. West's best player 6'6 Ryan Solberg should beat contained by 7'1 Ben Mills for Arrowhead.
Menomonee Falls over Germantown- Falls has the height and experience over Germantown in this one. Not to mention they have JP Tokoto.
Menomonee Falls over Arrowhead- Falls gets revenge after their early defeat to Arrowhead. Falls pushes the tempo which keeps Mills out of his comfort zone.
Beloit Sectional
Beloit over Kenosha Bradford- Beloit comes out of the toughest conference in that state and should easily defeat Bradford in this one.
Verona over Burlington- Verona is battle tested and should easily win this one as well.
Beloit over Verona- Beloit has defeated Verona twice this year already and has home field advantage.
Greenfield Sectional
Milwaukee Hamiliton over Brookfield Central- Even without Cook in the game Hamiliton is far superior athletically.
Racine Park over Waterford- Park has superior talent and should force tempo causing Waterford to turn the ball over.
Milwaukee Hamiliton over Racine Park- Both teams are extremely talented but, Hamiliton's bigs are more talented.
Germantown Sectional 2
Milwaukee King over Nicolet- Both teams have survived some very close games but, King has more depth and talent and are battle tested.
Milwaukee Washington over Milwaukee Marquette- If Washington had Winters I would take them in a heartbeat but, now not so sure. Washington gets the edge because I just can't imagine Marquette upsetting another City team.
Milwaukee King over Milwaukee Washington- King is at full strength Washington isn't so they win.
Division Two
Durand Sectional
Northwestern vs Baldwin Woodville- Northwestern was at state a year ago and should benefit from having their star Steve Tecker back even though he's not at full strength.
Onalaska over Adams Friendship- Adams has benefited from a weak regional and that should be evident in this game as Onalaska wins easily.
Onalaska over Northwestern- If Northwestern was at full strength they would win this easily but, with Tecker not at full strength Onalaska gets the win.
Green Bay West Sectional
Seymour over Shawano- Seymour looks to be back to its old self behind a very strong junior class.
Waupun over Kiel- Waupun has already defeated Kiel twice this year and should be able take them down for a third time.
Waupun over Seymour- Waupun has had a slightly tougher schedule and don't think Seymour can keep up with a high scoring Waupun team.
Waunakee Sectional
Sauk Prairie over Mt Horeb- Sauk took second in the Badger North while Mt Horeb took seventh. Easy pick here.
Madison Edgewood over Delavan Darien- Edgewood seems to be peaking at the right time and comes from the better conference.
Sauk Prairie over Madison Edgewood- Sauk is just more athletic then Edgewood and has more size.
Germantown Sectional
Whitefish Bay over Ripon- Whitefish Bay has defeated a very good Port Washington team twice and play in a very tough North Shore Conference.
Wisconsin Lutheran over Catholic Memorial- Best sectional semi final game. Two great players in TJ Bray and Flavian Davis. Wisco won the last time so I go with them again.
Wisconsin Lutheran over Whitefish Bay- Wisco are the defending champs and Bay doesn't have anyone that can stop Davis.
Well should be a very very exciting weekend of basketball and heres to hoping I can get in to a couple good games.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Sun Prairie defeats Waunakee
In another upset by seeding only, Sun Prairie defeated Waunakee 62-59. Yes Waunakee won the Badger North conference and Sun Prairie took sixth in the Big Eight conference but, have to remember that the Big Eight is the toughest conference in the state. This was really shown in the game as Sun Prairie was clearly the more athletic team and had more talent. Waunakee played extremely hard and really dominated the boards but, just couldn't match Sun Prairie's athleticism.
Sun Prairie flexed their athleticism and muscle early in the game as 6'4 junior big man Chris Hawkins threw down and alley oop dunk and then had a break away dunk, Hawkins completed the trifecta throwing down a third dunk on another alley oop. Waunakee countered Hawkins with strong hustle play from their senior big man 6'3 Cole Cefalu who had a pair of second chance buckets and hit a three point shot. Early on Waunakee absolutely dominated the offensive glass but, when they didn't get the offensive rebound Sun Prairie was able to capitalize on the run out which led to some open looks for Sun Prairie's sharpshooters 6'2 senior Michael Boos and 6'3 junior Jordan Noskowiak who were able to knocked down the outside shots. Waunakee continued to get most of their scoring off of offensive rebounds and then Sun Prairie went to their bench and 5'11 junior Jaron Schaffner who hit a pair of three pointers in the second quarter. At half the score was in Sun Prairie's favor 29-23.
In the second half Waunakee pretty much gave up on their offense and went to an NBA style game just letting their two junior guards 6'2 Jared Staege and 6'3 Beau Murray take the ball to the hoop. When they didn't make the basket or not fouled it seemed there was someone there to clean up the mess, typically Cefalu who had a huge game just collecting second chance buckets. Waunakee pressed Sun Prairie throughout the entire game which led to numerous easy buckets for Sun Prairie which allowed Hawkins scoring total to just keep increasing all night long. In the end Waunakee just could never tie the game up and lost 62-59 with Sun Prairie leading the entire game.
Top Players
Cole Cefalu 6'3 senior Waunakee- Had a huge game dominating the offensive glass and getting second and third baskets.
Beau Murray 6'3 junior Waunakee- Did a nice job of getting to the hoop and scoring or getting fouled.
Jared Staege 6'2 junior Waunakee- Broke the Sun Prairie pressure defense with ease but, just couldn't get his shot to fall. Did hit a big three that got Waunakee within three.
Chris Hawkins 6'4 junior Sun Prairie- Just a beast in the post. Couldn't be stopped on the offensive end and had three nice dunks and able to hit a pair of nice jumpers.
Michael Boos 6'2 senior Sun Prairie- Had a fairly good first half shooting the ball and in the end was the guy that sealed the game hitting the free throws.
Jaron Schaffner 5'11 junior Sun Prairie- Did a nice job of pressing Waunakee when they were bringing the ball up the court. Hitting three bit three point shots in the game.
Box Score
Waunakee- Cefalu 19 Murray 18 Staege 11 Austin Maly 6 Chris Braatz 6 Jacob Soper 2 Kyle Newhouse 0 Nick Soper 0 Austin Prusha 0
Sun Prairie- Chris Hawkins 21 Boos 14 Schaffner 10 Nick Fuller 9 Noskowiak 6 William Theil 0 Daniel Mifflin 0
Waunakee may of lost this game but, they had a great season and should be poised for another great season returning three starters next year and returning their two top players in Staege and Murray. Sun Prairie moves on to make it an all Big Eight sectional with Madison Memorial, Madison East, and Middleton. The Big Eight now has six teams left including Beloit and Verona who are in the other sectional. Should be a very interesting match up between Sun Prairie and Madison Memorial as they split the regular season but, I think Memorial is just playing too good right now and should take down Sun Prairie and then defeat East to get to state.
Sun Prairie flexed their athleticism and muscle early in the game as 6'4 junior big man Chris Hawkins threw down and alley oop dunk and then had a break away dunk, Hawkins completed the trifecta throwing down a third dunk on another alley oop. Waunakee countered Hawkins with strong hustle play from their senior big man 6'3 Cole Cefalu who had a pair of second chance buckets and hit a three point shot. Early on Waunakee absolutely dominated the offensive glass but, when they didn't get the offensive rebound Sun Prairie was able to capitalize on the run out which led to some open looks for Sun Prairie's sharpshooters 6'2 senior Michael Boos and 6'3 junior Jordan Noskowiak who were able to knocked down the outside shots. Waunakee continued to get most of their scoring off of offensive rebounds and then Sun Prairie went to their bench and 5'11 junior Jaron Schaffner who hit a pair of three pointers in the second quarter. At half the score was in Sun Prairie's favor 29-23.
In the second half Waunakee pretty much gave up on their offense and went to an NBA style game just letting their two junior guards 6'2 Jared Staege and 6'3 Beau Murray take the ball to the hoop. When they didn't make the basket or not fouled it seemed there was someone there to clean up the mess, typically Cefalu who had a huge game just collecting second chance buckets. Waunakee pressed Sun Prairie throughout the entire game which led to numerous easy buckets for Sun Prairie which allowed Hawkins scoring total to just keep increasing all night long. In the end Waunakee just could never tie the game up and lost 62-59 with Sun Prairie leading the entire game.
Top Players
Cole Cefalu 6'3 senior Waunakee- Had a huge game dominating the offensive glass and getting second and third baskets.
Beau Murray 6'3 junior Waunakee- Did a nice job of getting to the hoop and scoring or getting fouled.
Jared Staege 6'2 junior Waunakee- Broke the Sun Prairie pressure defense with ease but, just couldn't get his shot to fall. Did hit a big three that got Waunakee within three.
Chris Hawkins 6'4 junior Sun Prairie- Just a beast in the post. Couldn't be stopped on the offensive end and had three nice dunks and able to hit a pair of nice jumpers.
Michael Boos 6'2 senior Sun Prairie- Had a fairly good first half shooting the ball and in the end was the guy that sealed the game hitting the free throws.
Jaron Schaffner 5'11 junior Sun Prairie- Did a nice job of pressing Waunakee when they were bringing the ball up the court. Hitting three bit three point shots in the game.
Box Score
Waunakee- Cefalu 19 Murray 18 Staege 11 Austin Maly 6 Chris Braatz 6 Jacob Soper 2 Kyle Newhouse 0 Nick Soper 0 Austin Prusha 0
Sun Prairie- Chris Hawkins 21 Boos 14 Schaffner 10 Nick Fuller 9 Noskowiak 6 William Theil 0 Daniel Mifflin 0
Waunakee may of lost this game but, they had a great season and should be poised for another great season returning three starters next year and returning their two top players in Staege and Murray. Sun Prairie moves on to make it an all Big Eight sectional with Madison Memorial, Madison East, and Middleton. The Big Eight now has six teams left including Beloit and Verona who are in the other sectional. Should be a very interesting match up between Sun Prairie and Madison Memorial as they split the regular season but, I think Memorial is just playing too good right now and should take down Sun Prairie and then defeat East to get to state.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Another upset Sauk Prairie over Prairie du Chien
I took in my third game of the playoffs and saw my third upset and third one point game. Throughout much of the came Sauk Prairie appeared to be the higher seeded team and if it wasn't for a second half rally by Prairie du Chien, could of ran away with this one. Sauk had already taken down conference winner River Valley so it really shouldn't of been a big surprised that Sauk was able to take down that same conferences number two team.
Sauk Prairie jumped out to the early lead behind the hot shooting of 6'5 senior Sam Koenig who hit three, three point shots in the first half and then had a steal and break away dunk that really got the crowd involved. PDC just couldn't get anything to fall in the first half and was down 16-6 after the first quarter. In the second quarter PDC was finally able to get things going looking inside to their big man 6'6 senior Cole Lewis who had a pair of very nice baskets and 6'3 junior Tanner Roach had a couple nice door back cuts that gave him some easy lay ins. PDC trimmed the half time lead to 24-19.
For whatever reason in the second half Sauk decided to settle for the outside shots and the shots weren't falling at all. PDC's top scorer finally made his appearance as 6'1 senior Chandler White came up with big shot after big shot in the second half. At the end of three score was 30-30. In the fourth quarter finally started making some jump shots behind 6'5 senior Travis Breunig who kept the game close. Late in the fourth Koenig hit a big three from out top to tie the game up by PDC game back down the court and found White in the corner for a three to give PDC the three point lead. Sauk came back with a 15 footer from Breunig to get them within one. Sauk was able to get the ball back and looked to Koenig again who penetrated to the hoop and drew the blocking foul. Koenig went to the line and knocked down both free throws to give Sauk the one point lead. White drove the length of the court and threw up a wild layup that hit the bottom of the rim and Sauk collected the rebound to get the win.
Top Players
Sam Koenig 6'5 senior Sauk Prairie- Couldn't miss from three point range, in particular from the corner. Koenig also had three or four big steals and the huge dunk.
Travis Breunig 6'5 senior Sauk Prairie- Struggled from the free throw line but, was money from the same distance during the live game action. Really carried Sauk late in the game when they couldn't buy a basket.
Chandler White 6'1 senior Prairie du Chien- Hit big shot after big shot all night and was the team leader.
Cole Lewis 6'6 senior Prairie du Chien- Had a very nice back to the basket game scoring on two straight possesions at one point and did a nice job of rebounding.
Box Score
Sauk Prairie- Koenig 16 Breunig 11 Matt Rudig 7 Drew Carden 5 Jordan Peters 3 Derek Sullivan 2 Tyler Fuchs 0 Brendan Coy 0
Prairie du Chien- White 12 Kyle McCoy 9 Roach 9 Lewis 6 Cody Key 3 Connor Morovits 3 Ryan Pedretti 0 Kevin Aspenson 0 Jeff Strandlie 0
Should be a very interesting sectional as Sauk Prairie will now move on to Play Mt. Horeb who was a two seed but, they took last in the Badger North while Sauk took second. This is the playoffs and anything can happen though. In the other half of the regional Madison Edgewood pulled another upset beating Lake Mills and move on to play Delavan Darien in the sectional semi final. Honestly I believe that it will be two four seeds battling to go to state between Sauk Prairie and Madison Edgewood.
Sauk Prairie jumped out to the early lead behind the hot shooting of 6'5 senior Sam Koenig who hit three, three point shots in the first half and then had a steal and break away dunk that really got the crowd involved. PDC just couldn't get anything to fall in the first half and was down 16-6 after the first quarter. In the second quarter PDC was finally able to get things going looking inside to their big man 6'6 senior Cole Lewis who had a pair of very nice baskets and 6'3 junior Tanner Roach had a couple nice door back cuts that gave him some easy lay ins. PDC trimmed the half time lead to 24-19.
For whatever reason in the second half Sauk decided to settle for the outside shots and the shots weren't falling at all. PDC's top scorer finally made his appearance as 6'1 senior Chandler White came up with big shot after big shot in the second half. At the end of three score was 30-30. In the fourth quarter finally started making some jump shots behind 6'5 senior Travis Breunig who kept the game close. Late in the fourth Koenig hit a big three from out top to tie the game up by PDC game back down the court and found White in the corner for a three to give PDC the three point lead. Sauk came back with a 15 footer from Breunig to get them within one. Sauk was able to get the ball back and looked to Koenig again who penetrated to the hoop and drew the blocking foul. Koenig went to the line and knocked down both free throws to give Sauk the one point lead. White drove the length of the court and threw up a wild layup that hit the bottom of the rim and Sauk collected the rebound to get the win.
Top Players
Sam Koenig 6'5 senior Sauk Prairie- Couldn't miss from three point range, in particular from the corner. Koenig also had three or four big steals and the huge dunk.
Travis Breunig 6'5 senior Sauk Prairie- Struggled from the free throw line but, was money from the same distance during the live game action. Really carried Sauk late in the game when they couldn't buy a basket.
Chandler White 6'1 senior Prairie du Chien- Hit big shot after big shot all night and was the team leader.
Cole Lewis 6'6 senior Prairie du Chien- Had a very nice back to the basket game scoring on two straight possesions at one point and did a nice job of rebounding.
Box Score
Sauk Prairie- Koenig 16 Breunig 11 Matt Rudig 7 Drew Carden 5 Jordan Peters 3 Derek Sullivan 2 Tyler Fuchs 0 Brendan Coy 0
Prairie du Chien- White 12 Kyle McCoy 9 Roach 9 Lewis 6 Cody Key 3 Connor Morovits 3 Ryan Pedretti 0 Kevin Aspenson 0 Jeff Strandlie 0
Should be a very interesting sectional as Sauk Prairie will now move on to Play Mt. Horeb who was a two seed but, they took last in the Badger North while Sauk took second. This is the playoffs and anything can happen though. In the other half of the regional Madison Edgewood pulled another upset beating Lake Mills and move on to play Delavan Darien in the sectional semi final. Honestly I believe that it will be two four seeds battling to go to state between Sauk Prairie and Madison Edgewood.
Friday, March 5, 2010
2nd round upset Edgewood takes down Portage
In my second game of the playoffs I witnessed my second upset as Madison Edgewood took down Portage 50-49. Originally I thought this to only be a minor upset but, the more I think about it, it seems to be a major upset. Portage had already defeated Edgewood by about 20 at the Badger Challenge and many people thought Portage was a given to get to sectionals and some even thought they were a state bound team. Not to mention watching warm ups I thought Portage would take this game easily. I should learn though no matter what an Edgewood team looks like and no matter what preconceived notions there are, never underestimate a team coached by Chris Zwettler. They may not be the best team or most athletic but, they will give it their all. I have always loved watching Edgewood teams play even though they aren't always the best team they will always give you a good hard fought game.
Early on it appeared my pregame thoughts were right and Portage was gonna win easily as they were able to score at will and Edgewood just seemed to be jacking threes whenever the shot was there. Portage jumped out to the early lead 13-8 behind the strong play of their senior point guard 6'0 Tyler Olson who was able to find some room in the Edgewood defense and knock down some midrange jump shots. In the second quarter it appeared Portage star 6'0 senior Kevin Hurd was getting things going and the Portage offense was running through him but, he was matched bucket for bucket by Edgewood sophomore 6'6 Austin Arians who really carried Edgewood early in this game and kept the Crusaders within striking distance. The difference in the first half was the strong play of Portage senior 6'7 Trevor Neale who came off the bench and blocked a couple shots and showed some nice post moves and throughout the game did a nice job of rebounding.
In the second half things really started going south for Portage. Edgewood started to press and Portage seemed to have a tough time getting the ball into Hurd or Olson's hands. Even when the two guards did get the ball the were just as apt to turn the ball over. Edgewood began hitting their shots and the comeback was on. Not sure what the score was at the end of three but, I know Portage was up by two. In the fourth quarter Portage continued to struggle against the pressure defense and Edgewood was hitting the threes. With about two minutes left Edgewood started the fouling and started really looking for the three point shot. Edgewood hit seven three pointers in the game with about five of them coming in the fourth quarter. Can't remember the exact events but, with Portage up by one Hurd went to the line and only converted on one of two free throws which left the door open for Edgewood. Edgewood missed their first shot Arians grabbed a long rebound and knocked down a jumper to tie the game with roughly 30 seconds left. Portage came down and looked for their main guy Hurd who was able to knock down the 15 footers with roughly 13 seconds left or so. Edgewood came back down the court and it appeared they were looking for Arians but, the ball ended up with 6'2 sophomore Spencer Brink who was able to hit the three point shot from the top of the key off the dribble to give Edgewood a one point lead with 1.7 seconds left. Hurds half court heave fell short giving Edgewood the 50-49 lead.
Top Players
Tyler Olson 6'0 senior Portage- Carried Portage throughout the first quarter but, kind of dissapeared late in the game.
Kevin Hurd 6'0 senior Portage- Just had a solid game overall knocking down mid range shots and free throws. About the only thing he did wrong was missed that free throw late. Really is a great floor leader on the court.
Trevor Neale 6'7 senior Portage- Gave a nice boost off the bench blocking shots, rebounding, and using a nice little post game to score.
Austin Arians 6'6 sophomore Edgewood- Really kept Edgewood in the game until the rest of his teammates starting hitting shots in the fourth quarter.
Spencer Brink 6'2 sophomore Edgewood- Had nice game overall running the point but, came up with the huge game winning three.
Box Score
Portage- Hurd 22 Olson 9 Neale 8 John Regalia 4 Kasi Schroeder 3 Ian Taylor 2 Josh Inglett 2 Ben Boeck 0
Edgewood- Arians 21 Brink 12 Connor Balczewski 8 Brock Pavlik 3 Christiaan Wabers 2 Tyler Krohn 2 Bruin Armwald 2 Scott Hird 0 Noah Kachelski 0
Madison Edgewood now moves on to play Lake Miller where some people actually have Edgewood as the favorite to win this game. Saturday I will be attending the Sauk Prairie vs Prairie du Chien during the day and then taking in Sun Prairie vs Waunakee at night. Thought about heading over to the Westosha Central vs Verona game but, just didn't spark enough interest for me to take in three games in one day. Should be another great day of high school basketball.
Early on it appeared my pregame thoughts were right and Portage was gonna win easily as they were able to score at will and Edgewood just seemed to be jacking threes whenever the shot was there. Portage jumped out to the early lead 13-8 behind the strong play of their senior point guard 6'0 Tyler Olson who was able to find some room in the Edgewood defense and knock down some midrange jump shots. In the second quarter it appeared Portage star 6'0 senior Kevin Hurd was getting things going and the Portage offense was running through him but, he was matched bucket for bucket by Edgewood sophomore 6'6 Austin Arians who really carried Edgewood early in this game and kept the Crusaders within striking distance. The difference in the first half was the strong play of Portage senior 6'7 Trevor Neale who came off the bench and blocked a couple shots and showed some nice post moves and throughout the game did a nice job of rebounding.
In the second half things really started going south for Portage. Edgewood started to press and Portage seemed to have a tough time getting the ball into Hurd or Olson's hands. Even when the two guards did get the ball the were just as apt to turn the ball over. Edgewood began hitting their shots and the comeback was on. Not sure what the score was at the end of three but, I know Portage was up by two. In the fourth quarter Portage continued to struggle against the pressure defense and Edgewood was hitting the threes. With about two minutes left Edgewood started the fouling and started really looking for the three point shot. Edgewood hit seven three pointers in the game with about five of them coming in the fourth quarter. Can't remember the exact events but, with Portage up by one Hurd went to the line and only converted on one of two free throws which left the door open for Edgewood. Edgewood missed their first shot Arians grabbed a long rebound and knocked down a jumper to tie the game with roughly 30 seconds left. Portage came down and looked for their main guy Hurd who was able to knock down the 15 footers with roughly 13 seconds left or so. Edgewood came back down the court and it appeared they were looking for Arians but, the ball ended up with 6'2 sophomore Spencer Brink who was able to hit the three point shot from the top of the key off the dribble to give Edgewood a one point lead with 1.7 seconds left. Hurds half court heave fell short giving Edgewood the 50-49 lead.
Top Players
Tyler Olson 6'0 senior Portage- Carried Portage throughout the first quarter but, kind of dissapeared late in the game.
Kevin Hurd 6'0 senior Portage- Just had a solid game overall knocking down mid range shots and free throws. About the only thing he did wrong was missed that free throw late. Really is a great floor leader on the court.
Trevor Neale 6'7 senior Portage- Gave a nice boost off the bench blocking shots, rebounding, and using a nice little post game to score.
Austin Arians 6'6 sophomore Edgewood- Really kept Edgewood in the game until the rest of his teammates starting hitting shots in the fourth quarter.
Spencer Brink 6'2 sophomore Edgewood- Had nice game overall running the point but, came up with the huge game winning three.
Box Score
Portage- Hurd 22 Olson 9 Neale 8 John Regalia 4 Kasi Schroeder 3 Ian Taylor 2 Josh Inglett 2 Ben Boeck 0
Edgewood- Arians 21 Brink 12 Connor Balczewski 8 Brock Pavlik 3 Christiaan Wabers 2 Tyler Krohn 2 Bruin Armwald 2 Scott Hird 0 Noah Kachelski 0
Madison Edgewood now moves on to play Lake Miller where some people actually have Edgewood as the favorite to win this game. Saturday I will be attending the Sauk Prairie vs Prairie du Chien during the day and then taking in Sun Prairie vs Waunakee at night. Thought about heading over to the Westosha Central vs Verona game but, just didn't spark enough interest for me to take in three games in one day. Should be another great day of high school basketball.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Reedsburg upsets Wisconsin Dells in Round One
This game was an upset on paper but, in reality this game wasn't much of an upset. Yes Wisconsin Dells was the three seed and Reedsburg the sixth but, in the regular season Reedsburg had beaten the Dells and everyone that follows high school basketball was picking Reedsburg. Another thing to factor in was that Reedsburg had really under achieved this year, at least in my eyes. They had two solid wing players in 6'3 junior Chad Mazur and 6'2 senior Jordan VanCleave and a pretty solid big man in 6'6 senior Jon Stolte but, they just couldn't get everyone going at the same time and get things rolling.
Reedsburg jumped out early and never trailed throughout the entire game. Dells came out very flat early on while Reedsburg was looking very sharp and much better then the previous time I had seen them. VanCleave looked very sharp in the first half as he was able to find his shooting range from about 15 feet and was able to knock down some mid range jumpers. Dells was hurt by some foul trouble early on as their defensive specialist 6'0 senior Bobby Blaschke picked up two early fouls in the first quarter and may of picked up a third before half, can't recall if that's correct though. 6'9 senior Nate Gibson also picked up two early fouls which caused him to sit a good portion of the first half. Meanwhile Dells star 6'5 senior Justin Ward really struggled to find his range. The fouls and cold shooting led to a Reedsburg halftime lead of 27-17. Reedsburg got a nice shot in the arm from their bench when 6'3 junior Ryan Pawlisch came in and knocked down a couple of three point shots. In the second half Wisconsin Dells was able to claw back in to the game by knocking down the three point shot. The hot shooting was led by 5'9 freshmen MJ Delmore who hit three, three points in the second half while four other players hit at least one shot from behind the arc. In the end though Reedsburg was able to hang on knocking down just enough free throws to get the one point win, 49-48. Ward hit a three with about 30 seconds or so left to make it a one point game and then Reedsburg missed the free throw. Dells called timeout and inbounded the ball with a little under 20 seconds left but, looked very disorganized and never got a good look at the hoop or into Ward's hand and had to settle for a double pump heave from Delmore at the buzzer.
Top Players
M.J. Delmore 5'9 freshmen Wisconsin Dells- Delmore looked much more sure of himself in this game and did a nice job of running the point. Played the entire game and hit those three big threes in the second half.
Shane Wimann 6'2 freshmen Wisconsin Dells- Would never guess he's a freshmen. Another kid that played the entire game and did a solid job guarding VanCleave and dominated the boards.
Jordan VanCleave 6'2 senior Reedsburg- Was MVP of the game as he was money from midrange really looked to score in this game.
Chad Mazur 6'3 junior Reedsburg- Didn't have a great game but, did have a nice little run in the second quarter and knocked down the free throws late in the game.
Box Score
WD- Ward 13 Delmore 11 Wimann 9 Gibson 9 Blaschke 3 Kyle Stowers 3 Josh Elftman 0
Reedsburg- VanCleave 16 Mazur 14 Stolte 10 Pawlisch 9 Kevin Sorenson 0 Mark Hollendyke 0 Jared Park 0 Durrell Naquin 0
Judging by who the top players were for Wisconsin Dells the future is very bright. Dells has a very strong freshmen class as they have two starting on varsity this year and one off the bench who didn't play this game, and then most of the JV team is freshmen as well. I'd say two years Dells will be a very good team and may be making a state push. As for Reedsburg, I've been a believer in them since before the season started and believe that they could beat Prairie du Chien in the next round and could make a push to sectionals. With the way the season has gone though they just as easily could be blown out in the next game.
Reedsburg jumped out early and never trailed throughout the entire game. Dells came out very flat early on while Reedsburg was looking very sharp and much better then the previous time I had seen them. VanCleave looked very sharp in the first half as he was able to find his shooting range from about 15 feet and was able to knock down some mid range jumpers. Dells was hurt by some foul trouble early on as their defensive specialist 6'0 senior Bobby Blaschke picked up two early fouls in the first quarter and may of picked up a third before half, can't recall if that's correct though. 6'9 senior Nate Gibson also picked up two early fouls which caused him to sit a good portion of the first half. Meanwhile Dells star 6'5 senior Justin Ward really struggled to find his range. The fouls and cold shooting led to a Reedsburg halftime lead of 27-17. Reedsburg got a nice shot in the arm from their bench when 6'3 junior Ryan Pawlisch came in and knocked down a couple of three point shots. In the second half Wisconsin Dells was able to claw back in to the game by knocking down the three point shot. The hot shooting was led by 5'9 freshmen MJ Delmore who hit three, three points in the second half while four other players hit at least one shot from behind the arc. In the end though Reedsburg was able to hang on knocking down just enough free throws to get the one point win, 49-48. Ward hit a three with about 30 seconds or so left to make it a one point game and then Reedsburg missed the free throw. Dells called timeout and inbounded the ball with a little under 20 seconds left but, looked very disorganized and never got a good look at the hoop or into Ward's hand and had to settle for a double pump heave from Delmore at the buzzer.
Top Players
M.J. Delmore 5'9 freshmen Wisconsin Dells- Delmore looked much more sure of himself in this game and did a nice job of running the point. Played the entire game and hit those three big threes in the second half.
Shane Wimann 6'2 freshmen Wisconsin Dells- Would never guess he's a freshmen. Another kid that played the entire game and did a solid job guarding VanCleave and dominated the boards.
Jordan VanCleave 6'2 senior Reedsburg- Was MVP of the game as he was money from midrange really looked to score in this game.
Chad Mazur 6'3 junior Reedsburg- Didn't have a great game but, did have a nice little run in the second quarter and knocked down the free throws late in the game.
Box Score
WD- Ward 13 Delmore 11 Wimann 9 Gibson 9 Blaschke 3 Kyle Stowers 3 Josh Elftman 0
Reedsburg- VanCleave 16 Mazur 14 Stolte 10 Pawlisch 9 Kevin Sorenson 0 Mark Hollendyke 0 Jared Park 0 Durrell Naquin 0
Judging by who the top players were for Wisconsin Dells the future is very bright. Dells has a very strong freshmen class as they have two starting on varsity this year and one off the bench who didn't play this game, and then most of the JV team is freshmen as well. I'd say two years Dells will be a very good team and may be making a state push. As for Reedsburg, I've been a believer in them since before the season started and believe that they could beat Prairie du Chien in the next round and could make a push to sectionals. With the way the season has gone though they just as easily could be blown out in the next game.
Monday, March 1, 2010
D1 state predictions
Here are the picks that we've all been waiting for and the most entertaining of all the divisions with division one. One of my state picks took a huge hit when two of their players supposedly "punched" and official so Milwaukee Washington will be without two of their top players. The biggest question for D1 is who comes out of the Middleton sectional Madison Memorial or Madison East. They split during the regular season and were co-champs in the conference. Here are my D1 picks and thoughts.
Marshfield Sectional
Favorite
Superior- Play in a very tough conference with the Duluth schools and should be battle tested come playoff time.
Contenders
Wausau West- Preseason favorite to get to state and won the Wisconsin Valley conference.
Antigo- Undefeated team and have one of the highest scorers in the state in Jordan Mach.
Eau Claire Memorial- Won the Big Rivers conference and appear to be the cream of the crop from the conference.
Eau Claire North- Were at state a year ago and have difference maker in 6'11 Evan Anderson.
Green Bay West Sectional
Favorite
Depere- Early season favorite to get to state and have won people over throughout the year, many even see them as a team with a shot to win it all.
Contenders
Kaukauna- Won the Fox Valley conference and have beaten some very good teams from the north.
Appleton East- Battle tested team that can really shoot the three which allows them to beat anyone.
Darkhorse
Kimberly- Highly regarded team in the preseason and have the talent to make a state run.
Middleton Sectional
Favorite
Madison Memorial- Have been playing great the past couple weeks and just beat Madison East by about seven. Also probably have more talent then anyone else in the state with the exception of Milwaukee Hamiliton.
Contenders
Madison East- Have two of the top players in the state in Marquis Mason and Nimrod Hillard. Have been very tough all year long.
Darkhorse
Waunakee- Very disciplined team that can stay in the game with anyone because of their defense and rebounding.
Sun Prairie- Play to their opponents level which means they could be an easy out or defeat anyone in the state. If their threes are falling they've proven the can take down the best in the state.
Oshkosh North Sectional
Favorite
Neenah- Appear to be playing very well as of late and this sectional isn't very tough.
Contenders
Oshkosh North- State team a year ago and have their senior leader point guard Taylor Cameron.
Beaver Dam- Honestly I don't know but, they have a good record and some people are picking them to get to state.
Germantown Sectional
Favorite
Menomonee Falls- Appear to be clicking at the right time and have a top player in JP Tokoto.
Contenders
Arrowhead- Have been very tough all year long and have 7'1 big man Ben Mills.
Darkhorse
Milwaukee Vincent- Down year but, they still have some of the best talent in the state.
Germantown- Probably a year away but, were at state a year ago and have some very good guards and they are battle tested.
Beloit Sectional
Favorite
Beloit- Have already beaten top contender Verona and honestly don't see much more for competition.
Contender
Verona- Very disciplined team and are battle tested after playing in the Big Eight.
Kenosha Bradford- Preseason favorite and apparently have some very good guards.
Greenfield Sectional
Favorite
Milwaukee Hamiliton- Only one loss against Wisconsin teams and have the most talent in the state.
Contenders
Racine Park- Undefeated and have three very very good starting guards.
Germantown Sectional 2
Favorite
Milwaukee King- Always seem to find a way to make a run at state. Have one of the best coaches in the state and are a very talented team.
Conteders
Milwaukee Riverside- Have competed all year with the big dogs in the City Conference and could make some noise come tourney time.
Depere over Superior- Depere is just a flat out better team.
Madison Memorial over Neenah- Huge edge to Memorial in the speed and athleticism departments.
Milwaukee Hamiliton over Milwaukee King- Top team in the City should beat a team that was behind them in the conference standings.
Menomonee Falls over Beloit- Beloit is only here because of weak sectional.
Madison Memorial over Depere- Once again talent wins out.
Milwaukee Hamiliton over Menomonee Falls- Talent again is the factor.
Milwaukee Hamiliton over Madison Memorial- Two most talented teams match up and the team thats been more consistent gets the win.
Tomorrow starts the March Madness. Should be a very fun month.
Marshfield Sectional
Favorite
Superior- Play in a very tough conference with the Duluth schools and should be battle tested come playoff time.
Contenders
Wausau West- Preseason favorite to get to state and won the Wisconsin Valley conference.
Antigo- Undefeated team and have one of the highest scorers in the state in Jordan Mach.
Eau Claire Memorial- Won the Big Rivers conference and appear to be the cream of the crop from the conference.
Eau Claire North- Were at state a year ago and have difference maker in 6'11 Evan Anderson.
Green Bay West Sectional
Favorite
Depere- Early season favorite to get to state and have won people over throughout the year, many even see them as a team with a shot to win it all.
Contenders
Kaukauna- Won the Fox Valley conference and have beaten some very good teams from the north.
Appleton East- Battle tested team that can really shoot the three which allows them to beat anyone.
Darkhorse
Kimberly- Highly regarded team in the preseason and have the talent to make a state run.
Middleton Sectional
Favorite
Madison Memorial- Have been playing great the past couple weeks and just beat Madison East by about seven. Also probably have more talent then anyone else in the state with the exception of Milwaukee Hamiliton.
Contenders
Madison East- Have two of the top players in the state in Marquis Mason and Nimrod Hillard. Have been very tough all year long.
Darkhorse
Waunakee- Very disciplined team that can stay in the game with anyone because of their defense and rebounding.
Sun Prairie- Play to their opponents level which means they could be an easy out or defeat anyone in the state. If their threes are falling they've proven the can take down the best in the state.
Oshkosh North Sectional
Favorite
Neenah- Appear to be playing very well as of late and this sectional isn't very tough.
Contenders
Oshkosh North- State team a year ago and have their senior leader point guard Taylor Cameron.
Beaver Dam- Honestly I don't know but, they have a good record and some people are picking them to get to state.
Germantown Sectional
Favorite
Menomonee Falls- Appear to be clicking at the right time and have a top player in JP Tokoto.
Contenders
Arrowhead- Have been very tough all year long and have 7'1 big man Ben Mills.
Darkhorse
Milwaukee Vincent- Down year but, they still have some of the best talent in the state.
Germantown- Probably a year away but, were at state a year ago and have some very good guards and they are battle tested.
Beloit Sectional
Favorite
Beloit- Have already beaten top contender Verona and honestly don't see much more for competition.
Contender
Verona- Very disciplined team and are battle tested after playing in the Big Eight.
Kenosha Bradford- Preseason favorite and apparently have some very good guards.
Greenfield Sectional
Favorite
Milwaukee Hamiliton- Only one loss against Wisconsin teams and have the most talent in the state.
Contenders
Racine Park- Undefeated and have three very very good starting guards.
Germantown Sectional 2
Favorite
Milwaukee King- Always seem to find a way to make a run at state. Have one of the best coaches in the state and are a very talented team.
Conteders
Milwaukee Riverside- Have competed all year with the big dogs in the City Conference and could make some noise come tourney time.
Depere over Superior- Depere is just a flat out better team.
Madison Memorial over Neenah- Huge edge to Memorial in the speed and athleticism departments.
Milwaukee Hamiliton over Milwaukee King- Top team in the City should beat a team that was behind them in the conference standings.
Menomonee Falls over Beloit- Beloit is only here because of weak sectional.
Madison Memorial over Depere- Once again talent wins out.
Milwaukee Hamiliton over Menomonee Falls- Talent again is the factor.
Milwaukee Hamiliton over Madison Memorial- Two most talented teams match up and the team thats been more consistent gets the win.
Tomorrow starts the March Madness. Should be a very fun month.
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