Has been a little while since last week when I watched Necedah defeat Dodgeland and Dubuque Senior beat Sussex Hamilton. I've decided to just do a quick write up of each game.
Necedah 69 Dodgeland 42
Coming into this game I really didn't know anything about either team. it warm ups it was fairly obvious that this wasn't my typical game I attend and would be a bit lower level. Early on Dodgeland kept the game close but, as the game wore on it became more and more evident that Necedah was the far superior team. Necedah pressed the entire game and Dodgeland struggled to break the press a game long. Necedah really broke the game open when they out scored Dodgeland 22 to 4 in the third quarter. As the press wore Dodgeland down their defense got worse and worse and the gave up open three after open three.
Top Players
Jordan Murphy 5'10 junior Necedah- Struggled a bit early but, in the second half really got his shot going and was knocking down the threes. Did a nice job driving to the hoop as well when the shot was falling early.
Tripp Horbinski 5'7 senior Necedah- Didn't do a ton of scoring but, really did a nice job of pressuring the Dodgeland ball handlers and running the offense. Always seems to make the right decision in transition and finding the right team mate.
Colton Neis 5'11 junior Dodgeland- Was one of the few bright spots for Dodgeland as he was able to hit multiple mid range jumpers.
Top Scorers
Necedah
Murphy 19 Matt Brown 10 Isaiah Dutscheck 10
Dodgeland
Neis 10 Branden Kluge 9 David Cameron 8
Dubuque Senior 55 Sussex Hamilton 43
This game was really the story of the length of Dubuque just being too much for Hamilton to match. Dubuque started 6'3, 6'5, 6'7, 6'9, and 6'9 and Hamilton had two guys at 6'4 and one at 6'5. Hamilton had the top player in 6'4 senior Brady Ellingson but, he just had no help and just couldn't get his shot going at all. Ellingson took a ton of shots in this game and nothing was falling. As Ellingson continued to struggle he continued to force more and more shots. Shots that were in NBA range, threes with a hand in his face, and runners when he was double teamed. Ellingson's team mates seemed reluctant to take shots as I stated earlier and passed up open shots looking for Ellingson. For Senior they really showed off the defense and really focused on Ellingson, forcing him to get the ball five feet behind the three point line and having to make things happen from way outside. On the offensive end 6'7 senior Kyle Haber didn't do much early but, in the second half Haber got his mid range game going and was able to hit runners in the lane and late when Hamilton was fouling, Haber hit his free throws. Most of the game Senior went inside to their 6'9 big men senior Seth Bonifas and junior Luke McDonnell. They were able to score with ease or get fouled throughout. Hamilton made it interesting late with three pointers but, Dubuque hit their free throws and hung on for the win.
Top Players
Brady Ellingson 6'4 senior Hamilton- Looked real smooth but, just couldn't get his shot to fall. Showed some good ball handling skills.
Kyle Haber 6'7 senior Dubuque- Did a great job running the point. Showed a very nice mid range game from 15 feet and in and hit the big free throws late in the game.
Luke McDonnell 6'9 junior Dubuque- Showed a real nice touch around the rim and also did a great job of rebounding as well.
Top Scorers
Hamilton
Ellingson 19 Mitch Gesvain 9
Dubuque
Haber 22 McDonnell 14 Bonifas 8
May or may not be going to a game tomorrow night and then will be going to a tournament this weekend.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Another week and it is time for another round of my personal state rankings. These rankings obviously mean nothing but, are solely my thoughts on what I feel the rankings should be. Just something I do for fun.
Division One
Last week missed the fact that Stevens Point lost to Neenah, which force me to drop Point to seven. Milwaukee King lost to Waukesha West who also beat Mukwonago, allowing West to jump into the rankings at 10, dropping King to 12, and knocking Muk right out of the rankings.. Madison Memorial lost to Middleton and drop to 13. Milwaukee Hamilton lost to D4 power Dominican and barely hang in there at 15. Sussex Hamilton lost to Iowa power Dubuque Senior and I hate penalizing teams for losing to out of state teams so they stay right at 14.
1. Germantown
2. Brookfield Central
3. Oshkosh North
4. Racine Case
5. Neenah
6. De Pere
7. Stevens Point
8. Homestead
9. Milwaukee Marquette
10. Waukesha West
11. Milwaukee Vincent
12. Milwaukee King
13. Madison Memorial
14. Sussex Hamilton
15. Milwaukee Hamilton
Division Two
Wisconsin Lutheran lost to a very good D1 team in Milwaukee King and drop a couple spots to 6. Whitefish Bay lost to D1 power Germantown and also only fall a few spots to nine. Pewaukee lost to Wauwatosa West and Eisenhower and fall out of the rankings and are replaced by Tosa West at 14. Pius lost to Eisenhower and have lost three games but, all of those three teams are ranked ahead of them so they remain 15.
1. Seymour
2. Rice Lake
3. West De Pere
4. Milwaukee Washington
5. La Crosse Central
6. Wisconsin Lutheran
7. Stoughton
8. New Berlin Eisenhower
9. Whitefish Bay
10. Mt Horeb
11. Holmen
12. Kaukauna
13. Monona Grove
14. Wauwatosa West
15. Milwaukee Pius
Division Three
Roncalli lost to ranked D1 Milwaukee Vincent and drop a couple spots to four. East Troy lost to Mcfarland and Edgerton, fall out of the rankings and are replaced by Edgerton. Nekoosa lost to Medford and drop to 14. Cambellsport lost to Sheboygan Falls, fall out of the rankings and Laconia appears at 13. Also discovered that Brillion has moved to D4 this year and are therefore no longer in my rankings, which allows GET to appear at 14.
1. Lodi
2. Marshall
3. Brown Deer
4. Roncalli
5. Peshtigo
6. Waupun
7. Elk Mound
8. Valders
9. Aquinas
10. Wrightstown
11. Edgerton
12. Laconia
13. Nekoosa
14. GET
15. Poynette
Division Four
Shiocton lost to D3 ranked Laconia and drop a bit to 11. Marathon lost to Mosinee who falls all the way to 15 but, still hang on to the rankings. Three teams that dropped out were Grantsburg who is 0-3, Spring Valley who lost to Mondovi, and Regis who lost to Aquinas and Altoona.
1. Dominican
2. Pacelli
3. Brookfield Academy
4. Racine St. Catherines
5. Blair Taylor
6. Auburndale
7. Mineral Point
8. Lourdes Academy
9. Brillion
10. Cuba City
11. Shiocton
12. Fall Creek
13. Iola Scandenavia
14. Onalaska Luther
15. Marathon
Division Five
Randolph lost to Oshkosh Lourdes a ranked D4 team and drop to five. Catholic Central lost to Waterford and drop to 11. Assumption lost to D3 ranked Nekoosa, falling to 12. Bangor lost to a very good Blair Taylor team but, remain at 15. Almond Bancroft lost to Necedah and fall out of the rankings and are replaced by Hillsboro.
1. Sheboygan Lutheran
2. NEW Lutheran
3. Black Hawk
4. Cassville
5. Randolph
6. Barneveld
7. Thorp
8. Central Wisconsin Christian
9. North Crawford
10. Milwaukee Academy of Science
11. Catholic Central
12. Assumption
13. Fall River
14. Hillsboro
15. Bangor
There are my new rankings. I have had a busy week but, I did see a pair of games last Friday and will try to get a write up in here in the near future.
Division One
Last week missed the fact that Stevens Point lost to Neenah, which force me to drop Point to seven. Milwaukee King lost to Waukesha West who also beat Mukwonago, allowing West to jump into the rankings at 10, dropping King to 12, and knocking Muk right out of the rankings.. Madison Memorial lost to Middleton and drop to 13. Milwaukee Hamilton lost to D4 power Dominican and barely hang in there at 15. Sussex Hamilton lost to Iowa power Dubuque Senior and I hate penalizing teams for losing to out of state teams so they stay right at 14.
1. Germantown
2. Brookfield Central
3. Oshkosh North
4. Racine Case
5. Neenah
6. De Pere
7. Stevens Point
8. Homestead
9. Milwaukee Marquette
10. Waukesha West
11. Milwaukee Vincent
12. Milwaukee King
13. Madison Memorial
14. Sussex Hamilton
15. Milwaukee Hamilton
Division Two
Wisconsin Lutheran lost to a very good D1 team in Milwaukee King and drop a couple spots to 6. Whitefish Bay lost to D1 power Germantown and also only fall a few spots to nine. Pewaukee lost to Wauwatosa West and Eisenhower and fall out of the rankings and are replaced by Tosa West at 14. Pius lost to Eisenhower and have lost three games but, all of those three teams are ranked ahead of them so they remain 15.
1. Seymour
2. Rice Lake
3. West De Pere
4. Milwaukee Washington
5. La Crosse Central
6. Wisconsin Lutheran
7. Stoughton
8. New Berlin Eisenhower
9. Whitefish Bay
10. Mt Horeb
11. Holmen
12. Kaukauna
13. Monona Grove
14. Wauwatosa West
15. Milwaukee Pius
Division Three
Roncalli lost to ranked D1 Milwaukee Vincent and drop a couple spots to four. East Troy lost to Mcfarland and Edgerton, fall out of the rankings and are replaced by Edgerton. Nekoosa lost to Medford and drop to 14. Cambellsport lost to Sheboygan Falls, fall out of the rankings and Laconia appears at 13. Also discovered that Brillion has moved to D4 this year and are therefore no longer in my rankings, which allows GET to appear at 14.
1. Lodi
2. Marshall
3. Brown Deer
4. Roncalli
5. Peshtigo
6. Waupun
7. Elk Mound
8. Valders
9. Aquinas
10. Wrightstown
11. Edgerton
12. Laconia
13. Nekoosa
14. GET
15. Poynette
Division Four
Shiocton lost to D3 ranked Laconia and drop a bit to 11. Marathon lost to Mosinee who falls all the way to 15 but, still hang on to the rankings. Three teams that dropped out were Grantsburg who is 0-3, Spring Valley who lost to Mondovi, and Regis who lost to Aquinas and Altoona.
1. Dominican
2. Pacelli
3. Brookfield Academy
4. Racine St. Catherines
5. Blair Taylor
6. Auburndale
7. Mineral Point
8. Lourdes Academy
9. Brillion
10. Cuba City
11. Shiocton
12. Fall Creek
13. Iola Scandenavia
14. Onalaska Luther
15. Marathon
Division Five
Randolph lost to Oshkosh Lourdes a ranked D4 team and drop to five. Catholic Central lost to Waterford and drop to 11. Assumption lost to D3 ranked Nekoosa, falling to 12. Bangor lost to a very good Blair Taylor team but, remain at 15. Almond Bancroft lost to Necedah and fall out of the rankings and are replaced by Hillsboro.
1. Sheboygan Lutheran
2. NEW Lutheran
3. Black Hawk
4. Cassville
5. Randolph
6. Barneveld
7. Thorp
8. Central Wisconsin Christian
9. North Crawford
10. Milwaukee Academy of Science
11. Catholic Central
12. Assumption
13. Fall River
14. Hillsboro
15. Bangor
There are my new rankings. I have had a busy week but, I did see a pair of games last Friday and will try to get a write up in here in the near future.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Middleton upsets Madison Memorial
I have watched Madison Memorial more then any other high school in the past ten years or so and it is very evident that this is not the Madison Memorial of old and this game may look like an upset right now, come the end of the year this may not be an upset. Stating that is really not a knock on this Memorial team that really has a ton of talent but, the fact that the teams in the past have been so good. My comments could be all for not though if these team ends up winning another conference title like last years team which I also thought was not quite up to par with teams of past.
Like the teams of old this Memorial team looks to run and push the tempo but, I'm not sure that is this teams best bet to win. Memorial has good overall team size but, doesn't have the quickness to apply the pressure for an entire game. I would like see them really pound the ball inside to their senior big man 6'7 Darral Willis and 6'4 Tyler Lindquist. They did a nice job of going to Willis at times but, he was limited by foul trouble and had some poor shot selections. Willis needs to do a better job of passing out of the post and just playing a little smarter on defense and offense. Lindquist didn't really look to go down in the low post much and I really think that would benefit him very well.
I don't like to criticize players directly so I'll just leave it at Memorial took a lot and I mean a lot of very bad shots and probably air balled about half a dozen shots. If they don't have the shooters they don't have the shooters but, not taking those bad shots may have allowed Memorial to win this game. I believe in the game Memorial only hit two three point shots and that has been a weakness for Memorial for a quite a few years and in the past they have been able to over come that with athleticism and rebounding and this team may be able to do the same thing in time. Have to give props to 5'11 senior Reggie Roemer who has really become a leader of this time. At this time last year he couldn't even get off the bench and as the year went on he moved into the rotation and then starting by being a scrappy hard nosed player and is now the floor general of this team and seems to be playing with a lot of confidence.
Middleton was pretty typical of Middleton teams of the past five years. Play a lot of guys, shoot the three, and really play hard nosed hustling basketball. 6'5 senior Derek Rongstad was probably the best player on the court but, he hardly had to do it alone. Seven different players made baskets and it is very hard to tell who the starters are watching the game because everyone is so even and there is no drop off on the bench. Middleton did struggle with Memorial's pressure defense at times but, Rongstad would always come back and take control bringing the ball up the court and settle Middleton down. When Willis for Memorial got in foul trouble Middleton was able to take advantage grabbing offensive rebounds and taking the ball strong to the hoop. I wish I had more to say about Middleton because they won the game but, Memorial has all the hype and the talent. It's also a credit to Middleton because they don't have the standout outside of Rongstad that stands out and takes all the credit.
Top Players
Darral Willis (was Darralyn last year?) 6'7 senior Memorial- Has a pretty nice game with his back to the basket. Is still a little raw and doesn't have the softest touch. With his length showed he could get his shot of at anytime and he is going to affect the game with his rebounding and defense.
Henry Houden 6'4 junior Memorial- Didn't know a thing about this kid and don't recall him since he played JV last year I'm assuming but, he really stuck out to me. Didn't have a great game but, is really athletic and moves without the ball. Also plays some pretty good defense.
Derek Rongstad 6'5 senior Middleton- Just a very good player that will push for conference player of the year in the Big Eight. Shoots the three, rebounds, runs the point, and can get his shot any time he wants.
Demond Hill 6'2 senior Middleton- Watching warmups thought Hill would be a high energy guy but, was really a calming influence and was a great spot up shooter and was able to guard anyone on the court.
Box Score
Memorial 50- Willis 15 Lindquist 10 Roemer 7 Shareef Smith 7 Houden 6 Bryce Danielson 5 Daurice Fountain 0 Brett Tauber 0
Middleton 54- Rongstad 16 Hill 10 Max Oelerich 8 Luke Schafer 8 Chris Little 5 Andrew Garner 4 CJ Fermanich 2 Derek Rogeberg 1 Brett Joers 0 Nick Revord 0
This game could be a peak into the future with Memorial maybe falling back to the back and Middleton possibly showing they may be one of the top contenders. On the other side Memorial will turn things around and win another conference title and Middleton will fall back to reality and be a .500 team in conference. It will probably be somewhere in between with Memorial challenging for a conference title and Middleton will probably be right with them.
Like the teams of old this Memorial team looks to run and push the tempo but, I'm not sure that is this teams best bet to win. Memorial has good overall team size but, doesn't have the quickness to apply the pressure for an entire game. I would like see them really pound the ball inside to their senior big man 6'7 Darral Willis and 6'4 Tyler Lindquist. They did a nice job of going to Willis at times but, he was limited by foul trouble and had some poor shot selections. Willis needs to do a better job of passing out of the post and just playing a little smarter on defense and offense. Lindquist didn't really look to go down in the low post much and I really think that would benefit him very well.
I don't like to criticize players directly so I'll just leave it at Memorial took a lot and I mean a lot of very bad shots and probably air balled about half a dozen shots. If they don't have the shooters they don't have the shooters but, not taking those bad shots may have allowed Memorial to win this game. I believe in the game Memorial only hit two three point shots and that has been a weakness for Memorial for a quite a few years and in the past they have been able to over come that with athleticism and rebounding and this team may be able to do the same thing in time. Have to give props to 5'11 senior Reggie Roemer who has really become a leader of this time. At this time last year he couldn't even get off the bench and as the year went on he moved into the rotation and then starting by being a scrappy hard nosed player and is now the floor general of this team and seems to be playing with a lot of confidence.
Middleton was pretty typical of Middleton teams of the past five years. Play a lot of guys, shoot the three, and really play hard nosed hustling basketball. 6'5 senior Derek Rongstad was probably the best player on the court but, he hardly had to do it alone. Seven different players made baskets and it is very hard to tell who the starters are watching the game because everyone is so even and there is no drop off on the bench. Middleton did struggle with Memorial's pressure defense at times but, Rongstad would always come back and take control bringing the ball up the court and settle Middleton down. When Willis for Memorial got in foul trouble Middleton was able to take advantage grabbing offensive rebounds and taking the ball strong to the hoop. I wish I had more to say about Middleton because they won the game but, Memorial has all the hype and the talent. It's also a credit to Middleton because they don't have the standout outside of Rongstad that stands out and takes all the credit.
Top Players
Darral Willis (was Darralyn last year?) 6'7 senior Memorial- Has a pretty nice game with his back to the basket. Is still a little raw and doesn't have the softest touch. With his length showed he could get his shot of at anytime and he is going to affect the game with his rebounding and defense.
Henry Houden 6'4 junior Memorial- Didn't know a thing about this kid and don't recall him since he played JV last year I'm assuming but, he really stuck out to me. Didn't have a great game but, is really athletic and moves without the ball. Also plays some pretty good defense.
Derek Rongstad 6'5 senior Middleton- Just a very good player that will push for conference player of the year in the Big Eight. Shoots the three, rebounds, runs the point, and can get his shot any time he wants.
Demond Hill 6'2 senior Middleton- Watching warmups thought Hill would be a high energy guy but, was really a calming influence and was a great spot up shooter and was able to guard anyone on the court.
Box Score
Memorial 50- Willis 15 Lindquist 10 Roemer 7 Shareef Smith 7 Houden 6 Bryce Danielson 5 Daurice Fountain 0 Brett Tauber 0
Middleton 54- Rongstad 16 Hill 10 Max Oelerich 8 Luke Schafer 8 Chris Little 5 Andrew Garner 4 CJ Fermanich 2 Derek Rogeberg 1 Brett Joers 0 Nick Revord 0
This game could be a peak into the future with Memorial maybe falling back to the back and Middleton possibly showing they may be one of the top contenders. On the other side Memorial will turn things around and win another conference title and Middleton will fall back to reality and be a .500 team in conference. It will probably be somewhere in between with Memorial challenging for a conference title and Middleton will probably be right with them.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Week One Rankings
Between the two half weeks of season a full week has been played and is time to update my rankings. Here are my new rankings obviously some very minor changes.
D1
Sun Prairie lost to Madison East and Green Bay Preble and fall out of my rankings all together. De Pere lost to Oshkosh North and drop just one spot to nine.. Milwaukee Hamilton lost to Pewaukee a D2 team,Vincent lost to Racine Case a ranked D1, Mukwonago lost to Milwaukee Washington another good D2 team, and Sussex Hamilton lost to Milwaukee King allowing Homestead and Milwaukee Marquette to jump each of them.
1.Germantown
2. Brookfield Central
3. Oshkosh North
4. Stevens Point
5. Milwaukee King
6. Racine Case
7. Madison Memorial
8. Neenah
9. De Pere
10. Homestead
11. Milwaukee Marquette
12. Milwaukee Hamilton
13. Milwaukee Vincent
14. Sussex Hamilton
15. Mukwonago
Division Two
Whitefish Bay lost to Milwaukee King and Washington lost to De Pere two very good D1 teams, which only caused each team to drop a spot to five and six. Pius lost to Pewaukee and Brookfield Academy and drop all the way to 15. Edgewood lost to Madison West and Janesville Craig, while Plymouth lost to Oostburg, dropping both teams from the rankings and are replaced by Kaukana and Monona Grove.
1. Seymour
2. Rice Lake
3. West De Pere
4. Wisconsin Lutheran
5. Whitefish Bay
6. Milwaukee Washington
7. La Crosse Central
8. Stoughton
9. New Berlin Eisenhower
10. Pewaukee
11. Mt Horeb
12. Holmen
13. Kaukauna
14. Monona Grove
15. Milwaukee Pius
Division Three
Wrightstown lost to Brillion and falls behind them at 14 while Brillion checks in at 12. Aquinas lost to Stoughton and fall to 11. KML lost to West Bend East and Campbellsport and fall out of the rankings and are replaced by Campbellsport. Poynette lost to Marshall and Neekoosa two ranked teams so they hang on to the 15 spot. Little Chute lost to Dominican and New London and fall out of the rankings.
1. Lodi
2. Roncalli
3. Marshall
4. Brown Deer
5. Peshtigo
6. East Troy
7. Waupun
8. Elk Mound
9. Valders
10. Nekoosa
11. Aquinas
12. Brillion
13. Campbellsport
14. Wrightstown
15. Poynette
Division Four
Many of the top teams lost to larger schools so I decided not to penalize them for that. Blair Taylor lost to GET a D3 school and fall to 5. Pacelli lost to Wausau East, St Cats lost to Kenosha Tremper, and Brookfield Academy lost to Milwaukee Marquette all D1 schools and they all actually move up a spot. Regis lost to Fall Creek and Milwaukee Bradley Tech and fall down to 15. Cuba City lost to Monona Grove and fall to 11.Wild Rose lost to Iola Scandenavia and Auburndale while Cameron lost to Spring Valley and both fell out of the rankings, while Fall Creek and Spring Valley replaced them.
1. Dominican
2. Pacelli
3. Brookfield Academy
4. Racine St. Catherines
5. Blair Taylor
6. Auburndale
7. Mineral Point
8. Shiocton
9. Lourdes Academy
10. Marathon
11. Cuba City
12. Grantsburg
13. Fall Creek
14. Spring Valley
15. Regis
Division Five
NEW Lutheran lost to Pulaski and drops to the three spot. Fall River lost to Randolph and Williams Bay and falls all the way to 13. Thorp lost to Altoona and drops to seven. Columbus Catholic lost to Pittsville and Assumption and fall out of the rankings, being replaced by Milwaukee Academy, which was an over sight on my part leaving them out last week. Almond-Bancroft lost to Northland Lutheran and Bangor lost to Onalaska Luther, dropping them to 14 and 15.
1. Randolph
2. Sheboygan Lutheran
3. NEW Lutheran
4. Black Hawk
5. Cassville
6. Barneveld
7. Thorp
8. Central Wisconsin Christian
9. Catholic Central
10. North Crawford
11. Assumption
12. Milwaukee Academy of Science
13. Fall River
14. Almond-Bancroft
15. Bangor
There are my rankings. At this time they are extremely difficult because there was a lot of good match ups early on in the year and you just don't know for sure at this time.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Division Five Preseason Rankings
Finally have gotten to the smallest division. Another division where I will count on Mark Miller.
1. NEW Lutheran- Bring back a pair of starters from their state runner up team in seniors 6'7 Nathan Toenjes and 6'3 Dakota Zinser both double digit scorers. Also bring back most of their bench as well.
2. Randolph- Defending state champs have a new coach but, bring back 5'7 junior Duke Vander Galien who should have a break out year with more freedom in the offense and 6'3 senior Kyle Roberts.
3. Sheboygan Lutheran- Still have two starters from their state championship team two years ago in 5'9 senior Tyler Zastrow and 6'0 junior Jacob Jurss.
4. Fall River- Have been the dominate team in the Trailways South and bring back four starters.
5. Thorp- Picked to win the always tough Cloverbelt West and have four starters back.
6. Black Hawk- Only lost two games a year ago and have their top three scorers back.
7. Cassville- Won 22 games a year ago and have back five of their top six players.
8. Columbus Catholic- Four starters back and they won 18 games a year ago.
9. Barneveld- Have a great tradition and only lost one starter from last years team.
10. Almond-Bancroft- Won 20 games a year ago and are led by 6'2 senior Ethan Yonke who averages nearly 20 points a game.
11. Central Wisconsin Christian- Have gotten to the point where they regularly challenge Randolph in conference and when you get to that point it really means something.
12. Catholic Central- Have their top five scorers back.
13. Bangor- Four starters back, two of which were first team all conference in 6'0 senior Andrew Lockington and 6'5 junior Canon O'Heron.
14. North Crawford- Have a strong tradition and bring back three starters.
15. Assumption- A pair of double digit scorers back and they have a pretty good tradition as well.
There is my D5. Not much to say about it at all. I only saw two of these teams play last year and that was the top two teams.
1. NEW Lutheran- Bring back a pair of starters from their state runner up team in seniors 6'7 Nathan Toenjes and 6'3 Dakota Zinser both double digit scorers. Also bring back most of their bench as well.
2. Randolph- Defending state champs have a new coach but, bring back 5'7 junior Duke Vander Galien who should have a break out year with more freedom in the offense and 6'3 senior Kyle Roberts.
3. Sheboygan Lutheran- Still have two starters from their state championship team two years ago in 5'9 senior Tyler Zastrow and 6'0 junior Jacob Jurss.
4. Fall River- Have been the dominate team in the Trailways South and bring back four starters.
5. Thorp- Picked to win the always tough Cloverbelt West and have four starters back.
6. Black Hawk- Only lost two games a year ago and have their top three scorers back.
7. Cassville- Won 22 games a year ago and have back five of their top six players.
8. Columbus Catholic- Four starters back and they won 18 games a year ago.
9. Barneveld- Have a great tradition and only lost one starter from last years team.
10. Almond-Bancroft- Won 20 games a year ago and are led by 6'2 senior Ethan Yonke who averages nearly 20 points a game.
11. Central Wisconsin Christian- Have gotten to the point where they regularly challenge Randolph in conference and when you get to that point it really means something.
12. Catholic Central- Have their top five scorers back.
13. Bangor- Four starters back, two of which were first team all conference in 6'0 senior Andrew Lockington and 6'5 junior Canon O'Heron.
14. North Crawford- Have a strong tradition and bring back three starters.
15. Assumption- A pair of double digit scorers back and they have a pretty good tradition as well.
There is my D5. Not much to say about it at all. I only saw two of these teams play last year and that was the top two teams.
Division Four Preseason Rankings
Well I'm getting a little behind on my preseason rankings since the first week of the season is already past but, I will try to catch up on the final two small divisions and may need some help from my Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook. The small schools don't have the big name players typically and therefore don't draw my attention or the majority of peoples attentions. So here are my D4 rankings, with a lot of help from Mark Miller. As the usual there is a lot of private schools here.
1. Dominican- 6'9 junior Diamond Stone is one of the top players in the country let a lone the top player in D4. Probably no one in D4 that can stop him.
2. Blair Taylor- Bring back everyone from last years team. Headlined by 6'1 junior Brett Ladsten and 6'4 senior Dalton Soto. Had the talent last year and couldn't put it together.
3. Pacelli- Were talked up a lot last year and had a good year but, this year should be better with five starters returning, three of which are 6'4 or taller.
4. Brookfield Academy- Bring back three starters including 22 points a game player in 6'3 senior Sean Clarey who will be playing D2 college next year.
5. Racine St. Catherines- Ultra strong tradition for St. Cats and 6'6 junior Kelly Thomas should make them a top team in D4.
6. Eau Claire Regis- 6'5 junior Billy Wampler should have a huge year.
7. Auburndale- State team a year ago and bring back their second leading scorer in 6'1 senior Blake Anderson, as well as a pair of other starters.
8. Mineral Point- Four starters back and Mark Miller has them ranked in the top five.
9. Cuba City- Very strong tradition and would be surprised to see them not in the top 15.
10. Shiocton- Another Mark Miller pick here. Have three starters back from a 21 win team.
11. Lourdes Academy- Return two double digit scorers and they are picked to beat Randolph in conference.
12. Marathon- Honestly just a bit of a hunch here and have been very good the last few years.
13. Cameron- Seem to always have a great record the last few years.
14. Wild Rose- Another team that always seemed to find themselves ranked the last few years.
15. Grantsburg- Have had a strong tradition the last 10 years or so and should continue.
I'll be honest with my picks here after the top six, it was pretty much a crap shoot. The other obvious thing in D4 is, when in doubt go with the privates. Privates are the schools that can reload year and year out, while public schools depend on a talented class here and there.
1. Dominican- 6'9 junior Diamond Stone is one of the top players in the country let a lone the top player in D4. Probably no one in D4 that can stop him.
2. Blair Taylor- Bring back everyone from last years team. Headlined by 6'1 junior Brett Ladsten and 6'4 senior Dalton Soto. Had the talent last year and couldn't put it together.
3. Pacelli- Were talked up a lot last year and had a good year but, this year should be better with five starters returning, three of which are 6'4 or taller.
4. Brookfield Academy- Bring back three starters including 22 points a game player in 6'3 senior Sean Clarey who will be playing D2 college next year.
5. Racine St. Catherines- Ultra strong tradition for St. Cats and 6'6 junior Kelly Thomas should make them a top team in D4.
6. Eau Claire Regis- 6'5 junior Billy Wampler should have a huge year.
7. Auburndale- State team a year ago and bring back their second leading scorer in 6'1 senior Blake Anderson, as well as a pair of other starters.
8. Mineral Point- Four starters back and Mark Miller has them ranked in the top five.
9. Cuba City- Very strong tradition and would be surprised to see them not in the top 15.
10. Shiocton- Another Mark Miller pick here. Have three starters back from a 21 win team.
11. Lourdes Academy- Return two double digit scorers and they are picked to beat Randolph in conference.
12. Marathon- Honestly just a bit of a hunch here and have been very good the last few years.
13. Cameron- Seem to always have a great record the last few years.
14. Wild Rose- Another team that always seemed to find themselves ranked the last few years.
15. Grantsburg- Have had a strong tradition the last 10 years or so and should continue.
I'll be honest with my picks here after the top six, it was pretty much a crap shoot. The other obvious thing in D4 is, when in doubt go with the privates. Privates are the schools that can reload year and year out, while public schools depend on a talented class here and there.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Marshall over Poynette
Took in my first game of the year last night in Poynette. Being that is early in the year there aren't a lot of big games going on until the holidays start so, I thought I would take in a game that was fairly close to me. Coming into the game I didn't know a whole lot about the two teams other then Poynette had some juniors that seemed to put up good scoring numbers and Marshall has 6'2 senior Cam Ward who is one of the best shooters in the state and will be going to Vermont next year on scholarship. Yes I have both teams in my D3 preseason rankings but, didn't see Marshall play last year and haven't seen Poynette play in about eight years.
Both teams came out in zone defenses. One I loved and one I didn't. Marshall is an undersized team and game out in a 2-3 zone which I've never been a fan of but, if I recall at state two years ago they played zone and they are a little undersize so zone probably does make sense. Poynette came out in a triangle and two which I love. I always love the strange different defenses that you don't see on a regular bases, such as a triangle and two or box and one. One thing I didn't like was Poynette had their top scorer in 6'3 junior Tanner Bruchs matched up man to man with Ward. Bruchs picked up a foul the first time down the court and they didn't switch him off Ward, which led to Bruchs picking up his second foul two minutes into the game and spending the rest of the first quarter on the bench and really hurting Poynette on the offensive end. Early on Ward was able to get things going particularly once Bruchs was out of the game as it was fairly evident that Poynette didn't have anyone quick enough to stick with Ward. On the other side Poynette was able to get the ball to the middle of the zone but, too many times they settled for the outside shot and the outside shot was not falling. Poynette was able to keep the game close because they dominated the offensive glass and got second and third shots numerous times. Bruchs did get back into the game and hit four three point shots in the second to help Poynette out and fellow junior 6'3 Riley Lytle did show some moderate success getting the ball to the middle of the Marshall zone and taking the ball to the hoop.
Cam Ward didn't have a great night but, had a good night (had 25 points). Ward was forcing things at times and didn't shoot great and got a large amount of his points from the free throw line. 6'1 senior Ryan Link stepped up big though to help Ward out as he hit jumper after jumper and added in three, three point shots. Poynette continued their poor shooting and poor shot selection and eventually those long rebounds turned into fast break points for Marshall as they scored 30 points in the fourth to pull away.
Box Score (starters in italics)
Poynette 56- Bruchs 17 Lytle 16 Tyler Klink 8 Ben Lattimer 6 Jacob Krumberger 3 Ethan Lurquin 2 Tower Manning 2 Bradley Smith 2 Brennan Pederson 0 Kevin Bennett 0 Scott Lenius 0 Meko Washington 0 Wesley Gorman 0 Jacob Reddeman 0
Marshall 77- Ward 25 R Link 20 Austin Sinden 15 Sam Schwenn 4 Bryce Riege 4 Adam Link 3 Dylan Gumz 2 Austin Hayes 2 Adam Wehking 2 Brandon Grob 0 Alec Gillett 0 Stevie Klock 0 Gavin Peck 0 Curtis Olson 0 Justin Eggers 0 Tyler Kurt 0
Top Players
Tanner Bruchs 6'3 junior Poynette- When he was in did a nice job of knocking down the spot up three pointers.
Riley Lytle 6'3 junior Poynette- Did a little bit of everything for the team. Ran the point at times, rebounded, and was the one player that was able to get inside the zone defense and get to the rim.
Cam Ward 6'2 senior Marshall- Easily the best player on the court and could get past his defender any time he wanted. Struggled at times but, was really forcing it at times.
Ryan Link 6'1 senior Marshall- Probably shot at least 75%, just didn't seem to miss. Everything was falling for him that he threw up. Just a very soft shooting touch.
Austin Sinden 6'4 senior Marshall- Nothing super impressive about him in this game, just always seemed to be in the right place at the right time.
I believe that Poynette could be a good team if they just hit the outside shots and took some better shots. They have nice overall team size and have a really nice core. On the other side Marshall will probably lean on Ward a lot and they really need to rebound better. If this team is making their threes though they could go far and possibly beat some very good teams.
Both teams came out in zone defenses. One I loved and one I didn't. Marshall is an undersized team and game out in a 2-3 zone which I've never been a fan of but, if I recall at state two years ago they played zone and they are a little undersize so zone probably does make sense. Poynette came out in a triangle and two which I love. I always love the strange different defenses that you don't see on a regular bases, such as a triangle and two or box and one. One thing I didn't like was Poynette had their top scorer in 6'3 junior Tanner Bruchs matched up man to man with Ward. Bruchs picked up a foul the first time down the court and they didn't switch him off Ward, which led to Bruchs picking up his second foul two minutes into the game and spending the rest of the first quarter on the bench and really hurting Poynette on the offensive end. Early on Ward was able to get things going particularly once Bruchs was out of the game as it was fairly evident that Poynette didn't have anyone quick enough to stick with Ward. On the other side Poynette was able to get the ball to the middle of the zone but, too many times they settled for the outside shot and the outside shot was not falling. Poynette was able to keep the game close because they dominated the offensive glass and got second and third shots numerous times. Bruchs did get back into the game and hit four three point shots in the second to help Poynette out and fellow junior 6'3 Riley Lytle did show some moderate success getting the ball to the middle of the Marshall zone and taking the ball to the hoop.
Cam Ward didn't have a great night but, had a good night (had 25 points). Ward was forcing things at times and didn't shoot great and got a large amount of his points from the free throw line. 6'1 senior Ryan Link stepped up big though to help Ward out as he hit jumper after jumper and added in three, three point shots. Poynette continued their poor shooting and poor shot selection and eventually those long rebounds turned into fast break points for Marshall as they scored 30 points in the fourth to pull away.
Box Score (starters in italics)
Poynette 56- Bruchs 17 Lytle 16 Tyler Klink 8 Ben Lattimer 6 Jacob Krumberger 3 Ethan Lurquin 2 Tower Manning 2 Bradley Smith 2 Brennan Pederson 0 Kevin Bennett 0 Scott Lenius 0 Meko Washington 0 Wesley Gorman 0 Jacob Reddeman 0
Marshall 77- Ward 25 R Link 20 Austin Sinden 15 Sam Schwenn 4 Bryce Riege 4 Adam Link 3 Dylan Gumz 2 Austin Hayes 2 Adam Wehking 2 Brandon Grob 0 Alec Gillett 0 Stevie Klock 0 Gavin Peck 0 Curtis Olson 0 Justin Eggers 0 Tyler Kurt 0
Top Players
Tanner Bruchs 6'3 junior Poynette- When he was in did a nice job of knocking down the spot up three pointers.
Riley Lytle 6'3 junior Poynette- Did a little bit of everything for the team. Ran the point at times, rebounded, and was the one player that was able to get inside the zone defense and get to the rim.
Cam Ward 6'2 senior Marshall- Easily the best player on the court and could get past his defender any time he wanted. Struggled at times but, was really forcing it at times.
Ryan Link 6'1 senior Marshall- Probably shot at least 75%, just didn't seem to miss. Everything was falling for him that he threw up. Just a very soft shooting touch.
Austin Sinden 6'4 senior Marshall- Nothing super impressive about him in this game, just always seemed to be in the right place at the right time.
I believe that Poynette could be a good team if they just hit the outside shots and took some better shots. They have nice overall team size and have a really nice core. On the other side Marshall will probably lean on Ward a lot and they really need to rebound better. If this team is making their threes though they could go far and possibly beat some very good teams.
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