I know that I complained about the previous two divisions being tough to pick but, D5 might be the toughest division of all to predict. I don't see that many D5 games during the regular season which leads to me not following D5 that closely. I see state and that might be all of D5 I see all year long. This year there is a clear cut number one with Hillsboro and after that there is a lot of mystery.
1. Hillsboro- State runner ups a year ago and they bring all five starters back led by Mr. Everything in 6'5 senior Max Stockwel who averaged 18 points a game last year and did everything from play in the post to bringing the ball up at times last year.
2. Almond-Bancroft- Yearbook had them sitting at two and they won 18 games a year ago and bring back four starters. All the returning starters are between 6'2 to 6'6 so they have pretty good overall team size.
3. Shullsburg- Have some really nice size coming back in a pair of double digit scoring junior big men in 6'5 Hunter Mayte and 6'8 Joseph Meyer. Through a third starter in 6'3 junior Lance Lieman and sixth man 6'4 junior Noah Wand. They also won 24 games last year and could be a challenge to Hillsboro in the Southwest.
4. Green Bay NEW Lutheran- A private school playing in a bigger division that always comes to play come playoff time. Three starters back from last years team and they are tough to judge because they may go .500 but, will always be a tough out.
5. Washburn- State final four team a year ago and they have 6'7 senior Brant Schick back fresh off committing to D2 Minnesota Duluth.
6. McDonnell Central- Sectional finalist a year ago after winning 19 games. Leading scorer 6'1 senior Ben Retzlaff is back and they have three returners that are 6'5 or taller.
7. Blair Taylor- Benefit from moving down a division this year when they've always been one of the top teams in D4. 6'5 senior Dillon Zinn and 6'6 junior River Kirschner who are both three year starters and both averaged 13 points a game.
8. Seneca- 20 win team a year ago and bring back four starters from that team.
9. Pecatonica- Three starters back from a 19 win team led by AJ Hendrickson a 6'5 junior who averaged 23 points and 7 boards a year ago.
10. Port Edwards- Won 23 games a year ago and they lost four starters but, they have 6'7 senior Jared Joslin back who was their second leading scorer a year ago and averaged a near double double.
11. Clayton- All five starters are back including two seniors who averaged nearly 20 a game last year in 6'3 Brandon Gilbertson and 5'9 Cameron Bodsberg.
12. NEW Catholic- Went 19-7 last year and have there top two scorers back in 6'3 senior Dane Fronek and 6'2 senior Jake Gajewski.
13. Gresham- Three starters back from a 21 win team a year ago.
14. Columbus Catholic- Three double digit scorers return for the Dons.
15. Young Coggs Prep- Only here because they are the defending champs and the yearbook had them even higher. I think losing Tiwon Jones and their back court is just too much to over come.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Division Four Preseason Rankings
This is going to be a very tough year for me to do these rankings as the normal #1 in D4 Whitefish Bay Dominican is a big of a mystery with Mr Diamond Stone having moved on to the University of Maryland. Along with that you don't have the obvious private schools that jump out to you. I am going to start out by going with my gut, past history, and obviously looking at the high school yearbook. Added in D4 has a lot of private schools that play much bigger schools during the regular season adding into the difficulty of doing rankings solely based on records. So here goes...
1. Amherst- A final four state team a year ago and they bring back four starters. Led by 6'4 senior Tyler Biadasz a D1 football recruit that averaged 16 points and nine rebounds a game a year ago.
2. Whitefish Bay Dominican- This is Dominican so they have to be towards the top of the rankings and in the official rankings they are #1 but, to be honest I'm not sold on this. Everyone seems extremely high on 6'9 senior Kostas Antetokounmpo and I don't see it. Yes his brother is in the NBA but, he seemed so very raw in the limit action I saw him. I'm sure there is more talent coming and they will have very good height.
3. Destiny- Hard to tell with this team because they play an independent schedule but, they won 15 games a year ago and bring back five starters. They start 6'7, 6'6, and 6'5 on the front line which is huge in D4 and they have a 6'5 player off the bench.
4. Melrose-Mindoro- I saw this team a year ago and I was pretty impressed. They have three starters back including their top two scorers in 6'0 junior Erik Christopherson and 6'5 senior Aaron Scafe who each averaged 15 points a game on a team that won 19 games last year.
5. Darlington- Ok to be honest I question this ranking a little bit after looking at the team in the yearbook but, the yearbook has them ranked third so we will see. There top returning scorer 6'2 junior Hunter Johnson was injured in the state title football game two days ago.
6. Kenosha St. Joes- Should have one of the best backcourts in the state for D4 with both guards back from last years 16 win team, headlined by 6'1 junior DeAndre Johns who averaged 18 points a game a year ago. Matthew Brown is a talented 5'11 freshmen that I believe is John's cousin and from what I heard should be a starter.
7. Deerfield- Four starters back from an 18 win team a year ago. I've never seen them play but, judging by numbers 6'4 Blake Ehrke is a beast averaging 19 points and 15 boards last year.
8. Marathon- Another questionable team year but, another yearbook pick. They have the strong tradition going and they only lost one game a year ago and have two starters back.
9. Cameron- Another team that always seems to have great record after great record and have two big time scoring seniors in 6'4 Mike Verdegan 14 points and 6'5 Peyton Dibble 18 points.
10. Unity- Varsity only lost three games and JV was undefeated last year with three starters returning from last years team. 6'6 senior Logan Bader is a double double guy.
11. Eau Claire Regis- State final four team a year ago that lost a lot with the graduation of Billy Wampler but, 6'2 senior Logan Rohrscheib is back with his 20 plus points a game. This is also a team that has a very rich tradition going now and Regis is always one of the best in D4.
12. La Crosse Aquinas- Another tough team to judge because they play in a conference with all D2 schools which does benefit them come playoff time. They bring back two of their better players in 6'4 senior Chris Ancius and 5'10 junior Eddie Harwick.
13. Racine Lutheran- Have four starters back from last years team and they've gotten to the point where they have a very good tradition built in their program.
14. Iowa Grant- I've been hearing some very good things out of this IG team throughout the summer and they have four starters back from last years team. 6'4 senior Isaac Anderson averaged 17 points a game last year.
15. Markesan- 19 win team a year ago and they have four starters back including leading scorer Brayden Bernhagen who averaged 14 points a game last year.
Well those are my D4 ranks hate them or love them those are my picks but, I probably won't stand by them, at least not very long.
1. Amherst- A final four state team a year ago and they bring back four starters. Led by 6'4 senior Tyler Biadasz a D1 football recruit that averaged 16 points and nine rebounds a game a year ago.
2. Whitefish Bay Dominican- This is Dominican so they have to be towards the top of the rankings and in the official rankings they are #1 but, to be honest I'm not sold on this. Everyone seems extremely high on 6'9 senior Kostas Antetokounmpo and I don't see it. Yes his brother is in the NBA but, he seemed so very raw in the limit action I saw him. I'm sure there is more talent coming and they will have very good height.
3. Destiny- Hard to tell with this team because they play an independent schedule but, they won 15 games a year ago and bring back five starters. They start 6'7, 6'6, and 6'5 on the front line which is huge in D4 and they have a 6'5 player off the bench.
4. Melrose-Mindoro- I saw this team a year ago and I was pretty impressed. They have three starters back including their top two scorers in 6'0 junior Erik Christopherson and 6'5 senior Aaron Scafe who each averaged 15 points a game on a team that won 19 games last year.
5. Darlington- Ok to be honest I question this ranking a little bit after looking at the team in the yearbook but, the yearbook has them ranked third so we will see. There top returning scorer 6'2 junior Hunter Johnson was injured in the state title football game two days ago.
6. Kenosha St. Joes- Should have one of the best backcourts in the state for D4 with both guards back from last years 16 win team, headlined by 6'1 junior DeAndre Johns who averaged 18 points a game a year ago. Matthew Brown is a talented 5'11 freshmen that I believe is John's cousin and from what I heard should be a starter.
7. Deerfield- Four starters back from an 18 win team a year ago. I've never seen them play but, judging by numbers 6'4 Blake Ehrke is a beast averaging 19 points and 15 boards last year.
8. Marathon- Another questionable team year but, another yearbook pick. They have the strong tradition going and they only lost one game a year ago and have two starters back.
9. Cameron- Another team that always seems to have great record after great record and have two big time scoring seniors in 6'4 Mike Verdegan 14 points and 6'5 Peyton Dibble 18 points.
10. Unity- Varsity only lost three games and JV was undefeated last year with three starters returning from last years team. 6'6 senior Logan Bader is a double double guy.
11. Eau Claire Regis- State final four team a year ago that lost a lot with the graduation of Billy Wampler but, 6'2 senior Logan Rohrscheib is back with his 20 plus points a game. This is also a team that has a very rich tradition going now and Regis is always one of the best in D4.
12. La Crosse Aquinas- Another tough team to judge because they play in a conference with all D2 schools which does benefit them come playoff time. They bring back two of their better players in 6'4 senior Chris Ancius and 5'10 junior Eddie Harwick.
13. Racine Lutheran- Have four starters back from last years team and they've gotten to the point where they have a very good tradition built in their program.
14. Iowa Grant- I've been hearing some very good things out of this IG team throughout the summer and they have four starters back from last years team. 6'4 senior Isaac Anderson averaged 17 points a game last year.
15. Markesan- 19 win team a year ago and they have four starters back including leading scorer Brayden Bernhagen who averaged 14 points a game last year.
Well those are my D4 ranks hate them or love them those are my picks but, I probably won't stand by them, at least not very long.
Monday, November 16, 2015
Division Three Preseason Rankings
Coming in line D3 are my next preseason rankings. I feel like I know D3 a little more then D2 so I can give a more accurate predictions here. The top teams this year were mostly sectional finalist a year ago that bring back a lot. I'll be honest though the last couple teams ranked are really based on past history of certain schools.
1. Ripon- Have one of the best junior classes in the state led by two of the best in 6'3 point guard Luke Loewe and 6'7 Bennett Vander Plas who averaged a double double a year ago. Throw in 6'2 junior Eddie Muench who averaged 11 points a game a year ago.
2. GET- A pair of four year senior starters return in 6'3 Nick Wagner and 6'4 Lucas Scherr. Wagner is headed to Northern Illinois and Scherr will be playing at the next level if he chooses. They bring back two other starters from a team that won 19 games a year ago.
3. Brown Deer- Two time defending state champs lost a lot but, they always bring a good team and will be battle tested throughout the year. Coach Appleby has only been there four years but, he's making a name for himself quickly. 6'5 senior Taurus Adams is back after average 12 points a game last year and seven boards. 5'10 senior Craig Schimenz is also back for his third year of varsity.
4. Marshall- Went 18-5 a year ago and bring back four starters led by 6'3 senior point guard Adam Link who averaged 16 points a year ago. Also back is 6'5 junior Adam Wehking that averaged a double double last year and 6'5 senior Andy Lutz who averaged 11 points and six rebounds himself. This team can really shoot the three which can hurt a team at times if they fall in love with it.
5. Lake Mills- Another 18 win team a year ago and lost only one player from their top eight players. 6'6 senior Simon Lensmire is a double double guy and junior guards 5'11 Brady Wagner and 5'10 Alex Ranney will have a year more of experience.
6. Brookfield Academy- Four starters back from a 20 win team led by Northern Michigan recruit 6'1 senior point guard Ryan Clarey who averaged 21 points a game a year ago and on the inside they have 6'5 senior Joseph Lemon who averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds a game a year ago.
7. Appleton Xavier- State team a year ago they have a pair of double digit scorers returning in 5'11 senior Sam Burkart and 6'1 senior Sam Simons. Height be a concern but, they didn't have much height a year ago.
8. Evansville- Five starters back from last years team that won 16 games. 6'0 junior Brennen Banks averaged 21 points a game last year and 6'6 senior Kyle Rutkowski is a double double guy averaging 15 points and 12 rebounds last year.
9. Lakeside Lutheran- They may of only went .500 a year ago but, they bring back four starters and have 6'3 senior Mason DeNoyer who averaged 18 points a game last year. DeNoyer is joined by his cousin 6'1 senior Austin DeNoyer who transferred in to Lakeside Lutheran.
10. Wrightstown- Four starters back from last years team and their led by 6'3 senior Zac Haese who averaged 16 points a game a year ago.
11. Southern Door- Three double digit scorers are back from a 19 win team. 6'3 senior Mitchell Gerend (13 pts), 6'4 senior Trevor Hawkey (12 pts), and 5'10 junior Nick LeCaptain (12 pts) are returners.
12. Waupun- Always one of the best teams in D3, led by 6'1 senior Jordan McGinnis who averaged 13 points a game last year and 6'7 senior Colton Homan who has had a big summer and should hopefully carry that into the school season.
13. Prescott- 7'0 junior Owen Hamilton should have a huge year and their success will rest on him.
14. Roncalli- Not much back but, they have a very strong tradition and the Jets and always a very tough team that shoots the three well and run their offense very effectively.
15. East Troy- State team a year ago they bring back 6'4 senior Justin Growel and top returning scorer 6'3 Joe Ciracks.
As you can see there is one running theme in these top teams. They have a ton of returning talent, there were a ton of teams that had very good records last year, and there were a lot more double doubles averaged then I every thought. D3 always continues to be one of the most interesting divisions.
1. Ripon- Have one of the best junior classes in the state led by two of the best in 6'3 point guard Luke Loewe and 6'7 Bennett Vander Plas who averaged a double double a year ago. Throw in 6'2 junior Eddie Muench who averaged 11 points a game a year ago.
2. GET- A pair of four year senior starters return in 6'3 Nick Wagner and 6'4 Lucas Scherr. Wagner is headed to Northern Illinois and Scherr will be playing at the next level if he chooses. They bring back two other starters from a team that won 19 games a year ago.
3. Brown Deer- Two time defending state champs lost a lot but, they always bring a good team and will be battle tested throughout the year. Coach Appleby has only been there four years but, he's making a name for himself quickly. 6'5 senior Taurus Adams is back after average 12 points a game last year and seven boards. 5'10 senior Craig Schimenz is also back for his third year of varsity.
4. Marshall- Went 18-5 a year ago and bring back four starters led by 6'3 senior point guard Adam Link who averaged 16 points a year ago. Also back is 6'5 junior Adam Wehking that averaged a double double last year and 6'5 senior Andy Lutz who averaged 11 points and six rebounds himself. This team can really shoot the three which can hurt a team at times if they fall in love with it.
5. Lake Mills- Another 18 win team a year ago and lost only one player from their top eight players. 6'6 senior Simon Lensmire is a double double guy and junior guards 5'11 Brady Wagner and 5'10 Alex Ranney will have a year more of experience.
6. Brookfield Academy- Four starters back from a 20 win team led by Northern Michigan recruit 6'1 senior point guard Ryan Clarey who averaged 21 points a game a year ago and on the inside they have 6'5 senior Joseph Lemon who averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds a game a year ago.
7. Appleton Xavier- State team a year ago they have a pair of double digit scorers returning in 5'11 senior Sam Burkart and 6'1 senior Sam Simons. Height be a concern but, they didn't have much height a year ago.
8. Evansville- Five starters back from last years team that won 16 games. 6'0 junior Brennen Banks averaged 21 points a game last year and 6'6 senior Kyle Rutkowski is a double double guy averaging 15 points and 12 rebounds last year.
9. Lakeside Lutheran- They may of only went .500 a year ago but, they bring back four starters and have 6'3 senior Mason DeNoyer who averaged 18 points a game last year. DeNoyer is joined by his cousin 6'1 senior Austin DeNoyer who transferred in to Lakeside Lutheran.
10. Wrightstown- Four starters back from last years team and their led by 6'3 senior Zac Haese who averaged 16 points a game a year ago.
11. Southern Door- Three double digit scorers are back from a 19 win team. 6'3 senior Mitchell Gerend (13 pts), 6'4 senior Trevor Hawkey (12 pts), and 5'10 junior Nick LeCaptain (12 pts) are returners.
12. Waupun- Always one of the best teams in D3, led by 6'1 senior Jordan McGinnis who averaged 13 points a game last year and 6'7 senior Colton Homan who has had a big summer and should hopefully carry that into the school season.
13. Prescott- 7'0 junior Owen Hamilton should have a huge year and their success will rest on him.
14. Roncalli- Not much back but, they have a very strong tradition and the Jets and always a very tough team that shoots the three well and run their offense very effectively.
15. East Troy- State team a year ago they bring back 6'4 senior Justin Growel and top returning scorer 6'3 Joe Ciracks.
As you can see there is one running theme in these top teams. They have a ton of returning talent, there were a ton of teams that had very good records last year, and there were a lot more double doubles averaged then I every thought. D3 always continues to be one of the most interesting divisions.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Division Two Preseason Rankings
I feel pretty good about my D1 rankings but, with my D2 rankings I don't feel confident whats so ever. My top three to fie I'm pretty good with but, to be honest the remainder of my rankings will be coming straight from the basketball yearbook. So here are my preseason D2 rankings.
1. Kaukauna- 20 win team a year ago and they bring back two double digit scorers in 5'11 sophomore Jordan McCabe and 6'2 junior Adam Smith. McCabe is one of the top players in the sophomore class and Smith can score points in bunches. They are also boosted by the incoming transfer 6'4 sophomore Eric Carl who was a starter at Shawano a year ago.
2. La Crosse Central- Have an extremely strong junior class and bring back four starters from last years team. They are headlined by Badger recruit 6'3 junior Kobe King and he has a very good sidekick in fellow junior 6'0 Bailey Kale.
3. Milwaukee Washington- Always a very tough team that has a ton of athletes and a lot of talent. They have a great point guard in 6'1 senior University of Illinois recruit Te'jon Lucas who can harness in all that talent and quickness.
4. Mount Horeb- State champs a year ago and they bring back three starters including a pair of seniors who averaged double digits in points in 6'3 Max Meylor and 6'6 Terek Nesheim.
5. Seymour- Seymour is always a tough team and they are coming off a 22 win season and a conference title a year ago. They have one of their top players back in 6'4 senior Brayden Wilinski.
6. Wauwatosa East- I underestimated them last year and this year I won't do that. I expect a huge year from 6'3 senior Ja'Vionne Green.
7. Cedarburg- I may be going out on a limb here but, I have a feeling with it and they have a great coach in Tom Diener. Have a very good sophomore and junior class led by 6'4 sophomore John Diener who averaged 22 points a year ago and 6'3 junior Jordan Johnson who averaged 14 points.
8. Whitefish Bay- Benefit from playing in a very tough conference with Cedarburg and they have double digit scorer 6'0 senior Elijah Moore back.
9. New Berlin Eisenhower- Bring back four starters from last years team all of week averaged double digit points last year.
10. Onalaska- Don't know much about them but, they won 16 games a year ago and have all five of their starters back.
11. Hortonville- A year book pick here they bring back four starters from last years team.
12. Monona Grove- Total yearbook pick here as they bring only two starters back and having won 187 games last year.
13. Ashwaubenon- Mostly by history here but, they always seem to have a very tough team and no reason to think that would change.
14. Greendale- Final four state team a year ago and bring back three starters, two of which averaged double digits in 6'6 senior David Pulizos and 6'0 senior Nate Thomson.
15. Whitnall- Bring back four starters, three of which averaged double digits in scoring. 6'3 sophomore Tyler Herro had a monster summer and that should continue into the regular season.
There are my opening rankings. As I said take them for however you want, I honestly don't know a ton this year on D2 and I'm relying on the yearbook here.
1. Kaukauna- 20 win team a year ago and they bring back two double digit scorers in 5'11 sophomore Jordan McCabe and 6'2 junior Adam Smith. McCabe is one of the top players in the sophomore class and Smith can score points in bunches. They are also boosted by the incoming transfer 6'4 sophomore Eric Carl who was a starter at Shawano a year ago.
2. La Crosse Central- Have an extremely strong junior class and bring back four starters from last years team. They are headlined by Badger recruit 6'3 junior Kobe King and he has a very good sidekick in fellow junior 6'0 Bailey Kale.
3. Milwaukee Washington- Always a very tough team that has a ton of athletes and a lot of talent. They have a great point guard in 6'1 senior University of Illinois recruit Te'jon Lucas who can harness in all that talent and quickness.
4. Mount Horeb- State champs a year ago and they bring back three starters including a pair of seniors who averaged double digits in points in 6'3 Max Meylor and 6'6 Terek Nesheim.
5. Seymour- Seymour is always a tough team and they are coming off a 22 win season and a conference title a year ago. They have one of their top players back in 6'4 senior Brayden Wilinski.
6. Wauwatosa East- I underestimated them last year and this year I won't do that. I expect a huge year from 6'3 senior Ja'Vionne Green.
7. Cedarburg- I may be going out on a limb here but, I have a feeling with it and they have a great coach in Tom Diener. Have a very good sophomore and junior class led by 6'4 sophomore John Diener who averaged 22 points a year ago and 6'3 junior Jordan Johnson who averaged 14 points.
8. Whitefish Bay- Benefit from playing in a very tough conference with Cedarburg and they have double digit scorer 6'0 senior Elijah Moore back.
9. New Berlin Eisenhower- Bring back four starters from last years team all of week averaged double digit points last year.
10. Onalaska- Don't know much about them but, they won 16 games a year ago and have all five of their starters back.
11. Hortonville- A year book pick here they bring back four starters from last years team.
12. Monona Grove- Total yearbook pick here as they bring only two starters back and having won 187 games last year.
13. Ashwaubenon- Mostly by history here but, they always seem to have a very tough team and no reason to think that would change.
14. Greendale- Final four state team a year ago and bring back three starters, two of which averaged double digits in 6'6 senior David Pulizos and 6'0 senior Nate Thomson.
15. Whitnall- Bring back four starters, three of which averaged double digits in scoring. 6'3 sophomore Tyler Herro had a monster summer and that should continue into the regular season.
There are my opening rankings. As I said take them for however you want, I honestly don't know a ton this year on D2 and I'm relying on the yearbook here.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Division One Preseason Rankings
Yes I am still around and still following high school basketball fairly closely. I've changed the title to just include High School Basketball in Wisconsin, which is really what it has been for the past few years anyway. I'll keep things fairly similar to what I've done in the past with doing my top 15 teams for each divisions each week, write up of games that I've been to, and then rankings of the players that I have actually seen. With the season starting within a couple weeks here is my first preseason rankings for division one which will give me a starting point for my rankings. Once again these are solely my own personal rankings and mean absolutely nothing. It's very interesting to see how my rankings differ from the high school yearbook (even though I steal some from them).
1. Stevens Point- Not sure anyone is going to come close to them this year. The defending state champs bring back four starters and only lost one guy from their rotation from last year. Headlined by a pair of senior D1 recruits in 6'6 Sam Hauser (Marquette) and 6'2 Trevor Anderson (UWGB) and a future D1 recruit 6'7 sophomore Joey Hauser maning the inside.
2. Germantown- State runner ups a year ago may only lose to Stevens Point again this year. They have tremendous team size led by seniors 6'6 Max Keefe and 6'5 Conner Edmonds. 6'0 senior Juwan McCloud a Northern Iowa recruit gives this team some quickness that past teams really haven't had.
3. Milwaukee Riverside- Very very strong junior class that may be a year away from winning a title. Bring back four starters from last years team led by a pair of juniors that averaged double doubles last year in 6'6 Terrence Lewis and 6'4 George Dixon.
4. Milwaukee King- King you can pretty much put in the top five teams year after year have one of the best coaches in the state in coach Gosz and always gets the most out of his players. Michigan recruit 6'2 junior Jordan Poole gives them a big time scorer and they have a ton of talent around him.
5. Madison East- Surprising final four team a year ago bring back four starters. 6'3 senior Deang Deang is a four year starter that average 15 points a game last year and fellow double digit scorers 6'4 sophomore Keshawn Justice and 5'10 senior Tre Irby are back as well.
6. Oshkosh North- Should have one of the better back courts in the state in 6'4 junior Philip Flory and 6'3 sophomore Tyrese Baliburton. Flory was the three point champion a year ago. Can't forget that 1-3-1 zone defense.
7. Middleton- Team that loves to run the court and plays a ton of guys which allows them to play extremely hard. They have four starters back and a very good junior class. 6'3 junior Tyree Eady is a star in the making and 5'11 junior guards Storm Murphy and CJ Fermanich may be small but, their very heady and can score big in bunches.
8. De Pere- Three starters back from last years team that give them tremendous size in 6'5 senior Zach Rabas, 6'6 junior Aaron Vopal, and 6'6 junior Max Huddleston.
9. Arrowhead- Five starters back form last years team headlined by 6'6 senior Bryce Nze who is a top five player in the state.
10. Madison Memorial - Memorial is always one of the elite teams in the state and despite not having many seniors they have a great junior class. They were without a star until 6'7 junior Chris Knight transferred in to give them that star and inside presence. If they choose could have a starting front line of 6'7, 6'7, and 6'6.
11. Appleton West- This was a total yearbook pick as I don't know much at all about West.
12. Mukwonago- Only one starter back but, that starter is 6'7 junior Brandon Hau who should have a big year now that he is the "man". Muk has earned the respect in the state as always having one of the most consistent teams.
13. Sheboygan North- Yearbook had them ranked high and have high scoring 6'4 senior Davis Larson back.
14. Racine Park- 6'7 senior Kaj Days is back and he is joined by his brother 6'9 freshmen Nobal Days who is one of the elite players in the country for his class.
15. Sun Prairie- Bring back five of their top eight players and they had a very good JV team. Fellow seniors 6'1 Sam Kerr and 6'6 Rod Johnson should have break out monster years.
Looking at the rankings it seems every team has a strong junior class so you can already see who the top teams will be the following year. Outside of the top three or four the senior class isn't the strongest but, none the less should be another great year.
1. Stevens Point- Not sure anyone is going to come close to them this year. The defending state champs bring back four starters and only lost one guy from their rotation from last year. Headlined by a pair of senior D1 recruits in 6'6 Sam Hauser (Marquette) and 6'2 Trevor Anderson (UWGB) and a future D1 recruit 6'7 sophomore Joey Hauser maning the inside.
2. Germantown- State runner ups a year ago may only lose to Stevens Point again this year. They have tremendous team size led by seniors 6'6 Max Keefe and 6'5 Conner Edmonds. 6'0 senior Juwan McCloud a Northern Iowa recruit gives this team some quickness that past teams really haven't had.
3. Milwaukee Riverside- Very very strong junior class that may be a year away from winning a title. Bring back four starters from last years team led by a pair of juniors that averaged double doubles last year in 6'6 Terrence Lewis and 6'4 George Dixon.
4. Milwaukee King- King you can pretty much put in the top five teams year after year have one of the best coaches in the state in coach Gosz and always gets the most out of his players. Michigan recruit 6'2 junior Jordan Poole gives them a big time scorer and they have a ton of talent around him.
5. Madison East- Surprising final four team a year ago bring back four starters. 6'3 senior Deang Deang is a four year starter that average 15 points a game last year and fellow double digit scorers 6'4 sophomore Keshawn Justice and 5'10 senior Tre Irby are back as well.
6. Oshkosh North- Should have one of the better back courts in the state in 6'4 junior Philip Flory and 6'3 sophomore Tyrese Baliburton. Flory was the three point champion a year ago. Can't forget that 1-3-1 zone defense.
7. Middleton- Team that loves to run the court and plays a ton of guys which allows them to play extremely hard. They have four starters back and a very good junior class. 6'3 junior Tyree Eady is a star in the making and 5'11 junior guards Storm Murphy and CJ Fermanich may be small but, their very heady and can score big in bunches.
8. De Pere- Three starters back from last years team that give them tremendous size in 6'5 senior Zach Rabas, 6'6 junior Aaron Vopal, and 6'6 junior Max Huddleston.
9. Arrowhead- Five starters back form last years team headlined by 6'6 senior Bryce Nze who is a top five player in the state.
10. Madison Memorial - Memorial is always one of the elite teams in the state and despite not having many seniors they have a great junior class. They were without a star until 6'7 junior Chris Knight transferred in to give them that star and inside presence. If they choose could have a starting front line of 6'7, 6'7, and 6'6.
11. Appleton West- This was a total yearbook pick as I don't know much at all about West.
12. Mukwonago- Only one starter back but, that starter is 6'7 junior Brandon Hau who should have a big year now that he is the "man". Muk has earned the respect in the state as always having one of the most consistent teams.
13. Sheboygan North- Yearbook had them ranked high and have high scoring 6'4 senior Davis Larson back.
14. Racine Park- 6'7 senior Kaj Days is back and he is joined by his brother 6'9 freshmen Nobal Days who is one of the elite players in the country for his class.
15. Sun Prairie- Bring back five of their top eight players and they had a very good JV team. Fellow seniors 6'1 Sam Kerr and 6'6 Rod Johnson should have break out monster years.
Looking at the rankings it seems every team has a strong junior class so you can already see who the top teams will be the following year. Outside of the top three or four the senior class isn't the strongest but, none the less should be another great year.
Monday, March 23, 2015
State Thoughts
Well state has come and gone and just going to give a few of my thoughts of each division and the state games. Probably any one that looks at this already knows who won the games so won't really dwell on who won or lost but, just give my thoughts. This year had some great talent but, there really wasn't a lot of good games. Most of the games ended up being 15 point games or more.
Division Five
Young Coggs Prep may of won state but, I'm not completely sure that they were the best team at state and may of very well of been the fourth best team. YCP had a pair of talented seniors in 5'9 DeAngelo Crawford and 6'1 Tiwon Jones but, overall the team was some what middle of the road. The difference was YCP turned up the pressure and the other teams just couldn't handle it and they played much faster then there used to which resulted to turnovers and easy buckets for YCP. I was excited to see Washburn and 6'3 senior Cody Tomlinson play but, they never seemed to get into a rhythm and Tomlinson just seemed very uncomfortable on the court. For Hillsboro 6'4 junior Max Stockwell was just a rock steady force throughout both games and nearly single handily kept his team in the game against YCP. Green Bay NEW Lutheran's biggest problem in their game was that their leading scorer 6'3 senior Noah Gosse was in foul trouble and could never get himself going.
Division Four
This division was all about Whitefish Bay Dominican and 6'10 senior Diamond Stone dominating. Eau Claire Regis was probably the second best team but, I think they were just a little too hyped up and tried to do more then they could and did a little too much one on one with their top two scorers 6'6 senior Billy Wampler and 6'2 junior Logan Rohrscheib. Both got their points but, you need more then that against Dominican and this allowed Dominican to get out of the fast break on long rebounds. Mineral Point was probably playing way over their head and did much better then most people thought against Dominican. Mineral Point moved the ball extremely well and shot the three pretty well and kept the game close until Stone and company used their height to take over.
Division Three
The speed of Brown Deer was just too much. Brown Deer had just enough height on the inside against Prescott and against Xavier I thought they could of run them over but, Xavier is a very strong scrappy team that wouldn't go away. Brown Deer had a huge speed advantage and Xavier had the strength advantage and did their work on the glass. Xavier only got to the title game after East Troy kind of choked the semi final game away as they couldn't drop the free throws and Xavier just hung around, hung around and finally took the lead late.
Division Two
Thought this division was going to be the Ellenson show and it was until Ellenson suffered a hand injury in the semi final game. Even with a one handed Ellenson Rice Lake was able to take down Greendale. West De Pere nearly took down Mount Horeb behind the strong play of 6'8 senior Cody Schwartz. Schwartz was able to knock down big three after big three. Mount Horeb had the better team overall and they were able to win with a team effort. In the final without Ellenson Rice Lake didn't have much of a chance but, they played with all their heart led by 6'0 senior Ben Widdes as they hit three after three and kept the game close. In the end though Rice Lake just couldn't hit enough threes to take down Mount Horeb who fast breaked their way to victory.
Division One
Stevens Point and Germantown were destined to be on a collision course. West Allis Central and Madison East were just speed bumps in the way and there really isn't much to talk about with those two. Stevens Point has the top juniors 6'2 Trev Anderson and 6'6 Sam Hauser along with 6'6 freshmen Joey Hauser and that's all they really needed. In the title game Sam Hauser hit the gas early dropping the 16 first quarter points and Point rode him in the first half and then Anderson in the second half. Germantown's 6'0 junior Juwan McCloud did what he could but, Germantown just didn't have the athletes to compete with Anderson and the Hauser's.
Next few days I'll be doing my final team rankings, my all state tournament team, and then the early favorites for next year.
Division Five
Young Coggs Prep may of won state but, I'm not completely sure that they were the best team at state and may of very well of been the fourth best team. YCP had a pair of talented seniors in 5'9 DeAngelo Crawford and 6'1 Tiwon Jones but, overall the team was some what middle of the road. The difference was YCP turned up the pressure and the other teams just couldn't handle it and they played much faster then there used to which resulted to turnovers and easy buckets for YCP. I was excited to see Washburn and 6'3 senior Cody Tomlinson play but, they never seemed to get into a rhythm and Tomlinson just seemed very uncomfortable on the court. For Hillsboro 6'4 junior Max Stockwell was just a rock steady force throughout both games and nearly single handily kept his team in the game against YCP. Green Bay NEW Lutheran's biggest problem in their game was that their leading scorer 6'3 senior Noah Gosse was in foul trouble and could never get himself going.
Division Four
This division was all about Whitefish Bay Dominican and 6'10 senior Diamond Stone dominating. Eau Claire Regis was probably the second best team but, I think they were just a little too hyped up and tried to do more then they could and did a little too much one on one with their top two scorers 6'6 senior Billy Wampler and 6'2 junior Logan Rohrscheib. Both got their points but, you need more then that against Dominican and this allowed Dominican to get out of the fast break on long rebounds. Mineral Point was probably playing way over their head and did much better then most people thought against Dominican. Mineral Point moved the ball extremely well and shot the three pretty well and kept the game close until Stone and company used their height to take over.
Division Three
The speed of Brown Deer was just too much. Brown Deer had just enough height on the inside against Prescott and against Xavier I thought they could of run them over but, Xavier is a very strong scrappy team that wouldn't go away. Brown Deer had a huge speed advantage and Xavier had the strength advantage and did their work on the glass. Xavier only got to the title game after East Troy kind of choked the semi final game away as they couldn't drop the free throws and Xavier just hung around, hung around and finally took the lead late.
Division Two
Thought this division was going to be the Ellenson show and it was until Ellenson suffered a hand injury in the semi final game. Even with a one handed Ellenson Rice Lake was able to take down Greendale. West De Pere nearly took down Mount Horeb behind the strong play of 6'8 senior Cody Schwartz. Schwartz was able to knock down big three after big three. Mount Horeb had the better team overall and they were able to win with a team effort. In the final without Ellenson Rice Lake didn't have much of a chance but, they played with all their heart led by 6'0 senior Ben Widdes as they hit three after three and kept the game close. In the end though Rice Lake just couldn't hit enough threes to take down Mount Horeb who fast breaked their way to victory.
Division One
Stevens Point and Germantown were destined to be on a collision course. West Allis Central and Madison East were just speed bumps in the way and there really isn't much to talk about with those two. Stevens Point has the top juniors 6'2 Trev Anderson and 6'6 Sam Hauser along with 6'6 freshmen Joey Hauser and that's all they really needed. In the title game Sam Hauser hit the gas early dropping the 16 first quarter points and Point rode him in the first half and then Anderson in the second half. Germantown's 6'0 junior Juwan McCloud did what he could but, Germantown just didn't have the athletes to compete with Anderson and the Hauser's.
Next few days I'll be doing my final team rankings, my all state tournament team, and then the early favorites for next year.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Sectionals
Went to two sectional games last week and just going to do a quick write up of each game just some of my thoughts and top players.
Kenosha Indian Trail over Madison Memorial
I really didn't know anything about Indian Trail but, thought for sure that Memorial would beat them as Memorial just seemed poised to make a state run behind 5'10 senior Shareef Smith. My thoughts weren't the case though as Indian Trail shot the lights out and it seemed every player of their team could shoot the ball and Memorial couldn't really play their chaotic defense because they would always leave a guy open who would be able to convert the shot. Memorial doesn't play great man to man defense but, plays good team defense so they had a hard time chasing 6'3 senior Perion Little all over the court. Little was unbelievable all night long knocking threes down with a very quick release and making shots with defenders in his face. For Memorial Shareef Smith never could really get going but, fellow senior 6'0 Koko Songolo had a big night but, sometimes he just wasn't quick enough to get to the rim. This game was pretty even throughout but, I just had this feeling that Memorial was going to pull it out. This game was really a good battle and just when it seemed one team was going to get the momentum the other team would claw back. A steal in the fourth by 6'3 Henry Houden that resulted in a dunk and put Memorial down one seemed like the clincher to give Memorial the momentum was dashed away when a minute later 6'0 senior Andre Brown threw down a huge dunk. Memorial was down three with five seconds left and it seemed to be Smith time but, tonight wasn't Smith's night as the shot bounced off the back of the rim.
Mineral Point over Melrose-Mindoro
This game was a real battle back and forth and could of gone either way at the end. MM had a much bigger team and seemed to dominate the glass but, MP was the quicker team and more disciplined team. Not sure if disciplined is right word but, they new their strengths and really stuck to their game plan. Early on for Mineral Point it was 6'4 senior Tarek Oellerich that carried them and in the second half it was 6'1 senior Alec Schmitz that got going from the outside. These two were the big scorers while 6'0 senior point guard Sy Staver was just solid throughout controlling the team and Staver was able to drive the lane and finish with some nice scoop shots. For Melrose-Mindoro it was junior Aaron Scafe and senior Derek Antony. Didn't have heights so not sure but, believe Antony was 6'6 and Scafe maybe 6'4? not completely sure. Scafe was able to fake the outside shot and get to the middle of the 1-3-1 zone and knock down the mid range shots. Antony did most of his damage of the offensive glass and dishes from Scafe and point guard sophomore Erik Christopherson. Melrose was hindered by foul trouble early on and in the second half things seemed to even out and the calls seemed to be going against Mineral Point then. MM had the chance to hit the game winner at the end but, they couldn't get the shot they wanted and Antony had to force one from the corner.
Indian Trails went on to lose to Madison East by 20+ after Memorial had beaten East by 30 in their last game so it's like go figure. Maybe Indial Trail was hotter then normal against Memorial or maybe they were colder then normal against East. For Mineral Point they are a very good team, run their stuff, and guessing a pretty good coach and guessing they'll beat Auburndale but, would have a very very tough time against Dominican. Point is just too small and not quick enough in my opinion.
Kenosha Indian Trail over Madison Memorial
I really didn't know anything about Indian Trail but, thought for sure that Memorial would beat them as Memorial just seemed poised to make a state run behind 5'10 senior Shareef Smith. My thoughts weren't the case though as Indian Trail shot the lights out and it seemed every player of their team could shoot the ball and Memorial couldn't really play their chaotic defense because they would always leave a guy open who would be able to convert the shot. Memorial doesn't play great man to man defense but, plays good team defense so they had a hard time chasing 6'3 senior Perion Little all over the court. Little was unbelievable all night long knocking threes down with a very quick release and making shots with defenders in his face. For Memorial Shareef Smith never could really get going but, fellow senior 6'0 Koko Songolo had a big night but, sometimes he just wasn't quick enough to get to the rim. This game was pretty even throughout but, I just had this feeling that Memorial was going to pull it out. This game was really a good battle and just when it seemed one team was going to get the momentum the other team would claw back. A steal in the fourth by 6'3 Henry Houden that resulted in a dunk and put Memorial down one seemed like the clincher to give Memorial the momentum was dashed away when a minute later 6'0 senior Andre Brown threw down a huge dunk. Memorial was down three with five seconds left and it seemed to be Smith time but, tonight wasn't Smith's night as the shot bounced off the back of the rim.
Mineral Point over Melrose-Mindoro
This game was a real battle back and forth and could of gone either way at the end. MM had a much bigger team and seemed to dominate the glass but, MP was the quicker team and more disciplined team. Not sure if disciplined is right word but, they new their strengths and really stuck to their game plan. Early on for Mineral Point it was 6'4 senior Tarek Oellerich that carried them and in the second half it was 6'1 senior Alec Schmitz that got going from the outside. These two were the big scorers while 6'0 senior point guard Sy Staver was just solid throughout controlling the team and Staver was able to drive the lane and finish with some nice scoop shots. For Melrose-Mindoro it was junior Aaron Scafe and senior Derek Antony. Didn't have heights so not sure but, believe Antony was 6'6 and Scafe maybe 6'4? not completely sure. Scafe was able to fake the outside shot and get to the middle of the 1-3-1 zone and knock down the mid range shots. Antony did most of his damage of the offensive glass and dishes from Scafe and point guard sophomore Erik Christopherson. Melrose was hindered by foul trouble early on and in the second half things seemed to even out and the calls seemed to be going against Mineral Point then. MM had the chance to hit the game winner at the end but, they couldn't get the shot they wanted and Antony had to force one from the corner.
Indian Trails went on to lose to Madison East by 20+ after Memorial had beaten East by 30 in their last game so it's like go figure. Maybe Indial Trail was hotter then normal against Memorial or maybe they were colder then normal against East. For Mineral Point they are a very good team, run their stuff, and guessing a pretty good coach and guessing they'll beat Auburndale but, would have a very very tough time against Dominican. Point is just too small and not quick enough in my opinion.
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