Went to Madison East last night and I would contest that East might be one of the most entertaining places to watch a game. The gym is relatively small and feels like the fans are right on top of the court add in to the fact that 2/3 of the seating is behind the hoops and that's where the students sit. The gym always seems very loud and I've always seen it as a very tough place to play or get a win. Last night was no different as East took down number six ranked Madison Memorial.
From the get go East just seemed like the quicker and more aggressive team. Early on East point guard 5'10 senior Damontae Thompson hit a pair of early deep jumpers to get things going and East really never looked back. Everytime Memorial would make a run and they did take a lead mid way through the first half East was there to push them back. Memorial just wasn't quick enough to drive past the East and ever shot was contended and just never seemed like they had an open look. East did a great job of keeping Memorial off the offensive glass which they typically thrive on the offensive glass getting second chances. East is a team that has the size to battle Memorial where typically there just bigger then the other team.
I wish I had more to say but, I really don't. The story of the game was East's defense which forced Memorial into turnovers and bad deep shots which allowed East to get out and run. There was a lot of intensity in the game and a bit of pushing and chest pumping but, after half time the game was never in doubt.
Top Players
Cade Ellingson 6'3 senior Madison Memorial- In the two games that I've seen he's really started to separate himself as the leader of this team. When he's on the bench their offense just falls apart. Really the calming force on the team and the one guy that you can count on being able to drive the lane and score.
Justin Jackson 6'4 junior Madison Memorial- Really didn't score much but, when he was in the game their offense just seemed to click. Had some huge assists when he'd drive to the hoop and find open team mates.
Damontae Thompson 5'10 senior Madison East- Looking a lot like his brother from last year uses his quickness to get his shot at any time or driving to the hoop. Appears to of really improved his ball handling since last year and his shot off the bounce is tough.
Anthony Washington 6'3 junior Madison East- Scored 18 points in the game but, it was really a quiet 18. Appears to be a little more offensive focused and not so much on the rebounding. Just a nice lanky player.
Jadyn Walsvick 5'11 junior Madison East- I really like this kid off the bench. Handles the ball extremely well and finds his team mates cutting to the rim. Has a very pretty shot and when he was given space you were expecting it to go in.
Box Score
MM 49- Ellingson 16 Kwam Lewis 7 Ian Brown 6 Nick Caropreso 5 Jackson 5 Dryden Schaefer 3 Daemiontae Bates 3 JR Mitchell 3 Kyle Yu 1 Adam Bergman 0 Logan Younk 0 Drew Collins 0 Kole Kerkhoff 0
ME 66- Washington 18 Thompson 13 Jevan Boyton 12 Walsvick 10 Keontae Jones 8 David McKinley 2 Moses Fadele 2 Marcus Justice 1 Ben Davis 0 Michael McIntosh 0 Jack Tupta 0 Will Devin 0
Was a fun night at Eastside as it always is. I honestly could see Madison East winning the conference this year but, as always its tough to count Memorial out. If I was betting on it my money would be on East though and should be a good race between East, Memorial, Lafollette and probably even Sun Prairie if and when they get back to full health.
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Monday, December 3, 2018
Top Dunks and Scorers
Here is my opening list of top dunks and scorers on the year so far. Only seen one dunk so far but, I'll start forgetting plays later in the year so have to start the list early.
Top Dunks
Brayden Dailey 6'5 sophomore Mineral Point vs Wisconsin Dells November 30
Point guard Isaac Lindsey drove just left of the free throw line penetrating the Dells zone while Dailey came from the weak side and Lindsey found him with a nice ally oop pass and dunk.
Top Scorers
26 Brock Voigt Sun Prairie vs Madison Memorial November 29
22 Bryson Funmaker Wisconsin Dells vs Mineral Point November 30
20 Cade Ellingson Madison Memorial vs Sun Prairie November 29
19 Brayden Dailey Mineral Point vs Wisconsin Dells November 30
Bryce Farnsworth Mount Horeb vs Platteville November 20
17 Isaac Lindsey Mineral Point vs Wisconsin Dells November 30
Dylan Anchor Wisconsin Dells vs Mineral Point November 30
15 Nick Caropreso Madison Memorial vs Sun Prairie November 29
Rajai Williams Sun Prairie vs Madison Memorial November 29
Top Dunks
Brayden Dailey 6'5 sophomore Mineral Point vs Wisconsin Dells November 30
Point guard Isaac Lindsey drove just left of the free throw line penetrating the Dells zone while Dailey came from the weak side and Lindsey found him with a nice ally oop pass and dunk.
Top Scorers
26 Brock Voigt Sun Prairie vs Madison Memorial November 29
22 Bryson Funmaker Wisconsin Dells vs Mineral Point November 30
20 Cade Ellingson Madison Memorial vs Sun Prairie November 29
19 Brayden Dailey Mineral Point vs Wisconsin Dells November 30
Bryce Farnsworth Mount Horeb vs Platteville November 20
17 Isaac Lindsey Mineral Point vs Wisconsin Dells November 30
Dylan Anchor Wisconsin Dells vs Mineral Point November 30
15 Nick Caropreso Madison Memorial vs Sun Prairie November 29
Rajai Williams Sun Prairie vs Madison Memorial November 29
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Mad Memorial and Wisconsin Dells get the W
Took in a pair of games this past week and would of been three had the weather not been so bad Saturday night. Both games were chances to see a pair of teams that were completely different, having lost players from last years teams but, for different reasons. I also got a chance to see some smaller schools and bigger schools. Sometimes I get wrapped up in the D1 games that I really don't give the smaller schools much attention but, I want to try and get to more smaller school games. I have to say atmospheres are completely different when talking big city schools and smaller rural schools.
Thursday night took in Madison Memorial verse Sun Prairie. Memorial is considered the favorite in the conference and Sun Prairie is making a transition since the transferring of Jalen Johnson and the graduation of Marlon Ruffin. Unfortunately for me Sun Prairie was without their top three returning players juniors 6'0 Colin Schaefer and 6'6 Delaware Hale, who both should have break out years, along with 6'5 senior Cooper Nelson who has a ton of experience from the last two years. With those three missing Madison Memorial completely controlled the game from go and cruised to a 40-14 half time lead. Memorial will once again play a tough switching man to man defense and will dominate the glass on both ends. Those two things mentioned killed Sun Prairie as the couldn't get any good looks at the basket and they were only getting one shot every time down. Memorial was able to play every guy on their team in the first half.
In the second half Sun Prairie really pressed Memorial and pushed the tempo forcing Memorial to turn the ball over time and time again and the game completely switched. Sun Prairie was actually able to cut the lead to nine at one point and Memorial ended up hanging on for the 71-61 win.
Top Players
Brock Voigt 6'5 senior Sun Prairie- Had the game of his life and I don't thin he even saw the court a year ago. Battled in the paint all night and showed the ability to drive to the rim and finished with either hand. Early on I thought he was a lefty but, after he went to the free throw line realized he was a righty.
Rajai Williams 6'0 senior Sun Prairie- Had a terrible first half forcing bad shots and turning the ball over but, in the second half turned that energy into something. Hitting a couple things and was able to turn the turnovers into easy buckets.
Nick Caropreso 6'4 senior Madison Memorial- Just a battler on the inside scoring on second chance buckets and he also hit three three point shots in the game.
Cade Ellingson 6'3 senior Madison Memorial- Ok no way he's 6'3. Was really able to drive to the lane and was able to finish over the Sun Prairie defenders. Not the quickest guy but, he's a heady player that just has a knack for scoring.
Top Scorers
SP 61- B Voigt 26 Williams 15 Dawson Hughes 13
MM 71- Ellingson 20 Caropreso 15 Kyle Yu 11
Friday night was the game that really surprised me. Honestly I was going to see Mineral Point play who is ranked number one in division four. Wisconsin Dells lost a ton from last years Sectional Final team. I half expected Mineral Point to just run away and hide, that wasn't even close to the truth.
Mineral Point really seemed disinterested and lacked energy as they just kind of went through the motions. Patricularily their two stars 6'5 sophomore Brayden Dailey and 6'4 junior Isaac Lindsey. No maybe they just aren't high emotion players or don't let their emotions show but, they really seemed to lack energy. I would like to see Dailey look to score more and demand the ball. Dailey seemed content to stand in the corner and wait for the ball to come to him. Lindsey threw a lot of lazy passes which led to turnovers and just tipped balls that wouldn't allow them to get their offense going. Lindsey also was aggressive enough and seemed ok to just set outside swing the ball and would occasionally hoist a three. Mineral Point seemed like the better team but, they let the Dells hang around. Junior Bryson Funmaker was extremely impressive despite his lack of height of a generous 5'10. Funmaker was able to get anywhere he wanted as he was just quicker then anyone else on the court. Funmaker hit some threes coming off of screens and then off the dribble he was able to get to the rim and finish in a variety of ways or he was able to pull up for the mid range jumper.
As the game came to an end I felt like I was re watching Mineral Points lose in the Sectional Final. Three straight times Mineral Point went to the line with a chance to seal the game up only one. Three straight times they missed the front end and gave the Dells a chance. If you follow high school ball at all you know how this ended. Dells had a chance for a last second shot and inbounded to 6'7 junior Sam Millard who pump faked once and then pulled up for the three that found the bottom of the net for the Dells win. Losing the game was big but, the bigger thing was that Linsdsey turned his ankle pretty badly with about a minute and a half left and wound up leaving the gym on crutches.
Top Players
Brayden Dailey 6'5 sophomore Mineral Point- Boy he had a pretty stroke from the outside and can get his shot off at any time and usually it's going to fall. Just a smooth player all around.
Isaac Lindsey 6'4 junior Mineral Point- Yes he didn't have a great game but, he did have some nice drives to the rim and hit some nice mid range shots.
Bryson Funmaker 5'10 junior Wisconsin Dells- I've pretty much said it all already. He's really taken his game to another level since last season.
Dylan Anchor 6'3 senior Wisconsin Dells- Not the most talented guy but, I really liked his game. Just works hard in the paint and he was able to hit the spot up jumper.
Top Scorers
MP 65- B Dailey 19 Lindsey 17 Liam Stumpf 9
WB 67- Funmaker 22 Anchor 17 Brett Hirst 10
Thursday night took in Madison Memorial verse Sun Prairie. Memorial is considered the favorite in the conference and Sun Prairie is making a transition since the transferring of Jalen Johnson and the graduation of Marlon Ruffin. Unfortunately for me Sun Prairie was without their top three returning players juniors 6'0 Colin Schaefer and 6'6 Delaware Hale, who both should have break out years, along with 6'5 senior Cooper Nelson who has a ton of experience from the last two years. With those three missing Madison Memorial completely controlled the game from go and cruised to a 40-14 half time lead. Memorial will once again play a tough switching man to man defense and will dominate the glass on both ends. Those two things mentioned killed Sun Prairie as the couldn't get any good looks at the basket and they were only getting one shot every time down. Memorial was able to play every guy on their team in the first half.
In the second half Sun Prairie really pressed Memorial and pushed the tempo forcing Memorial to turn the ball over time and time again and the game completely switched. Sun Prairie was actually able to cut the lead to nine at one point and Memorial ended up hanging on for the 71-61 win.
Top Players
Brock Voigt 6'5 senior Sun Prairie- Had the game of his life and I don't thin he even saw the court a year ago. Battled in the paint all night and showed the ability to drive to the rim and finished with either hand. Early on I thought he was a lefty but, after he went to the free throw line realized he was a righty.
Rajai Williams 6'0 senior Sun Prairie- Had a terrible first half forcing bad shots and turning the ball over but, in the second half turned that energy into something. Hitting a couple things and was able to turn the turnovers into easy buckets.
Nick Caropreso 6'4 senior Madison Memorial- Just a battler on the inside scoring on second chance buckets and he also hit three three point shots in the game.
Cade Ellingson 6'3 senior Madison Memorial- Ok no way he's 6'3. Was really able to drive to the lane and was able to finish over the Sun Prairie defenders. Not the quickest guy but, he's a heady player that just has a knack for scoring.
Top Scorers
SP 61- B Voigt 26 Williams 15 Dawson Hughes 13
MM 71- Ellingson 20 Caropreso 15 Kyle Yu 11
Friday night was the game that really surprised me. Honestly I was going to see Mineral Point play who is ranked number one in division four. Wisconsin Dells lost a ton from last years Sectional Final team. I half expected Mineral Point to just run away and hide, that wasn't even close to the truth.
Mineral Point really seemed disinterested and lacked energy as they just kind of went through the motions. Patricularily their two stars 6'5 sophomore Brayden Dailey and 6'4 junior Isaac Lindsey. No maybe they just aren't high emotion players or don't let their emotions show but, they really seemed to lack energy. I would like to see Dailey look to score more and demand the ball. Dailey seemed content to stand in the corner and wait for the ball to come to him. Lindsey threw a lot of lazy passes which led to turnovers and just tipped balls that wouldn't allow them to get their offense going. Lindsey also was aggressive enough and seemed ok to just set outside swing the ball and would occasionally hoist a three. Mineral Point seemed like the better team but, they let the Dells hang around. Junior Bryson Funmaker was extremely impressive despite his lack of height of a generous 5'10. Funmaker was able to get anywhere he wanted as he was just quicker then anyone else on the court. Funmaker hit some threes coming off of screens and then off the dribble he was able to get to the rim and finish in a variety of ways or he was able to pull up for the mid range jumper.
As the game came to an end I felt like I was re watching Mineral Points lose in the Sectional Final. Three straight times Mineral Point went to the line with a chance to seal the game up only one. Three straight times they missed the front end and gave the Dells a chance. If you follow high school ball at all you know how this ended. Dells had a chance for a last second shot and inbounded to 6'7 junior Sam Millard who pump faked once and then pulled up for the three that found the bottom of the net for the Dells win. Losing the game was big but, the bigger thing was that Linsdsey turned his ankle pretty badly with about a minute and a half left and wound up leaving the gym on crutches.
Top Players
Brayden Dailey 6'5 sophomore Mineral Point- Boy he had a pretty stroke from the outside and can get his shot off at any time and usually it's going to fall. Just a smooth player all around.
Isaac Lindsey 6'4 junior Mineral Point- Yes he didn't have a great game but, he did have some nice drives to the rim and hit some nice mid range shots.
Bryson Funmaker 5'10 junior Wisconsin Dells- I've pretty much said it all already. He's really taken his game to another level since last season.
Dylan Anchor 6'3 senior Wisconsin Dells- Not the most talented guy but, I really liked his game. Just works hard in the paint and he was able to hit the spot up jumper.
Top Scorers
MP 65- B Dailey 19 Lindsey 17 Liam Stumpf 9
WB 67- Funmaker 22 Anchor 17 Brett Hirst 10
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
Big Eight Preview
The season is under way but, the Big Eight conference hasn't started conference games yet. They are far and away the conference that I keep the closest eye on as they are a very good conference, their a division one conference, and they are fairly close to home for me. There always seems to be one or two teams that really surprise and you have some get rivalries in the Madison area because the schools are located so close together. Madison Memorial has always been the class of the conference but, last year Sun Prairie won the conference and finally got to state. Prior to last year Memorial had won 14 straight conference titles.Well here are my picks...
1. Madison Memorial- I think Memorial will get back on top. They have a very good senior class with a good chunk of them having played varsity since they were sophomores. This isn't the Memorial teams of past that loved to get up and down the court. This team will be a slow and steady team that will play great defense, control the tempo, and won't look to shoot a lot of threes, pounding the ball inside. A pair of seniors 6'2 Cade Ellingson and 6'4 Ian Brown will probably do most of the ball handling duties and 6'4 Nick Caropreso will do the dirty work on the inside. I really expect big things from 6'6 junior Yacouba Traore who seemed a little timid at times. 6'4 senior Dryden Schaefer might be the X factor as he's the one guy that can really shoot the three.
2. Madison La Follette- I saw them run Memorial out of the gym in the playoffs last year but, I think their lack of height is going to kill them. Last year they had a couple guys around 6'2 last year but, those guys have graduated. Even without that height they have the top back court in the conference in a pair of seniors 5'8 Donnell Gray and 5'11 Troy Reeves. Gray really controls the game from the point position and Reeves plays off of him and doesn't force things too much. They will miss their senior glass a bit though and will need to get something from last years JV.
3. Madison East- I'm a little higher on East then others but, I really like their juniors 6'3 Keonte Jones and 6'3 Anthony Washington. Both will get more shots now that their top two scorers Keshawn Justice and Early Lewis have moved on. Jones will score but, he's also a tenacious defender. From the summer reports it seems that Washington has made huge strides and is considered a D1 scholarship player at the next level, the athleticism has always been there but, he has to put the shooting and ball handling together. Throw in returning starting point guard 5'10 senior Demonate Thompson and thats a solid core to build around. If they can get something out of their big men 6'5 junior Marcus Justice and 6'6 sophomore Jevan Boyton that would be huge and seeing them finish in the top three.
4. Sun Prairie- A state team a year ago they were killed by graduation and transferring. Jalen Johnson is probably the best player in the state and brother Kobe seemed to be on his way to being a very good player as well. They also graduated their other four starters as well but, the future is bright here. I'm really excited to see 5'11 junior point guard Colin Schaefer as a starter and playing big minutes. His future is very bright. I'm also interested in 6'6 junior Delaware Hale who has been ranked very high in his class but, needs to know his roll and play under control. 6'5 senior Cooper Nelson has started a times in the past. Fellow senior 6'0 Rajai Williams has shown flashes and will be interesting to see what happens if he sees some big minutes.
5. Middleton- Now I'm getting into the unknown here. They basically lost everything but, Middleton always has a ton of seniors and you know their always going to compete. Can't imagine them falling down too much. They were hurt by 6'7 senior Max Schlicht going down with an injury and will miss the season.
6. Verona- Another team I put here basically based on their tradition. Don't know much but, they return a pair of seniors that averaged double digits in 6'0 Tyler Slawek and 6'4 Ryan Van Handel.
7. Janesville Craig- Lost just about everything from last year but, another team that you won't ever find at the bottom of the conference. Honestly that's about all I can say.
8. Madison West- A little cheating here as they did beat Milwaukee Vincent already this year otherwise I might of had them a little lower. Also seems to have a lot of individual talent but, just can't seem to ever put it all together. Four starters back but, they only won four games a year ago.
9. Beloit- Traditionally a better team then this but, year book had them down this low. Haven't seen them play in a couple years so I'll still with the yearbook.
10. Janesville Parker- Well their Parker and unfortunately you basically just always put Parker here. Only won two games last year and lost their top scorer to graduation.
Predicted Conference Records
Memorial 15-3
La Follette 14-4
East 13-5
Sun Prairie 12-6
Middleton 10-8
Verona 9-9
Craig 7-11
West 6-12
Beloit 4-14
Parker 0-18
Well there you have my Big Eight thoughts. To be honest probably everyone will lose at least five games and it wouldn't surprise me one bit. All of these teams are just so close.
1. Madison Memorial- I think Memorial will get back on top. They have a very good senior class with a good chunk of them having played varsity since they were sophomores. This isn't the Memorial teams of past that loved to get up and down the court. This team will be a slow and steady team that will play great defense, control the tempo, and won't look to shoot a lot of threes, pounding the ball inside. A pair of seniors 6'2 Cade Ellingson and 6'4 Ian Brown will probably do most of the ball handling duties and 6'4 Nick Caropreso will do the dirty work on the inside. I really expect big things from 6'6 junior Yacouba Traore who seemed a little timid at times. 6'4 senior Dryden Schaefer might be the X factor as he's the one guy that can really shoot the three.
2. Madison La Follette- I saw them run Memorial out of the gym in the playoffs last year but, I think their lack of height is going to kill them. Last year they had a couple guys around 6'2 last year but, those guys have graduated. Even without that height they have the top back court in the conference in a pair of seniors 5'8 Donnell Gray and 5'11 Troy Reeves. Gray really controls the game from the point position and Reeves plays off of him and doesn't force things too much. They will miss their senior glass a bit though and will need to get something from last years JV.
3. Madison East- I'm a little higher on East then others but, I really like their juniors 6'3 Keonte Jones and 6'3 Anthony Washington. Both will get more shots now that their top two scorers Keshawn Justice and Early Lewis have moved on. Jones will score but, he's also a tenacious defender. From the summer reports it seems that Washington has made huge strides and is considered a D1 scholarship player at the next level, the athleticism has always been there but, he has to put the shooting and ball handling together. Throw in returning starting point guard 5'10 senior Demonate Thompson and thats a solid core to build around. If they can get something out of their big men 6'5 junior Marcus Justice and 6'6 sophomore Jevan Boyton that would be huge and seeing them finish in the top three.
4. Sun Prairie- A state team a year ago they were killed by graduation and transferring. Jalen Johnson is probably the best player in the state and brother Kobe seemed to be on his way to being a very good player as well. They also graduated their other four starters as well but, the future is bright here. I'm really excited to see 5'11 junior point guard Colin Schaefer as a starter and playing big minutes. His future is very bright. I'm also interested in 6'6 junior Delaware Hale who has been ranked very high in his class but, needs to know his roll and play under control. 6'5 senior Cooper Nelson has started a times in the past. Fellow senior 6'0 Rajai Williams has shown flashes and will be interesting to see what happens if he sees some big minutes.
5. Middleton- Now I'm getting into the unknown here. They basically lost everything but, Middleton always has a ton of seniors and you know their always going to compete. Can't imagine them falling down too much. They were hurt by 6'7 senior Max Schlicht going down with an injury and will miss the season.
6. Verona- Another team I put here basically based on their tradition. Don't know much but, they return a pair of seniors that averaged double digits in 6'0 Tyler Slawek and 6'4 Ryan Van Handel.
7. Janesville Craig- Lost just about everything from last year but, another team that you won't ever find at the bottom of the conference. Honestly that's about all I can say.
8. Madison West- A little cheating here as they did beat Milwaukee Vincent already this year otherwise I might of had them a little lower. Also seems to have a lot of individual talent but, just can't seem to ever put it all together. Four starters back but, they only won four games a year ago.
9. Beloit- Traditionally a better team then this but, year book had them down this low. Haven't seen them play in a couple years so I'll still with the yearbook.
10. Janesville Parker- Well their Parker and unfortunately you basically just always put Parker here. Only won two games last year and lost their top scorer to graduation.
Predicted Conference Records
Memorial 15-3
La Follette 14-4
East 13-5
Sun Prairie 12-6
Middleton 10-8
Verona 9-9
Craig 7-11
West 6-12
Beloit 4-14
Parker 0-18
Well there you have my Big Eight thoughts. To be honest probably everyone will lose at least five games and it wouldn't surprise me one bit. All of these teams are just so close.
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Mount Horeb over Platteville
Got to my first game of the year taking in Platteville verse Mount Horeb. This was a match up of two teams ranked in the top ten in their divisions according to the Wisconsin Yearbook anyway. Both were ranked ninth in each division.
This game was very obviously the first game of the year for everyone involved. The shooting for both teams was extremely poor and their were a ton of fouls. Now the fouls I'm not going to put on the refs because this game was pretty sloppy which makes it pretty tough to officiate. Unfortunately due to the fouls that really became the story line as both teams dealt with foul trouble. In the first half Platteville couldn't buy a three pointer and then their two starting big men both 6'4 seniors Conor Riely and Trey Bartels got in foul trouble and spent more time on the bench then on the court. At one point it seemed Riley got himself going but, then the second foul occurred and sent him to the bench. I would guess that Platteville was probably under 20% from three point range as they only hit a pair of threes in the first half and with the big men on the bench they weren't getting any rebounds.
On the other side foul trouble struck Mount Horeb as well. Their top player 6'2 Gunnar Nortman was saddled with two fouls early on and sat a good portion of the first half. Mount Horeb was paced by 6'5 senior Jackson Larson who did a very nice job of scoring around the rim and finishing in a variety of ways. Mount Horeb also got a nice little run from 5'10 senior Logan Rasmussen who came off the bench and hit back to back threes at one point which led to a half time lead of 30-17.
In the second half this continued much the same, poor shooting and lots of fouls. Platteville took advantage of the early fouls in the second half to get into bonus early and try to crawl back into the game. Platteville though once again wasn't hitting the three as they really only hit one three in the second half until they hit a second in the final minute of the game when it was over. Just wasn't a lot to say about Platteville positively in this one. All their guards struggled shooting and big men were in foul trouble.
For Mount Horeb in the second half Larson got himself in foul and sat a good chunk but, Nortman and fellow 6'5 senior Bryce Farnsworth got themselves going. Nortman had a nice little run in the second half hitting a three and then a pair of mid range jumpers. Farnsworth hit a pair of threes and really controlled the boards on both sides as all the other big men were out with foul trouble.
Top Players
Jason Larson 6'5 senior Mount Horeb- Really does the dirty work for Mount Horeb. Kind of a glue guy too but, he can really finish around the rim. Had a pair of some nice reverse layups and when he was in he was crashing the glass.
Gunnar Nortman 6'2 senior Mount Horeb- Was hindered by the foul trouble but, showed some nice game in the second half. Has a very nice shot with very little excess movement goes straight up and down. Does a nice job of letting the game come to him and not pressing things.
Bryce Farnsworth 6'5 senior Mount Horeb- Despite his size really plays more like a guard. Moves very well for a big guy and has a nice shot from the outside whether off the bounce or off the screen.
Brandon Weigel 6'2 senior Platteville- Really the only bright spot for Platteville in my opinion. Saw big time minutes off the bench due to the foul trouble and made the most of the them. Really battled in the point rebounding and fighting for position which led to a 5-6 from the free throw line. Also had a pair of nice led mid range jump shots from either wing.
Box Score (again starters in italics)
Mount Horeb 60- Farnsworth 16 Nortman 13 Larson 12 Dustin Zenz 10 Rasmussen 6 Owen Ziegler 4 Carter Gilkes 0 Ethan Post 0 Simeon Smith 0 Gunnar Bagstad 0 Joey Henderson 0 Dylan Pierce 0 Cade Johnson 0 Zach Nelson 0 Trey Ryan 0
Platteville 44- Weigel 11 Cade Rohrbach 9 Isaih Oswald 6 Andy Eggers 5 Bartels 5 Riley 4 Gabe Tashner 3 Garrett Baxter 1 Austin Wein 0 Nathan Busch 0 Calvin Wernimont 0 Austin Shaffer 0 Tyler McClain 0
Will be about another week before I'll see another game but, just some final thoughts. Platteville have a ways to go but, if their big men can come to play they will have a very good season in D4 while Mount Horeb will be a good team in D3. A great team? Well I don't know about that but, a good season none the less and probably contend for conference with Waunakee not being as strong as the past.
This game was very obviously the first game of the year for everyone involved. The shooting for both teams was extremely poor and their were a ton of fouls. Now the fouls I'm not going to put on the refs because this game was pretty sloppy which makes it pretty tough to officiate. Unfortunately due to the fouls that really became the story line as both teams dealt with foul trouble. In the first half Platteville couldn't buy a three pointer and then their two starting big men both 6'4 seniors Conor Riely and Trey Bartels got in foul trouble and spent more time on the bench then on the court. At one point it seemed Riley got himself going but, then the second foul occurred and sent him to the bench. I would guess that Platteville was probably under 20% from three point range as they only hit a pair of threes in the first half and with the big men on the bench they weren't getting any rebounds.
On the other side foul trouble struck Mount Horeb as well. Their top player 6'2 Gunnar Nortman was saddled with two fouls early on and sat a good portion of the first half. Mount Horeb was paced by 6'5 senior Jackson Larson who did a very nice job of scoring around the rim and finishing in a variety of ways. Mount Horeb also got a nice little run from 5'10 senior Logan Rasmussen who came off the bench and hit back to back threes at one point which led to a half time lead of 30-17.
In the second half this continued much the same, poor shooting and lots of fouls. Platteville took advantage of the early fouls in the second half to get into bonus early and try to crawl back into the game. Platteville though once again wasn't hitting the three as they really only hit one three in the second half until they hit a second in the final minute of the game when it was over. Just wasn't a lot to say about Platteville positively in this one. All their guards struggled shooting and big men were in foul trouble.
For Mount Horeb in the second half Larson got himself in foul and sat a good chunk but, Nortman and fellow 6'5 senior Bryce Farnsworth got themselves going. Nortman had a nice little run in the second half hitting a three and then a pair of mid range jumpers. Farnsworth hit a pair of threes and really controlled the boards on both sides as all the other big men were out with foul trouble.
Top Players
Jason Larson 6'5 senior Mount Horeb- Really does the dirty work for Mount Horeb. Kind of a glue guy too but, he can really finish around the rim. Had a pair of some nice reverse layups and when he was in he was crashing the glass.
Gunnar Nortman 6'2 senior Mount Horeb- Was hindered by the foul trouble but, showed some nice game in the second half. Has a very nice shot with very little excess movement goes straight up and down. Does a nice job of letting the game come to him and not pressing things.
Bryce Farnsworth 6'5 senior Mount Horeb- Despite his size really plays more like a guard. Moves very well for a big guy and has a nice shot from the outside whether off the bounce or off the screen.
Brandon Weigel 6'2 senior Platteville- Really the only bright spot for Platteville in my opinion. Saw big time minutes off the bench due to the foul trouble and made the most of the them. Really battled in the point rebounding and fighting for position which led to a 5-6 from the free throw line. Also had a pair of nice led mid range jump shots from either wing.
Box Score (again starters in italics)
Mount Horeb 60- Farnsworth 16 Nortman 13 Larson 12 Dustin Zenz 10 Rasmussen 6 Owen Ziegler 4 Carter Gilkes 0 Ethan Post 0 Simeon Smith 0 Gunnar Bagstad 0 Joey Henderson 0 Dylan Pierce 0 Cade Johnson 0 Zach Nelson 0 Trey Ryan 0
Platteville 44- Weigel 11 Cade Rohrbach 9 Isaih Oswald 6 Andy Eggers 5 Bartels 5 Riley 4 Gabe Tashner 3 Garrett Baxter 1 Austin Wein 0 Nathan Busch 0 Calvin Wernimont 0 Austin Shaffer 0 Tyler McClain 0
Will be about another week before I'll see another game but, just some final thoughts. Platteville have a ways to go but, if their big men can come to play they will have a very good season in D4 while Mount Horeb will be a good team in D3. A great team? Well I don't know about that but, a good season none the less and probably contend for conference with Waunakee not being as strong as the past.
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Division Four and Five Preseason Rankings
I'm gonna be honest that I'm pretty clueless with the two smallest divisions when it comes to the top 10 rankings. I could maybe do a top five for division four but, don't know a thing for division five. I've decided rather then me just regurgitating what the yearbook says I'll give some quick thoughts for each division.
Divison Four
I was going to do my top five and then realized that my top five was just the yearbook top five. I think just about everyone can agree the top two teams are Mineral Point and Milwaukee Academy of Science. Mineral Point really should of been at state last year and may of been the best team in D4 and they have two legit D1 college prospects in 6'3 junior point guard Isaach Lindsey and 6'5 sophomore Brayden Dailey. Milwaukee Academy is another weird charter school situation that I'm sure will cause a ton of uproar if they make it to state. I haven't seen them but, have heard a ton about their D1 talent. They bring back four starters from a pretty successful team and have the D1 talent in 6'3 junior Kaleim Taylor and 6'9 junior Darius Hannah who average 16 points and 17 rebounds a game last year. Those numbers are unheard of and if it isn't this year it will be next year that they get to state. They also have the benefit of playing an independent schedule so they typically schedule some pretty talented teams. My number three is New Glarus who has seemed to have great season the past two season but, haven't been able to get to state and this year should be no different. They have four starters back from a team that won 24 games a year ago including a pair of senior guards in 6'0 Zack Feller who averaged 19 a game last year and 5'11 Jaden Kreklow who averaged 20 a game. The fourth team that I really have an opinion about is Manitowoc Roncalli. Roncalli has almost got to the point where they are a given to get to state. They have 5'9 senior Chombi Lambert back who has been a star the past two years at state and could very well carry them again. After that its kind of a crap shoot in my mind. Howards Grove had an impressive record last year. Clear Lake made the state run last year, Cuba City, Colfax, and Marathon have the past history in their favor of very good teams.
Division Five
Like I said I'm completely lost here. You can always go with privates in Sheboygan Lutheran and Green Bay NEW Lutheran. Sheboygan evidently received a very talented transfer from Kansas City and NEW Lutheran also seems to be at state after having poor records having played bigger schools all year long. Wauzeka-Steuben had a very good record last year and return a pair of big time scorers. Barneveld has some history and I know they have senior Malcolm Reed whose an elite talent. Hilbert is maybe another team that has some great history.
Well those are my final preseason thoughts and the season will start this year.
Divison Four
I was going to do my top five and then realized that my top five was just the yearbook top five. I think just about everyone can agree the top two teams are Mineral Point and Milwaukee Academy of Science. Mineral Point really should of been at state last year and may of been the best team in D4 and they have two legit D1 college prospects in 6'3 junior point guard Isaach Lindsey and 6'5 sophomore Brayden Dailey. Milwaukee Academy is another weird charter school situation that I'm sure will cause a ton of uproar if they make it to state. I haven't seen them but, have heard a ton about their D1 talent. They bring back four starters from a pretty successful team and have the D1 talent in 6'3 junior Kaleim Taylor and 6'9 junior Darius Hannah who average 16 points and 17 rebounds a game last year. Those numbers are unheard of and if it isn't this year it will be next year that they get to state. They also have the benefit of playing an independent schedule so they typically schedule some pretty talented teams. My number three is New Glarus who has seemed to have great season the past two season but, haven't been able to get to state and this year should be no different. They have four starters back from a team that won 24 games a year ago including a pair of senior guards in 6'0 Zack Feller who averaged 19 a game last year and 5'11 Jaden Kreklow who averaged 20 a game. The fourth team that I really have an opinion about is Manitowoc Roncalli. Roncalli has almost got to the point where they are a given to get to state. They have 5'9 senior Chombi Lambert back who has been a star the past two years at state and could very well carry them again. After that its kind of a crap shoot in my mind. Howards Grove had an impressive record last year. Clear Lake made the state run last year, Cuba City, Colfax, and Marathon have the past history in their favor of very good teams.
Division Five
Like I said I'm completely lost here. You can always go with privates in Sheboygan Lutheran and Green Bay NEW Lutheran. Sheboygan evidently received a very talented transfer from Kansas City and NEW Lutheran also seems to be at state after having poor records having played bigger schools all year long. Wauzeka-Steuben had a very good record last year and return a pair of big time scorers. Barneveld has some history and I know they have senior Malcolm Reed whose an elite talent. Hilbert is maybe another team that has some great history.
Well those are my final preseason thoughts and the season will start this year.
Monday, November 12, 2018
Division Three Preseason Rankings
On to division three rankings. Doesn't seem to have as many elite teams as there have been in the past but, it should still be a great season. It seems that private schools are making their mark on D3 once again.
1. Martin Luther- Won 21 games a year ago and have a ton of talent back in their senior class. 6'5 Xzavier Jones is a high major college player, 6'2 Ace Evans had a coming out party a year ago, 6'6 Jeramie King should improve moving into the starting lineup, and 5'10 Trequan Carrington was their leading scorer a year ago.
2. Waupun- Lost only two games a year ago and bring back three starters led by Northern Kentucky recruit 6'6 senior Marcus Domask who has been the leading scorer for the past three years. They also received a talented transfer in 6'4 senior Quintin Winterfeldt who was leading scorer for Fon du Lac last year.
3. Lakeside Lutheran- Four starters back from a 19 win team and led by a trio of seniors who have starter for two years already in 6'0 Will DeNoyer, 6'4 Jack Monis, and 6'6 Cameron Paske.
4. Brookfield Academy- Another team that brings back five players that started at times a year ago from a team that won 20 games. Have a big time scorer in 6'1 junior Aidan Cleary who averaged 20 a game as a sophomore. Also have some nice size in 6'8 sophomore Logan Landers and 6'6 junior Alex Leach.
5. Racine St Catherines- Five starters are back from a 17 win team and they are led by 6'6 senior Quinn Cafferty.
6. Golda Meir- Upstart team that is a newer school and bring back four starters and a ton of height in 6'6 senior Mario Williams, 6'6 senior Brandon Herman, 6'4 senior Duane Rogers, and 6'8 sophomore Selle Dime off the bench.
7. Southern Door- Again another team that won 20 games and brought back four starters led by 6'2 senior Kyle Daoust who averaged 22 points a game.
8. Brown Deer- They lost a lot of players but, they always seem to find their way up to the top. Keith Appleby has become one of the top coaches in the state and have a pair of double digit scoring seniors in 5'8 Jaylon Gentry and 6'2 Jeremiah Dotson.
9. Prescott- State runner up last year and they bring back a pair of starters with lots of experience in 5'11 senior Brian Tayson and 6'3 junior Parker Nielson who was their second leading scorer a year ago.
10. Platteville- Feel like I'm repeating the same story over and over. Won 19 games last year and bring back four starters.
1. Martin Luther- Won 21 games a year ago and have a ton of talent back in their senior class. 6'5 Xzavier Jones is a high major college player, 6'2 Ace Evans had a coming out party a year ago, 6'6 Jeramie King should improve moving into the starting lineup, and 5'10 Trequan Carrington was their leading scorer a year ago.
2. Waupun- Lost only two games a year ago and bring back three starters led by Northern Kentucky recruit 6'6 senior Marcus Domask who has been the leading scorer for the past three years. They also received a talented transfer in 6'4 senior Quintin Winterfeldt who was leading scorer for Fon du Lac last year.
3. Lakeside Lutheran- Four starters back from a 19 win team and led by a trio of seniors who have starter for two years already in 6'0 Will DeNoyer, 6'4 Jack Monis, and 6'6 Cameron Paske.
4. Brookfield Academy- Another team that brings back five players that started at times a year ago from a team that won 20 games. Have a big time scorer in 6'1 junior Aidan Cleary who averaged 20 a game as a sophomore. Also have some nice size in 6'8 sophomore Logan Landers and 6'6 junior Alex Leach.
5. Racine St Catherines- Five starters are back from a 17 win team and they are led by 6'6 senior Quinn Cafferty.
6. Golda Meir- Upstart team that is a newer school and bring back four starters and a ton of height in 6'6 senior Mario Williams, 6'6 senior Brandon Herman, 6'4 senior Duane Rogers, and 6'8 sophomore Selle Dime off the bench.
7. Southern Door- Again another team that won 20 games and brought back four starters led by 6'2 senior Kyle Daoust who averaged 22 points a game.
8. Brown Deer- They lost a lot of players but, they always seem to find their way up to the top. Keith Appleby has become one of the top coaches in the state and have a pair of double digit scoring seniors in 5'8 Jaylon Gentry and 6'2 Jeremiah Dotson.
9. Prescott- State runner up last year and they bring back a pair of starters with lots of experience in 5'11 senior Brian Tayson and 6'3 junior Parker Nielson who was their second leading scorer a year ago.
10. Platteville- Feel like I'm repeating the same story over and over. Won 19 games last year and bring back four starters.
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