I know I've been slacking on the rankings but, there just hasn't been much to update. I haven't seen any new teams and things haven't changed that much. There are a couple minor changes but, nothing to major. There are no changes for division three or four but, I will still list them so the all divisions can be seen on the same page. As always I have listed in ( ) how many times I have seen each team, since I'm basing my rankings only on teams and games that I've actually seen.
1. Humble, Texas Christian Life (1)- Their height and athleticism gives them the advantage over any team in Wisconsin. There is a reason they play a national schedule.
2. Milwaukee Washington (1)- Most complete over all team. Three guards that play intense defense and can score. Big men that block shots and rebound.
3. Madison Memorial (5)- Had the lose to Madison East. Most athletic team I've seen but, that outside shooting really hurts them at times.
4. Racine Horlick (1)- Very tall, long, and athletic front line and their guards play intense defense.
5. Madison East (2)- Marquis Mason is an athletic freak and dominates on the inside and Nimrod Hillard shows up big in big games. Yes they beat Memorial but, I would still take Memorial 7 of 10 games.
6. Waukesha Catholic Memorial (1)- Fundamentally strong team that is led by a star in T.J. Bray.
7. Verona (3)- Ziemer is one of the best players I've seen and Wadzinski is a very good #2 option.
8. Beloit (2)- Very athletic team and is very team oriented. Have four different guys that can carry the scoring load.
9. Menomonee Falls (1)- I know there record is a little rough but, this team looked very good in the game that I saw. They have good overall team height and have a solid eight man rotation and don't lose a thing when they go to their bench.
10. Oshkosh North (1)- Tank Johnson is a beast on the inside, Taylor Cameron is a very good point guard, and Nathan Wara does all the little things. 1-3-1 defense is very tough.
11. Wisconsin Lutheran (1)- Flavian Davis is an absolute star and the rest of their team knows their roles.
12. Fond du Lac (1)- Very good in the fast break and play great defense. Nick Ford is one of the top point guards in the state.
13. Whitefish Bay Dominican (1)- Athletic team that is also very fundamentally sound. Play great defense, rebound well, and no one can stay in front of Jerel Harris.
14. Wauwatosa East (1)- Once again probably the deepest team in the state and have a go to guy in Eric Williams. Larry Bradley will only get better the more he plays.
15. Manitowoc Lincoln (1)- Tall team that can shoot the three ball and have a pretty tough zone defense.
HM
Randolph (2)
Baraboo (2)
Waunakee (2)
Hamilton Sussex (1)
Division One
1. Milwaukee Washington
2. Madison Memorial
3. Racine Horlick
4. Madison East
5. Verona
6. Beloit
7. Menomonee Falls
8. Oshkosh North
9. Fond du Lac
10. Wauwatosa East
HM
Manitowoc Lincoln
Baraboo
Waunakee
Hamiliton Sussex
Division Two
1. Waukesha Catholic Memorial
2. Wisconsin Lutheran
3. Appleton Xavier (1)- Very solid bench. A team that likes to get out and run and handle pressure well.
4. Monroe (2)- Mitch Tordoff is a star and everyone on this team can drop the three.
5. Madison Edgewood (2)- Play harder then any team I've seen but, I just can't get over their lack of height and interior play.
6. Wisconsin Dells (4)- Jade Royston is finally getting some help as the team seems to be starting to click.
7. Reedsburg (1)- Tyler Mazur can score the ball but, he needs some consistent help.
8. Mauston (1)- Team that gives 100% the entire game. Don't rebound very well but, everyone on their team can shoot the three.
9. Shorewood (1)- Only ranked because I've only seen 9 D2 teams.
Division Three
1. Whitefish Bay Dominican
2. Racine St. Catherines (1)- Good overall team height and play very solid defense.
3. Eau Claire Regis (1)- Very solid on defense and can score in the post.
4. Brookfield Academy (1)- Have two solid guards and have a fairly tall team.
Division Four
1. Randolph (2)- Very patient team on defense and offense. Tillema and Kelm are the best division four teams in the state.
2. Benton (1)- Fast breaking team that can shoot the three well.
3. Burlington Catholic Central (1)- Solid defensive team and shoot the three well enough.
4. Williams Bay (1)- Not much to say here only ranked because it's all I've seen.
Well there are my new team rankings. Hopefully within the next couple days I'll get a chance to do my new player rankings as well. Heading down to the Madison Memorial verse Sun Praire game tomorrow because I have a friend that wants to go watch one of his friends that plays for Sun Praire.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Randolph gets miracle win over Waunakee
A little late on this one but, on Saturday night I saw Randolph get a miracle win over Waunakee. Normally this would be very demoralizing for division one Waunakee to lose to a division four school but, this isn't any division four school but, this is Randolph. Randolph has won numerous state titles, competes with bigger schools on a regular bases, and has two scholarship players on their roster.
Waunakee started out very good taking a 15-13 lead after one. Waunakee was able to contain one of Randolphs stars 6'3 senior Tyler Tillema by facing guarding him with either 6'3 senior Eric Helt or 6'0 sophomore Beau Murray. In the second quarter Randolph's other scholarship player 6'10 junior Kyle Kelm started heating up and carried Randolph to a 28-23 halftime lead. The first half was very sluggish but, in the second half things began to pick up as Tillema started to get hot and Waunakee finally started playing well. Every time it seemed Waunakee was going to tie the game up or take the lead Tillema was there to knock down a big three. The fourth quarter Tillema continued his hot shooting from long range and Kelm had a nice base line drive and dunk but, that is about the time things got interesting. Randolph was by 11 points with around three minutes left in the game when things fell apart for them. Waunakee senior 6'0 Jeff Tagarelli drove and finished with the left hand, nine point game. Randolp missed the free throws. 6'0 Waunakee senior Mitch Roelke came down and knocked down a three, six point game. Randolph inbounds the ball and it goes through the Randolph players hands right to Roelke who knocks down another three, three point game. Randolph once again goes to the line and misses the free throws. After a time out Roelke brings the ball up for Waunakee uses a pick from 6'7 senior Zach Ripley who fades to the top of the arc, Roelke draws both defenders and finds Ripley wide open and he drops the three to tie the game with 18 seconds left. Randolph passes the ball into Kelm who immediately travels. Waunakee gets the ball back with about 18 seconds still remaining. Roelke gets the ball at the top and looks to penetrate and pulls up for the 15 footer and is fouled. Roelke goes to the line and knocks down both free throws with three seconds left on the clock to give Waunakee a two point lead. Randolph inbounds the ball to Tillema who gets the ball to half court and launches it, the ball banks of the back board and in as the buzzer sounds giving Randolph the win. Great great finish.
Right now it still seems that Waunakee is looking for the leader, someone to take that shot. It appears that Mitch Roelke might be that player but, I think he might be better suited passing to that clutch player. Roelke just passes the ball so well. Waunakee really only has three tough games left in a rematch with Baraboo, a very tough game against Milwaukee Washington, and then the Badger challenge at the end of the year.
Randolph is really only a two man team specifically against better competition but, it just so happens those two players are probably the best players in all of division four. Its very rare to have a scholarship player at a D4 school but, its unheard of to have two of those players. Randolph looks poised for another state title.
Top Players
Mitch Roelke 6'0 senior Waunakee- Great pass first point guard who makes very good decisions. Also knocked down the big shots at the end of the game.
Eric Helt 6'3 senior Waunakee- Player great defense on Tillema all night but, when a kids that hot he's tough to stop.
Tyler Tillema 6'3 senior Randolph- 6-6 from three point range. This kid is a big time player and has great size for a point guard.
Kyle Kelm 6'10 junior Randolph- Big man that moves very well and has great touch from the outside for a big man.
Box Score
Waunakee 62- Roelke 17 Ripley 12 Helt 9 Ryan Gilles 6 Tagarelli 6 Austin Goetsch 4 Murray 4 Jason Paulson 4 Jared Staege 0 Cole Cefalu 0
Randolph 63- Tillema 26 Kelm 21 Brian Kampstra 5 Zach Reuter 5 Corey Pfeffer 2 Jared Reuter 2 Jay Fish 2
Half the season is now over and it has been a great half can't wait for the second half. In the next few days I will hopefully be doing new team rankings and player rankings. I haven't done them in awhile because I really haven't seen any new teams and the rankings just haven't changed that much.
Waunakee started out very good taking a 15-13 lead after one. Waunakee was able to contain one of Randolphs stars 6'3 senior Tyler Tillema by facing guarding him with either 6'3 senior Eric Helt or 6'0 sophomore Beau Murray. In the second quarter Randolph's other scholarship player 6'10 junior Kyle Kelm started heating up and carried Randolph to a 28-23 halftime lead. The first half was very sluggish but, in the second half things began to pick up as Tillema started to get hot and Waunakee finally started playing well. Every time it seemed Waunakee was going to tie the game up or take the lead Tillema was there to knock down a big three. The fourth quarter Tillema continued his hot shooting from long range and Kelm had a nice base line drive and dunk but, that is about the time things got interesting. Randolph was by 11 points with around three minutes left in the game when things fell apart for them. Waunakee senior 6'0 Jeff Tagarelli drove and finished with the left hand, nine point game. Randolp missed the free throws. 6'0 Waunakee senior Mitch Roelke came down and knocked down a three, six point game. Randolph inbounds the ball and it goes through the Randolph players hands right to Roelke who knocks down another three, three point game. Randolph once again goes to the line and misses the free throws. After a time out Roelke brings the ball up for Waunakee uses a pick from 6'7 senior Zach Ripley who fades to the top of the arc, Roelke draws both defenders and finds Ripley wide open and he drops the three to tie the game with 18 seconds left. Randolph passes the ball into Kelm who immediately travels. Waunakee gets the ball back with about 18 seconds still remaining. Roelke gets the ball at the top and looks to penetrate and pulls up for the 15 footer and is fouled. Roelke goes to the line and knocks down both free throws with three seconds left on the clock to give Waunakee a two point lead. Randolph inbounds the ball to Tillema who gets the ball to half court and launches it, the ball banks of the back board and in as the buzzer sounds giving Randolph the win. Great great finish.
Right now it still seems that Waunakee is looking for the leader, someone to take that shot. It appears that Mitch Roelke might be that player but, I think he might be better suited passing to that clutch player. Roelke just passes the ball so well. Waunakee really only has three tough games left in a rematch with Baraboo, a very tough game against Milwaukee Washington, and then the Badger challenge at the end of the year.
Randolph is really only a two man team specifically against better competition but, it just so happens those two players are probably the best players in all of division four. Its very rare to have a scholarship player at a D4 school but, its unheard of to have two of those players. Randolph looks poised for another state title.
Top Players
Mitch Roelke 6'0 senior Waunakee- Great pass first point guard who makes very good decisions. Also knocked down the big shots at the end of the game.
Eric Helt 6'3 senior Waunakee- Player great defense on Tillema all night but, when a kids that hot he's tough to stop.
Tyler Tillema 6'3 senior Randolph- 6-6 from three point range. This kid is a big time player and has great size for a point guard.
Kyle Kelm 6'10 junior Randolph- Big man that moves very well and has great touch from the outside for a big man.
Box Score
Waunakee 62- Roelke 17 Ripley 12 Helt 9 Ryan Gilles 6 Tagarelli 6 Austin Goetsch 4 Murray 4 Jason Paulson 4 Jared Staege 0 Cole Cefalu 0
Randolph 63- Tillema 26 Kelm 21 Brian Kampstra 5 Zach Reuter 5 Corey Pfeffer 2 Jared Reuter 2 Jay Fish 2
Half the season is now over and it has been a great half can't wait for the second half. In the next few days I will hopefully be doing new team rankings and player rankings. I haven't done them in awhile because I really haven't seen any new teams and the rankings just haven't changed that much.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Memorial rebounds with win over Verona
Madison Memorial was able to rebound from their first lose of the season, against Madison East, by defeating Verona 57-34 who was tied for second place in the conference at the time. Memorial still didn't play their best but, they really turned it on in the fourth quarter to take control of the game.
Early in the game Memorial came out very aggressive forcing Verona into numerous turnovers and jumped out to an early 18-9 lead. Verona looked a little shell shocked in the first quarter as the had difficulty just getting the ball to the three point line. When Verona did get to the inside it seemed that they were forced off of their spots and forced into taking wild fading away shots, runners, or even falling away. In the second quarter Verona was able to claw their way back into the game as the hit a couple threes and Memorial tried to get to fancy and turned the ball over along with a missed dunk. Verona was able to get within four points at halftime down 24-20.
In the second half it was Verona that came out hot knocking down their shots and were able to take a three point lead midway through the third quarter but, that was about it for Verona. Towards the beginning of fourth quarter the Verona fans started getting on Memorial star 6'7 senior Jeronne Maymon and that is about the time when things really turned around and Memorial took over. Maymon and 6'4 junior Vander Blue took over. Maymon wasn't scoring but, he took over the boards, had some steals, a couple blocks, and a couple outlet passes that result in baskets for Blue who scored the majority of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. With about two minutes left both coaches called it a game and pulled their starters.
Verona looked very much out of sink in this game, their stars just didn't come to play. 6'4 senior Jason Ziemer and 6'4 junior Sam Karls had very tough games specifically missing lots of easy bunny shots and just not being able to hold onto the ball. Their third star 6'4 junior Adam Wadzinski dissapeared and I forgot that he was even in the game. The one player that had a so so game was senior point guard 6'0 Travis Schaaf who was actually able to get to the hoop and score or get fouled but, Schaaf probably was pushing 10 turnovers for the game.
Memorial continued to struggle from the outside shooting and I believe Blue hit two or three, three point shots but, their were many many misses by the team as a whole. Jeronne Maymon didn't a lot of the little things and didn't really to score much because Blue was taking care of that side. I know people say that there is tension between the two stars but, in watching the two players on the court and also in the stands during the JV game and at the early season Madison Lafollette game, I see their relationship as two brothers. I know for me personally I always yell at my brother more when were playing sports because you know your brother can take it and you'll be cool after the game is over and that is how I see Maymon and Blue's relationship. Maybe I'm completely wrong but, that is how it appears to me. Once again Blue did not start apparently still do to the original disciplinary reasons that benched him a few games ago.
Top Players
Travis Schaaf 6'0 senior Verona- Like I said earlier one of the few guys for Verona that were able to get inside and make something happen.
Jeronne Maymon 6'7 senior Madison Memorial- Not a big scoring night but, he did do a lot of the little things like rebound, steals, assists, and blocks.
Vander Blue 6'4 junior Madison Memorial- Showed that he can be an outside threat knocking down a pair of three pointers. Great finisher in transition very tough to spot out in open space.
Box Score
Verona 34- Ziemer 11 Schaaf 10 Wadzinski 5 Karls 3 Sam Riebau 3 Matt Ropel 2 Scott Platto 0 Chris Mason 0 Kaden Nauman 0 Kevin Reinke 0 Brandon Banzhaf 0 Scott Christensen 0 Taylor Peterson 0
Madison Memorial 57- Blue 22 Junior Lomomba 9 Maymon 9 Tre Creamer 7 Russell Henderson 6 Ed Kluender 2 Fred Ringhand 2 Xavier Jones 0 Ace Davis 0 Erick Blue 0 Mathew Laubmeier 0 Eric Fruhling 0
Memorial was able to take the season tilt 2-0 over Verona and these two teams will not see each other again unless they both happen to make state which wouldn't be completely out of the question but, not something that is likely. More than likely Verona is now out of the conference title hunt but, Memorial still has Beloit and East on their schedule and they could slip up against a lower team. Didn't make it to the Border Battle this weekend but, will be heading down to watch Waunakee at Randolph tonight.
Early in the game Memorial came out very aggressive forcing Verona into numerous turnovers and jumped out to an early 18-9 lead. Verona looked a little shell shocked in the first quarter as the had difficulty just getting the ball to the three point line. When Verona did get to the inside it seemed that they were forced off of their spots and forced into taking wild fading away shots, runners, or even falling away. In the second quarter Verona was able to claw their way back into the game as the hit a couple threes and Memorial tried to get to fancy and turned the ball over along with a missed dunk. Verona was able to get within four points at halftime down 24-20.
In the second half it was Verona that came out hot knocking down their shots and were able to take a three point lead midway through the third quarter but, that was about it for Verona. Towards the beginning of fourth quarter the Verona fans started getting on Memorial star 6'7 senior Jeronne Maymon and that is about the time when things really turned around and Memorial took over. Maymon and 6'4 junior Vander Blue took over. Maymon wasn't scoring but, he took over the boards, had some steals, a couple blocks, and a couple outlet passes that result in baskets for Blue who scored the majority of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. With about two minutes left both coaches called it a game and pulled their starters.
Verona looked very much out of sink in this game, their stars just didn't come to play. 6'4 senior Jason Ziemer and 6'4 junior Sam Karls had very tough games specifically missing lots of easy bunny shots and just not being able to hold onto the ball. Their third star 6'4 junior Adam Wadzinski dissapeared and I forgot that he was even in the game. The one player that had a so so game was senior point guard 6'0 Travis Schaaf who was actually able to get to the hoop and score or get fouled but, Schaaf probably was pushing 10 turnovers for the game.
Memorial continued to struggle from the outside shooting and I believe Blue hit two or three, three point shots but, their were many many misses by the team as a whole. Jeronne Maymon didn't a lot of the little things and didn't really to score much because Blue was taking care of that side. I know people say that there is tension between the two stars but, in watching the two players on the court and also in the stands during the JV game and at the early season Madison Lafollette game, I see their relationship as two brothers. I know for me personally I always yell at my brother more when were playing sports because you know your brother can take it and you'll be cool after the game is over and that is how I see Maymon and Blue's relationship. Maybe I'm completely wrong but, that is how it appears to me. Once again Blue did not start apparently still do to the original disciplinary reasons that benched him a few games ago.
Top Players
Travis Schaaf 6'0 senior Verona- Like I said earlier one of the few guys for Verona that were able to get inside and make something happen.
Jeronne Maymon 6'7 senior Madison Memorial- Not a big scoring night but, he did do a lot of the little things like rebound, steals, assists, and blocks.
Vander Blue 6'4 junior Madison Memorial- Showed that he can be an outside threat knocking down a pair of three pointers. Great finisher in transition very tough to spot out in open space.
Box Score
Verona 34- Ziemer 11 Schaaf 10 Wadzinski 5 Karls 3 Sam Riebau 3 Matt Ropel 2 Scott Platto 0 Chris Mason 0 Kaden Nauman 0 Kevin Reinke 0 Brandon Banzhaf 0 Scott Christensen 0 Taylor Peterson 0
Madison Memorial 57- Blue 22 Junior Lomomba 9 Maymon 9 Tre Creamer 7 Russell Henderson 6 Ed Kluender 2 Fred Ringhand 2 Xavier Jones 0 Ace Davis 0 Erick Blue 0 Mathew Laubmeier 0 Eric Fruhling 0
Memorial was able to take the season tilt 2-0 over Verona and these two teams will not see each other again unless they both happen to make state which wouldn't be completely out of the question but, not something that is likely. More than likely Verona is now out of the conference title hunt but, Memorial still has Beloit and East on their schedule and they could slip up against a lower team. Didn't make it to the Border Battle this weekend but, will be heading down to watch Waunakee at Randolph tonight.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Wisconsin Dells beats Mauston to gain control of the SCC
In a game between undefeated teams in the South Central conference Wisconsin Dells took down Mauston 53-48 to gain the conference lead at a record of 4-0. I was very disappointed when I arrived at the game and I was notified that they were all out of programs for the game so I was unable to keep scoring stats which caused me to not pay as close attention to the game as I normally do.
The two things that won the game for the Dells was their rebounding and three point shooting. The Chiefs block out extremely well which cause Mauston to be one and done the majority of their offensive possessions. When Wisconsin Dells was on offense they were able to get second, third, and even fourth attempts at the baskets. When the Dells got open three point shots they were able to knock down the shots on a consistent bases. While of the other side Mauston continued to miss shots from the three point range but, this didn't stop them from trying to launch them.
For Wisconsin Dells 6'0 senior Jade Royston was the story just like he was all year long. Royston has a very smooth shot and was able to get his shot off tonight and not down some threes. Tonight was the first night that 6'9 junior Nate Gibson had his best game. He didn't do much scoring but, he was very dominate on the offensive glass.
For Mauston no one really stood out to me too much but, when I looked at the box score I saw that 6'3 junior Dustin Manthe had 16 points and I honestly didn't even notice him that much in the course of the game. 16 points is 16 points though and he must of been doing something right.
Top Players
Jade Royston 6'0 senior Wisconsin Dells- Smooth smooth shooter that can knock down a bunch of threes in a hurry and can get his shot at any time.
Nate Gibson 6'9 junior Wisconsin Dells- Very big body that clears space and rebounds very well.
Dustin Manthe 6'3 junior Mauston- Like I said I don't remember much about him but, he did score 16 points in the game.
Box Score (May be missing a few of the players that played but, didn't score due to the fact that I didn't have a program to follow on)
Wisconsin Dells- Royston 22 Jimmy Alvin 9 Gibson 9 Michael Morse 6 Bobby Blaschke 3 Kyle Stowers 2 Justin Ward 2 Jake Hall 0
Mauston- Manthe 16 Tyler Tardiff 11 Jeff Erickson 11 Brian Hall 8 Trever Reichhoff 2 Logan Dahlke 0 TJ Lueneberg 0 Brady Nelson 0
Honestly Mauston was not nearly as impressive as their 8-1 record made them appear. On the other side of things it appears that Wisconsin Dells is finally starting to play well and is living up to their preseason hype.
The two things that won the game for the Dells was their rebounding and three point shooting. The Chiefs block out extremely well which cause Mauston to be one and done the majority of their offensive possessions. When Wisconsin Dells was on offense they were able to get second, third, and even fourth attempts at the baskets. When the Dells got open three point shots they were able to knock down the shots on a consistent bases. While of the other side Mauston continued to miss shots from the three point range but, this didn't stop them from trying to launch them.
For Wisconsin Dells 6'0 senior Jade Royston was the story just like he was all year long. Royston has a very smooth shot and was able to get his shot off tonight and not down some threes. Tonight was the first night that 6'9 junior Nate Gibson had his best game. He didn't do much scoring but, he was very dominate on the offensive glass.
For Mauston no one really stood out to me too much but, when I looked at the box score I saw that 6'3 junior Dustin Manthe had 16 points and I honestly didn't even notice him that much in the course of the game. 16 points is 16 points though and he must of been doing something right.
Top Players
Jade Royston 6'0 senior Wisconsin Dells- Smooth smooth shooter that can knock down a bunch of threes in a hurry and can get his shot at any time.
Nate Gibson 6'9 junior Wisconsin Dells- Very big body that clears space and rebounds very well.
Dustin Manthe 6'3 junior Mauston- Like I said I don't remember much about him but, he did score 16 points in the game.
Box Score (May be missing a few of the players that played but, didn't score due to the fact that I didn't have a program to follow on)
Wisconsin Dells- Royston 22 Jimmy Alvin 9 Gibson 9 Michael Morse 6 Bobby Blaschke 3 Kyle Stowers 2 Justin Ward 2 Jake Hall 0
Mauston- Manthe 16 Tyler Tardiff 11 Jeff Erickson 11 Brian Hall 8 Trever Reichhoff 2 Logan Dahlke 0 TJ Lueneberg 0 Brady Nelson 0
Honestly Mauston was not nearly as impressive as their 8-1 record made them appear. On the other side of things it appears that Wisconsin Dells is finally starting to play well and is living up to their preseason hype.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Verona outlasts Janesville Craig
In a high scoring affair Verona took down Janesville Craig 78-66. If I remember correctly Verona took the lead from the get go and never looked back. Craig kept the game close trailing by six to eight points nearly the entire game but, could never get over the hump and catch Verona. Both teams were looking to push the ball earlier but, in the end Verona's ball movement and passing were superior to Craig's.
In the first half Verona reallied on great ball movement to get open shots and spread the ball around. I can think of at least two or three fast break baskets that Verona got where the ball never touched the ground and they moved the ball the length of the court. Janesville Craig kept the game close behind the long range shooting of 6'3 senior Kyle Goike and the great defense of 6'6 senior Jojo Pregont. Pregont finished the game with six or seven blocks, four of which came in the first half while Goike his four first half three pointers. Verona junior 6'4 Sam Karls countered Goike with a pair of his own threes. Half time score was 43-35.
In the second half Janesville Craig came out in a 2-3 zone defense which gave Verona some trouble but, on the offensive end Craig was unable to capitalize. Verona was able to take control for good when Pregont went out with four fouls and Verona star 6'4 senior Jason Ziemer took over getting to the inside and scoring at will. By the time Pregont got back in the game Craig was already jacking up the threes and they weren't falling but, on the other side Verona wasn't hitting their free throws. Looking back in Craig would of just run their offense and shoot the two pointers instead of threes they may of been able to come back with Verona missing so many free throws. In the end Craig ended up clearing their bench with eight seconds left and called it a game.
Top Players
Jason Ziemer 6'4 senior Verona- Never stopped working in this game. Had a rough time in the first half getting blocked by Pregont a few times and missing a couple of wide open threes. Second half Ziemer dominated the game scoring at will on the inside.
Sam Karls 6'4 junior Verona- Does a little bit of everything scoring from three point range, on the side and knocks down the free throws. Also battled with the bigger Pregont all night long and did block him once late in the game.
JoJo Pregont 6'6 senior Janesville Craig- Great great shot blocker that controlled the game on the defensive end. Also was able to score on the offensive end when they did look to get him the ball on the inside.
A.J. Fredricks 6'2 senior Janesville Craig- Great one on one player that can score at will. Has a very solid jump shot and can finish at the rim with either hand.
Kyle Goike 6'3 senior Janesville Craig- Sharpshoot from three point range that can carry this team when he gets hot.
Brad Cagney 5'11 senior Janesville Craig- Very good spot up shooter that hit numerous mid range shots from the corners.
Box Score
Verona- Ziemer 23 Karls 18 Adams Wadzinski 11 Travis Schaaf 8 Matt Ropel 6 Taylor Peterson 5 Sam Riebau 5 Kaden Nauman 2 Scott Plato 0 Kevin Reinke 0 Scott Christensen 0
Janesville Craig- Fredricks 19 Pregont 16 Goike 15 Cagney 10 Joe Kennedy 0 Alex Lowe 2 Will Clanfield 2 Keith Wright 0 Brett Bates 0 Jon Condon 0 Mark Losching 0 Michael Pregont 0
Verona may not be the most impressive team when your just looking at them in warm ups but, they are a very fundamentally sound team that moves the ball extremely hard and work very very hard on the boards. Right now Janesville Craig appears to be headed in the wrong direction as the continue to lose. They appear to be a bit lost on the offense end as to who the go to player is. I think Pregont could probably be that guy but, they don't seem to interested in pounding it in to him. Goike is a great shooter but, falls in love with the three point shot, while Fredricks is the best at creating his own shot, the ball seems to stick in his hands at times and he forces some bad shots. Craig needs to get all their players on the same page and I believe that there is plenty of time for them to do this and right their season and finish strong.
In the first half Verona reallied on great ball movement to get open shots and spread the ball around. I can think of at least two or three fast break baskets that Verona got where the ball never touched the ground and they moved the ball the length of the court. Janesville Craig kept the game close behind the long range shooting of 6'3 senior Kyle Goike and the great defense of 6'6 senior Jojo Pregont. Pregont finished the game with six or seven blocks, four of which came in the first half while Goike his four first half three pointers. Verona junior 6'4 Sam Karls countered Goike with a pair of his own threes. Half time score was 43-35.
In the second half Janesville Craig came out in a 2-3 zone defense which gave Verona some trouble but, on the offensive end Craig was unable to capitalize. Verona was able to take control for good when Pregont went out with four fouls and Verona star 6'4 senior Jason Ziemer took over getting to the inside and scoring at will. By the time Pregont got back in the game Craig was already jacking up the threes and they weren't falling but, on the other side Verona wasn't hitting their free throws. Looking back in Craig would of just run their offense and shoot the two pointers instead of threes they may of been able to come back with Verona missing so many free throws. In the end Craig ended up clearing their bench with eight seconds left and called it a game.
Top Players
Jason Ziemer 6'4 senior Verona- Never stopped working in this game. Had a rough time in the first half getting blocked by Pregont a few times and missing a couple of wide open threes. Second half Ziemer dominated the game scoring at will on the inside.
Sam Karls 6'4 junior Verona- Does a little bit of everything scoring from three point range, on the side and knocks down the free throws. Also battled with the bigger Pregont all night long and did block him once late in the game.
JoJo Pregont 6'6 senior Janesville Craig- Great great shot blocker that controlled the game on the defensive end. Also was able to score on the offensive end when they did look to get him the ball on the inside.
A.J. Fredricks 6'2 senior Janesville Craig- Great one on one player that can score at will. Has a very solid jump shot and can finish at the rim with either hand.
Kyle Goike 6'3 senior Janesville Craig- Sharpshoot from three point range that can carry this team when he gets hot.
Brad Cagney 5'11 senior Janesville Craig- Very good spot up shooter that hit numerous mid range shots from the corners.
Box Score
Verona- Ziemer 23 Karls 18 Adams Wadzinski 11 Travis Schaaf 8 Matt Ropel 6 Taylor Peterson 5 Sam Riebau 5 Kaden Nauman 2 Scott Plato 0 Kevin Reinke 0 Scott Christensen 0
Janesville Craig- Fredricks 19 Pregont 16 Goike 15 Cagney 10 Joe Kennedy 0 Alex Lowe 2 Will Clanfield 2 Keith Wright 0 Brett Bates 0 Jon Condon 0 Mark Losching 0 Michael Pregont 0
Verona may not be the most impressive team when your just looking at them in warm ups but, they are a very fundamentally sound team that moves the ball extremely hard and work very very hard on the boards. Right now Janesville Craig appears to be headed in the wrong direction as the continue to lose. They appear to be a bit lost on the offense end as to who the go to player is. I think Pregont could probably be that guy but, they don't seem to interested in pounding it in to him. Goike is a great shooter but, falls in love with the three point shot, while Fredricks is the best at creating his own shot, the ball seems to stick in his hands at times and he forces some bad shots. Craig needs to get all their players on the same page and I believe that there is plenty of time for them to do this and right their season and finish strong.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Madison East Upsets Madison Memorial
It what may of been the game of the year Madison East upset Madison Memorial 53-44. The story of this game came down to Memorial's inability to knock down the outside shot and turning the ball over late in the game. For Madison East it was the big play of their bench at the end of the game as the finished the game with three bench players.
From the beginning of the game East was in a zone which they remained in for much of the game. The zone led to lots of open looks for Memorial from the outside but, they were unable to knock them down. On the other side Memorial played their traditional trapping defense which really gave the East sides some trouble. The solid defense by both teams led to a low scoring 20-16 lead for Memorial at halftime. Memorial star 6'7 senior Jeronne Maymon had a pretty big half scoring 10 first half points so half of Memorial's points. On the other side East's star 6'4 junior Marquis Mason had seven of his teams 16 points.
The second half continued much the same as the first half with the tough defense of both teams. Memorial continued to miss shots as Maymon missed a total of 10 shots while fellow star 6'4 junior Vander Blue missed 11 shots for the game. On the other side of the court Mason started to pick up the scoring thanks largely from the passing on East point guard 5'11 sophomore Nimrod Hilliard. 6'4 junior Tre Creamer did his best to keep Memorial in the game scoring most of his points in the third while Maymon sat the last 3:40 of the third with foul trouble. The fourth quarter was Hilliard's time to shine. For whatever reason East decided to go with three bench players along with Hilliard and Mason to finish of the game. Three juniors 6'1 Drew McAdams, 6'1 Marcel Terry, and 5'10 DeAndre Galligan all finished off the game. Outside of Galligan none of them really scored but, they brought a lot of energy to the game which led to some intense defense that forced Memorial into turnovers. Hilliard seemed to be everywhere and seemed to be part of every basket East had. Whether it was getting the steal to ignite their offense, scoring himself, or passing to the wide open teammate. The biggest plays of the game was a three from the corner by Galligan and then crossover, step back, three by Hilliard that highlighted his 16 point game. With about 1:30 left in the game East was up 47-44 and Blue had a three from the corned to tie the game but, like most of his shots it came up short and that was about they time you new the game was over as East got the rebound. Hilliard and Terry were able to salt the game away with the free throws.
Top Players
Jeronne Maymon 6'7 senior Madison Memorial- May of missed a lot of shots but, still finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds. As I said many times last year he is easily the best rebounder in the state. Needs to bring the intensity for a full game.
Tre Creamer 6'4 junior Madison Memorial- Finally starting to play to his full potential. Did a great job of getting inside and scoring with a floater.
Marquis Mason 6'4 junior Madison East- Just a beast in the paint when he gets the ball. He can just out muscle and out jump most of the guys he goes up against.
Nimrod Hilliard 5'11 sophomore Madison East- Wow is all you can say tonight. Very tough to stay in front of. Really knows when he needs to score and when he needs to look for his teammates. Doesn't look like much but, he really is a big time player.
DeAndre Galligan 5'10 junior Madison East- Came up big off the bench and knocked down a three and scored eight points.
Box Score (starters in bold and italics)
Madison East- Mason 20 Hilliard 16 Galligan 8 James Bartelt 5 Terry 4 McAdams 0 Stafford Park 0 Yamil Bacallao
Madison Memorial- Maymon 18 Creamer 10 Blue 10 Junior Lomomba 6 Xavier Jones 0 Ace Davis 0 Fred Ringhand 0 Eric Fruhling 0
For Madison East the future looks very bright as they finished the game with five underclassmen in the game. On the other side I think Memorial will rebound from this game very strongly and will be tested right away with Verona coming to town in the next game. I believed Memorial had really improved their outside shooting from a year ago but, this game was a huge set back as they failed to make one three pointer. The other thing that bothered me was that only four guys scored in the game for Memorial and they are going to need some help if they want to win the title this year. One final thing was that Vander Blue didn't start for the second time in a row. I don't know if it is a big concern but, just seems strange that one of your stars isn't starting. This just may be because of disciplinary reasons and should be resolved shortly and may be nothing to worry about.
From the beginning of the game East was in a zone which they remained in for much of the game. The zone led to lots of open looks for Memorial from the outside but, they were unable to knock them down. On the other side Memorial played their traditional trapping defense which really gave the East sides some trouble. The solid defense by both teams led to a low scoring 20-16 lead for Memorial at halftime. Memorial star 6'7 senior Jeronne Maymon had a pretty big half scoring 10 first half points so half of Memorial's points. On the other side East's star 6'4 junior Marquis Mason had seven of his teams 16 points.
The second half continued much the same as the first half with the tough defense of both teams. Memorial continued to miss shots as Maymon missed a total of 10 shots while fellow star 6'4 junior Vander Blue missed 11 shots for the game. On the other side of the court Mason started to pick up the scoring thanks largely from the passing on East point guard 5'11 sophomore Nimrod Hilliard. 6'4 junior Tre Creamer did his best to keep Memorial in the game scoring most of his points in the third while Maymon sat the last 3:40 of the third with foul trouble. The fourth quarter was Hilliard's time to shine. For whatever reason East decided to go with three bench players along with Hilliard and Mason to finish of the game. Three juniors 6'1 Drew McAdams, 6'1 Marcel Terry, and 5'10 DeAndre Galligan all finished off the game. Outside of Galligan none of them really scored but, they brought a lot of energy to the game which led to some intense defense that forced Memorial into turnovers. Hilliard seemed to be everywhere and seemed to be part of every basket East had. Whether it was getting the steal to ignite their offense, scoring himself, or passing to the wide open teammate. The biggest plays of the game was a three from the corner by Galligan and then crossover, step back, three by Hilliard that highlighted his 16 point game. With about 1:30 left in the game East was up 47-44 and Blue had a three from the corned to tie the game but, like most of his shots it came up short and that was about they time you new the game was over as East got the rebound. Hilliard and Terry were able to salt the game away with the free throws.
Top Players
Jeronne Maymon 6'7 senior Madison Memorial- May of missed a lot of shots but, still finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds. As I said many times last year he is easily the best rebounder in the state. Needs to bring the intensity for a full game.
Tre Creamer 6'4 junior Madison Memorial- Finally starting to play to his full potential. Did a great job of getting inside and scoring with a floater.
Marquis Mason 6'4 junior Madison East- Just a beast in the paint when he gets the ball. He can just out muscle and out jump most of the guys he goes up against.
Nimrod Hilliard 5'11 sophomore Madison East- Wow is all you can say tonight. Very tough to stay in front of. Really knows when he needs to score and when he needs to look for his teammates. Doesn't look like much but, he really is a big time player.
DeAndre Galligan 5'10 junior Madison East- Came up big off the bench and knocked down a three and scored eight points.
Box Score (starters in bold and italics)
Madison East- Mason 20 Hilliard 16 Galligan 8 James Bartelt 5 Terry 4 McAdams 0 Stafford Park 0 Yamil Bacallao
Madison Memorial- Maymon 18 Creamer 10 Blue 10 Junior Lomomba 6 Xavier Jones 0 Ace Davis 0 Fred Ringhand 0 Eric Fruhling 0
For Madison East the future looks very bright as they finished the game with five underclassmen in the game. On the other side I think Memorial will rebound from this game very strongly and will be tested right away with Verona coming to town in the next game. I believed Memorial had really improved their outside shooting from a year ago but, this game was a huge set back as they failed to make one three pointer. The other thing that bothered me was that only four guys scored in the game for Memorial and they are going to need some help if they want to win the title this year. One final thing was that Vander Blue didn't start for the second time in a row. I don't know if it is a big concern but, just seems strange that one of your stars isn't starting. This just may be because of disciplinary reasons and should be resolved shortly and may be nothing to worry about.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Monroe edges Edgewood in OT
Tuesday night Monroe took down Madison Edgewood in overtime after trailing for much of the game. I figured this game would be a three point shoot out and it pretty much was just that. The teams matched up well with neither team having a dominating big man and the majority of the time both teams were basically playing five guards.
Edgewood jumped out to an early 11-0 lead as they were knocking down the threes and Monroe wasn't. Monroe was able to claw back into and at the end of the first the score was 11-7. Throughout the majority of the game Edgewood was pressing Monroe which seemed to enable Monroe to be able to get back into the game as they were able to break the press and get some easy baskets. The game was close throughout and the half time score was Edgewood up 30-25. The second half went back and forth throughout with Edgewood maintaining the lead throughout the majority of the time but, never really could extend the lead. In the end Monroe was able to apply the pressure to Edgewood and force them into turnovers which allowed Monroe to tie the game up at 50 at the end of regulation. Edgewood freshmen 6'0 Spencer Brink had a chance to win the game with a free throw with 1.7 seconds left but, his shot came off too hard and the game went to OT. In overtime Monroe outscored Edgewood 6-2 with Edgewood's only basket coming on a last second tip in.
Edgewood and Monroe are both similar teams in that they play a very tough in your face defense and move the ball extremely well on the offensive end. Both teams seem to be looking for the three point shot over any other shot as it seems they both take more three point shots then two point shots. Both teams should make a strong run in the playoffs but, their lack of size will always be an issue which was seen the first time I saw both of these teams. Monroe lost to Menomonee Falls and Edgewood to Janesville Craig, both teams are pretty tall teams. They may lack size but, neither team lacks heart and their three point shooting may allow them to beat some teams that they shouldn't be beating.
Top Players
Patrick Lagman 5'10 senior Madison Edgewood- Three point sharp shooter that can get hot in an instant. Knocked down at least four three pointers and doesn't need a lot of room to do it.
Derek Braucht 6'6 senior Madison Edgewood- One of the few players on the court that can create his own shot. I would like to see him look to score more but, he does a great job of letting the game come to him and not forcing too much but, maybe he needs to force a little more.
Michael Eshun 5'10 junior Madison Edgewood- Knocked down some clutch three point shots and did a nice job of running the show for Edgewood.
Mitch Tordoff 6'0 senior Monroe- Big time scorer that can get his shot off at any time. May miss a few shots but, he'll keep taking them until they start falling.
Bryan Tordoff 6'0 sophomore Monroe- Very similar to brother Mitch, really stepped out when Mitch cooled off in the third.
Mitch McArdle 5'9 senior Monroe- Third guard in the starting lineup that can shoot the three well and is a very strong defender you locked down Braucht for much of the game.
Monroe 56
Madison Edgewood 52
Box Score (as always starters in bold and italics)
Monroe- M. Tordoff 26 B. Tordoff 11 McArdle 8 Jake Grinnell 8 Zach Rast 2 Michael Barrett 1 Cullen Sampson 0 Kevin Frint 0
Madison Edgewood- Lagman 18 Braucht 15 Eshun 9 Christiaan Wabers 6 Scott Hird 2 Brink 2 Mario Minnaert 0 Bruin Armwald 0 Connor Balczewski 0
Like I said I wouldn't be surprised to see either team make a deep run in the playoffs with their discipline, ball movement, and three point shooting but, height will always be an issue. Hopefully will take in a few more games this weekend if the weather holds out and games aren't cancelled. Will just have to see.
Edgewood jumped out to an early 11-0 lead as they were knocking down the threes and Monroe wasn't. Monroe was able to claw back into and at the end of the first the score was 11-7. Throughout the majority of the game Edgewood was pressing Monroe which seemed to enable Monroe to be able to get back into the game as they were able to break the press and get some easy baskets. The game was close throughout and the half time score was Edgewood up 30-25. The second half went back and forth throughout with Edgewood maintaining the lead throughout the majority of the time but, never really could extend the lead. In the end Monroe was able to apply the pressure to Edgewood and force them into turnovers which allowed Monroe to tie the game up at 50 at the end of regulation. Edgewood freshmen 6'0 Spencer Brink had a chance to win the game with a free throw with 1.7 seconds left but, his shot came off too hard and the game went to OT. In overtime Monroe outscored Edgewood 6-2 with Edgewood's only basket coming on a last second tip in.
Edgewood and Monroe are both similar teams in that they play a very tough in your face defense and move the ball extremely well on the offensive end. Both teams seem to be looking for the three point shot over any other shot as it seems they both take more three point shots then two point shots. Both teams should make a strong run in the playoffs but, their lack of size will always be an issue which was seen the first time I saw both of these teams. Monroe lost to Menomonee Falls and Edgewood to Janesville Craig, both teams are pretty tall teams. They may lack size but, neither team lacks heart and their three point shooting may allow them to beat some teams that they shouldn't be beating.
Top Players
Patrick Lagman 5'10 senior Madison Edgewood- Three point sharp shooter that can get hot in an instant. Knocked down at least four three pointers and doesn't need a lot of room to do it.
Derek Braucht 6'6 senior Madison Edgewood- One of the few players on the court that can create his own shot. I would like to see him look to score more but, he does a great job of letting the game come to him and not forcing too much but, maybe he needs to force a little more.
Michael Eshun 5'10 junior Madison Edgewood- Knocked down some clutch three point shots and did a nice job of running the show for Edgewood.
Mitch Tordoff 6'0 senior Monroe- Big time scorer that can get his shot off at any time. May miss a few shots but, he'll keep taking them until they start falling.
Bryan Tordoff 6'0 sophomore Monroe- Very similar to brother Mitch, really stepped out when Mitch cooled off in the third.
Mitch McArdle 5'9 senior Monroe- Third guard in the starting lineup that can shoot the three well and is a very strong defender you locked down Braucht for much of the game.
Monroe 56
Madison Edgewood 52
Box Score (as always starters in bold and italics)
Monroe- M. Tordoff 26 B. Tordoff 11 McArdle 8 Jake Grinnell 8 Zach Rast 2 Michael Barrett 1 Cullen Sampson 0 Kevin Frint 0
Madison Edgewood- Lagman 18 Braucht 15 Eshun 9 Christiaan Wabers 6 Scott Hird 2 Brink 2 Mario Minnaert 0 Bruin Armwald 0 Connor Balczewski 0
Like I said I wouldn't be surprised to see either team make a deep run in the playoffs with their discipline, ball movement, and three point shooting but, height will always be an issue. Hopefully will take in a few more games this weekend if the weather holds out and games aren't cancelled. Will just have to see.
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