Recap: Premier Fall League Recap Opening Night
STOUGHTON — Opening night of the 2018 Premier Fall League tipped off Wednesday from SEA Facilities. With some of Madison’s top talent taking the floor, who stood out and made a strong first impression prior to the 2018-19 WIAA high school season?
Trey Bartels – 2019 – F – Platteville
A scrappy, high motor forward, Bartels came up with 20 points during a win on Wednesday. Bartels needs to work on his touch and finishing better around the rim, but he gets to the basket a ton. Able to attack and slash from the high post, Bartels has a knack for jabbing or ripping through and taking the ball to the cup. Bartels can play and up and down style. He runs the floor well in transition and out worked people for a number of easy buckets. Bartels also tallied 15 points in his team’s first outing.
Ian Brown – 2019 – F – Madison Memorial
This a kid that’s played on the variety level for three years, but Wednesday was really the most aggressive we’ve seen Brown. The 6-foot-5 forward spent a lot of time on the ball. He was able to take slower bigs off the dribble and get to the basket. Brown can handle and bring up the ball in transition as well. There were a handful of times where Brown was able to grab a rebound and get coast-to-coast. Brown also looked more comfortable as a jump shooter. It’s a work in progress, but Brown shot the ball better and more consistently than we’d seen out of him to this point. Brown finished with 21 points in his second game of the night.
Garrett Bruchs – 2019 – PF – Poynette
Bruchs didn’t score a lot, but was really impressed with his interior defense. Bruchs is a big body that uses strength to his advantage. If you’re not paying close attention, a lot of things Bruchs does go unnoticed. For instance, his 1-on-1 defense on the block — Bruchs doesn’t let his man set up camp where he wants. Bruchs will push his man an extra foot or two from the block, just making the opposition a little more uncomfortable and making them work that much harder. Bruchs moved his feet well and didn’t give up much, if anything on Wednesday around the rim. He also owned the glass and didn’t allow second chance opportunities. Offensively, Bruchs also does the little things. Whether it’s setting hard screens, attacking the glass, or serving as an extra ball handler in the half court, Bruchs helps get his team into a good offensive flow.
Josh Cash – 2019 – SF – Waunakee
Cash has never really gotten his due as a prospect. That’s likely to change this season as he’ll be the focal point of a Waunakee squad that must replace Mitch Listau (Belmont) and Mason Steffen (Minnesota-Duluth) among others. One of the best role players in the state, Cash can do a little bit of everything. There’s not one area of his game you look at and say that needs major improvement. A skilled and versatile swing man, Cash can play on the block and stretch the floor from 3-point range. He’s a terrific passer and finds open cutters on the go. Able to defend multiple positions, Cash takes pride in shutting his man down. While he hasn’t been known as a scorer, Cash was pretty aggressive Wednesday night and looks like one of the top breakout players in the Badger North this season.
Donneil Gray – 2019 – PG – Madison LaFollette
In terms of isolation scorers, it doesn’t get much better than Gray in the state of Wisconsin. Gray scored a combined 46 points in two games on Wednesday. We knew he could score, but the defensive presence that Gray provided as a big eye opener. In tight games down the stretch, Gray came up with some huge steals and even a block. Gray would switch the opposition’s best scorer and for the most part was able to take them out of rhythm. A smooth, dynamic guard who can score from all over the floor, Gray gives defenders fits with his wiggle and chance of pace on the ball. Primed for a big senior season, Gray has a chance to lead LaFollette to a Big Eight title and a deep run in March.
Jack Huml – 2019 – SG – Janesville Craig
Prior to Wednesday, we hadn’t even heard of Huml. That changed quickly as the senior guard dropped 39 points in a win. Huml started out with a few catch-and-shoot jumpers. After that, he absolutely took off. Huml’s confidence and shot making ability were through the roof. If he was left open, it was all but automatic. Even if Huml as tightly defended with a hand in his face, there were times it just didn’t matter. The 6-foot guard does an excellent job of moving without the basketball and has great mechanics in the catch-and-shoot game. A sniper that will also take advantage of overplays, Huml scored the game winning basket in overtime of his first game, coming off a screen, curling, and getting to the rim for an easy one.
Adam Larson – 2021- F – Fennimore
His brother Reid is one of the best shooters in the state. Adam might be in that category here in a few years. Larson played varsity as a freshman and averaged 9.0 points per game and knocked down 30 triples. In his second game on Wednesday, Larson scored 12 points, including two 3-pointers and a couple of deep jumpers. A floor spacer that’s going to make opposing bigs work hard to chase him around the floor, Larson almost plays like a guard at times, able to run for long stretches and catch and shoot.
Carson Leuzinger – 2022 – Monroe
A good prospect to know in the 2022 class, Leuzinger scored in double figures in his team’s first game. The lefty plays with excellent change of pace. A terrific ball handler that keeps defenders on their toes, Leuzinger can mix things up with pull-up jumpers and drives to the rim. Able to score and facilitate, Leuzinger keeps the ball on a string and is always probing/looking to make a play. Leuzinger (5-9) might be a little undersized in the coming years, but looks to have good athleticism and strength to help him cope at the varsity level.
Ty’Shone Lomax – 2019 – W/G – Beloit Turner
In his final game, Lomax missed a chance at a potential huge performance, unable to finish on some pretty drives to the rim, but the upside and talent was still fairly obvious. Lomax is only about 6-foot-1, but has the length and frame that makes him feel a lot bigger on the court. An athletic guard/wing, Lomax can hang and finish around the rim after creating off the bounce. He also knocked down two triples en route to a big
second half, in which he scored all of his 15 points.
Cael McGee – 2021- SG – Stoughton
McGee had a really good second game. His team didn’t get the best draw in terms of talent, but McGee had some impressive takeover ability to keep the contest close. A strong off-balance shooter, McGee was connecting on some difficult attempts, able to create just enough space on his step-back jumper. A better athlete than he looks, McGee has some good bounce and can play above the rim. McGee made some things happen in the open floor, able to take on multiple defenders and slice his way to the hole. McGee finished with 16 points, including 14 in the second half of his second game of the evening.
Jackson Noll – 2020 – PG – Cuba City
If you give Noll an inch of space, you’re not doing your job defensively. In two games, Noll combined to score 35 points, including nine 3-pointers. One of those prospects who gets the most out of his talent, Noll (5-10) might not be the biggest on the floor, but forces defenders to pick him up practically at half court. With near unlimited range, Noll makes pull-up triples from well beyond the arc look easy. One of the more difficult players to defend in the state, Noll also has blow-by ability on the bounce, forcing the opposition to either give him a rhythm 3-pointer or allow him a free run to the bucket.