Five Takeaways From Brookfield Central-Sussex Hamilton
BROOKFIELD — In a battle of the top two teams in Division 1, No. 1 Sussex Hamilton (11-3) bested No. 2 Brookfield Central (11-3) on Thursday. Taking a commanding lead in the Greater Metro Conference and all but sealing their fate as…
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Continue ReadingBROOKFIELD — In a battle of the top two teams in Division 1, No. 1 Sussex Hamilton (11-3) bested No. 2 Brookfield Central (11-3) on Thursday. Taking a commanding lead in the Greater Metro Conference and all but sealing their fate as a No. 1 seed in the upcoming WIAA Tournament, the Chargers completed the regular season sweep of the Lancers…
Hamilton is the team to beat in Division 1
Beating Brookfield Central isn’t easy. Beating them twice in the span of a month and a half? Quite the feat.
Sussex Hamilton has not only established themselves at the top dog in the Greater Metro Conference and the No. 1 seed in their sectional, but the team to beat in all of Division 1.
Now it’s time for us to beg the Chargers for forgiveness…
We had the Lancers as the preseason favorite in the league. Even though it was Hamilton that emerged through the sectional last year with such a young group, we thought Central’s senior guards and leadership would carry them to the conference crown.
It turns out that the Chargers have a lot more than just Patrick Baldwin Jr. than we expected.
We knew Tanner Resch and Tyler Ellingson would hit timely shots. We knew J.T. Hoytink, Carson Smith, and Lucas Finnessy would be solid role players and not be fazed in big moments.
What we didn’t know is that this team can play a variety of styles and win in different ways.
You want to get up and down and play a track meet like Nicolet? Hamilton can keep pace. You want to play a methodical, grind-it-out style and put a premium on possessions like Brookfield Central at times? The Chargers aren’t flustered. In fact, they dictated that style late in the game and were able to not only secure their lead, but extend it over the final three minutes.
The defensive and offensive versatility of this team makes it special. Hamilton has a lot of interchangeable parts on both ends of the floor that allows them to get the right matchups, even if they don’t have as many athletes or as many big bodies are their opponents. Offensively, they become a nightmare to guard when you can surround Baldwin Jr. with 3-4 sharpshooters.
It’s still early, but Hamilton has to be the pick to win the gold ball in Division 1 right now.
Finnessy, Hoytink were the unsung heroes
I’ve watched a lot of Brookfield Central basketball over the past few years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this team as flustered offensively as they were Thursday night.
If you’re lucky, you can contain either Cole Nau or Gage Malensek — not both. Yet Finnessy and Hoytink put the clamps down for about 36 minutes and anything Central’s star backcourt got was earned.
Malensek and Nau combined for just 16 points on 6-of-18 shooting. The duo was 1-of-7 from 3-point range as the Lancers were playing from behind for most of the game.
If these teams match up a third time in March, that output is not likely to replicate itself, but for now, Hoytink and Finnessy get a huge tip of the cap for their individual defensive efforts on Thursday.
Not enough people are talking about Joplin
All the hype in 2021 is going to Baldwin and Michael Foster Jr. — and rightfully so — but David Joplin needs to start being recognized as a high major prospect.
Our No. 3 ranked player in 2021, Joplin was outstanding on Thursday. The sophomore forward carried Central on his back, racking up 30 points and 14 rebounds. Doing a lot of damage with Baldwin defending him, Joplin was 11-of-16 from the field and 2-of-3 from 3-point range.
A skilled forward, Joplin has terrific feet and post skills. A prospect that is able to get to his secondary moves down on the block, Joplin has plenty of counters. Also able to step out and shoot the basketball, Joplin is a reliable mid-range and 3-point shooter that can stretch the floor.
Joplin does have an early offer from UNLV, but the lack of power-six attention right is now a little surprising as he’d be the No. 1 prospect in the state if it weren’t for the two five-stars.
Hamilton closed the game at the line
The last 2:15 was really tough to watch if you were a Brookfield Central fan.
Holding a six-point lead, Hamilton never attempted a shot from the field, forcing the Lancers to put them on the free throw line. The Chargers had the luxury of putting five shooters on the floor as the Lancers had to simply pick their poison.
Hamilton was an impressive 9-of-10 from the foul line over the final 2:15, ending any hope for Central to mount a comeback.
Central still has state championship potential
Yes, Hamilton will go into March picked by many to win the state championship. But if the Chargers are number one, Central is likely a strong number two.
It’s definitely not a two-horse race in Division 1, but only one of these teams can represent their sectional at the Kohl Center and whoever emerges may be viewed as the No. 1 overall seed.
The Lancers did have to play without starting forward Malik Abdul-Wahid (7.5 ppg), which would have allowed them to throw another body at Baldwin, who had a team-high 23 points, and give them a bigger presence on the offensive and defensive glass. As previously stated, off nights for both Malensek and Nau are going to be few and far between.
Arguably the best defensive team in the state, Central isn’t a program that’s going to beat themselves. With a potential sectional final rematch looming, they’ll also have the chip on their shoulder as Hamilton would have the unfortunate task of trying to beat this squad three times in one season.