State Day 2: Most Outstanding Prospects
MADISON, Wis. — The 2019 WIAA State Tournament continued on Friday with action in the Division 1, 2, and 5 semifinals. Who stepped up an advanced their teams to championship Saturday or went down swinging with positive final impressions? Delvin Barnstable…
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Continue ReadingMADISON, Wis. — The 2019 WIAA State Tournament continued on Friday with action in the Division 1, 2, and 5 semifinals. Who stepped up an advanced their teams to championship Saturday or went down swinging with positive final impressions?
Delvin Barnstable – 2019 – SG – Sheboygan Lutheran
Barnstable hit some big 3-pointers to help the Crusaders pull away in the second half during Friday’s semifinal win over McDonell Central. The lefty has a fast, smooth stroke from beyond the arc and doesn’t need much space to operate. Connecting on back-to-back triples, Barnstable gave Sheboygan Lutheran a 58-43 lead with just under five minutes remaining to put the game away. Barnstable is listed as 6-foot-2, but has really good length for his size, able to get shots over the outstretched arms of defenders.
Chianti Clay – 2021 – PG – Milwaukee Washington
Milwaukee Washington is at home right now if it isn’t for this young man. La Crosse Central’s zone did an excellent job of taking away Michael Foster, Tre White, and Deontay Long. That said, it was up to others to knock down shots. Clay came off the bench and nailed four 3-pointers, including three late in the second half to help push Washington past the Red Raiders. While undersized, Clay can flat out shoot the basketball and is one of the unsung heroes for this loaded Purgolder squad.
Johnny Davis – 2020 – SG – La Crosse Central
We’ve been banging our heads against the wall, shouting from the mountain tops about this kid. On Friday, he got to show the state just how under the radar nationally he really is. Against a high powered Milwaukee Washington squad, Davis went for a game-high 31 points, including two clutch free throws to send the game into overtime. It didn’t matter who the Purgolders threw at Davis, the junior guard was relentless. Doing a little bit of everything to try and will the Red Raiders to victory, Davis also tallied eight rebounds, three blocks, three steals, and three assists in Friday’s loss.
Michael Foster – 2021 – F/C – Milwaukee Washington
Foster hit two big shots to help Washington steal a semifinal win over La Crosse Central. Down four, Foster drilled a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left. After getting the stop with 10 seconds left, the Purgolders found Foster again, who calmly and smoothly knocked down a 17-footer to win the game. The five-star sophomore finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. Foster was kept in check largely due to Central’s zone, which forced other around him to knock down shots, but when it was time to go win the game, Foster made noise on both ends of the floor.
Bryce Fuerlinger – 2019 – W/G – Columbus Catholic
Fuerlinger was everywhere during Friday’s semifinal win over Bangor. The senior wing recorded 15 points and 25 rebounds. Fuerlinger (6-4) was relentless on the glass, working his tail off and believing every ball belonged to him. In fact, Fuerlinger hauled in 10 offensive rebounds. Generating opportunities in close, Fuerlinger scored 10 of his 15 points in the paint.
Kobe Johnson – 2021 – PG – Nicolet
Surprisingly, it was Johnson who got Nicolet settled in against Elkhorn. In his first appearance at the Kohl Center, Johnson was steady early, creating some offense for the Knights, who found themselves in a fistfight before pulling away. Johnson had a game-high 20 points and three steals. Offense wasn’t coming easy at times, but Johnson played physical with the ball and got to the free throw line, going a perfect 13-of-13 from the charity stripe.
Grant Manke – 2020 – PF – Bangor
Manke had 20 points on 19 shots, but came up big down the stretch to help Bangor rally from a 13-point deficit. The junior forward scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half, including consecutive layups that helped pull his team within three points late. A big body, Manke plays a physical brand of basketball and sets the tone inside. He’s got good footwork down on the block and gets off the ground quickly, which helped him clean up some of his own misses. Manke finished with a double-double in Friday’s loss to Columbus Catholic, grabbing 13 rebounds as well as recording three blocks and three assists apiece.
Cole Nau – 2019 – G – Brookfield Central
I don’t know if he’ll be a star at Hillsdale, but right now, there’s not many players I’m taking over Nau. A combo guard that does everything, controls the game, and is an excellent leader, Nau was in complete control during Friday’s Division 1 semifinal win over Neenah. The senior guard posted 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting as well as eight rebounds and six assists. But his job wasn’t done either. As always, Nau checks the best player on the other team, holding Max Klesmit to 15 points on 17 shots.
Noah Parcher – 2019 – PG – La Crosse Central
With the way he played on Friday, Parcher didn’t deserve to see his career end. Playing like a senior who could hear the clock ticking, Parcher was extremely scrappy, battling for loose balls and going amongst the trees for rebounds. He also hit some big momentum-changing shots in the second half to keep La Crosse Central in the driver’s seat at times. Parcher finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals in the loss to Washington.
Luke Umnus – 2019 – PG – Elkhorn
The Elks had their hands full and certainly couldn’t match up with Nicolet athletically. Umnus didn’t appear to be fazed by all the length, athleticism, and talent on the other sideline. Umnus had a team-high 13 points and kept going at the Knights, finishing off some impressive reverse layups in traffic. The Wisconsin Lutheran commit also added four rebounds and four assists in the loss.
Casey Verhagen – 2022 – PG – Sheboygan Lutheran
Verhagen was very poised for a freshman on the big stage. Scoring 12 points and dishing out nine assists, Verhagen was a steady playmaker for all 32 minutes he was on the floor, committing just one turnover. A lead guard that puts a ton of pressure on a defense, Verhagen plays with great pace and is constantly going North/South. A strong ball handler who lives in the teeth of the defense, Verhagen has good awareness in traffic and made great decisions with the basketball — choosing whether to attack the basket or drop the ball off to a teammate.
Wait for it…@NAABCV @CrusaderBasketb pic.twitter.com/M7PDCWbTXv
— Prep Hoops Wisconsin (@PrepHoops_WI) March 15, 2019
RESULTS
Sheboygan Lutheran 74 McDonell Central 61
Columbus Catholic 69 Bangor 66
Nicolet 70 Elkhorn 46
Milwaukee Washington 72 La Crosse Central 71 (OT)
Brookfield Central 61 Neenah 47
Sun Prairie 62 West Allis Central 60