Program Profile: Wisconsin Playground Club 17U
Wisconsin Playground Club is a mainstay in the state’s grassroots picture. And while past Playground teams have always been towards the top of the totem pole, this year’s talent has reached fever pitch. La Crosse Central guard Johnny Davis —…
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Continue ReadingWisconsin Playground Club is a mainstay in the state’s grassroots picture. And while past Playground teams have always been towards the top of the totem pole, this year’s talent has reached fever pitch.
La Crosse Central guard Johnny Davis — the second best junior in the state per Prep Hoops’ rankings — is Playground’s clear-cut best player. He’s scoring 13 points per game on the Under Armour Circuit while shooting a vastly improved 57 percent from the field and 33 percent from three. But it’s Davis’ athleticism that has taken his game to the fore.
The fastbreak jams are what lures in cameras, but Davis can go up and pluck rebounds from off the rim and make agile moves inside the paint. It wouldn’t be too out there to call the 6-foot-4 guard a rim protector either, as Davis blocked a handful of fastbreak layups and floaters at Battle at the Lakes.
Johnny’s brother, Jordan, is nipping at his brother’s heels in our rankings. As Prep Hoops’ ninth-best junior, Davis has become a popular player in the area. He’s a rigid defender who is usually matched up with the other team’s top scorer. Despite his defensive trade, Davis gets it done offensively as a solid three-point shooter (he shot 34 percent with La Crosse Central on 134 attempts).
Playground also features Gabe and Mason Madson, another pair of brothers who have a bandwagon of their own in Minnesota. They rank sixth and fourteenth in their state, respectively, and give Playground a huge boost of production on the perimeter. Mason plays more of a point guard role for this squad, facilitating the offense and hitting jumpers from outside. Gabe, who stands two inches taller than his brother, is a do-it-all scorer that can be a microwave down the stretch.
As Playground’s starting center, Terrance Thompson is one of the more crucial players on the roster. Thompson provides a clean-up presence in the paint, collecting misses and going back up to score. He’s already crossed the threshold into high-major recruitment, nabbing an offer from DePaul while other power-six programs are showing serious interest. Alex Antetokounmpo has also been a reliable bench piece for them. He’s shown flashes of his potential with his length and physicality.
Overall, the Davis’ and Madsen’s are the roster’s go-to for all things offense and defense. Playground’s success will go hand-in-hand with their production.