Who Returns With a Bigger Role Next Season?
Turnover and transfers are a roster-derailing combo. Unless, of course, you have someone who’s ready to fill the empty shoes. Below you’ll find the players that’ll be thrust into a bigger role in the 2019-20 season after key departures in…
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Continue ReadingTurnover and transfers are a roster-derailing combo. Unless, of course, you have someone who’s ready to fill the empty shoes. Below you’ll find the players that’ll be thrust into a bigger role in the 2019-20 season after key departures in the offseason.
G Cam Paleese – Waukesha West:
Loses – David Skogman, Chris Bready, Rocky Martinez, Alex Regenfelder
Last year, Waukesha West’s starting-five accounted for 95 percent of their scoring. 70 percent was whisked away with graduation, though Cam Palesse, the other 25 percent, is returning for his junior year.
The departures are foisting an uncertain future onto the former one-seed, and mitigating their losses doesn’t look like a possible avenue. But Palesse is someone that can allay their roster’s unsureness and keep them on the winning side of things. He averaged 17 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.7 steals per game as a sophomore last season. He does everything on the court, both offensively and defensively. His all-around impact is an ideal base for reshaping a program after roster churning, and he has the shoulders to carry an inexperienced supporting cast.
C Grant Asman – Kimberly
Loses – Reed Miller, Levi Nienhaus-Borchert
Waukesha West wasn’t the only team hemorrhaging talent this offseason. Kimberly’s frontcourt was their offensive backbone, and the departures of their All-Conference big men leaves a question mark at the position. How mortal of a blow that will end up being? Well, that depends on if Grant Asman can step in and become an effective center.
Asman is something of a Reed Miller, Levi Nienhaus-Borchert mesh. So far this spring and early summer he’s shown that he can hit shots from beyond the arc, but as a spindly, 6-foot-7 big, there’s some filling out to do before he can be a paint stalwart. If Kimberly chooses to toss him into a starting role next season, which could very well be the case, he’s likely to contribute to their team’s success right away. As he racks up experience, Asman could become a fixture on the FVA’s recruiting scene.
G Isaac Lindsey – Mineral Point
Loses – Brayden Dailey (transfer)
Mineral Point couldn’t keep Brayden Dailey in tow, as Lindsey would lose his running mate to transfer. Seldom did the duo take the floor together, though, as trepidation of long-term injury from Osgood’s Schlatter kept Dailey sidelined for the majority of his sophomore season. Now, as the sixth best player in Wisconsin’s 2020 class — and more importantly, a senior — Lindsey will be a much larger variant in their team success. Look for the stock riser tag to follow him through next season as he stacks up some high-scoring performances.
C Terrance Thompson – La Crosse Central
Loses – Noah Parcher
The possibility of La Crosse Central and Nicolet taking a collision course for the State Championship is largely accompanied by fan anticipation and nervous sweating from both sides.
La Crosse Central would be the underdog in this hypothetical (but likely) matchup. That said, Terrance Thompson’s offense could save them from walking away empty-handed. His polish on that end is much-improved through spring, as his post moves and finesse is hinting at a bigger role with La Crosse Central next season. Yes, the loss of Noah Parcher chips away at their trove of scorers. But it could bust open the doors to an offensive pathway that’s been beckoning to Thompson since his freshman season. He could very well become a double-digit scorer next year which, plus the Davis brother’s continued improvement, is enough to catapult them to the State championship.
G Ben Nau – Brookfield Central
Loses – Cole Nau, Gage Malensek
Brookfield Central was without Gage Malensek for the better part of last season, but life without Cole Nau requires something of an adjustment period. Replacing his leadership, ball-handling, acumen, and scoring (which was the steady hand in their state title run) is unlikely, to say the least. But in our case, a younger brother will do.
Ben Nau’s playstyle mimics Cole’s. Both are guards with elite scoring and playmaking ability. Amidst a summer where Ben has played up with Phenom University’s 17U team, there’s been a gradual uptick in minutes, and likely a precipitous rise in skill level. Next season, Ben will step into the main guard role after being his brother’s running mate for the last year.