D3, D4, and D5 State Favorites
Below are favorites to make State this year in divisions three, four, and five3, where they are sure to find themselves in the eyes of collegiate scouts. Division Three Racine St. Catherines: To start things off on an obvious note,…
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Continue ReadingBelow are favorites to make State this year in divisions three, four, and five3, where they are sure to find themselves in the eyes of collegiate scouts.
Division Three
Racine St. Catherines: To start things off on an obvious note, I have St. Catherine’s as the division three frontrunner. Led by Tyrese Hunter, St. Catherine’s won 21 games and notched a two-seed in State last season. Along with Hunter’s return, Kamari McGee (also a top-15 guard in Wisconsin) rounds out the division’s most prolific backcourt. Elijah Lambert, a slasher with a sturdy frame, and Jermaine Tomlin, an explosive, all-around scorer, is an underrated duo of forwards that will compliment the backcourt with a senior presence.
Saint John’s Military Academy (SJMA): If you’ve paid attention to the Prep Hoops tournament coverage this summer, even if it’s a cursory scroll through Twitter, then you’ve heard of Wisconsin RAP. If you haven’t, here’s a taste.
RAP would cruise through the Hard Work Region (Midwest), taking home the 17U championship at the Summer Challenge tournament and Hard Work Finals. Their campaign had a dual-exhaust in Brandin Podziemski and Gerald Gittens Jr., both of whom play for SJMA. The nucleus of the two-time grassroots champion (both of which are highly ranked, division one prospects) is no doubt a state contender.
Division Four
Milwaukee Academy of Science: I wrote about this team just a few weeks ago, and I was convinced on their dominance next season. In a nutshell, they may be the only team in Wisconsin with a legitimate “big-four”. Kaliem Taylor, Donald McHenry, and Armani Jones helm their backcourt, while a high-potential big in Darius Hannah looks to uphold his status as an unguardable post player.
The Prairie School: As a two-seed last year, The Prairie School returns Antuan Nesbitt, a sneaky good junior guard who averaged 15.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game last season. He is a do-it-all player for them, especially when paired with Isaiah Hoyt, another double-digit scorer. The Prairie School could make some serious noise come March if their backcourt maintains their elite production.
Division Five
Sheboygan Lutheran: As long as Jacob Ognacevic (30.2 PPG, 15.7 RPG) is head-and-shoulders the best player in the division, his team will follow suit. That said, they’ll need complementary pieces to band around Ognacevic. With their second and third-leading scorers gone, the support will come in the form of Casey Verhagen. The sophomore impressed as an attacker this summer with Wisconsin Playground Club, and after averaging 10 points per game with Lutheran last year, he’ll immediately be thrust into the secondary scoring role.
Randolph: Randolph lost their top scorer in Jake Roberts. But after going 24-1 last year, you have to believe there’s a culture there, turnover be damned. Returning is the bulk of the depth that defined last season’s successes. Peyton Moldenhauer will likely be their primary scoring option as a guard that can hit the outside shot consistently and attack the rim. Brayden Haffele and Travis Alvin are both guys that I see taking major strides in their game as well.