Season Preview: Division One’s Top Backcourts
Having a sturdy backcourt is as essential to winning as having a basketball or hoop — it is a necessity. The Virginia Cavaliers reigned supreme over the college basketball world in 2019 thanks to guards Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome.…
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Continue ReadingHaving a sturdy backcourt is as essential to winning as having a basketball or hoop — it is a necessity. The Virginia Cavaliers reigned supreme over the college basketball world in 2019 thanks to guards Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome. Kawhi Leonard received most of the credit for the Toronto Raptors Finals victory, but Kyle Lowry, Danny Green, and Fred VanVleet were also constant contributions. The theme continues down to the high school game. Brookfield Central’s backcourt play propelled them to their first-ever state championship last year.
Now that we know backcourt play is important, which Wisconsin squads will have the best combination of guards in the 2019-20 season?
Tanner Resch, Carson Smith, J.T Hoytink (Sussex Hamilton)
The presence of Patrick Baldwin Jr. should open some things up for Sussex Hamition’s guards. While opposing coaches are busy putting together a gameplan to stop one of the top prospects in the 2021 class, Resch, Smith, and Hoytink will be ready to step up. Resch recently exploded for 50 points in a fall league game, Smith made 37 percent of his three-point attempts last year, and Hoytink is one of the quickest guards in Wisconsin. When all are playing well, the Chargers have a three-headed monster that can be nearly impossible to defeat.
Jake Buchanan, Logan Pearson, Jackson Paveletzke (Kimberly)
Buchanan and Pearson have already committed to their college of choice. Buchanan gave his pledge to Rockhurst, while Pearson will be staying in the state at UW-Platteville. Paveletzke is the wild card of this otherwise experienced backcourt. Paveletzke spent his freshman year on Kimberly’s JV squad, where he dominated against mostly older prospects. He then spent his AAU season with Phenom University. Paveletzke is a skilled guard who should have no problem finding some meaningful minutes as a sophomore. As for the other two Papermaker guards, we already know what they will bring to the table. Buchanan is a crafty passer and scorer who will lead his team to many victories as a senior. When Buchanan has multiple defenders in his face, he will look to find Pearson who is a phenomenal spot-up shooter. Last year, Kimberly relied heavily on their frontcourt play. Reed Miller and Levi Nienhaus-Bochert led their squad to an FVA championship. The spotlight will now be shifted to the backcourt after Miller and Nienhaus-Bochert graduated.
Ben Nau, Andrew Rhode (Brookfield Central)
The loss of Cole Nau will be tough to overcome, but Ben Nau and Andrew Rhode are up to the challenge. The two guards combined for 11.8 points per game during the Lancer’s state championship season. Both Nau and Rhode excel as marksmen, which was extremely helpful for a team last year that already had multiple offensive options. This year, however, they will need to expand their offensive games a bit more if the Lancers are to stay atop the always loaded Greater Metro Conference.
Anthony Washington, Keonte Jones (Madison East)
Madison East got knocked out of the playoffs last year due to Racine Horlick’s backcourt domination. Led by Marquise Milton’s 35 point outburst, Horlick’s guards tallied almost all of the squad’s points. The Purgolder’s backcourt will aim for revenge in the 2019-20 season. Anthony Washington is as dynamic as it gets in Wisconsin and Keonte Jones was tabbed as a stock riser over the spring and summer.
Ezra Stargell, Jeremiah Suber (Kenosha Indian Trail)
This is my sleeper backcourt duo for the upcoming season. Ezra Stargell is lightning in a bottle and Jeremiah Suber is a tough guard when he gets to the rim. Their contrasting styles will only make them more challenging to stop as the season progress. Stargell led his team in scoring as a sophomore, while Suber put up a consistent 7.4 points per contest. The Southeast Conference should take notice of this backcourt paring before it is too late.