Toughest Opponents in March
With the playoffs shining a spotlight on Wisconsin’s best programs, Prep Hoops Wisconsin lists the top two contenders in each division, analyzing their roster and why they’re so difficult to compete with in March. Division One Brookfield Central: The defending…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWith the playoffs shining a spotlight on Wisconsin’s best programs, Prep Hoops Wisconsin lists the top two contenders in each division, analyzing their roster and why they’re so difficult to compete with in March.
Division One
Brookfield Central: The defending state champions are returning to the postseason as a one seed. This time, they come in with even more firepower. David Joplin returns, not as a young prospect but as a proven, dominant force. Ben Nau and Andrew Rhode come back, each playing within a more rigid role in the offense (and they’re better because of it). Malik Abdul-Wahid adds more of an athletic, explosive element, and Eric Radisevic, their breakout edition to the frontcourt, provides back-to-the-basket scoring and the legitimate, center-esque size element they missed last season.
Pair all of this with a 21-1 record (which includes two wins over Sussex Hamilton) and a Greater Metro Conference title, and it’s hard to forsee anyone dethroning the reigning champion.
Sussex Hamilton: Hamilton, led by five-star prospect Patrick Baldwin Jr., will rarely be out-matched talent-wise. With guys like Carson Smith, Tanner Resch and Lucas Finnessy around Baldwin, their roster is tough to plan for — much less, to defend.
However, as the two seed in a bracket with Central and a handful of other near-unbeaten teams, they will face multiple, difficult tests before State. The looming question for Hamilton is: Will they lose to Central three times in one season, or can they defend their pride when it counts?
Division Two
Nicolet: After much moving around, Jalen Johnson Jalen Johnson 6'8" | SF Nicolet | 2020 State #3 Nation WI is back at Nicolet, meaning they’re back in the driver’s seat for the division two title. With him on the roster, they’ve yet to lose a game (they only lost three games in total before he returned).
Johnson alone makes them a contender, but with the budding junior duo of Kobe Johnson and James Graham adding a reliable perimeter attack, their arsenal may be too much to handle for any one team.
Onalaska: For the past two seasons, Onalaska has been unable to get past La Crosse Central. But, after beating them twice this season and nearly beating Minnehaha Academy, eyes turned towards them as the new king of the La Crosse area.
Unlike many others listed, they don’t have a clear star, rather a deep core of prospects that have meshed into a balanced system. Tyrell Stuttley and Carson Arenz, their senior leaders, pace the roster as scorers. Gavin McGrath is a lengthy junior product that provides rebounding and formidable interior defense. Alongside those three, prospects like Sam Kick, Victor Desmond, and Dakota Mannel are thriving in their role and quickly developing into strong prospects themselves.
Division Three
Racine St. Catherines: No other team has as much dominance over their division as St. Catherines. With an undefeated record and a tendency to blow out elite opponents, it’s a safe bet to assume they’re a tough out. But, even in a tough sectional, they may not miss a beat in their pursuit of the gold ball.
Guard Tyrese Hunter has been on a tear all season, nabbing high major offers almost monthly while averaging 21 points, shooting 40 percent from deep, grabbing 6.7 rebounds, and facilitating offense perfectly. Behind him, Jameer Barker is becoming a prospect before our eyes, Kamari McGee is playing at a level meriting a top-25 2021 ranking, and Elijah Lambert is manning the middle and mid-range. Their roster dynamic is as good as the Brookfield Centrals and Sussex Hamiltons of the world, leaving little doubt to if they can win on the division three-stage.
East Troy: As a disclaimer, Troy is in the same sectional as St. Catherines. It’s unfortunate for competition’s sake, but nonetheless, they’ve used this regular season to prove they’re one of the fiercest opponents in division three.
Led by AJ Vukovich — the division one baseball commit that’s averaging 28.1 points and 13.1 rebounds a night — Troy seemed unstoppable aside from two close losses. The most undervalued aspect of their roster is offensive balance. Four guys average double figures, the other three being Ryan Nixon, Quinten Lottig and Chase Cummings. It may not be enough to outmatch Racine St. Catherines, but they’re no easy opponent with the season on the line.
Division Four
Cuba City: As an undefeated one-seed, SWAL Conference champion, and overall title favorite, Cuba City has lofty expectations going into the postseason. They follow the same recipe as other teams listed with their elite depth.
Specifically for them, it’s the four-way impact of Brayden Dailey, Brady Olsen, Jack Misky and Jackson Noll. Dailey is the leader of the pack, scoring and rebounding the most and demanding the most defensive attention with his forward-esque size and pure shooting touch. Olsen is everywhere statistically, just behind Dailey as a scorer and rebounder but the team leader in assists and steals. Misky and Noll appear as complementary players, but with a system in their hands, they could easily command a roster with their unique skill sets.
Stratford: This season has been a subtle grind for Stratford, who lacked the star power to attract much of a following. Still, though, this team is a force in division four.
With a frontcourt pair of Ben Barten and Vaughn Breit commanding rebounds and centering their offense, they’ve formed an ideal balance of old-school interior play and catch-and-shoot threes. They haven’t lost yet with their playstyle, and unless they run into Cuba City, MAS or another red-hot one-seed, they should be alive well into March.
Division Five
Sheboygan Lutheran: Last year, the Jacob Ognacevic-led squad went to State and emerged with the Gold Ball and 27-2 record. This season, things are only looking better.
Ognacevic improved to averages around the 30 and 15 range, which are numbers that seem almost laughable at this point. At his side, Casy Verhagen has become one of the best passers in the state, and guys like Graden Grabowski and Delvin Barnstable are stepping up as legitimate secondary scorers.
Bangor: Despite a loss late in the season, Bangor is still a top team in the division. Grant Manke leads the charge for them, averaging 22.5 points a night along with 13 rebounds. Hank Reader and Zane Langrehr chip in double digits in the scoring as well.
They don’t play in a ultra-competitive conferences like some of these other teams, but that may play to their advantage, as they’ll be rested enough to have a leg up on other talented squads.