Top Opening Week Individual Matchups
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The WIAA boy’s basketball season is set to tip off tomorrow, with teams across the state ready to get back on the court. Prep Hoops has looked over the schedule, and opening week is filled with exciting individual matchups. Today,…
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Continue ReadingThe WIAA boy’s basketball season is set to tip off tomorrow, with teams across the state ready to get back on the court. Prep Hoops has looked over the schedule, and opening week is filled with exciting individual matchups. Today, we give you six of the top prospect matchups to watch for during the first week of play!
Tuesday, December 1st- Leon Bond Leon Bond 6'5" | SF Wauwatosa East | 2022 State #62 Nation WI vs Patrick Baldwin Jr. Patrick Baldwin Jr. 6'9" | SF Sussex Hamilton | 2021 State #2 Nation WI
The season gets started off with a bang, as arguably the top senior in the country faces off against one of the top juniors in the state as Sussex Hamilton hosts Wauwatosa East. Patrick Baldwin brings his size and advanced skillset to the floor, as a player who can hurt you in just about every way. His length on the wing, mature feel for the game, and automatic jump shot makes him a mismatch nightmare. On the opposite end you have Leon Bond Leon Bond 6'5" | SF Wauwatosa East | 2022 State #62 Nation WI . The budding wing prospect is an explosive athlete who’s only beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. He’s a major transition threat, and has an improved mid-range shot that he’s able to create off one or two dribbles.
Tuesday, December 1st- Ethan Thomas Ethan Thomas 6'7" | PF Whitnall | 2023 State WI vs Jonah Rindfleisch
Another opening night matchup features two emerging big men going at it in the post as Whitnall takes on Wisconsin Lutheran. Ethan Thomas Ethan Thomas 6'7" | PF Whitnall | 2023 State WI has transferred to Whitnall from Greenfield, and is one of the top 2023 post prospects in the state. He has a lot of upside due to his length and mobility at around 6’8-6’9. Ethan is a shot blocking threat and has touch to score around the rim. Jonah Rindfleisch on the other hand really started to emerge as a junior, taking full advantage of his long and lanky frame. He’s a major threat on the glass who rebounds in bunches, and his long wingspan makes things difficult for opposing players around the rim. Jonah is capable of putting the ball on the floor, he runs hard in transition, and is developing his perimeter jumper.
Tuesday, December 1st- Jayden Jackson Jayden Jackson 6'2" | SG Whitefish Bay | 2021 State WI vs Kobe Johnson Kobe Johnson 6'5" | PG Nicolet | 2021 State #240 Nation WI
The third opening night matchup to watch for features two of the best guards in the state. Whitefish Bay’s Jayden Jackson Jayden Jackson 6'2" | SG Whitefish Bay | 2021 State WI (Northern Arizona commit) takes on Nicolet’s Kobe Johnson Kobe Johnson 6'5" | PG Nicolet | 2021 State #240 Nation WI (USC commit). Jayden is a gifted athlete who held Division One offers in football as well, and has some explosive finishing ability around the rim. Add in a smooth pull-up jumper and the ability to sit deep in a stance and lock up defensively, and he’s one of the top two-way players in the 2021 class. Kobe Johnson Kobe Johnson 6'5" | PG Nicolet | 2021 State #240 Nation WI is Mr. do-it-all for Nicolet, and will be on constant triple-double watch this year. He has great positional length, can handle the ball, has exceptional passing vision, and is really crafty getting to the rim to finish.
Thursday, December 3rd- Quentin Bolton Quentin Bolton 6'5" | SF Shoreland Lutheran | 2021 State WI vs Ronald Kirk Ronald Kirk 6'4" | SF Dominican | 2021 State WI
Quentin Bolton Quentin Bolton 6'5" | SF Shoreland Lutheran | 2021 State WI and Shoreland Lutheran travel to take on Ronald Kirk Ronald Kirk 6'4" | SF Dominican | 2021 State WI and Dominican in a Metro Classic Conference matchup. Two of the less talked about wing prospects who have scholarship level potential, I’m really looking forward to seeing them go at it. Quentin is a monster on the glass, has a smooth pull-up game, and has really improved his explosiveness around the rim. He’s a threat in transition and in the half-court. Ronald Kirk Ronald Kirk 6'4" | SF Dominican | 2021 State WI has improved a lot over the last year, going from a long and athletic wing with potential, to a player who can produce on both ends. I really like his ability to contest around the rim and defend multiple spots on the floor. Offensively he can get to the rack and finish, and has an improved jumper that will make him even more of a threat this winter.
Saturday, December 5th- Cameron Palesse Cameron Palesse 6'3" | CG Waukesha West | 2021 State #249 Nation WI vs Brandin Podziemski Brandin Podziemski 6'6" | SG Saint John's Northwestern Academy | 2021 State #232 Nation WI
Two of the most productive players in the state last year will go head to head as Waukesha West takes on St. John’s NW Military Academy. Cameron Palesse Cameron Palesse 6'3" | CG Waukesha West | 2021 State #249 Nation WI is a fundamentally sound player who can run the point for his team at around 6’4-6’5. He has one of the best mid-range jumpers in the state, and is capable of creating for himself or others off the dribble. Cam can also play off the ball where he shot nearly 42% from 3P last year. Brandin Podziemski Brandin Podziemski 6'6" | SG Saint John's Northwestern Academy | 2021 State #232 Nation WI has really blown up over the offseason, and is in the conversation for best scorer in the state. When he gets going, he’s a threat to put up huge numbers. His length on the wing, deep shooting range, and ability to explode to the rim to score make him a difficult matchup for any defender.
Saturday, December 5th- Micah Causey Micah Causey 5'9" | PG St. Thomas More | 2022 WI vs Brady Wilks
I’m throwing this one in as a sleeper matchup. Micah Causey Micah Causey 5'9" | PG St. Thomas More | 2022 WI is one of the better 2022 point guards in Wisconsin for St. Thomas More, while Brady Wilks has quietly been putting up numbers for Racine Lutheran in the Metro Classic Conference. Wilks, a 5’9 senior, enters the year just shy of 1,000 career points, and he’s a tough competitor who can attack the basket with his quickness or shoot from deep. He’s also an extremely hard working defender who put up 3 steals per game last year, and should be fun to watch against Micah Causey Micah Causey 5'9" | PG St. Thomas More | 2022 WI ’s flashy style of play. Causey is so exciting to watch as he can simply handle the ball in ways that most players can’t. He plays with a flair that can make opponents look foolish, but also dribbles with a purpose to put himself and his teammates in positions to score. Despite his size he’s a solid finisher around the rim, and has exceptional passing vision to find the open man that most players can’t.