Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Networks

Updated WisSports.net Player Rankings reflect changing times

By: Mark Miller | 9/2/2010

The updated WisSports.net Player Rankings released today reflect the changing landscape of prep basketball in Wisconsin.

Indeed, today’s new Player Rankings do not include seven high school players from the city of Milwaukee who left the state in recent weeks in order to attend out-of-state prep schools.

As it stands now, those seven players will not play high school basketball in Wisconsin in 2010-11, and have thus been dropped from the Player Rankings.

Should any of the departed players elect to return to the state in time for the basketball season, they would be included in the next round of Player Rankings in early January.

Merrill senior Paul Jesperson, who has verbally committed to attend Virginia, remains on top of the class of 2011.

Menomonee Falls junior Jean-Pierre Tokoto, who remains open the recruiting process, maintains his stranglehold on the top spot for 2012.

La Crosse Aquinas sophomore Bronson Koenig, who earned scholarship offers from both Marquette and Wisconsin over the summer, takes over the No. 1 spot in 2013 as former No. 1 Deonte Burton is now attending Brewster Academy in New Hampshire.

For a complete listing of the updated WisSports.net Player Rankings for the classes of 2011, 2012 and 2013, please click here.

Following is a brief breakdown of WisSports.net’s top 10 collegiate prospects, regardless of class, in the state of Wisconsin:

1. Jean-Pierre Tokoto, 6-6, WG/WF, Class of 2012, Menomonee Falls
The most talked about and heavily recruited high school basketball player from Wisconsin since Joe Wolf graduated from Kohler in 1983 ... Struggled at times in June and his ranking on the Rivals.com Recruiting Site dropped from No. 4 to No. 40 … Nonetheless maintains scholarship offers from a large-number of high-major NCAA Division I schools, including Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette, Michigan State, North Carolina and Wisconsin ... Athletic and skilled wing prospect who can play in the backcourt or frontcourt ... Spent a good deal of time in July and August in the gym, working on his skill development … Outstanding rebounder who can lead the break and finish above the rim or find open teammates ... Averaged 18.6 points per game as a sophomore and earned first-team all-state honors from the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association.

2. Paul Jesperson, 6-7, WF, Class of 2011, Merrill
Verbally committed to play for coach Tony Bennett at Virginia in mid July … Ranked No. 129 nationally by Rivals.com … Terrific perimeter shooter who can get on an absolute roll from beyond the three-point arc ... Scored 45 points in a game for the Wisconsin Playmakers this spring ... Improved strength has led to more athleticism and quickness off the dribble ... Outstanding intangibles both on and off the court ... Averaged 20.5 points per game for coach Kurt Soderberg as a junior for a Merrill squad that went 20-6 ... Excellent length and good overall feel for the game.

3. Bronson Koenig, 6-2, PG, Class of 2013, La Crosse Aquinas
Outstanding feel for the game and the breakout performer of the summer in the state of Wisconsin … Played well enough in June and July to earn scholarship offers from Bo Ryan of Wisconsin and Buzz Williams of Marquette … Kansas and North Carolina also showing very strong interest and plan to attend open-gym workout sessions at Aquinas this month to further evaluate … Quick, athletic lead guard who can make pull-back jump shots, get to the rim and finish in traffic and find open teammates … Plays with a great deal of poise and toughness … First-team all-league pick for Aquinas in the Mississippi Valley Conference last season.

4. Junior Lomomba, 6-5, WG, Class of 2012, Madison Memorial
Put together an outstanding spring and summer on the travel-team circuit while playing for The Family out of Detroit as well as the Wisconsin Gators Elite ... Also played for Team Canada in 17U and 19U international events over the summer … Has secured recent scholarship offers from Baylor, Minnesota, New Mexico State, Nevada, Tennessee and Xavier, among others ... Averaged 10.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Memorial after missing the first eight games of the season due to a wrist injury ... Versatile backcourt player who can get to the basket and finish ... Is working on his perimeter shooting and ball-handling skills and has played some point guard during the spring travel season ... Uncle is former University of Wisconsin guard Hennssy Auriantal.

5. Sam Dekker, 6-7, WG/WF, Class of 2012, Sheboygan Lutheran
Played as well as any other player in Wisconsin in April, May and June, earning and accepting a scholarship offer from Wisconsin ... Turned in one outstanding performance after another for the Wisconsin Playground Warriors on the travel-team circuit ... Snaps rebounds off the rim, brings the ball down the floor and can either finish above the rim or pull-up and knock down a mid-range jump shot ... Can also make shots from beyond the three-point line ... Tremendous versatility on offense as he can post-up in the lane, play out of the high post or play on the wing ... Unselfish player who likes to get his teammates involved ... Averaged 26.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore while playing for his father, Todd, at Sheboygan Lutheran.

6. Elgin Cook, 6-6, WF, Class of 2011, Milwaukee Hamilton
An extremely athletic wing prospect who averaged 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest as a junior for a Milwaukee Hamilton squad that went 20-4 and won the Milwaukee City Conference championship ... Verbally committed to Iowa State in 2009 ... Son of former Milwaukee Buck guard Alvin Robertson ... Can slash to the basket and finish with authority above the rim ... Continues to work on his ball handling and perimeter shooting skills ... Tough to contain on the glass because of his ability to get off the floor quickly and soar above others … Figures to play a huge role for a Hamilton program reeling a bit from the prep-school departures of Charles Lee (Huntington Prep, Huntington, West Virgina) and Darnell Harris (Christian Life School, Humble, Texas).

7. Cinmeon Bowers, 6-7, WF/PF, Class of 2012, Milwaukee Rufus King
A man-sized combination forward at 6-7 and 230 pounds ... Attended Racine Case as a freshman in 2007-08 and Nicolet as a sophomore in 2008-09 before sitting out last season ... Recently reclassified to the class of 2012 and enrolled at Milwaukee King ... Earned a scholarship offer from Iowa in late August … Extremely difficult to keep out of the lane and off the offensive glass due to his impressive physical strength and determination ... Continues to work on his skills away from the basket ... An unstoppable force at times because of his physical dominance.

8. Nick Fuller, 6-5, WG, Class of 2013, Sun Prairie
Emerging wing prospect with an outstanding work ethic … Versatile backcourt player who can also post-up in the lane … Excellent length and athleticism … Plays with high energy on both ends of the court … Gets out on the fastbreak, filling the lane and then finishing at the rim with a dunk … Receiving plenty of strong interest from mid-major programs, but could wind up being a high-major recruit with continued strength and skill development … Recently attended the Indiana Elite Camp in Bloomington, Indiana … Besides Indiana, Marquette and Wisconsin also showing strong interest.

9. Sam Mader, 6-8, WF, Class of 2012, Appleton East
An ever-improving and evolving wing forward prospect who can make perimeter shots, get to the basket off the bounce and block shots ... Tremendous combination of length and skill ... Needs to add weight and strength as well as become more physical in the lane ... Averaged 7.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore for an Appleton East squad that went 22-6 and advanced to the semifinal round of the WIAA Division 1 State Tournament ... Uncle, Dave, played at the University of Wisconsin ... Earned scholarship offers from both Green Bay and Milwaukee.

10. Duane Wilson, 6-1, PG, Class of 2013, Whitefish Bay Dominican
Instinctive, pass-first lead guard … Good overall feel for the game … Improved perimeter shooter who can also get into the lane and either score or get to the foul line … Earned a scholarship offer from Marquette in August … Starting point guard for Dominican as a freshman … Figures to show more explosiveness and athleticism this season as he continues to recover from a knee injury.

Quick Hitters … Milwaukee Washington is the lone school to opt-up a division for the WIAA playoffs. Washington will compete in Division 1 during the post-season. For complete regional and sectional breakdowns of each of the five divisions, please visit the WIAA website at http://www.wiaawi.org/ … Delafield St. John’s Military Academy has added a talented newcomer to its high-school program in Miles Holmes, a 6-5 senior who played at Unionville High School in West Chester, Pennsylvania, last season … Evansville senior Dylan Erickson, a second-team all-league pick in the Northern Division of the Rock Valley Conference last season, recently gave a verbal commitment to play at Ashford University, a NAIA Division II school and member of the Midwest Classic Conference along with Viterbo University in La Crosse. Erickson, a 6-4 wing player who averaged 10.8 points per game for coach Chris Wagner as a junior, is a two-year starter at Evansville. Erickson competed for the Wisconsin Starz on the travel-team circuit … Athens has hired John Schreiner as its new varsity basketball coach … Rhinelander has hired Derek Lemmens to replace Rich Fortier as the Hodags’ varsity basketball coach.