WBCA announces Division 4 Boys Basketball All-State Team

DeAndre Johns of Kenosha St. Joseph and Nate Schmidt of Shiocton are the lone repeat selections on the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Division 4 All-State team.

Johns is a 6-foot-2 combination guard who excelled on the court the past four seasons for coach Jose Winston and the Lancers. As a senior, Johns averaged 24.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists while helping a young team finish 11-13. A first-team all-league pick in the Metro Classic Conference in each of the past four seasons, Johns plans to attend a prep school in the fall.

Like Johns, Schmidt also is a 6-foot-2 combination guard who has performed at a very high level in each of the past four seasons. The son of Shiocton coach Chad Schmidt, Nate Schmidt was voted Player of the Year in the Central Wisconsin 8 Conference for the second year in a row. He led the Chiefs to a 14-0 league mark and 19-6 overall record by averaging 20.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He scored 1,777 career points for the Chiefs.

Terrance Banyard is a 6-foot-6 senior forward from Division 4 state champion Destiny. The athletic and versatile forward can finish high above the rim, but he also is a good mid-range jump shooter. Banyard averaged a team-best 15.9 points and scored 22 points in Destiny’s state-title game victory over Darlington.

J.C. Butler of The Prairie School in Racine was voted Player of the Year in the Metro Classic Conference after helping the Hawks to a share of the league championship with Martin Luther. Butler, a 6-foot-5 junior wing, averaged 26.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists for a club that finished 21-4 under coach Jason Atanasoff.

Washburn senior guard Trevor Cook led the state in scoring at a whopping 35.2 points per game. Cook scored a career-high 52 points on two difference occasions – in victories over Mellen and Hurley. The 6-foot-1 guard is a two-time first-team all-league selection in the Indianhead Conference.

Lourdes Academy senior Evan Ganther missed the first eight games of the season while recovering from an elbow injury, but once her returned to the Knights’ lineup, he made his presence known. Ganther was voted co-Player of the Year in the Trailways North Conference with Wesley Schiek of Valley Christian after averaging 23.7 points and 5.7 rebounds. He shot 44 percent from three-point range and scored 49 points in a game against Valley Christian. Ganther finished his four-year prep career with 1,226 points.

Laconia senior Drew Gunnink was named Player of the Year in the Flyway Conference after helping the Spartans to the league title and a 17-7 record under coach Tom King. A left-handed, 6-foot-1 wing player, Gunnink shot 52 percent from the field and completed his three-year varsity career with 1,183 points. He averaged 19.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists as a senior.

Senior Sarion McGee (6-7) of Destiny provided a low-post scoring option for the Eagles, who finished 25-1 and won the Division 4 state championship under coach Branden Joseph. A physical post-up player who could also make jump shots from the high post, McGee averaged 13.3 points and a team-best 9.1 rebounds per game for the Eagles.

Junior Mitchel Schneider of Roncalli helped the Jets overcome a 3-10 start to finish the season 13-14 after falling to eventual state-champion Destiny in the semifinal round of the WIAA State Tournament. A 6-foot-1 wing guard with excellent shooting range, Schneider shot 46 percent (79 of 172) from long distance while averaging 18.9 points and 4.4 rebounds for coach Joe Garceau and the Jets.

Edgewood College recruit Will Schwartz (6-1) of Darlington led the Redbirds to a 27-1 record and a runner-up finish in the Division 4 State Tournament by averaging 15.6 points while shooting 59 percent from the field. An active wing player who plays strong defense and can rebound, Schwartz had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the state-title game loss to Destiny.

Division 4 WBCA All-State

Terrance Banyard, Sr., Destiny
J.C. Butler, Jr., The Prairie School
Trevor Cook, Sr., Washburn
Evan Ganther, Sr., Lourdes Academy
Drew Gunnink, Sr., Laconia
DeAndre Johns, Sr., Kenosha St. Joseph
Sarion McGee, Sr., Destiny
Nate Schmidt, Sr., Shiocton
Mitchel Schneider, Jr., Roncalli
Will Schwartz, Sr., Darlington

Honorable Mention

Brady Booth, Sr., Stanley-Boyd
Cullen Brooks, Jr., New Glarus
Erik Christopherson, Sr., Melrose-Mindoro
Seth Hause, Sr., Stanley-Boyd
Nicholas Henke, Jr., Pardeeville
Garrett Hoffmann, Sr., Ozaukee
Tresean Jordan, Sr., Young Coggs Prep
Bryce Pedrin, Sr., Howards Grove
Caleb Weinfurter, Sr., Auburndale
Gunner Wilder, Jr., Cameron
Darryl Williams, Sr., Chetek-Weyerhaeuser

* Denotes unanimous selection

Voting Panel – Nick Hallberg, Grantsburg; Rick Storlie, Fall Creek; Chad Weinfurter, Auburndale; Sam Bertsch, Iola-Scandinavia; Chris Lindert, Cambria-Friesland; Jerry Petitgoue, Cuba City; Tom King, Laconia; Paul Strutz, Shoreland Lutheran.