Boy's Basketball Blogs
Prep Notes: Green Bay extends scholarship offer to Aquinas' Koenig
by
Mark Miller,
3/16/2010
By Mark Miller
WisSports.net Editor 
It’s the first in what could turn out to be a long list of scholarship offers for La Crosse Aquinas freshman
Bronson Koenig.
Sunday afternoon, Green Bay coach Tod Kowalczyk extended a basketball scholarship to Koenig through his father, Paul.
It’s the first offer for the 6-foot-1 Koenig, who is ranked No. 4 among state players in the class of 2013 by WisSports.net.
An instinctive, poised and skilled point guard, Koenig recently completed his freshman campaign for Aquinas, helping the Blugolds to a 13-12 overall record and a spot in the WIAA Division 3 sectional semifinals.
Koenig averaged a team-best 14.8 points per game while also shooting 41 percent from three-point range and averaging just over three triples per contest.
In addition to the offer from Green Bay, Aquinas coach Rick Schneider said Koenig is being recruited by Iowa State, Marquette and Wisconsin, among others.
Though Koenig needs to add weight and strength to his long 6-1 frame, Schneider believes his star lead guard will grow a few more inches before he graduates from the Mississippi Valley Conference school.
“He’s a little over 6-1 right now and I think he’ll end up being around 6-3,” Schneider said. “The thing about Bronson is he has such great court vision. He really sees the whole floor exceptionally well.
“He also has great breakdown ability off the dribble and handles pressure defense very well. He is able to get us into our offense despite the defense coming at him hard. He handled himself very, very well this season.”
Koenig can score from three-point range, off of pull-up jump shots and from the foul line.
Schneider believes he’ll be able to finish at the rim more next season as he continues to get stronger.
“One area he’ll do a better job at in the future is getting to the rim,” Schneider said. “As he hits the weight room this summer, he’ll get stronger and that will enable him to get to the rim and finish next season.”
Green Bay’s scholarship offer to Koenig is the third the school has extended to a class of 2013 player in the state as Kowalczyk had earlier offered Sun Prairie wing Nick Fuller and Manitowoc Lincoln forward Austin Mecca.
St. Mary Central’s Koslowski to attend Marian University 
St. Mary Central senior
Sam Koslowski will attend Marian University and play basketball for coach Mark Boyle and the Sabres.
A prolific scoring 6-2 wing guard, Koslowski averaged 23.4 ppg for the Zephyrs before going down for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury during an Olympian Conference game against Chilton in mid January.
Koslowski, who scored 30 or more points four times this season, missed the Zephyrs last 10 games.
The son of former Lakeland College great John Koslowski, Sam Koslowski was a key player for a St. Mary Central squad that went 14-12 and qualified for the WIAA Division 4 State Tournament a year ago. Koslowski averaged a team-best 17.2 ppg as a junior for coach Brian Jakubek.
Former Monroe standout Tordoff opts to transfer to Carroll Former Monroe athlete Mitch Tordoff has decided to leave the men’s basketball program at UW-Platteville and plans to enroll at Carroll University in Waukesha.
A 5-10 point guard, Tordoff played in just 13 games for the Pioneers this season. He will have three years of eligibility at Carroll.
Tordoff joins Kevin Hurd of Portage, Kevin McKenzie of Green Bay Notre Dame, Adam Ganske of Eau Claire Regis, Scott Carney of De Pere, Andrew Nottling of Watertown Luther Prep and Alec Molter of Greenfield as incoming recruits for coach Dave Buchanan at Carroll.
State Boys Basketball FAQ
by
Travis Wilson,
3/15/2010
Here's some general information and frequently asked questions about the WIAA Boys State Basketball Tournament.
When is the tournament and when are the games? The tournament is held over three days, this Thursday through Saturday. For a detailed breakdown of which games are played at which times, visit the WIAA site
here.
Where is the state tournament held? All games of the Boys Basketball State Tournament are held at the Kohl Center in Madison. Click
here for a map of the Kohl Center area, and click
here for a layout of the interior of the Kohl Center.
How much are tickets and where can I get them? Tickets are $8 per session, with each session consisting of two games. Tickets are available at the participating schools or can be ordered online
here. Tickets can also be purchased at the Kohl Center box office right now and the mornings of the tournament games. The Ticket Window opens at 8:30 am during the week and 9 am on Saturday.
Keep in mind that if you buy tickets from one of the schools you will be sitting with that school's section. If you purchase tickets online or at the Kohl Center you will be sitting in the general seating area, not with a particular school.
Where can I find coverage of the tournament? TV - The games can be found on the following TV channels: WAOW-TV in Wausau, WKOW-TV in Madison, WQOW-TV in Eau Claire, WXOW-TV in La Crosse, WYOW-TV in Eagle River WMLW-TV in Milwaukee, WACY in Green Bay/Appleton and KBJR-TV in Duluth/Superior. This year the tournament will be broadcast in high-definition where available.
WKOW will be streaming the games live on their website:
wkowtv.com In addition, post-game media conferences will be streamed live on
WIAA.tv immediately following each game.
RADIO - Yes, there are many radio stations that will carry the games. Check your local listings. Also,
The Big 1070 out of Madison will be broadcasting all of the games live on the radio and live online as well.
ONLINE - WisSports.net is your home for the most complete coverage. In addition to the
team capsules WSN Basketball Editor Mark Miller will be pitching in with some great articles previewing the great teams and players coming to Madison this weekend. His must-have guide to the tourney can be found
here.
At the state tournament we will be doing a Cover-It-Live Blog featuring all of your favorite WSN personalities. We will also be grabbing some of the state's top coaches for video interviews that will be posted on UStream and linked from WisSports.net. Last but not least Mark Miller and Dick Knapinski will be writing some great articles and telling the stories of the 2010 state tournament.
Where can I find results from the games? Follow all the games on our site, including the
Scoreboard page.
Where can I find information about the teams? We have
Team Capsules for every team at the state tournament with loads of information including rosters, notes, season reviews, audio of coach interviews and more. Click on the logo for the corresponding Team Capsule.
Where can I eat? The Kohl Center has concessions, but many fans choose to venture out between games or sessions.
Segredo is located at 624 University Avenue, just two blocks from the Kohl Center. It is one of the biggest restaurants downtown and has three great private party rooms. Rooms feature flat panel TVs and Nintendo Wii game systems and bowling is even available in the facility. They also have a great catering menu with some old classics with a new age spin. It is a rare opportunity to be able to get together with your group before or after the game so close to the game. For more information please contact Ryan -
ryan@segredomadison.com or 609.915-9311.
Coliseum Bar is located a little farther away from the Kohl Center (Olin Avenue by the Alliant Energy Center) but has two large meeting rooms upstairs. Contact them at 608-251-2434.
Pizza Oven has convenient east and west side locations if you want to stay closer to your hotel home base. They have large meeting rooms at each location and some of the best pizza in Madison.
The Stadium, 1429 Monroe St - There might not be a better place to watch sports in the state! Their slogan is 360 degrees of sports, and it's legit - you can't turn around in that place without having 2 or 3 big HDTVs in view. They also have great burgers, nachos and wings and will be running shuttles back and forth from the Kohl Center so you'll be able to grab food between sessions quickly. The Stadium will also be running FREE shuttles to the Kohl Center all day.
Wandos, 602 University Ave - A short walk from the Kohl Center Wandos has four levels of fun. The menu features 1/2 pound burgers and 1/2 pound chicken sandwiches along with giant nachos. The TV situation is solid and their walls are like a local hall of fame featuring signed jerseys of great Badgers past.
Hooters, 2639 East Springs Drive - those that thought Hooters was gone from Madison, think again. They have reopened in a great new East side location. Featuring wings, giant burgers and some great NCAA tournament action on TV it is a great place to stop for food on your way in our out of town. If you print out and bring in their ad from our
online version of WSN Illustrated you can get a buy 10 wings, get 10 wings free special.
Where can I park? There are several parking ramps around the Kohl Center that will have special events parking available. If you don't mind walking there is some street parking spots available south of Regent Street, and as mentioned previously shuttles from the Stadium Grill & Eatery are available if you park there or in their neighborhood.
VisitDowntownMadison.com is a great resource as well. This site will give you information on parking downtown, the different restaurant options nearby and some things to do in your downtime.
Where can I stay? Road Star Inns have been generous enough to provide an exclusive discount for fans of the state tournament and WSN. Simply enter "GO WSN" in the promotional code area when making a reservation to receive an additional 15% off. The hotel is only minutes from the Alliant Energy Center. Visit
RoadStarInns.com for reservation information.
AmericInn has a $10 off discount if you use the coupon code: WIAA10
Holiday Inn features the only indoor waterpark in Madison and a great on-site steakhouse. The
Wisco Hotel group also has the Comfort Inn & Suites and Baymont Inn.
Where can I shop?
University Bookstore has all the Badger and University of Wisconsin stuff you need and then some. If you want to be a Badger or at least want some cool Badger clothing you should check them out.
If you want to capture your memories or if you forgot that dreaded battery or memory card the
Camera Company is located downtown and can help you out.
Last but not least, one of the best places to find info on everything going on down by the Kohl Center is
VisitDowntownMadison.com. This site will give you information on parking downtown, the different restaurant options nearby and some things to do in your downtime.
Where can I hang out with WSN Celebrities?
Our eight annual coach appreciation party for high school and college coaches will be held once again at the Stadium Grill downtown across from Camp Randall Stadium on Wednesday night.
New in 2010, we will be doing a WisSports.net Site Visitor Appreciation party at Segredo, 624 University Ave. The event will go from 4-6:30 on Saturday - between the afternoon and evening sessions. Segredo will have a special half-priced WSN menu and we'll have t-shirts, hats and other WSN swag to give away.
Who has the best coverage of the boys state basketball tournament? We here at WisSports.net are your home for all things basketball, including the
boys state tournament. We'll have full coverage leading up to the games, and full coverage from the games. Look for a live in-game blog as the WSN staff provides periodic updates on the games, sights, sounds, and atmosphere.
Your complete guide to the WIAA State Tournament
by
Mark Miller,
3/15/2010
By Mark Miller
WisSports.net Editor
Everything you’ll need to know while taking in the WIAA State Tournament this week at the Kohl Center in Madison:
Five Things To Watch For …
1. Appleton East coach John Mielke going up against his old school, Antigo – One of the state’s most animated and successful coaches, Appleton East’s John Mielke, gets the chance to square off against his old school when the Patriots meet Antigo at 1:35 p.m. Thursday in a Division 1 quarterfinal. Mielke spent eight years as the head coach at Antigo from 1991-99 and led the Red Robins to the WIAA State Tournament in 1995. An Appleton native and graduate of West High School, Mielke is currently in his 10th season as the head coach at Appleton East.
2. Milwaukee Hamilton’s talented lineup – Milwaukee Hamilton is a young team, but an extremely talented one. Most of the players in coach Tom Diener’s regular rotation are ranked among the elite in the state in the class of 2011 by WisSports.net. No. 1-ranked Elgin Cook is a 6-6 jumping jack who has already given a verbal commitment to play in the Big 12 Conference for Iowa State. No. 5 Darnell Harris (6-8) and No. 6 Charles Lee (5-9) are receiving strong interest as well as offers from a number of NCAA Division I schools. No. 31 Kiwane Crowder (6-2), emerging Jalonnie Parks (6-3) and super sophomore Itavian Belcher (6-6) are also key players for the Wildcats.
3. The ability of Catholic Memorial’s T.J. Bray to control a game on both ends of the court – No player in Wisconsin has filled the stat sheet in so many different categories and on such a consistent basis as Catholic Memorial’s T.J. Bray. Whether it’s rebounding, scoring, passing, defending or blocking shots, Bray has done it all for the Crusaders, who enter the Kohl Center with a 19-game winning streak. Based strictly on his play this season, most particularly in big games against top-notch competition, Bray has emerged as one of the leaders for the Mr. Basketball award.
4. The community support of Blair-Taylor – The old cliche about the last one to leave town turning out the lights certainly applies in the communities of Blair and Taylor. The support for coach Randy Storlie’s basketball program from those two small communities is a sight to behold and it figures to be in full force in Madison on Friday when the Wildcats take on defending state champion Racine St. Catherine’s. Blair-Taylor was seeded no higher than third in its regional, but after watching the Wildcats go down to the wire against a very good Minnehaha Academy team form Minnesota in the Border Battle, it was not a surprise they advanced all the way to the state tournament for the second year in a row. Simply put, Blair-Taylor has the size, toughness and moxy to go toe-to-toe with St. Catherine’s.
5. Randolph’s quest to win a record eight state championships – Randolph is currently tied with Beloit for the most state championships in WIAA history with seven. The Rockets are favored to win the Division 4 title this weekend. Should Randolph succeed in beating Royall in the semifinals and either NEW Lutheran or Clayton in the finals, they would become the first school to win eight state titles. Coach Bob Haffele led the Rockets to all of their state titles and his no-nonsense, fundamental approach to the game is absolutely a big reason behind the tremendous success at the school.
Ten Players To Watch …
1. Vander Blue, 6-4, Sr., Madison Memorial – Blue has had a bit of an uneven season, but his athleticism and talent is unmatched by any other player in the state tournament. Blue can get to the basket and soar above defenders as well as defend and rebound. The future Marquette Golden Eagle has his best basketball ahead of him as he matures physically and mentally. But before he moves on to compete in the Big East Conference, he will be out to cement his legacy as one of the best to come out of Wisconsin over the past 20 years this weekend.
2. Elgin Cook, 6-6, Jr., Milwaukee Hamilton – If Blue is the most talented player in the tournament, Cook is the most athletic. The Iowa State recruit has eye-popping jumping ability and competes with a passion, especially around the rim. Once his skills catch up to his athleticism, Cook is going to be an absolutely dynamite all-around player.
3. Jordan Mach, 6-3, Sr., Antigo – Like Bray, Mach has had a breakout season, one that has definitely landed him in the discussion for Mr. Basketball. A whirlwind with or without the basketball in his hands, Mach is second in the state in scoring at 29.5 ppg while leading Antigo to a 24-0 record and the Great Northern Conference title. He pumped in 40 points in the Red Robins sectional final victory over Merrill.
4. Ben Mills, 7-0, Sr., Arrowhead – The number of college coaches who plan to attend the WIAA State Tournament soared over the weekend when it was announced Boise State fired coach Greg Graham. Mills signed a letter of intent to play for Graham and Boise State last November, but Mills may opt out of that commitment in light of the school’s decision to fire Graham. A 7-0 forward who runs the floor and makes mid-range jump shots, Mills leads Arrowhead in scoring at 17.2 ppg.
5. Brandon Gries, 5-11, Sr., Kiel – Kiel coach Jamie Arenz thinks Gries is the most complete player in the state under 6-0. After watching him will Kiel past Waupun in the Division 2 sectional semifinals, it’s hard to argue against that belief. Gries competes with his heart for 32 minutes on both ends of the court. His ability to get to the basket is a big reason the Raiders are making their first trip to the state tournament since 1974.
6. T.J. Bray, 6-4, Sr., Catholic Memorial – Bray is the straw that stirs the drink for Catholic Memorial. He rips down rebounds as they come off the rim and makes pinpoint passes to his teammates. He can score from the perimeter, off the dribble and from the foul line. He utilizes his excellent length and anticipation on defense. The Princeton recruit is simply a very complete, very fundamental player who is a joy to watch.
7. Steve McWhorter, 6-2, Sr., Racine St. Catherine’s – The lone returning regular from St. Catherine’s Division 3 state title team, McWhorter continues to elevate his game while also becoming more of a vocal leader for his young teammates. The Indiana State recruit can carve up defenses, defend and rebound.
8. Kyle Kelm, 6-9, Sr., Randolph – A very polished big man who can step outside and make jump shots or go inside and use his height and skill to score in the lane. The Milwaukee recruit can also dominate on defense with his ability to block shots.
9. Charles Lee, 5-9, Jr., Milwaukee Hamilton – A smart, quick point guard who gets the ball to the right guy at the right time. Knows how to run a team.
10. Donnie Hissa, 6-8, Sr., Northwestern – The Notre Dame baseball recruit is also an outstanding basketball player. Can score inside or outside as well as rebound and defend. Tremendous all-around athlete.
Ten Others To Keep An Eye On …
1. Sam Mader, 6-6, Soph., Appleton East
2. Tre Creamer, 6-3, Sr., Madison Memorial
3. Hank Kujak, 6-3, Jr., Blair-Taylor
4. Derek Schell, 6-1, Sr., Catholic Memorial
5. Steve Tecker, 6-4, Sr., Northwestern
6. Darnell Harris, 6-8, Jr., Milwaukee Hamilton
7. John Kopriva, 6-7, Jr., Milwaukee Marquette
8. Adam Ganske, 6-3, Sr., Eau Claire Regis
9. Junior Lomomba, 6-4, Soph., Madison Memorial
10. Andy Fox, 6-1, Sr., Arrowhead
Antigo … more than just Mach
While senior guard Jordan Mach justifiably gets most of the acclaim for the unbeaten Antigo basketball team, others have certainly made solid contributions while helping the Red Robins to a 24-0 record.
Coach Jesse Shaw relies heavily on a pair of experienced seniors in Skylar Cameron (6-3) and Chris Sailer (6-9) as well as sophomore Andreas Ezer (5-7).
Cameron is a energy player who can knock down the three-point shot, Cameron gives Shaw size in the lane and Ezer runs the show as the Red Robins’ starting point guard.
Rockets’ red glare back where they belong
Neenah earned its 25th appearance in the WIAA State Tournament with its sectional final victory over Sheboygan South at UW-Oshkosh last Saturday.
A fixture at the state tournament in the 1970s under legendary coach Ron Einerson, Neenah has found the going a bit rough over the past three decades. Since 1978, the Rockets have competed in the state tournament just three times … in 1988, 2000 and this season.
With 25 trips to the state tournament, Neenah now trails Superior by just two on the list of most state-tournament appearances.
Coach Chas Pronschinske has a balanced squad led by seniors Patrick Follen (12.7 ppg) and Josh Hopfensperger (11.9 ppg).
One writer’s all-state team
After watching 75 different high school teams play this season in countless games, here my ballot for the first-team all-state squad …
T.J. Bray, 6-4, Sr., Catholic Memorial
Jordan Mach, 6-3, Sr., Antigo
Josh Gasser, 6-4, Sr., Port Washington
J.P. Tokoto, 6-6, Soph., Menomonee Falls
Vander Blue, 6-4, Sr., Madison Memorial
Tournament Tidbits … Verona advances to the state tournament for the third time in the past five seasons under coach Alan Buss. The Wildcats got a bit of a favorable draw in the playoffs, beating Westosha Central (9-15) in the regional final, Burlington (17-8) in the sectional semifinals and Kenosha Bradford (17-9) in the sectional title game. Still, Verona played an extremely difficult schedule regular-season schedule and will be no pushover for favored Arrowhead in the state quarterfinals … Kiel rallied from an 11-point deficit with under four minutes left in the third period to knock off Seymour in the sectional final … Sauk Prairie has not lost in more than two months and enters the state tournament on a 15-game winning streak … Brillion got past Olympian Conference rival Manitowoc Roncalli in the regional final and then beat unbeaten Marathon in the sectional final behind 20 points from sophomore guard Trevor Krizenesky … Eau Claire Regis is making its third trip to the state tournament in the past four seasons under coach Bill Uelmen. In addition to Carroll University recruit Adam Ganske, the Ramblers are led by junior point guard Connor Miller (6-2), a potential scholarship player who plays with skill and poise … Despite losing four starters and nine seniors off of last year’s squad that won the Division 3 state title, coach Bob Letsch has the Angels back in the state tournament for the fifth time in six years. Letsch is 8-0 in state-tournament games with four state championships … Clayton hopes to notch its first victory in the state tournament when it takes on Green Bay NEW Lutheran in a Division 4 semifinal. The Bears lost in the semifinal round at state in 2000 and 2002 … NEW Lutheran won a WISAA Division 3 state title under Mark Meerstein in 1998 and is making its first trip to the WIAA State Tournament … Royall finished tied for third in the Scenic Bluffs Conference, but beat Highland, Wonewoc-Center, Hillsboro, Potosi and McDonell Central en route to its first state-tournament berth.
Projected WIAA State Tournament winners …
After the sectional final games Saturday, here’s how I stand with my playoff predictions ...
Division 1 – 88-20 (81 percent)
Division 2 – 85-27 (76 percent)
Division 3 – 92-31 (75 percent)
Division 4 – 95-27 (78 percent)
Overall – 360-105 (77 percent)
DIVISION 1
Quarterfinals
Appleton East over Antigo
Madison Memorial over Neenah
Arrowhead over Verona
Milwaukee Hamilton over Milwaukee Marquette
Semifinals
Madison Memorial over Appleton East
Milwaukee Hamilton over Arrowhead
Championship
Milwaukee Hamilton over Madison Memorial
DIVISION 2
Semifinals
Northwestern over Kiel
Catholic Memorial over Sauk Prairie
Championship
Catholic Memorial over Northwestern
DIVISION 3
Semifinals
Eau Claire Regis over Brillion
Blair-Taylor over Racine St. Catherine’s
Championship
Blair-Taylor over Eau Claire Regis
DIVISION 4
Semifinals
Clayton over NEW Lutheran
Randolph over Royall
Championship
Randolph over Clayton
Boys Hoops Capsules, Coach Audio Interviews and WIAA Program Sheets
by
Nicholas Kartos,
3/15/2010
Kicking off our coverage of the 2010 WIAA Boys State Tournament we have a brief team recap, audio of the coach conference call from last night and a link to the WIAA program PDF.
Click your team below to listen to the coach audio (or from the home page of the basketball site). Also, be sure to read below about our coverage plans for the state tournament, great sponsors and a WSN site visitor appreciation party!
Division 4 Semifinals: Thursday, March 18
Game-1:
Royall (20-7) vs.
Randolph (27-0) - 9:05 a.m.
Game-2:
Clayton (25-1) vs.
Green Bay NEW Lutheran (17-10) (25 minutes after)
Division 1 Quarterfinals: Thursday, March 18
Game-1:
Antigo (24-0) vs.
Appleton East (21-5) - 1:35 p.m.
Game-2:
Madison Memorial (21-4) vs.
Neenah (17-9) - (25 minutes after)
Game-3:
Milwaukee Hamilton (19-3) vs.
Marquette (18-8) - 6:35 p.m.
Game-4:
Arrowhead (21-3) vs.
Verona Area (18-7) - (25 minutes after)
Division 2 Semifinals: Friday, March 19
Game-1:
Sauk Prairie (21-6) vs.
Catholic Memorial (25-2) - 1:35 p.m.
Game-2:
Northwestern (23-4) vs.
Kiel (19-6) - (25 minutes after)
Division 3 Semifinals: Friday, March 19
Game-1:
Blair-Taylor (24-3) vs.
Racine St. Catherine's (23-4) - 9:05 a.m.
Game-2:
Regis (22-5) vs.
Brillion (23-4) - (25 minutes after)
WSN State Tourney Coverage
It is going to be a busy week once again for us at WisSports.net. In addition to these team capsules we will have the return of our great State Tournament FAQ which was very popular last year. WSN Basketball Editor Mark Miller will be pitching in with some great articles previewing the great teams and players coming to Madison this weekend.
At the state tournament we will be doing a Cover-It-Live Blog featuring all of your favorite WSN personalities. We will also be grabbing some of the state's top coaches for video interviews that will be posted on UStream and linked from WisSports.net. Last but not least Mark Miller and Dick Knapinski will be writing some great articles and telling the stories of the 2010 state tournament.
Parents/Booster Clubs Interested in Private Parties
Segredo is located at 624 University Avenue, just two blocks from the Kohl Center. It is one of the biggest restaurants downtown and has three great private party rooms. Rooms feature flat panel TVs and Nintendo Wii game systems and bowling is even available in the facility. They also have a great catering menu with some old classics with a new age spin. It is a rare opportunity to be able to get together with your group before or after the game so close to the game. For more information please contact Ryan -
ryan@segredomadison.com or 609.915-9311.
Coliseum Bar is located a little farther away from the Kohl Center (Olin Avenue by the Alliant Energy Center) but has two large meeting rooms upstairs. Contact them at 608-251-2434.
Pizza Oven has convenient east and west side locations if you want to stay closer to your hotel home base. They have large meeting rooms at each location and some of the best pizza in Madison.
WSN Parties Our eight annual coach appreciation party for high school and college coaches will be held once again at the Stadium Grill downtown across from Camp Randall Stadium on Wednesday night.
New in 2010, we will be doing a WisSports.net Site Visitor Appreciation party at Segredo, 624 University Ave. The event will go from 4-6:30 on Saturday - between the afternoon and evening sessions. Segredo will have a special half-priced WSN menu and we'll have t-shirts, hats and other WSN swag to give away.
Lodging, Parking, Eating We of course wouldn't be able to do what we do without our great sponsors so if you like what we're doing on here and are down at the state tournament please visit the following places!
The Stadium, 1429 Monroe St - There might not be a better place to watch sports in the state! Their slogan is 360 degrees of sports, and it's legit - you can't turn around in that place without having 2 or 3 big HDTVs in view. They also have great burgers, nachos and wings and will be running shuttles back and forth from the Kohl Center so you'll be able to grab food between sessions quickly.
Wandos, 602 University Ave - A short walk from the Kohl Center Wandos has four levels of fun. The menu features 1/2 pound burgers and 1/2 pound chicken sandwiches along with giant nachos. The TV situation is solid and their walls are like a local hall of fame featuring signed jerseys of great Badgers past.
Hooters, 2639 East Springs Drive - those that thought Hooters was gone from Madison, think again. They have reopened in a great new East side location. Featuring wings, giant burgers and some great NCAA tournament action on TV it is a great place to stop for food on your way in our out of town. If you print out and bring in their ad from our
online version of WSN Illustrated you can get a buy 10 wings, get 10 wings free special.
As mentioned in the private party space, Segredo, Pizza Oven and Coliseum are also three great places for food and fun in between games.
Roadstar is featuring $45 / night rooms
AmericInn has a $10 off discount if you use the coupon code: WIAA10
Holiday Inn features the only indoor waterpark in Madison and a great on-site steakhouse. The
Wisco Hotel group also has the Comfort Inn & Suites and Baymont Inn.
University Bookstore has all the Badger and University of Wisconsin stuff you need and then some. If you want to be a Badger or at least want some cool Badger clothing you should check them out.
If you want to capture your memories or if you forgot that dreaded battery or memory card the
Camera Company is located downtown and can help you out.
Last but not least, one of the best places to find info on everything going on down by the Kohl Center is
VisitDowntownMadison.com. This site will give you information on parking downtown, the different restaurant options nearby and some things to do in your downtime.
Noah Shooting Clinics to be held in Wisconsin
by
Nicholas Kartos,
3/14/2010
Rick Turk, National Sales Manager for Noah Basketball will be conducting free Noah Shooting Clinics in the Wisconsin from April 19-23 a few openings remain. Call 254.535.4564 for information or visit
http://www.noahbasketball.com Turk will also be speaking at the Coaches Clinic hosted by the, Just a Game Field House, in Wisconsin Dells,
click here for more info.
Noah Shooting System aids Tennessee team in breaking shot record
Gallatin, TN -- If the Green Wave are at home, the players will meet early before the game in the auxiliary gym. That's where they will take turns with Noah to get their shot just right before the lights go on.
It was the last day of 2009 and in the background bouncing balls could be heard springing off the gym floor.
The Gallatin High School boys varsity basketball team had returned to town the night before around 9 p.m.
Now here it was, the next morning, and the boys were hard at work.
"We just finished a three-day holiday tournament yesterday," said Coach Bobby Luna during the phone interview. Luna has led the Gallatin boy’s team for the past 15 years. "Early this morning, we had nine kids show up to work on Noah. I'm standing in the gym now, can you hear them?"
Yes coach, loud and clear.
Since Gallatin High School received its first Noah System last May, one of the truly positive effects Coach Luna has noticed is the players' increased desire to practice. Gallatin is located 30 or so miles northeast of Nashville, Tenn.
"Noah makes our players want to come to the gym and to spend time on it," Luna said. "And getting the kids in the gym during off times allows us to work with them on other skills while they wait their turn on Noah. This has helped our program tremendously." Anthony Woodard, a 6-foot-6 junior forward, confesses that he does show up to work on Noah, even though he might work a lot on ball handling, rebounding or defense.
"I come for the Noah," Woodard said. "It's really cool to see the improvement on my shooting."
Woodard likes to spend most of his time in the paint during games and is aggressive while occupying that space. That means he is fouled a lot. Last year, he left a lot of points on the floor as he averaged just 5 per game. But after 10 games this season, his scoring is up to 15 per game because his foul shooting percentage is above 75 percent.
Coach Luna said that his team has made 165 of 222 free throws over the first 10 games of the season. That is good for 74 percent and if the mark holds up, it will establish a new school record.
"Last year, we were a team that won 20 games," Luna said. "But we shot just 53 percent from the line. I can only imagine how good we would have been if we had Noah during the season."
Perhaps Daronte Clark has benefitted most from Noah. Clark, who is a heck of a perimeter shooter, had a sub-70 percent free throw stroke last year. But after countless sessions on Noah since May, the 6-foot-2 guard has made 30 of 31 free throws after 10 games. He leads the team in scoring with 16 points per game.
"I had a really flat shot, which was okay when I shot jumpers or shots on the move," Clark said. "But having a flat shot really hurts your consistency from the line. Now I'm shooting it 44 or 45 degrees every time and I can feel it as it leaves my hand."
The senior is on a hot streak. In Games 9 and 10, he scored 26 and 30 points, respectively. He's now getting some interest from Southeast Missouri State.
"Noah gives me the confidence to feel that I can make every shot I take," Clark said.
Coach Luna has incorporated Noah in his pregame routine. If the Green Wave are at home, the players will meet early before the game in the auxiliary gym. That's where they will take turns with Noah to get their shot just right before the lights go on.
"It really gets us ready for the game," Luna said.
Luna wants Noah to become part of the culture of the basketball program. Over the summer, he pulled Noah out for elementary school kids to use during a camp.
"The kids loved it," Luna said. "They got to shoot a 10-shot session and then have a print out of their arc. They were so excited. I believe over the years, Noah will show kids that they can become outstanding shooters if they become a part of our program."
Luna is a regional director of the Tennessee Basketball Coaches Association. He said that the partnership between the association and Noah has been outstanding.
"Noah has come in and picked us up by being a generous sponsor," Luna said. "But our relationship is two-sided. Noah helps us financially that allows us to do a few things. We help open the doors to high school basketball programs in our state for Noah to come in and do shooting clinics."
Luna added that "Noah is dedicated to making basketball better. That is never a bad thing. We didn't just select Noah to be a sponsor without doing our homework. Everybody we talked to in other states spoke highly of Noah. For us, this relationship is a win-win."
Released by:
Noah Basketball
John Carter
256.216.8909
noah@noahbasketball.com