Boy's Basketball Blogs
The Prairie School's Koenen accepts scholarship offer from Texas State
by
Mark Miller,
11/6/2009
By Mark Miller
WisSports.net Editor
Reid Koenen of The Prairie School in Racine didn’t waste any time in accepting a scholarship offer from Texas State coach Doug Davalos.
Davalos extended a scholarship to the 6-foot-7 Koenen Thursday evening, and the sharpshooting wing forward accepted the offer Friday afternoon, becoming the 13th player in the state from the class of 2010 to commit to a NCAA Division I school.
“Reid got the offer from Texas State Thursday night, and he committed today,” said Lance Marifke, now in his fifth season as head coach at The Prairie School. “I thought the coaching staff at Texas State handled things very well. They saw him play last summer in Chicago in an AAU tournament and liked him.
“Coach Davalos then came up here and watched Reid in an open-gym workout and really liked him as well.” Koenen took official visits to Texas State and nearby UW-Parkside last month. He also received recruiting interest from Eastern Kentucky, Navy and Northern Illinois, among others.
However, once Davalos made the scholarship offer, Koenen knew in his heart where he wanted to play.
“After I went and visited Texas State, I really like it a lot,” Koenen said. “After I visited, I thought if they offered, I would accept. It’s a big school, and I really liked that. I kind of wanted to go to a bigger school.
“I liked all the coaches, and coach Davalos is a very good coach. I think they finished in the top five in scoring in the nation last year so they get up and down the court very well.”
Koenen averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds per game as a junior to lead Racine County in both categories. He earned first-team all-league honors in the Southern Division of the Midwest Classic Conference while helping the Hawks to an 8-13 record.
A deadly long-range shooter with good ball handling and passing skills, Koenen played well on the grassroots scene last summer for the Playground Elite program. He began to draw interest from scholarships schools when he showed he could also put the ball on the ground and get places.
“I think Reid’s best basketball is still head of him,” Marifke said. “He’s 6-7 and only 185 pounds. He’ll add weight and strength, and I think there’s a couple of inches for Reid to grow yet. He has great skills and creates mismatch problems for opponents. I see him a little like (Steve) Novak was at Marquette in that he can stretch defenses because of his ability to make three-point shots.”
Koenen, who is ranked No. 27 among state seniors by WisSports.net, is a three-year varsity letterwinner for the Hawks.
Koenen is the 13th player from Wisconsin in the class of 2010 to accept a basketball scholarship to a Division I school. He joins …
Vander Blue of Madison Memorial (Marquette)
Evan Anderson of Eau Claire North (Wisconsin)
Josh Gasser of Port Washington (Wisconsin)
Kameron Cerroni of Sussex Hamilton (Green Bay)
Chip Rank of Cedarburg (Northern Iowa)
Flavien Davis of Wisconsin Lutheran (Loyola of Chicago)
Kyle Kelm of Randolph (Milwaukee)
Ben Mills of Arrowhead (Boise State)
Steve McWhorter of Racine St. Catherine’s (Indiana State)
T.J. Bray of Catholic Memorial (Princeton)
Troy Huff of Brookfield Academy (North Dakota)
Evan Richard of Cuba City (Milwaukee)
Quick Hitters … Milwaukee Hamilton coach Tom Diener said his school has not received a decision from the WIAA regarding the eligibility of juniors Eric Allen (6-6) and Jalonnie Parks (6-2). Per the relatively new WIAA transfer rules, both Allen and Parks need to sit out the 2009-10 high school basketball season after transferring to Hamilton last spring from Milwaukee Northwest and Wisconsin Lutheran, respectively. However, Hamilton administrators recently sent in an appeal form for both players, seeking to restore eligibility for both for this season. Allen is ranked No. 20 among juniors in Wisconsin in the WisSports.net Player Rankings.
Green Lake's Brooks a red-hot commodity among DIII programs in state
by
Mark Miller,
11/6/2009
By Mark Miller
WisSports.net Editor
Green Lake senior Brad Brooks appears to be a lottery pick of sorts among the NCAA Division III schools in the state and Midwest.
The talented and hard-working 6-foot-6 forward is receiving recruiting interest from a good chunk of the Division III programs in Wisconsin.
Among schools in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, La Crosse, Stevens Point, Stout, Superior and Whitewater have shown strong interest.
Over in the Midwest Conference, Beloit, Carroll, Lake Forest, Ripon and St. Norbert have inquired.
And in the Northern Athletics Conference, Brooks hears consistently from Benedictine, Concrodia (Wis.), Dominican, Edgewood, Lakeland and Marian.
A member of the highly successful Randolph Boys Club grassroots program, Brooks is also receiving recruiting interest from NCAA Division II Upper Iowa.
Brooks averaged 18.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per game as a junior while earning Player of the Year honors in the Northern Division of the Trailways Conference.
Brooks is one of five returning regulars for the Lakers, who finished 13-9 last season.
Brodhead’s Panoske earns offer from Milwaukee along with interest from others
Brodhead junior J.J. Panoske, who earlier this month de-committed from Green Bay, received a scholarship offer from Milwaukee last week.
The 6-foot-9 forward has also heard from both Northern Iowa and Wisconsin. He watched a Wisconsin practice and attended the Badgers’ football game against Purdue last weekend.
Former UW-Platteville and Southwestern star drafted
Former UW-Platteville All-American center Jeff Skemp was taken in the sixth round of the NBA Developmental League draft Thursday night by the Erie Bay Hawks.
Skemp was a two-time NCAA Division III All-American at UW-Platteville and the West Region Player of the Year in 2008-09. The Southwestern High School graduate averaged 18.9 points per game and made 63.2 percent of his shots while leading the Pioneers to a 23-6 record and into the second round of the NCAA III tournament last season.
The Erie Bay Hawks, based in Erie, Pa., are an NBA affiliate of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors. The Bay Hawks begin play Nov. 27 at Fort Wayne, Ind. Their closest games to this area are Dec. 19-20 at the Iowa Energy, based in Des Moines.
Gibraltar’s Forkert receives recruiting interest
Gibraltar senior Sam Forkert is receiving recruiting interest from a number of NCAA Division III schools in the state.
The 6-foot-6, 210-pound forward averaged 10 points and eight rebounds per game as a junior while helping the Vikings to a 12-11 record.
“Eau Claire and St. Norbert's have pushed the hardest, though Sam is torn between three sports,” Gibraltar coach Myles Dannhausen said. “He’s a tall lefty, so he has plenty of baseball options; and he's being pursued by a couple of DII football programs as a tight end and defensive end as well.”
Forkert and seniors Alex Larsen and Tom Sawyer are returning starters for Gibraltar.
Quick Hitters … Milwaukee North Division has hired Freddie Nelson to replace Keith Stewart as its varsity basketball coach … Cedarburg hired former Monticello and Kewaskum coach Nick Weisse to replace Lance Randall as the school’s varsity basketball coach. Randall left Cedarburg in September to become an assistant coach under Bob Semling at UW-Stevens Point. Weisse was hired on a interim basis at Cedarburg … Former Whitefish Bay Dominican guard Rashad Brown has been cleared by the WIAA to play as a senior at Milwaukee Riverside. Brown attended Dominican as a freshman and sophomore before leaving the school last winter and enrolling at Riverside. A 6-1 guard, Brown is expected to play a key role for coach Tyrone (Rock) Lewis at Riverside.
Randolph enters season ranked No. 1 among Division 4 schools
by
Mark Miller,
11/3/2009
By Mark Miller
WisSports.net Editor Entering the season as the top-ranked team in the state at the WIAA Division 4 level is nothing unusual for Randolph.
In fact, the Rockets have been tabbed No. 1 in the preseason six times this decade by the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook, a feat no other school in the state in any division can come close to matching.
Randolph edged Sheboygan Christian and defending state champion Benton for the top spot in Division 4 in the upcoming edition of the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook, which will hit the streets in mid November.
Each time the Rockets entered the season ranked No. 1 this decade in the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook, they went on to win the Division 4 state championship, capturing state crowns in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007.
Coach Bob Haffele, who has won more state championships (seven) than any other coach in the history of the WIAA, certainly hopes that trend continues in 2009-10.
The Rockets return two starters from a club that went 21-3 a year ago in senior forward Kyle Kelm and junior forward Brian Kampstra.
The 6-foot-9 Kelm is a four-year varsity performer for Randolph who is currently ranked No. 8 among state players in the class of 2010 by WisSports.net. Kelm, who has verbally committed to attend UW-Milwaukee, averaged 18 points and six rebounds per game as a junior en route to earning first-team all-league honors in the Central Division of the Trailways Conference.
“A winning tradition, success at the junior varsity and varsity levels and depth at the guard positions will be our strengths,” Haffele said. “Gaining confidence and playing with confidence is a question mark. Our players need to understand and accept their roles while also develop trust in their teammates.”
Second-ranked Sheboygan Christian nipped Randolph in the sectional semifinals last March before falling to third-ranked Benton in the sectional title game. All three schools once again are in the same loaded sectional.
Sheboygan Christian returns two first-team all-league performers in senior forwards Lee Veldkamp and Joe Meerdink, while Benton boasts a talented trio of senior Michael Droessler, junior Matt Savatski and sophomore David Neis.
The 25th edition of the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook will be shipped in mid November. This year’s edition of the WBY includes conference-by-conference previews, hundreds of photos, statistics, rosters, schedules, team and player rankings and much, much more.
To order your copy of the WBY, simply go to
www.wishoops.net and click on the ordering info link next to the cover of this year’s edition.
And now, here are the preseason team rankings for Division 4:
1. Randolph … Rockets have won five state titles in the past eight seasons. 6-9 Kyle Kelm leads the way.
2. Sheboygan Christian … Three starters return from club that stunned Randolph in sectional semifinals last year.
3. Benton … 2009 state champs return a gifted trip in Michael Droessler, Matt Savatski and David Neis.
4. Barneveld … Coach Jack Capelle will build around rugged senior Logan Johnson.
5. Luck … Senior Carson Giller and junior twins Alec and Cole Mortel are key returning players.
6. Seneca … All-league picks Ethan Grimsled and Dylan Lessard lead the way for coach David Boland.
7. Suring … Junior forward Chad Strehlow tops the list of returning players for the Eagles.
8. McDonell Central … Macks figure to gain confidence competing in the ultra-tough Cloverbelt West.
9. Catholic Central … New coach Eric Henderson has two proven warriors in seniors Sam Wagner and Brian Fliess.
10. Green Lake … Senior Brad Brooks and sophomore Matt Van Sycoc lead the way for Lakers.
HONORABLE MENTION: Bruce, Clayton, Cochrane-Fountain City, Gilmanton, Monticello, Newman Catholic, North Crawford, Potosi, Prentice, Rib Lake, Rosholt, Royall, Williams Bay.
Fall Creek enters season ranked No. 1 among Division 3 schools
by
Mark Miller,
11/2/2009
By Mark Miller
WisSports.net Editor Private schools, more specifically Racine St. Catherine’s (three times), Whitefish Bay Dominican (twice) and La Crosse Aquinas (once), have won the last six state championships at the WIAA Division 3 level.
That impressive streak may be coming to an end in 2009-10.
With all five starters back from a club that went 21-5 and lost to St. Catherine’s in the state semifinals, Fall Creek enters the season as the top-ranked team among Division 3 schools in the upcoming edition of the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook, which will hit the streets in mid November.
In addition, third-ranked Blair-Taylor and fourth-ranked Cuba City also boast highly competitive teams that are more than capable of ending the private-school title streak at the Division 3 level.
St. Catherine’s, which has won three of the last four Division 3 titles after capturing the Division 2 crown in 2005, lost nine seniors off of last year’s team that beat Aquinas in the state finals and finished 25-2. At the same time, longtime coach Bob Letsch returns an elite-level player in point guard Steve McWhorter, who recently gave a verbal commitment to play at NCAA Division I Indiana State.
Fall Creek is led by a pair of talented wing forwards in 6-foot-6 Jordan Reetz and 6-5 Luke Tweed. Both are versatile, experienced players who can score, rebound, defend and pass. Seniors Matt Dickinsen, Cullen Haldeman and Andy Kragness also return to the starting rotation for coach Rick Storlie.
The Crickets will get all they can handle, both in the Cloverbelt West and potentially in their sectional, from rival Eau Claire Regis, which enters the new campaign ranked No. 2 in the state and features a talented lineup that includes seniors Adam Ganske and Jack Eaton, along with junior Connor Miller.
Indeed, the highly anticipated league matchups, not to mention a potential sectional final, pitting Fall Creek against Regis will be among the hottest tickets in the state this season. Fall Creek plays at Regis on Dec. 22 before hosting the Ramblers on Feb. 11. Both games are no doubt already circled on the calendar of Fall Creek and Regis fans.
Blair-Taylor returns the bulk of its lineup from a club that went 23-3 and lost to eventual state champion Benton in the WIAA Division 4 state semifinals. Coach Randy Storlie, the brother of Fall Creek’s Rick Storlie, has three double-figure scorers back in Cody Cartrette, Hank Kujak and Lucas Howe.
Cuba City is led by high-scoring and athletic wing guard Evan Richard, a UW-Milwaukee recruit who possesses a 39-inch vertical leap. Seniors Derek Tranel, Wells Kaiser and Brandon Stecklein also return to the starting rotation for the Cubans, who went 22-2 last season under veteran coach Jerry Petitgoue.
The 25th edition of the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook will be shipped in mid November. Over the next several days, we’ll release the preseason team rankings that appear in this year’s edition of the WBY, which includes conference-by-conference previews, hundreds of photos, statistics, rosters, schedules, team and player rankings and much, much more.
To order your copy of the WBY, simply go to
www.wishoops.net and click on the ordering info link next to the cover of this year’s edition.
And now, here are the preseason team rankings for Division 3:
1. Fall Creek … Five starters return from a club that advanced to the WIAA Division 3 State Tournament.
2. Eau Claire Regis … Ramblers figure to slug it out with Fall Creek in the Cloverbelt West once again in 2009-10.
3. Blair-Taylor … Blair-Taylor makes the move from Division 4 to Division 3 with a veteran lineup.
4. Cuba City … Milwaukee recruit Evan Richard and point guard Derek Tranel lead a veteran lineup.
5. Whitefish Bay Dominican … Traditionally tough Knights figure to rely on toughness and young talent in 2009-10.
6. Viroqua … Defending Coulee Conference champions return two first-team all-conference selections in Joseph Poshepny and Beny Collins.
7. Racine St. Catherine’s … Angels lost nine seniors to graduation, but return an elite guard in senior Steve McWhorter.
8. Winnebago Lutheran … Senior-dominated Vikings eager for success in the Wisconsin Flyway Conference.
9. Brillion … Longtime coach Peter Kittel has plenty of size and skill on his deep roster.
10. Brookfield Academy … North Dakota recruit Troy Huff and junior Frederick Willis lead the way for the Blue Knights.
HONORABLE MENTION: Algoma, Amherst, Auburndale, Cambridge, Cameron, Colby, Colfax, Crandon, Darlington, Flambeau, Gillett, Heritage Christian, Hurley, Kenosha Christian, Ladysmith, Marathon, Necedah, Neillsville, Oostburg, Poynette, Roncalli, Saint Croix Central, Saint Croix Falls, The Prairie School, Three Lakes, Washburn, Westby, Weyauwega-Fremont, Whitehall, Wild Rose, Wisconsin Heights.
Antigo's Mach accepts scholarship offer from UW-Parkside
by
Mark Miller,
10/31/2009
By Mark Miller
WisSports.net Editor
After watching how the University of Wisconsin-Parkside men’s basketball team pushed the ball up the floor Friday during a scrimmage against UW-Stevens Point, Antigo senior Jordan Mach knew he would fit in well with the Rangers’ style of play.
The 6-foot-2 Mach gave a verbal commitment to coach Luke Reigel and the NCAA Division II Rangers following the scrimmage Friday. He selected Parkside over Carroll University and Minnesota-Duluth, among others.
“I like the style of play Parkside uses,” Mach said Saturday evening. “I like to get up and down the floor a little bit. When I watched the scrimmage, Parkside was pushing the ball and getting open shots.
“I felt I connected with coach Reigel. I also liked the campus a lot, and I like the level of competition at Parkside faces every game in the (Great Lakes Athletic) Conference.”
Mach, who is closing in on 6-3 and has grown a couple of inches since the end of the 2008-09 high school season, is expected to play both guard positions at Parkside, which finished 8-19 last season and enters 2009-10 with a very young lineup.
“Coach Reigel said he would probably play me at both guard positions,” Mach said. “The biggest thing I need to do to get ready for college is get stronger.”
A solid student who maintains a 3.5 grade-point average, Mach says he plans to study sports management at Parkside. The academic fit between Mach and Parkside was a huge factor in his decision to play for the Rangers.
“Parkside has a very good sports management program,” he said. “Being located between Milwaukee and Chicago will be good for me in terms of maybe getting a chance to intern with the Bucks or the Bulls.”
Ranked No. 30 among Wisconsin high school players in the class of 2010 by WisSports.net, Mach can score from the perimeter or off the dribble. He averaged 21 points, four steals and three assists per game as a junior while leading Antigo to a 19-4 record and the Great Northern Conference championship.
More success is anticipated for Antigo in 2009-10 as seniors Skylar Cameron (6-2) and Chris Sailer (6-9), along with sophomore Andreas Ezer (5-7), joined Mach in the Red Robins’ starting rotation a year ago.
“Making the decision now takes a load off my shoulders,” Mach said. “We have a veteran team back so, hopefully, good things will happen this season. We want to win and we worked hard all summer.”
Mach is the first recruit in Parkside’s recruiting class of 2010 and is the sixth player in the state from his class to earn a scholarship from a Division II school, joining De Pere’s Brandon Pritzl (Hillsdale), Catholic Memorial’s Derek Schell (Hillsdale), New London’s Trevor Hass (Augustana), Kaukauna’s Jake Schalow (Bemidji State) and Kimberly’s Matt Craggs (Northern Michigan).
Mach, Schalow and Hass were backcourt teamamtes on the grassroots scene last spring and summer with the highly successful Wisconsin Blizzard program.