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WisSports.net Boys State Basketball All-Tournament team released

03/19/2019, 12:30pm CDT
By Mark Miller

The following 15 players were selected to the WisSports.net All-Tournament team for the 2019 WIAA State Tournament held this past Thursday-Friday-Saturday at the Kohl Center in Madison:

2019 WIAA State Tournament
WisSports.net All-Tournament Team

Trequan Carrington, 5-10, Sr., Martin Luther
-- As quick with the ball in his hands as any other player in the state, Carrington was a blur at times during the Spartans' Division 3 victories over Northwestern and Waupun. Carrington set a Division 3 record for most points in a state-tournament game with 41 in the semifinal win over Northwestern. He made 18 of 30 shots in that game, many on breakaway layups. In the Division 3 title-game win over Waupun, Carrington finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in the Spartans' 68-59 triumph. His speed, quickness and aggressiveness were simply too much for Martin Luther's opponents, not only in the state tournament but for much of the season as he helped the Spartans to a 25-3 record under coach Paul Wollersheim.

Johnny Davis, 6-5, Jr., La Crosse Central -- Nobody at the WIAA State Tournament played with more purpose or energy than Davis, who was simply stellar in the Red Raiders' difficult-to-swallow 71-70 overtime loss to Milwaukee Wasington in the Division 2 semifinals. Davis, who owns a scholarship offer from the University of Wisconsin, played all 40 minutes of the contest and finished with 31 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocked shots. He continually attacked the basket and was able to finish at a high level over the long arms of the tall Washington defenders. Look for more scholarship offers to come Davis' way this spring as collegiate coaches watch the hard-working, talented and relentless wing prospect on the club circuit.

Marcus Domask, 6-6, Sr., Waupun -- Domask led Waupun to the state-title game in Division 3 by scoring 21 points, grabbing 15 rebounds and handing out 5 assists in the Warriors' semi-final win over Denmark. He then had 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in the loss to Martin Luther. Wisconsin's 2019 Mr. Basketball-award winner did not shoot well against Martin Luther, finishing just 1 of 8 from three-point range. But his court presence and ability to elevate his play in big games were major reasons why Waupun went 26-2 with both of its losses coming at the hands of ultra-talented Martin Luther.

Michael Foster Jr., 6-9, Soph., Milwaukee Washington -- Foster is the very definition of the modern-day big man in that he is equally comfortable playing in the post or out on the perimeter. The skilled big man can handle the ball and shoot from outside the three-point arc or go inside and use his length and smooth shooting touch to score in the lane. He finished the Purgolders' two games at the WIAA State Tournament with 27 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 blocked shots, and showed why he is considered one of the top 25 players in the country in the 2021 class. 
 
Bryce Fuerlinger, 6-4, Sr., Columbus Catholic
-- The Dons boast four strong seniors, all of whom had special moments in a win over Bangor and in the competitive Division 5 title-game loss to Sheboygan Lutheran. Indeed, Jarred Mandel, Ethan Meece, Noah Taylor and Fuerlinger carried the majority of the load for coach Joe Konieczny. But it was Fuerlinger who set two Division 5 records thanks to his uncanny ability to grab rebounds. Fuerlinger grabbed a remarkable 25 rebounds in the three-point decision over Bangor to set the Division 5 record for most rebounds in a game. He also had 9 boards in the loss to Sheboygan Lutheran, giving him a D5 tournament-mark for most rebounds with 34.

Jalen Johnson, 6-9, Jr., Nicolet -- One of the most gifted players and athletes in the history of high school basketball in Wisconsin, Johnson led Nicolet to the Division 2 state title by averaging 18 points, 15.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals in triumphs over Elkhorn and Milwaukee Washington. The versatile wing prospect also drew 16 fouls in the two games. Johnson's physical attributes are apparent as he can dominate on both ends of the court at times. And his basketball skills also are highly impressive as he can handle the ball, pass, shoot while also anticipating the movement of his teammates well. 

David Joplin, 6-6, Soph., Brookfield Central -- Joplin was simply too much for Sun Prairie to handle in the Division 1 title game. The mobile, athletic and aggressive wing forward prospect had 23 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocked shots in the Lancers' 69-52 victory over Sun Prairie. One of the state's top class of 2021 prospects, Joplin's strong showing against Sun Prairie came on the heels of a 12-point, 7-rebound showing in the Lancers' state semi-final win over Neenah. Joplin can positively influence a game with his play around the rim, but he can also step outside and make mid-range jump shots. 

Jaden Kreklow, 5-10, Sr., New Glarus -- The shifty, skilled and smooth senior point guard directed the flow of the game in the Glarner Knights' Division 4 victories over Roncalli and Lourdes Academy. He was tough to contain off the dribble because of his ability to change directions quickly while maintaining complete control of the ball. He shot the ball well, made big shots down the stretch of two close games, and did an excellent job of setting up his teammates. The two-time Player of the Year in the Southern Division of the Capitol Conference led New Glarus to its first victories in the state tournament since 1932 by scoring 42 points, grabbing 7 rebounds and handing out 8 assists in the Glarner Knights' two victories.

Deontay Long, 6-5, Sr., Milwaukee Washington -- Making his third straight showing in the WIAA State Tournament, Long kept the Purgolders within striking distance of Nicolet in the Division 2 title game by scoring 27 points and snaring 7 rebounds. Long was able to score over the length of Jalen Johnson and Jamari Sibley at times. He also drew six fouls and made 8 of 9 attempts from the foul line for Washington and coach Freddie Riley. Long has had a difficult road to travel in his prep career due to well documented off the court issues. He thanked his teammates, coaches, teachers and the WIAA for giving him a second chance following the loss to Nicolet. 

Logan Mulhern, 6-2, Sr., Osseo-Fairchild -- There was little Mulhern did not accomplish in the Thunder's last-second loss to Lourdes Academy in a memorable Division 4 semifinal contest. The rugged wing prospect was simply dominant at times as he finished with 33 points, 20 rebounds and 6 assists in the 70-68 setback. Mulhern used his superior strength, outstanding timing and overall toughness to pull rebounds away from the Lourdes players while scoring multiple times off of offensive putbacks. The two-time Player of the Year in the Western Cloverbelt Conference said following the contest he hopes to play basketball in college and is considering NCAA Division II Winona State along with Division III Stevens Point and Stout.

Cole Nau, 6-3, Sr., Brookfield Central -- In terms of playing the game with intelligence and getting the most out of his physical capabilities, there might not be a better player in Wisconsin than Nau. Game after game, Nau plays with tremendous instincts while impacting the contest on many different levels, including his simply spectacular defense, his passing, his shooting and his sense of when to be aggressive and when to be patient. The NCAA Division II recruit for Hillsdale College led Brookfield Central to the WIAA Division 1 state title by averaging 17.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists in wins over Neenah and Sun Prairie.

Jacob Ognacevic, 6-7, Jr., Sheboygan Lutheran -- Ognacevic continued his absolutely dominant play from the regular season, when he averaged 30.5 points and 15.6 rebounds, into the playoffs. He led Sheboygan Lutheran's drive in the Division 5 state championship game against Columbus Catholic by scoring 35 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. His length and timing on the glass are impressive, as is his ability to run the court, finish above the rim and make some shots from outside the lane. Ognacevic picked up his first NCAA Division I scholarship offer following the state tournament from Milwaukee coach Patrick Baldwin. More offers likely will come his way this spring and summer as he continues to add weight and strength to his frame. 

Preston Ruedinger, 6-1, Soph., Lourdes Academy -- The Lourdes squad featured several stellar players, including Henry Noone, Ben Huizenga and Hayden Jones. But it was Ruedinger who had the ball in his hands the most and set the table for the Knights, who lost to New Glarus in the Division 4 state-title game to end a 25-2 season under coach Brad Clark. Ruedinger had 27 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists and 7 steals in the Knights' two games at the Kohl Center. He also played strong defense, showed excellent leadership skills for such a young player, and was more than willing to take and make clutch shots. He also delivered a well placed bounce pass to Jones with just seconds left in the win over Osseo-Fairchild. Jones took the pass from Ruedinger and converted the game-winning layup. 

Jamari Sibley, 6-9, Jr., Nicolet -- Due to the immense abilities of teammate Jalen Johnson, Sibley can be overlooked at times. And that's a big mistake as Sibley is an outstanding player in his own right. He was outstanding in the Knights' state-title game triumph over Milwaukee Washington, finishing with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocked shots. In addition, Sibley made 7 of 8 foul shots after shooting around 60 percent from the line during the season. Like Johnson and Johnny Davis of La Crosse Central, Sibley is being recruited by some of the top-level collegiate programs in the country, including Marquette.

Casey Verhagen, 5-11, Frosh., Sheboygan Lutheran -- The son of Sheboygan Lutheran coach Nick Verhagen set a couple of Division 5 records during the Crusaders' victories over McDonell Central and Columbus Catholic. The speedy lead guard with superb court vision established Division 5 records for most assists in a game -- he had 11 in the title-game win over Columbus Catholic to tie Bangor's Luke Reader, who had 11 a year ago in a win over McDonell Central -- and most assists in the tournament -- he finished 20 in the two contests. Verhagen did an excellent job of pushing the ball in the open court and put constant pressure on the defense with his ability to get into the lane and deliver spot-on passes to his teammates.

Ten Honorable Mention Performers
Devin Barnstable, 6-0, Sr., Sheboygan Lutheran
Shilo Bowles, 6-7, Jr., West Allis Central
Ace Evans, 6-1, Sr., Martin Luther
Zach Feller, 6-0, Sr., New Glarus
Reece Homan, 6-5, Sr., Waupun
Kobe Johnson, 6-3, Soph., Nicolet
Grant Manke, 6-4, Jr., Bangor
Henry Noone, 6-2, Sr., Lourdes Academy
Noah Parcher, 6-1, Sr., La Crosse Central
Brock Voigt, 6-5, Sr., Sun Prairie

For the latest and most up to date boys' basketball news and recruiting information, follow Mark on Twitter @wisbbyearbook. Email story ideas, recruiting info, etc. to Mark by clicking here.

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