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Wisconsin Starz Fall League enters year 10: Oldest league in state among options for participation

09/30/2020, 3:15pm CDT
By Mark Miller

Aiden Chislom

The COVID-19 pandemic hasn't stopped all basketball for high-school aged athletes in the state. 

Over the summer, most of Wisconsin's club programs played in various events in the state and the throughout the Midwest.

And in September and October, despite many schools going virtual and a rising COVID rate in the state, fall leagues are up and running.

One of the oldest and best in the state is the Wisconsin Starz Elite Fall League Training Camp, which began 10 years ago under the direction of coach James Adams.

The former head girls' basketball coach at Madison East and current assistant coach at Madison College, Adams has run the Starz Elite League at various locations in the greater Madison area over the last decade.

This year Adams, who also runs the Wisconsin Starz club program, is working with kids from across southern Wisconsin at the Lodi Sports and Recreation Center. 

The league already has completed two sessions and Adams says the challenges COVID presents are addressed each week.

"We constantly wipe down the basketballs, have hand sanitizer in the building and will be doing temperature checks at the door," Adams said. "We are taking all the precautions possible because we know it's a very serious thing."


Darius Chestnut

Adams has four teams of about eight players in his league, including some of the top class of 2023 prospects in Wisconsin.

Aiden Chislom (6-4) of McFarland and Darius Chestnut (5-11) of Sun Prairie rank among Wisconsin's better prospects in the sophomore class.

But Adams is more concerned with giving kids the opportunity to play and to improve than attracting the most or best players for his league.

"With the restraints in place all around the state at the high school and college levels, the kids are more hungry than they've been in the past to play," Adams said. "They know today is important because tomorrow might be different due to COVID. They want to be in the gym and play games."

Adams separates the players into two groups for the first hour of the Starz Fall League. One group works on circuit training in an effort to improve strength, conditioning, speed and agility, while the other group works on basketball skill development. After a half hour, the two groups switch.

After the first hour, players join their pre-determined teams and compete in two games before heading home. 

In the past, the Wisconsin Starz League has featured such stellar players as Nimrod Hilliard of Madison East, Chris Hawkins of Sun Prairie, Miles Chamberlain of Madison Memorial, Derek Rongstad of Middleton and Malik Clements of Madison West, among many others. 

"I like to find the kids who are under-the-radar, who maybe don't have all the accolades or attention of some of the others in high school," Adams said. "We always tell the kids that the Wisconsin Starz Fall League is where stars are born."

While the Wisconsin Starz League is the oldest, it is by no means the only fall league for prep players in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Swing Fall League begins its third year on Sunday with 12 teams, six each for freshmen/sophomores, and juniors/seniors.

Matt Bredesen, the coach at Janesville Parker and a long-time coach with the Swing club program, runs the league, which will play on Sundays in Elkhorn. 

Other opportunities for high school-aged athletes to play this fall include the Wisconsin Fall Exclusive League, played on Fridays in October in Appleton; the Brookfield Central Fall League, a league made up of 32 high school teams from across Wisconsin with games at both Brookfield Central and Brookfield East starting this Sunday; the NY2LA Sports Futures Camp on October 10-11; and the Wisconsin Top Expo, held this Sunday in Appleton at the Community First Champions Center. 

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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