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Men's Basketball Alumni Round-up: Week 2 & 3

12/02/2021, 2:15pm CST
By Colton Wilson

Many high school basketball standouts in Wisconsin go on to big things at the college level and in the pros, and this is our spot to recognize those athletes each week and help you keep up with what is going down on some of your favorite players from the past. If you have alumni news, please send it to Colton Wilson by 6 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Alumni Update

With Thanksgiving last week, we took an early break from the Alumni Round-up, but basketball did not.

The sheer amount of alumni playing at the Division 1 level makes it impossible for every player to be highlighted weekly or even bi-weekly. Add in the fact that hundreds more are playing at the Division 2, Division 3 and NAIA levels, and there are nearly two-three hundred athletes seeing significant playing time in college.

To read the week 1 Round-up, click here.

NBA

Kevon Looney is only 25 years old, but is already in his seventh season in the NBA and already a two-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors. The Milwaukee Hamilton alum has spent every spent his entire NBA career with the Warriors and this season has started all 21 games for 18-3 squad. Looney is averaging just 5.4 points and 6.6 rebounds, but has been consistent in the middle of the defense.

Division 1

The Wisconsin Badgers are 6-1 this season and sophomore Johnny Davis is having a coming out season. The La Crosse Central grad is averaging over 20 points per game and was phenomenal as the Badgers won three games and were crowned the Maui Invitational champs. Davis was named the tournament's MVP after averaging nearly 24 points and seven rebounds. He also took home Big Ten Player of the Week honors in week 3.

In-state UW-Green Bay has many and more alumni contributing up and down the roster for head coach Will Ryan. Green Bay Southwest's Lucas Stieber and Monroe's Cade Meyer have started every game for the Phoenix. Waunakee's Mitch Listau and Kaukauna's Donovan Ivory have started as well. A trio of alumni; Kamari McGee of Racine St. Catherine's, Ryan Claflin of Southern Door and Nate Jenkins of Kettle Moraine see extended playing time off the bench.

Te'Jon Lucas spent the last two seasons playing in the Horizon League for UW-Milwaukee, but took advantage of the extra year of eligibility and transferred to BYU this season. The former Milwaukee Washington standout is averaging 11.3 points and 5.4 assists per game for the Cougars who are ranked in the top 15 in both the Coaches and AP poll.

Another former Wisconsin high school standout is playing extremely well for a different West Coast Conference team. Keshawn Justice is averaging nearly 15 points per game for the 6-2 Santa Clara Broncos. The Madison East alum also averages eight rebounds and three assists per game.

Jaeden Zackery spent the 2020-21 season at JUCO Chipola College where he was named a third team NJCAA All-American. The former Westosha Central standout transferred to Boston College and has started all eight games for the Eagles this year. Zackery is averaging double digit points while shooting over 50% from the field and from three.

Like Zackery, Marlon Ruffin spent the 2020-21 season with a different team than his current Portland State squad. The Sun Prairie grad was an All-Summit League Honorable Mention player at Omaha last season, and has impressed early on at Portland State. Ruffin is averaging 13.4 points and 3.4 rebounds through the first month of the season.

A common theme this season is athletes playing on a new team after transferring from last year. Luke Loewe is no exception. The Fond du Lac grad spent his first four seasons at William & Mary where he scored nearly 800 points. This season, Loewe starts for the Minnesota Gophers and is averaging six points and three rebounds per game.

J.C. Butler is one of those athletes that didn't enter the transfer portal this past offseason and is in his second season in the starting lineup for UC Irvine. Butler, a grad of The Prairie School, averages over six points per game for the Anteaters. Butler scored a season high 18 points in 20 minutes in a 100-41 win over La Verne.

Division 2

Donald McHenry scored over 1,600 points in his prep career at Milwaukee Academy of Science, and has continued to be a scoring threat in his first season of college basketball at Hawaii Hilo. McHenry is averaging 17.1 points per game for the Vulcans. Max Kunnert spent his freshman through junior seasons at Brookfield Academy before transferring out of state. He's now a teammate of McHenry at Hilo and is averaging nearly eight points per game.

Another former Milwaukee area standout has been a scoring machine for Kentucky State. In four games for the Thorobreds, Milwaukee Riverside grad Montrell Jacobs is averaging 18.3 points per game while adding 2.5 steals.

Peyton Rogers-Schmidt was a late bloomer at Chippewa Falls, but became one of the better two-way athletes in the state two years ago. This season Rogers-Schmidt is in his first year at Emporia State and has worked his way into the starting lineup. He is averaging 6.3 points per game while shooting 62% from the field and 67% from beyond the arc.

David Thompson teamed with Keshawn Justice at Santa Clara before transferring to Central Washington two years ago. The Whitefish Bay alum is averaging 13.3 points per game this season after averaging 16.1 last year for the Wildcats.

James Kelley had an incredible two games for Illinois Springfield two weeks ago. The SJNMA grad scored 22 points and hauled in 11 rebounds in a 68-39 win over Eureka. He followed that up with 31 points and seven rebounds in a 79-71 loss to Northwood. Kelley was earned Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Week honors.

Quincy Anderson spent his time at Oshkosh North dominating opponents with back court mate and current Sacramento King Tyrese Haliburton. Anderson is now doing the same for Minnesota State-Mankato opponents. He is averaging over 16 points and six rebounds per game for the 6-0 Mavericks.

Division 3

UW-La Crosse has started the 2021-22 season on a hot streak, going 7-0 early on. Black River Falls alum Ethan Anderson is a big reason why. Anderson is averaging 19.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game for the Eagles and was named the WIAC Player of the Week for the week of November 15. DeForest's Austin Westra and Pewaukee's Wyatt Cook average double digit points for the undefeated Eagles.

UW-River Falls is 5-2 on the season and Noah Hanson has been the playmaker for the Falcons early on. The Eau Claire North grad is averaging 18.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game and was named the WIAC Player of the Week for the week of November 28.

In other WIAC play, UW-Oshkosh is 6-1 on the year and three former alumni are averaging over 16 points per game for the Titans. Kimberly's Levi Borchert, Ripon's Eddie Muench and Xavier's Hunter Plamann combine for over 51 points per game while shooting nearly 50% from the field.

Like the WIAC, the NACC is filled with teams that are filled with former Wisconsin athletes; one of them being MSOE. Pius XI Catholic grad Michael Pitrof has had a great career for MSOE and is having a great season so far; averaging 18.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. In an 84-68 win over Martin Luther, Pitrof had a career high 34 points on 14 of 17 shooting. He was named the NACC player of the Week on November 21. Pitrof is currently just 11 points away from 1,000 in his career.

David Britton also competes in the NACC for Marian University. The Mountain Top Christian alum is averaging 17 points for the Sabres, including a 30 point performance in a 102-67 win over Beloit College. Britton was 10 of 14 from three point land and earned NACC Player of the Week honors this past week.

Two more alumni won player of the week honors in Division 3 ball the past few weeks, including Ripon College's Owen Theune. The Waupun High School grad averaged 16 points and four rebounds at The College of Wooster Tournament, earning All-Tournament honors. Theune was also named the Midwest Conference Player of the Week for his tournament performance.

Jackson Kollinski is averaging 11.5 points for Loras College, but put up a pair of monster games two weeks ago. The Lodi grad started with ten points and ten rebounds in a 103-87 win over Rockford. He then made 14 of 15 shots and scored 30 points in just 13 minutes of play in a 166-74 throttling of Greenville. Kollinski was named the American Rivers Player of the Week for his incredible performance.

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