Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

By Mark Miller


Wishoops.net Editor





Kevin Baverys deep affection for the Madison area crystalized over the past two years and now the former Oregon High School coach is heading back to his roots.





After spending two seasons in metro Milwaukee as the head coach at Cedarburg, Bavery will head home and become the new head coach at Middleton.





"Its very tough to leave the kids at Cedarburg behind, but ultimately it came down to our love for Madison," Bavery said of his decision to accept the coaching post at Middleton. "Im a Badger through and through. Milwaukee is a college-sports town, but it doesnt have college football like Madison does. Being around State Street, on the UW campus, going to Westowne Mall ... I cant wait to get back. Needless to say, our entire family is thrilled to be going back to Madison."





Bavery served as the head coach at Oregon for 13 seasons, compiling a 184-107 record before leaving the district in the spring of 2004 to become the first coach at Palm Meadow Ridge High School in Naples, Fla.





However, after spending the summer of 2004 in Naples, Bavery opted to return to Wisconsin with his family and accept the coaching position at Cedarburg, where he went 20-23 in two seasons.





Bavery leaves behind a Cedarburg program that is expected to challenge for the North Shore Conference championship in 2006-07. He also leaves behind a program that suffered a severe tragedy this spring with the deaths of players T.J. Beck and Brian Rintelman in a car accident in Wisconsin Dells.





"In 23 years of coaching, Ive never been through anything like the loss of two players," Bavery said. "Its been a very difficult thing to deal with for the entire community. Two other players in our program -- Luke Doedens and Chris Vandeventer -- had previously lost siblings so that just adds to the grief that hit the community."





Bavery hopes to land a teaching job in physical education or social studies in the Middleton area and is looking forward to coaching in the Big Eight Conference.





"The Big Eight will have a bit of a different look next season with new coaches at Middleton, Beloit and Janesville Parker," Bavery said. "Its been a dream of mine for a long time to move up and coach in that conference.





"I consider Middleton to be the No. 1 job in the state for boys basketball. There is a real sense of community, just like we had in Oregon and Cedarburg. There is a great youth program already in place and its next to the best city in the state in Madison. Without question, Middleton was the marquee job in my mind."





Middleton finished 17-6 overall and 12-4 in the Big Eight last season under long-time coach John Boyle, who retired from coaching in March. The Cardinals lose four starters from that club, but do return second-team all-league pick Will Hudson, a 6-foot-9 center ranked No. 7 among prospects in the class of 2007 by Wishoops.net.





"I saw Will play a few times last year in some summer leagues and it will be exciting to coach a player of his ability," Bavery said. "Its a team game so well have to find a lot of kids to buy into our system."





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Bavery said his son, Derrick, has decided to play collegiate basketball next season at Minnesota State University Moorhead, an NCAA Division II school located in Moorhead, Minnesota.





The 6-foot-3 Bavery earned first-team all-North Shore Conference honors as a senior and led Cedarburg to an 11-11 overall record in 2005-06.





Minnesota State Moorhead finished 16-12 last season under former UW-La Crosse coach Stu Engen.





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Gogebic Community College in Ironwood, Mich., named former Mondovi coach Eric Gardow as its new head mens basketball coach today.





The 37-year-old Gardow spent the 2005-06 season as the head coach at Mondovi after spending several seasons as an assistant coach at UW-Stout.





Gardows full-time position includes 50 percent of his time as an instructor, 25 percent as a student life coordinator and 25 percent as a basketball coach.





Gardow replaces Deke Routheaux, who retired at the end of the 2005-06 school year after coaching at Gogebic Community College for 24 years and posting a 390-273 record.





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Former Milwaukee Marquette High School standout Justin Redman-Trotter has earned a scholarship to play at Eastern New Mexico University, a NCAA Division II school located in Portales, New Mexico.





Redman-Trotter, a 6-3 guard, played the past two seasons at Northern Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, Iowa. He averaged 16.6 points last season to rank second in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference in scoring.





Eastern New Mexico State finished 12-16 last season with former Madison West standout Joshua Jackson earning Freshman of the Year honors in the South Division of the Lone State Conference. Jackson averaged 8.4 points and 3.0 assists per game for the Greyhounds.