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

Mark Miller, Wishoops.net Editor





Head Coach: Larry Balestreri





Roster:





Kwamain Mitchell, 6-0, WG, Class of 2008, Whitefish Bay Dominican: Ranked second among prospects in the class of 2008 by Wishoops.net ... A first-team all-league selection in the Parkland Conference following sophomore season ... Tremendous quickness ... Can score in a variety of ways ... From Coach Balestreri: "Kwamain is extremely quick and athletic. We will be moving him to the wing because he really attacks the rim very well. He is an outstanding 84-foot defender. He is quick enough to put extreme pressure on the ball. Hes developed into a very good shooter."





Brandon Whiteside, 6-0, WG, Class of 2008, Wisconsin Lutheran: A varsity reserve for the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference champions ... Figures to be a key performer for coach Dale Walz at Wisconsin Lutheran the next two seasons ... From Coach Balestreri: "Brandon is an extremely athletic left-handed wing guard who can dunk with ease. He is a very good shooter from the 12-to-15 foot range. He is working on improving his three-point shooting and he is an extremely coachable young man."





J.D. Wise, 6-2, WG, Class of 2008, Whitefish Bay Dominican: Wise was a varsity starter for coach Paul Wollersheim at Dominican last season ... An excellent slasher who has improved his perimeter shooting ... From Coach Balestreri: "J.D. is a very good shooter and an extremely athletic player. Hes a good rebounder who is still learning to play on the wing after playing in the post in the past."





Chris Prom, 6-4, PF, Class of 2008, Port Washington: A two-year varsity performer for coach Sloan Allen at Port Washington ... A physically strong and athletic interior player ... Ranked No. 19 among players in the class of 2008 by Wishoops.net ... From Coach Balestreri: "Chris has very good post moves and hes a great rebounder. He gets off the floor as quick as anybody."





Brett Werner-Powell, 6-3, PF, Class of 2008, Homestead: A top reserve for a Homestead squad that lost in the WIAA Division 1 sectional finals to Arrowhead ... A physically strong player who also excels as a running back in football ... From Coach Balestreri: "We plan to move Brett to the wing after playing most of his career in the post. He is a good mid-range shooter."





Michael Panaggio, 5-10, PG, Class of 2009, Whitefish Bay Dominican: Will play up a grade throughout the AAU season ... Son of Marquette University assistant coach, Dan Panaggio ... A varsity starter for much of the season under coach Paul Wollersheim at Dominican ... A heady player with good perimeter shooting skills ... From Coach Balestreri: "Mike makes good decisions and he is a good passer. He is a heady player who really understands the game. He is also a very underrated perimeter shooter."





Jamal Anwar, 6-3, PF, Class of 2008, Brown Deer: One of six players from the Parkland Conference on the Playground Warriors 16U squad ... The best shot blocker on the squad ... From Coach Balestreri: "Jamal is an extremely long post player. He runs the floor extremely well and is a very good defender. Hes one of those guys who just doesnt seem to tire."





Austin Kearns, 5-10, PG, Class of 2008, Slinger: A key performer for coach Alan Schieve at Slinger last season ... An intelligent point guard who looks to set up teammates ... A gym rat with a deep love for the game ... From Coach Balestreri: "Austin pushes the ball up the floor very well. He is a very, very unselfish player. He is very willing to pass the ball. Hes a good shooter who makes good decisions."





Peter Balestreri, 5-10, WG, Class of 2008, Whitefish Bay Dominican: A strong perimeter shooter ... Split time between the varsity and JV squad at Dominican last season ... From Coach Balestreri: "Shooting is Peters forte. When he misses, its a surprise. He can go out and make five or six three-pointers in a row. He can flat-out shoot it."





Giovante Jackson, 6-4, PF, Class of 2008, Wauwatosa West: Ranked No. 17 among prospects in the class of 2008 by Wishoops.net ... A physically strong interior player with excellent footwork ... From Coach Balestreri: "Gio is a very strong presence in the lane. He can score with his back to the basket and rebound against bigger opponents because of his strength."





Playground Warriors 16U Schedule





April 1-2 -- Swish & Dish Tournament, Milwaukee





April 14-16 -- Real Deal on the Hill, Fayetteville, Arkansas





April 21-23 -- Kingwood Classic, Houston, Texas





April 28-30 -- King James Tournament, Akron, Ohio





May 5-7 -- Howard Pulley Invitational, Minneapolis





June 9-11 -- Playground Warriors Midwest Challenge, Hartland





June 24-26 -- NY2LA Sports Invitational, Milwaukee





July 6-8 -- Hoosier Shootout, Indianapolis, Indiana





July 9-12 -- Kentucky Hoopfest, Louisville





July 16-20 -- Super Showcase, Orlando, Florida





Website: playgroundwarriors.com





Editor's Note: Courtside will be running previews of AAU teams at the 15U, 16U and 17U levels. Please contact Wishoops.net editor Mark Miller at wbnews@pngusa.net to arrange an interview time for your program.