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Division 5 State Tournament Preview

Semifinals - Thursday, March 17
Game-1:  Clayton (24-1) vs. Wauzeka-Steuben (24-2) - 1:35 p.m.
Game-2:  Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran (22-4) vs. Randolph (23-3) - approx. 20 min. following Game-1
 
Championship Game - Saturday, March 19
Game-3:  Winner of Game-1 vs. Winner of Game-2 - 11:05 a.m.

Division 5 Playoff Bracket

Clayton, 24-1

Road to Madison – The Bears received a #1 seed in Sectional 1, Regional C. They dispatched Prairie Farm 52-29 in the opening round before defeating Turtle Lake 40-32 in round two. They knocked off Gilman 49-33 in the regional final and Prentice 52-40 in the sectional semi-final. With a state tournament berth on the line, Clayton hung on for a 46-39 victory over Drummond in the sectional final.

State Tourney History – Clayton is making its fourth state tournament appearance, with all of them coming in the new millennium:  2000, 2002, 2010, and 2011. They are still searching for their first win at state however. Last year they fell to Green Bay NEW Lutheran 64-63 in the Division 4 state semi-final.

Notes – Clayton’s only loss this year came in the second game of the year, a 44-33 defeat at the hands of D4 state qualifier Grantsburg…The Bears were outright champions of the Lakeland-Central with a perfect 12-0 league mark…Senior Tyler Ketz was a First Team WBCA All-State selection last year…Ketz leads the team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals…In a football game this fall, Ketz passed for 507 yards, the fifth-most in state history…The Bears are no one-man show however, as three players average between 10 and 11 points per game:  Matt Gretzlock (10.8), Zack Schradle (10.1), and Kyle Larson (10.1).

"X" Factor – Experience. While Ketz is the lone returning starter from last year’s state tournament team, the rest of the group gained invaluable experience on how to handle the distractions of making a state tournament appearance and how to deal with the pressure. Matt Gretzlock and Nick Schaffer were key contributors on last year’s team, and along with Ketz give the Bears three guys that have been in this position before.

Why Clayton Will Win the Title – The Bears have a great player in senior guard Tyler Ketz, but good complimentary pieces around him, evidenced by three others being in double-figures. They experience they gained last year will help against a Wauzeka team making its first ever state tournament appearance. Both potential title game opponents, Green Bay NEW Lutheran and Randolph, made it to state last year as well, so that experience won’t be an advantage in the title game. Ketz making plays on his way to Tournament MVP honors, with his teammates helping him out in big situations, will put them over the top and bring home the school’s first boys basketball state title.

Audio from statewide coach conference call

Official WIAA Roster with team info, school facts, and game results

Wauzeka, 24-2

Road to Madison – Wauzeka received the #2 seed in Sectional 3, Regional C, defeating Kickapoo (49-37) and Ithaca (66-43) to set up a third match-up against Seneca, who gave the Hornets their only two losses this year. Wauzeka shocked the Indians 37-31 in the regional final and carried the momentum forward to defeat Seneca 41-38 in the sectional semi-final. The Hornets knocked off Plum City 57-46 in the sectional final.

State Tourney History – This will be the first boys basketball state tournament appearance in school history.

Notes – Wauzeka finished second in the Ridge & Valley Conference with a 12-2 league record…The Hornets’ only two losses this year came at the hands of Seneca, who they got revenge on in the regional final…Wauzeka pulled upsets on Seneca and Benton in the playoffs; both teams were ranked in the top five of the final WSN Coaches Poll…Senior Chris McCullick is the only player averaging double-figures in points with 17.5 per contest…Wauzeka is the smallest school in the tournament with an enrollment of just 101 students…Head coach Matt Mezera is a 2009 graduate of UW-Platteville, where he served as a student manager for the men’s basketball program…Mezera is 40-9 in just two years at Wauzeka.

"X" Factor – Momentum. The Hornets didn’t get much attention coming into the playoffs with Seneca in their regional and Benton in their half-sectional, but they have certainly got people’s attention now. They were able to carry the momentum from the Seneca and Benton wins to a sectional final victory over Plum City, and will look to ride that wave even further this week.

Why Wauzeka Will Win the Title – Wauzeka has played the underdog role most of the postseason, and will use that as additional motivation in the state tournament. Riding a wave of emotion and momentum, the Hornets will neutralize Tyler Ketz in the semi-finals and then pull off one of the biggest shockers in state history in the finals by playing controlled, efficient basketball.

Audio from statewide coach conference call

Official WIAA Roster with team info, school facts, and game results
Green Bay NEW Lutheran, 24-2

Road to Madison – NEW Lutheran received a bye as the top seed in Sectional 2, Regional D, then defeated Saint Mary Central 59-38 before dispatching Hilbert 67-57 in the regional final. After losing to Suring in the regular season, the Blazers enacted revenge in the sectional semi-final with a 59-41 victory. They dominated Marion 75-51 to advance to state.

State Tourney History – This will be Green Bay NEW Lutheran’s second state tournament appearance after advancing to the title game in D4 last year. The Blazers fell to Randolph, the team they face on Thursday in the semi-finals, 58-40 in the 2010 Division 4 championship game.
 
Notes – NEW Lutheran was the outright champion of the Packerland Conference this year with a 12-2 league record…Senior guard Kaylor Zimmerman was a First Team WBCA All-State selection last year…Zimmerman, Aaron Gosse, Matt Irizarry and Jared Gosse are returning starters from last year’s team…Zimmerman, Aaron Gosse, and Irizarry do the bulk of the scoring for NEW Lutheran, accounting for 42 points per game combined…Zimmerman is one of the top assist guys in the state, averaging over 7.5 per game…The Blazers recovered from a three-game losing streak late in the season and have now won seven straight.

"X" Factor – Motivation. The Blazers were a surprise state finalist last year, but did not play particularly well in the title game against Randolph. They turned the ball over 18 times (14 by the three returning starters) and committed 22 fouls. You can bet they are motivated to prove to themselves and everyone else they are better than that; what better way to do so than taking on Randolph in the semi-finals.

Why Green Bay NEW Lutheran Will Win the Title – Motivated to play better than last year’s showing against Randolph, the Blazers come out focused and efficient, with Zimmerman creating plays over and over for himself and his teammates. A year older and physically stronger, NEW Lutheran is more prepared for the physicality, length, and athleticism of Randolph. They knock off the Rockets and finish the job in the finals with a dazzling offensive display from Zimmerman, who sets a tournament record for assists.

Audio from statewide coach conference call

Official WIAA Roster with team info, school facts, and game results

Randolph, 23-3

Road to Madison – Randolph was a #1 seed in Sectional 4, Regional A and dominated Fall River 66-28 after receiving an opening round bye. They knocked off a game Green Lake squad 46-36 in the regional final before slowing down Sam Dekker and Sheboygan Lutheran 51-43. The Rockets cruised over Catholic Central 65-40 in the sectional final game.

State Tourney History – The Rockets have become the preeminent program in Wisconsin, advancing to 13 state tournaments and winning a state-best eight titles. The Rockets are the only team to win four straight titles (2002-2005) and were the Division 4 champion last season.

Notes – Randolph dominated the Trailways Conference this year, finishing 14-0 in the Central Division…All eight of the Rockets state titles have come in the last 15 years…T.J. Huizenga and Mike Thoreson are the only returning starters from last year’s title team…Their three losses this year came to: Waunakee, who is a Division 2 state qualifier; Beloit, who has advanced to Super Tuesday in Division 1; and Beaver Dam, who made it to sectional play in Division 2…Despite three losses this year, Randolph was a wire-to-wire #1 team in the Division 5 WSN Coaches Poll.

"X" Factor – Program. For the first time in a decade, the Rockets don’t have a future Division 1 college player on their roster. Perhaps more than any previous title, this will be a win that shows the depth of the program. It is full of strong, lengthy athletes who play the game the right way in all phases, something that is drilled into them at an early age and enforced at every level.

Why Randolph Will Win the Title – While this team may lack the star power of other Randolph teams in the last decade, they are an outstanding group of athletes that know how to play the game of basketball. The constant reinforcement of doing things the right way and doing them with a purpose pays off, as they once again use their strength and length to frustrate NEW Lutheran in the semis. They roll in the finals and prove that they are still the dominant team in the state’s smallest division.

Audio from statewide coach conference call

Official WIAA Roster with team info, school facts, and game results