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The WSN15 series will celebrate the 15th Anniversary of WisSports.net by looking back at the top players, teams, and moments of the past 15 years (2003-2017). 

The WSN15 boys' basketball series continues with the Top 15 Players of the WSN Era.

It started out like nothing out of the ordinary.

As a skinny and lanky 6-foot-4 freshman playing for his father and coach at Sheboygan Lutheran, Sam Dekker averaged a pedestrian 14.8 points per game as the Crusaders finished the 2008-09 season with a less-than-noteworthy 5-15 record.

To say things took off for Dekker from there might be the biggest understatement of WisSports.net's 15 years of existence.

Dekker blossomed as a sophomore and appeared to get better on a game-by-game basis. He grew a couple of inches and diversified his game while averaging a robust 26.5 points and helping Sheboygan Lutheran to a 15-9 record under coach Todd Dekker. 

And then, during the April/May club season, Dekker absolutely blew up while playing for the Wisconsin Playground Warriors. 

By the time June rolled around, just about everybody in the state knew of the emergence of Dekker, who used his size, skill and athleticism to bewilder opponents in high school and on the club circuit.

Playing exceptionally well at the University of Wisconsin Advanced Camp in June of 2010, Dekker picked up his first scholarship offer from a high major school as Badger coach Bo Ryan saw enough to give the promising wing forward an offer. A few days later, Dekker accepted the Badgers' offer, though he still had two years of high school to complete.

As a junior, Dekker again dazzled fans and opponents, averaging 28.8 points and helping Sheboygan Lutheran to an 18-7 record.    

Dekker's senior season was beyond exceptional as he averaged 32.5 points, led Sheboygan Lutheran to a 25-4 record and made the game-winning three-point shot in the WIAA Division 4 State Tournament championship game that gave the Crusaders a 67-66 victory over stunned Racine Lutheran.

Dekker finished that memorable performance at the Kohl Center with 40 points, giving him 2,593 for his career, ranking him fourth on the state's all-time scoring list. 

Dekker won the state's Mr. Basketball award in 2012, was named Gatorade Player of the Year, and Associated Press Player of the Year. The five-star prospect also earned All-American honors from Parade Magazine.

After a stellar three-year career at Wisconsin that included two trips to the Final Four and a runner-up finish to Duke in 2015, Dekker opted to leave following his junior season in order to enter the NBA Draft.

The Houston Rockets used the 18th pick of the 2015 NBA Draft to select Dekker, who played two years with the Rockets before being traded last June to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Dekker has averaged 4.2 points and 2.4 rebounds during his NBA career, and made $1.7 million in 2017-18. 

WSN15 Top Players Countdown:

#15 - J.P. Tokoto, Menomonee Falls
#14 - Keaton Nankivil, Madison Memorial
#13 - Trev Anderson, Stevens Point
#12 - Sam Hauser, Stevens Point
#11 - Bronson Koenig, Aquinas
#10 - Jerry Smith, Wauwatosa East
#9 - Tyler Herro, Whitnall
#8 - Jordan McCabe, Kaukauna
#7 - Jeronne Maymon, Madison Memorial
#6 - Wesley Matthews, Madison Memorial
#5 - Henry Ellenson, Rice Lake
#4 - Kevon Looney, Milwaukee Hamilton
#3 - Diamond Stone, Dominican
#2 - Sam Dekker, Sheboygan Lutheran
#1 - Coming Soon...

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.