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Boys Basketball Alumni Round-up: December 4th

12/04/2018, 8:00pm 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 Mondays.

Alumni Update

December has finally arrived and it feels as if basketball season is finally in full swing around the state.

A player who has built off a momentous ending to the season last year into a strong start early this year has been Jordan Poole with Michigan. Poole, who attended Milwaukee King for most of his prep career, drilled a last second three pointer to lift Michigan to the sweet sixteen last season. He has taken on a more prominent role for the Wolverines this season. In two games last week, Poole averaged nearly 20 points a game to go along with 5 rebounds. He helped Michigan knock off ranked teams in North Carolina and Purdue and was named the Big Ten Player of the Week.

That was Poole’s first player of the week nod this year. Isaiah Johnson has already been named the GLIAC-North Player of the Week two times early on this season. After a 25 point performance in Northern Michigan’s 76-64 loss to Northwood, and a 31 point game in a 67-59 win over Saginaw Valley, the Whitefish Bay grad was once again named the GLIAC-North Player of the Week. Teammate Alec Fruin (Beloit Turner) got his first career start in the win over Saginaw Valley.

In other GLIAC play, Shane Waldon recorded his first double-double of the season as Tiffin lost to Findlay 82-75. Tiffin, a graduate of Sun Prairie, had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the defeat.

Speaking of double-doubles, Nick McGlynn had a monster one as Drake beat Boise State 83-74. The Stoughton alum had 23 points and 13 rebounds in the victory. McGlynn then followed that up with a 23 point, 7 rebound performance in a 95-88 win over North Dakota State.

Nate Dodge has taken his game up a notch this year at UW-Stevens Point. East Troy’s Dodge had a season high 40 points, shooting 9 of 14 from beyond the arc, in Point’s 86-84 tight loss to Augustana (IL). He followed that up with 23 points in a 79-36 win over UW-Superior. He was awarded the WIAC Player of the Week.

In other WIAC play, John Keefe was a scoring machine in two UW-Stout defeats this past week. In an 88-83 loss to Bethan Lutheran, the Medford High School grad scored a team high 27 points. He followed that up with 32 points, including 7 three pointers, in a 94-82 loss to Northwestern-St. Paul.

Ripon High School’s Ben Vander Plas is putting together a very good season at Ohio this year. The redshirt freshman is averaging over 12 points a game, and put up back to back 18 point games last week, including a double-double in an 89-65 win over Iona.

Brandon Myer got to the free throw line early and often as Minnesota-Duluth beat St. Cloud State 91-81. Myer, a former Superior standout, scored 18 of his 31 points from the free throw line which is a school record. Brandon also collected 15 rebounds in the win en route to being named the Northern Sun Conference-North Player of the Week for the second time this year.

Elsewhere in the Northern Sun, Kevion Taylor (Whitnall) had 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists to lead Winona State to a 72-50 win over Upper Iowa. That was Taylor’s third double-double already this season.

Juwan McCloud transferred from Northern Iowa to Minnesota State-Mankato, and this past weekend he helped lead the team to a 91-72 win over Concordia-St. Paul. The Germantown alum had 24 points on 9 of 15 shooting.

Speaking of transfers, Julian Waters played three games at Alabama A&M last season before transferring to North Carolina Central. He got his first start last week and made the most of it as he filled the stat sheet in an 110-51 win over Christendom. Waters had a team high 21 points to go along with 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals.

Matthew Kirmse has been a scoring machine early on for MSOE this year. The Port Washington grad had 32 points, including 8 three pointers, in a 108-89 win over Rockford. Kirmse, Jason Palesse (West Allis Hale), Jake Gebert (D.C. Everest), and Michael Pitrof (Pius XI), all scored in double digits as MSOE beat Marian 76-64.

In other NACC play, Sheboygan Lutheran’s Jake Jurss, and Slinger’s Josh Hau combined for 40 points in Concordia Wisconsin’s 93-78 victory over Wisconsin Lutheran.

Madison Edgewood’s Alex Arians has been very efficient in his minutes with South Dakota State this season. In a 75-47 win over Kansas City, Arians recorded his first career double-double by tallying 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Cal Schultz was an absolute terror for opposing teams last week for Ripon College. In an 84-80 win over Knox College, the Muskego High School grad had 30 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 11 of 15 from the field. He followed that up with 30 points and 10 rebounds in an 82-58 win over Illinois College. Schultz was named the Midwest Conference Player of the Week. Cal currently leads the Midwest Conference in field goal percentage (68%) and is second in points per game (24).

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