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

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.

Playoff season has begun in high school boys basketball across the state of Wisconsin and for many athletes, they are playing their last few games in their prep jerseys. Same can be said for Division 2 and 3 colleges around the country.

UW-Platteville took home the WIAC Championship this past week and ensured its spot in the D3 playoff tournament. Clay Gerds was a big reason why. The Fort Atkinson grad had 14 points and 6 rebounds in the 77-60 quarterfinal win over UW-Whitewater. He then had 10 points and 10 rebounds in a 61-51 win over UW-La Crosse in the semis. Clay finished off the tournament by shooting a perfect 6 of 6 from the field en route to 16 points in the 70-57 win over UW-Stevens Point in the championship game.

To get to the finals, UW-Stevens Point was led to two victories by a plethora of in-state recruits. In the 89-61 quarterfinal win over UW-Eau Claire, Ethan Bublithz (Kettle Moraine Lutheran) had a team high 19 points and 7 rebounds. Nate Dodge (East Troy) and Canon O’Heron (Bangor) each scored in double figures while Blake Ehrke (Deerfield) had 13 points and 11 rebounds. O’Heron then had 20 points in the 76-56 semi-final win over UW-Oshkosh. Ehrke recorded another double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

The SWAC in D1 has had three teams with players from the Badger State excelling all season.

First, former Destiny High School standout Terrance Banyard had started 26 of 28 games for Arkansas Pine Bluff. Banyard is averaging 6.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Former Destiny teammate Cameron Posey also sees for Pine Bluffs.

Jackson State is another of the SWAC teams featuring a former alumni. Milwaukee King’s Chris Howell has started all but 6 games this year and has been playing at a high level. Howell is averaging over 11 points and 7 rebounds a game for Tigers.

Lastly, Grambling has had a pair of in-state alumni in its starting lineup for most of the season. Messmer’s Dallas Polk-Hilliard and Brown Deer’s Devante Jackson have started a combined 51 games this season for the Tigers. Polk-Hilliard is averaging over 12 points and 5 rebounds per game while Jackson averages over 7 points and 4 rebounds per contest.

Hillsdale College is enjoying some success this year in D2 basketball and features an assortment of in-state alumni. Last week in a 79-48 win over Ohio Valley, Sheboygan North’s Davis Larson had 13 points and 4 rebounds. Teammate and Oshkosh North grad Nate Neveau added 11 points and 4 assists.

The 2018 class is considered by many the best class of basketball players to come out of the state of Wisconsin. Many are playing significant minutes for high level, and highly ranked D1 programs.

Whitnall’s Tyler Herro has been nothing short spectacular this year for the #4 Kentucky Wildcats. In their 66-58 win over Missouri, Herro had a team high 18 points while adding 5 rebounds. He followed that up with 17 points and 4 rebounds in an 80-53 win over Auburn.

Jordan McCabe is beginning to pick it up offensively for West Virginia. Despite an 82-75 loss to Baylor, the former Kaukauna standout scored a season high 14 points while adding 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

Marquette boys basketball are sitting atop the Big East standings late in the season and a lot of that has to do with the Hauser brothers from Stevens Point High School. In a 76-58 win over Providence, older brother Sam had 18 points and 13 rebounds. Younger brother Joey had 15 points and 7 rebounds in the victory. Joey was named the Big East Freshman of the Week for the sixth time this season for his contributions.

The Northern Sun features a plethora of high volume scorers from the state of Wisconsin.

Winona State went 1-1 last week despited a pair of in-state athletes doing all they could to will their team to victory. Caleb Wagner (Muskego) and Kevion Taylor (Whitnall) combined for 32 points in an 84-56 win over Minnesota State-Mankato. Earlier in the week in a tight 75-71 loss to Concordia-St. Paul, Wagner dropped 24 points while Taylor added 20.

High volume scorer fits Harrison Cleary to a tee. The former Oak Creek graduate has been scoring at a high rate since he stepped foot onto Minnesota Crookston’s campus. Last week, despite two losses, Cleary had 52 points combined in two games. In doing so, Cleary surpassed the 2,000 point mark in only his junior season. He is the only player in school history to score over 2,000 points.

Speaking of prolific scorers, James Batemon has been just that at Loyola Marymount. The Milwaukee Riverside grad had 19 points to lead the Lions to a 63-56 win over Pacific. In doing so, Batemon crossed the 1,000 point mark in his collegiate career.

Alex Arians has been a steady performer since being put into the starting lineup in late November for South Dakota State. Last week as the Summit League’s first place Jackrabbits beat Purdue Fort Wayne 92-83, the Madison Edgewood High School alum had 13 points and 8 rebounds.

With many D2 and D3 teams season’s coming to an end, next week will be the final installment of the Alumni Round-up for the season. However, there will be an end of the year Awards and Recognition special highlighting those players that earned honors throughout the season.