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Kaukauna Tourney: Oshkosh North beats Neenah for Pools C-D title

07/03/2012, 3:01pm CDT
By Mark Miller

Pools C-D

Observations from the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Summer Tournament held in Kaukauna over the weekend:

Pools C-D

                                                   
Final Standings
 
Pool C – Oshkosh North 4-0, Little Chute 3-1, Appleton West 1-3, Arrowhead 1-3, Pulaski 1-3.
 
Pool D – Neenah 4-0, Kaukauna Black 3-1, Sheboygan North 2-2, Ashwaubenon 1-3, Wauwatosa West 0-4.
 
Pool C vs. Pool D Championship Game – Oshkosh North 58, Neenah 51.
 
Most Valuable Player

Kenneth Lowe, 6-7, WF, Sr., Little Chute

Without a doubt the most under-rated player in Wisconsin in the class of 2013 in the current WisSports.net Player Rankings, Lowe was sensational all weekend in leading a Little Chute squad that played without Green Bay recruit Turner Botz (injury) to a 3-1 record. Lowe is ranked No. 25 in 2013 by WisSports.net, but he figures to zoom upward after turning in one stellar performance after another in Kaukauna. His length, athleticism and surprising ball-handling skills were in full view and made it extremely difficult for opponents to keep him away from the basket. He finished at the rim, above the rim and from the foul line while also ripping down rebounds, leading the fast-break and making mid-range jump shots. He is most definitely a scholarship player and if he continues to play well in July on the circuit, multiple NCAA Division I offers figure to come his way.
 
All-Tournament Team (In alphabetical order)

Jed Albers, 6-0, Sr., G, Little Chute

While teammates Kenneth Lowe and Turner Botz justifiably get much more media attention, Albers simply goes about his business and makes play after play for the Mustangs. Albers’ steadiness and ability to make big shots will be keys for Little Chute, which figures to enter the 2012-13 campaign among the top-ranked WIAA Division 3 schools in Wisconsin.  
 
Matt Heldt, 6-9, Soph., F, Neenah
Heldt could very well be the next big-time recruit in the Fox Valley Association thanks to his combination of size and skill. He is already on the recruiting radar for many DI schools after a strong showing as a freshman at Appleton West. His decision to transfer to Neenah immediately makes the Rockets a threat to win the FVA championship. Heldt showed a soft mid-range shooting touch, the ability to run the floor and a penchant for blocking shots.  
 
Nathan Neveau, 5-10, Jr., PG, Oshkosh North
Rock-solid in every facet of the game for the Spartans, Neveau appears to have taken his game to another level for coach Frank Schade. He has always played with great poise and a high basketball I.Q., but his shot-making ability and skill in setting up his teammates were major reasons North went 5-0 and won the Pool C-D championship.
 
Blake Marquardt, 6-3, Soph., WG, Oshkosh North
Marquardt appears to be fitting in well at North after spending his freshman year at rival Oshkosh West. Marquardt’s size and ability to make long-distance jump shots gives North another offensive weapon to go along with Neveau, Cooper Radtke and sophomore Nick Bauer.
 
Kyle Monroe, 6-3, Soph., WG, Ashwaubenon
Monroe was very aggressive on drives to the basket and was difficult for opponents to defend because of his length, strength and quickness. He had 24 points in a victory over Wauwatosa West
 
Nathan Pronschinske, 6-3, Sr., WG, Neenah
Pronschinske may have been the most improved player in the tournament. He averaged just under 4.0 ppg as a junior at Neenah, but he played with great confidence and made some big shots and some outstanding passes in helping Neenah to a 4-1 record.
 
Cooper Radtke, 6-4, Jr., WF, Oshkosh North
Radtke scored at a high level for the Spartans all weekend and finished with 18 points in the title-game victory over Fox Valley Association rival Neenah. He can certainly score around the basket and his activeness and aggressiveness in the lane earned him multiple trips to the free-throw line.
 
Riley VanderWyst, 5-11, Sr., PG/WG, Kaukauna
VanderWyst is the lone returning starter from a club that won the FVA title and finished second in the state in Division 2 to Onalaska. He played like a proven veteran for the Ghosts, averaging a robust 17.8 ppg and connecting on 11 triples over the weekend. His aggressiveness and toughness will be vital for a Ghosts squad that will rely on several young players in 2012-13.
 
Jake Verhagen, 6-5, Sr., WG, Appleton West
Verhagen is right on the cusp of earning a scholarship from a DII school as his ability to consistently knock down three-point shots was evident in Kaukauna. At 6-foot-5 and with good lift on his jump shot, Verhagen is a offensive force at times for the Terrors, who played without junior standout Austin Berlick.
 
Cody Wichmann, 6-5, Sr., WG, Pulaski
Wichmann’s ability to shoot the ball from beyond the arc has always been a strength, but he has now added the ability to see the floor and locate open teammates with his excellent passing skills. Wichmann gets good elevation on his picture-perfect jump shot and is also much improved at getting to the basket. A big July awaits Wichmann on the circuit with several DI schools likely to take a very close look at the three-year varsity starter.
 
Team Champion
 
Oshkosh North
Underclassmen form the nucleus for North as juniors Nathan Neveau, Cooper Radtke and Elliot Dyer along with sophomores Blake Marquardt and Nick Bauer figure to play enormous roles for North in 2012-13. The Spartans finished third in the Fox Valley Association a year ago and should be near the top once again along with upstarts Appleton West and Neenah.
 
Notes
Neenah performed well without its starting point guard as Adam Pohlman was out of state competing in an AAU event … Sophomore point guard Trevor Entwisle turned in some strong play for Neenah and figures to give new coach Scott Bork some outstanding backcourt depth … Appleton West appears to have enough pieces to seriously challenge for the title in the Fox Valley Association. Coach Brennan Hussey has an experienced, talented lineup that features quick junior point guard Craig Hayes (5-8), versatile and extremely talented junior wing Matt Reader (6-5), senior combination guard Troy Mielke (6-3) and athletic junior Austin Berlick (6-4) to go along with the multi-talented Verhagen … Arrowhead senior Kenny Finco (6-1) played well on Friday before missing Saturday’s games because of a baseball game … The Warhawks played without junior center Billy Hirschfeld (6-6), who was attending a football camp at Ohio State … Arrowhead senior D.J. Escamilla (6-1) played very well for the Warhawks, scoring from three-point range and using his quickness and explosiveness to get to the basket ... Ashwaubenon played without Northern Iowa recruit Bennett Koch (injury) and senior point guard Eddie Mattia (injury). Both Koch and Mattia are expected back in July … Wauwatosa West continues to be a work in progress due to the extreme youth on coach Chad Stelse’s roster. The foundation for future success is definitely present as junior Blake Harvey (5-11) and sophomores Andre Carroll (6-1), Steffan Brown (5-11) and Will Watkins (6-0) played well at times for the Trojans ... Sheboygan North sharpshooting senior Ethan Guske (6-1) did not participate in the event as he was taking a visit to Cornell in New York. Guske had 12 three-point baskets in a three-point loss to Milwaukee Vincent in the Whiz Kids League of Champions last week in Milwaukee … Coach Tom Desotell of Sheboygan North reports senior guard Joe Hameister (6-1) scored a 35 on his ACT exam … Freshman Davis Larson (6-3) figures to blossom into an outstanding player at Sheboygan North over the next four seasons.

Tag(s): Summer Tournaments