Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook

Observations from the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Summer Tournament held in Kaukauna June 20-21-22:

Pools A-B

Final Standings

Pool A – Luxemburg-Casco 4-0, Kaukauna White 3-1, Appleton North 1-3, Green Bay East 1-3, Hortonville 1-3.

Pool B – Oshkosh North 4-0, Fond du Lac 2-2, Sheboygan North 2-2, Shawano 2-2, Manitowoc Lincoln 0-4.

Pool A vs. Pool B title game -- Oshkosh North 58, Luxemburg-Casco 50.

Most Valuable Player

Blake Marquardt, 6-4, Sr., WG, Oshkosh North
Marquardt was nearly unstoppable off the dribble and he used his size, strength, skill and aggressiveness to get into the lane and create for himself and his teammates. He also knocked down three-point shots at a steady clip for the Spartans. Ranked No. 28 among seniors in Wisconsin by WisSports.net, Marquardt had 23 points in the Pools A-B title game victory over Luxemburg-Casco, including four three-point baskets. Marquardt finished with 12 three-pointers in five games for Oshkosh North.

All-Tournament Team (In alphabetical order)

Carter Belling, 6-0, PG, Sr., Kaukauna White
Fresh from earning a NCAA Division II scholarship offer from former Oshkosh West coach Lance Randall at St. Leo in Florida, Belling competed well for the Ghosts with a couple of big scoring games, including 21 in a victory over Hortonville and 16 in a loss to Luxemburg-Casco. Belling can play either guard position and has a nice jumper from mid-range and beyond the three-point arc.

Adam Bonk, 6-1, WG, Sr., Manitowoc Lincoln
The most experienced and skilled player in the Lincoln program, Bank is a talented wing guard who is best known for his ability to make deep shots from three-point range. While he did plenty of that in Kaukauna, Bonk also made a conserted effort to get into the lane off the dribble and involve his teammates. He will need to provide a leadership role for a young, but talented Lincoln squad in 2014-15.

Deonte Carlton, 6-1, WG, Jr., Green Bay East
Carlton possesses good size, strength and athleticism. He also did a nice job of penetrating and pulling up for jumpers or finding the open man cutting to the basket. He averaged 8.4 points per game as a sophomore for coach Rick Rosinski and appears headed for additional success the next two seasons for the Red Devils.

Carson Falk, 6-1, WG, Sr., Luxemburg-Casco
Falk dropped three-point shots at an alarming rate for Luxemburg-Casco as he finished the five games the Spartans played with a whopping 20 triples. He did it against quality competition as well as L-C competed in Pool A against four quality opponents in Appleton North, Green Bay East, Hortonville and Kaukauna.

Brian Luteyn, 6-5, Sr., F, Fond du Lac
First-year coach Mark Ziebell steps into a pretty good situation at Fond du Lac, especially where the frontline is concerned. Luteyn, a versatile and athletic forward who can play on the wing or in the post, headlines a talented frontline that also includes senior Marcus Ruch (6-5) and promising sophomore Sam Fredrickson (6-7).

Jakub Madut, 6-5, Sr., F, Oshkosh North
One of the most improved players at the WBY Tournament, Madut was effective on both ends of the court for the Spartans. He played on the top of North's 1-3-1 zone defense and used his length and athleticism to make things extremely difficult for opponents. Offensively, Madut used a hook shot in the lane to consistently score. His rapid development is a major reason why many are projecting North as one of the teams to beat in the Fox Valley Association next season.

Tony Mattioli, 6-0, G, Jr., Appleton North
Mattioli saw some minutes as a sophomore on the varsity squad for coach Eric Eastman at North and is one of the more experienced players returning for the Lightning. He got into the lane off the dribble and earned trips to the free-throw line while also making some perimeter jump shots from beyond the arc.

Seth Taylor, 6-2, WG, Sr. Oshkosh North
A physically strong wing guard who has developed into a solid perimeter shooter, Taylor scored from three-point range as well as off the four line thanks to aggressive moves to the basket. A starter a year ago on a team that won 20 games, Taylor is an experienced player who can get into double figures on almost any given night.

Kyle Witthuhn, 6-2, WG, Jr., Hortonville
Witthuhn will be a marked man for the Polar Bears as they make the adjustment from the Bay Conference to the Fox Valley Association. But the athletic, slashing junior wing guard appears to be primed for the challenge. He scored in a variety of ways for Hortonville in the tournament at Kaukauna and got to the foul line as an impressive rate.

Jake Zeitler, 6-2, G, Jr., Luxemburg-Casco
An athletic, skilled combination guard who can pass, shoot and dribble, Zeitler was very impressive for a squad full of impressive players at Luxemburg-Casco. He distributed, he made shots and he rebounded at a high rate for the Spartans, who figure to contend for the Bay Conference title next winter.

Team Champion

Oshkosh North
Coach Frank Schade, one of the state's top all-time coaches with 550 career victories, has another title-contending team in the making in the Fox Valley Association. The Spartans feature plenty of experience with Marquardt, Madut, Taylor and senior Nick Bauer each receiving substantial playing time a year ago when the Spartans went 20-4. Incoming freshman point guard Tyrese Haliburton (5-9) appears to be the odds-on favorite to replace four-year starter Nathan Neveau at point guard. Look for the Spartans to again frustrate opponents with their 1-3-1 zone defense.

Notes
Senior Davie Vlotho (6-2) was very consistent in his play for Luxemburg-Casco which went 4-1 in the tournament and gave Oshkosh North a terrific game in the Pools A-B title contest ... With Luteyn, Ruch and Fredrickson expected to garner a good share of minutes along the frontline for Fond du Lac, the Cardinals are in need of quality backcourt play. Look for sophomore Caleb Goldstein (5-8) to make an impact for Fond du Lac with his ability to make shots and not turn the ball over ... Kaukauna appears set to run a four-guard offense next season with Belling, senior Derek Hansen (5-10), sophomore Adam Smith (6-2) and freshman Jordan McCabe (5-8) expected to receive major minutes along with rugged senior forward Nic Patterson (6-2). McCabe is an extremely skilled point guard while Smith gives coach Mike Schalow a strong wing presence and the ability to get to the basket and finish off the dribble ... Sophomore point guard Charlie Schabo (5-8) competed with poise, intelligence and skill for Hortonville and may end up being a key backcourt player for the Polar Bears over the next three seasons ... Senior Jacquan McGraw (6-2) is quick off the bounce and got to the rim for Appleton North ... Sophomore TJ Schneider (6-6) appears to have a very promising future for Manitowoc Lincoln. His length and perimeter skills are impressive for such a young player, though he'll need to get much stronger in order to consistently bang with frontline players in the Fox River Classic Conference ... Sheboygan North junior Davis Larson (6-4) is doing an outstanding job of diversifying his game for coach Tom Desotell and the Golden Raiders. He is playing on the perimeter and handling the ball against pressure while also making shots and getting his teammates involved. Speaking of North, senior guard Eli Belmore (5-10) and senior wing guard Nick Rudolph (6-0) had strong moments for North in a loss to Oshkosh North. Belmore and Rudolph each had 14 points and combined for seven three-pointers in the 51-40 setback ... Shawano played without talented senior guard Zach Sousek (5-10), but got some good production from senior Jack Lacy (6-5) and junior Zeke Gueths (6-6). Look for the Hawks to again be a threat for an upper-division finish in the Bay Conference in 2014-15. 

Pools C-D

Final Standings

Pool C -- Neenah 4-0, Bay Port 3-1, West De Pere 2-2, Appleton East 1-3, Waupun 0-4.

Pool D -- Kimberly 4-0, Seymour 3-1, Ashwaubenon 1-3, Green Bay Southwest 1-3, Marshfield 1-3.

Pool C vs. Pool D title game -- Neenah 41, Kimberly 39, OT.

Most Valuable Player

Matt Heldt, 6-10, PF/C, Sr., Neenah
One of the more impressive aspects of Heldt's game is his approach. There is very little pretense. He goes about playing hard and giving maximum effort on both ends of the court for Neenah each time he steps onto the floor. The results are almost always positive. He went for 21 points and made 9 of 11 foul shots in the 41-39 overtime victory over rival Kimberly in the Pools C-D title game. He had scholarship offers from a host of NCAA Division I schools, including Marquette and Xavier. He will travel to Chicago this weekend with his high school teammates and compete in the Northwestern team camp. An offer from Northwestern coach Chris Collins could be forthcoming later in the week.

All-Tournament Team (In alphabetical order)

Ben Boots, 6-2, G, Sr., Kimberly
Boots is a steady, smart combination guard who competes with toughness and the ability to make big plays. In the Papermakers' loss to Neenah, Boots drilled seven three-point baskets and gave Kimberly a 32-17 lead midway through the second half. He appears primed for an all-conference type of senior year in one of the state's elite leagues and should play a major role in helping Kimberly challenge Neenah and Oshkosh North for the FVA title.

Tanner Boson, 6-1, WG, Sr., Marshfield
Thirteen of the 15 shots Boson connected on in Kaukauna were from three-point range. And at 6-1, Boson has the size to shoot over small defenders. A reserve a year ago, Boson figures to play a key role for the Tigers next winter with his ability to stretch defenses by making long-range shots.

Will Chevalier, 6-6, F, Soph., Kimberly
A rising star in the state's class of 2017, Chevalier is a skilled, versatile forward who can play on the perimeter or use his size and length to score in the lane. He gets to the foul line often and is a good free-throw shoter. He can also knock down shots from outside the three-point line. Definitely a player with a solid future for coach Lucky Wurtz and the Papermakers.

Dante DeCleene, 6-5, WF, Jr., Bay Port
A physical and strong wing player who can go inside and bang our step outside and make three-point shots, DeCleene averaged 7.0 ppg as a sophomore for coach Nate Rykal at Bay Port and played well in Kaukauna. His versatility and size are major strong points for the Pirates, who figure to contend for the Fox River Classic Conference title.

Mason Domask, 6-4, WG, Sr., Waupun
One of the state's top wing prospects in the class of 2015, Domask showed the ability to make perimeter jump shots, put the ball on the floor and pull-up for mid-range shots, and get all the way to the basket and finish. He is an excellent athlete and a very skilled player. He currently holds Division II offers from Mary and Northern Michigan.

Trevor Entwisle, 6-0, PG, Sr., Neenah
Entwisle played alongside one of the best point guards in the state a year ago in Northern Michigan recruit Adam Pohlman. Now the three-year varsity performer will move over to point guard and replace Pohlman. Those are definitely big shoes to fill, but Entwisle appears to be up to the challenge. He ran the Neenah offense in Kaukauna while also looking for some scoring opportunities for himself. His quickness and skill level will be huge assets for coach Scott Borker in 2014-15.

Sam Herrmann, 6-3, WG, Sr., Appleton East
Hermann is one of the taller players in the East program so he has to guard opposing big men, but on offense he moves well and has a nice perimeter jump shot. Hermann averaged 10.2 ppg as a junior for coach John Mielke and figures to be the Patriots' top offensive weapon in the coming season.

Kelvin Jones, 5-10, G, Sr., Green Bay Southwest
Jones and classmate Sam Humphrey (6-0) are among the top returning players for coach John Polkowski at Southwest. Jones helped the Trojans to a 43-33 victory over Ashwaubenon by scoring a team-high 14 points. Jones and Humphrey form an experienced backcourt for Southwest, which should help the Trojans remain highly competitive in the Fox River Classic Conference.

Cody Schwartz, 6-8, WF, Sr., West De Pere
Schwartz played strong all weekend and was especially effective in a 46-45 loss to Bay Port. He scored 28 points in the contest and made big shot after big shot for the Phantoms. He finished with four triples in the contest and also played well in a loss to Neenah for coach Andrew Werner. Schwartz has multiple Division I offers with Creighton and Marquette leading the way. Both Stanford and Vanderbilt have recently inquired about Schwartz as well.

Brayden Wilinski, 6-4, WG, Jr., Seymour
With Sandy Cohen now at Marquette and Dakota Oskey at St. Norbert, Wilinski becomes the 'go-to' scorer for coach Jon Murphy at Seymour. A smooth wing player, Wilinski has a nice shooting touch from the perimeter and can also get to the basket off the dribble.

Team Champion

Neenah
The Rockets finished 26-2 a year ago and gave three-time defending Division 1 state champion Germantown all it could handle before succumbing in the title game at the Kohl Center. Look for more success next winter as coach Scott Bork welcomes back a solid nucleus, led by Heldt and Entwisle. Senior Adam Pronschinske (6-5) has outstanding length and athleticism and can guard on the perimeter. Senior Ty Hegg (6-1) is a stellar shooting from three-point range and sphomore Joe Jung (5-11) shows plenty of promise. Few teams will be able to match up with Heldt in the paint, but the skilled big man is much more than just a low-post scorer. He can also step outside and make three-point shots and is a very willing passer out of the post, traits that figure to help Neenah defend its title in the Fox Valley Association.

Notes
Kimberly played without two of its expected starters as senior Austin Weyenberg (6-3) and junior Jordan Jansen (6-4) missed the tourney in Kaukauna ... Senior Will Spindler (6-5) was a key backup for Marshfield last season and likely will move into the starting rotation for coach Bill Zuiker in 2014-15. He got to the foul line and finished well around the basket in Kaukauna ... Ashwaubenon was without senior star Kyle Monroe (6-5), who is in Germany, and sophomore Zak Imig (6-2). But the Jaguars have a very intriguing junior in Max Von Berlichingen, a 6-foot-7 forward who could blossom into a big-time contributor for coach John Miron this winter ... Senior Michael Thome (5-11) played at a high level for Appleton East over the weekend ... Seniors Zach Lorbeck (6-3) and Craig Minzlaff (6-0), along with sophomore Brett Freider (6-2), played well for Bay Port ... Sneior Zack Sanders (5-10) shot the ball extremely well for West De Pere in a victory over Appleton East. He finished with five triples and 22 points.