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WBY Tourney at Burlington: Iowa-Grant tops Kenosha Bradford to win 16-team event

07/15/2015, 11:00am CDT
By Mark Miller

Isaac Anderson

Observations from the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Summer Tournament held at Catholic Central High School in Burlington July 11-12:

Pools A-D

Final Standings

Pool A: Kenosha Indian Trail 3-0, The Prairie School 2-1, Burlington 1-2, Milwaukee Messmer 0-3.

Pool B: Kenosha Bradford 3-0, Badger 2-1, Union Grove 1-2, Shoreland Lutheran 0-3.

Pool C: Martin Luther 3-0, Cudahy 2-1, Kenosha Tremper 1-2, Milwaukee Academy of Science 0-3.

Pool D: Iowa-Grant 3-0, Catholic Central 2-1, Salam School 1-2, Johnson Creek 0-3.

Pool A vs. Pool B Championship Game: Kenosha Bradford 52, Kenosha Indian Trail 50.

Pool A vs. Pool B Second-Place Game: The Prairie School 60, Badger 58.

Pool A vs. Pool B Third-Place Game: Burlington 55, Union Grove 52.

Pool A vs. Pool B Fourth-Place Game: Shoreland Lutheran 40, Messmer 23.

Pool C vs. Pool D Championship Game: Iowa-Grant 47, Martin Luther 36.

Pool C vs. Pool D Second-Place Game: Catholic Central 50, Cudahy 43.

Pool C vs. Pool D Third-Place Game: Kenosha Tremper 56, Salam School 40.

Pool C vs. Pool D Fourth-Place Game: Milwaukee Academy of Science 53, Johnson Creek 30.

Pools A/B Winner vs. Pools C/D Winner: Iowa-Grant 55, Kenosha Bradford 40.

Most Valuable Player

Isaac Anderson, 6-4, Sr., F, Iowa-Grant
A versatile wing player who can score off the dribble, from three-point range and in the post, Anderson was the leading scorer for the Panthers in each of their five games in Burlington. A two-time first-team all-league pick in the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League, Anderson has good basketball instincts, solid ball-handling and shooting skills, and can finish around the basket. He averaged 22.0 points per game in the Panthers' five contests, including 35 in a 70-58 victory over Salam School and 25 in a 47-36 victory over Martin Luther. He is receiving strong recruiting interest from a number of NCAA Division III schools, including Carroll, Carthage and Milwaukee School of Engineering, among others.

All-Tournament Team (In alphabetical order)

Abdel Abdelghani, 6-1, Sr., G/F, Kenosha Bradford

Aggressive wing player with the ability to use straight-line drives to get to the basket, Abdelghani is a physically strong player who played a huge role in helping Bradford to its come-from-behind 52-50 victory over city rival Kenosha Indian Trail. He averaged 7.0 ppg as a junior starter for coach Greg Leech and figures to be the leader for the Red Devils in 2015-16.

Alvon Bell, 5-9, WG., Sr. Kenosha Bradford
Bell got better as the tournament wound down, hitting several three-point shots in the loss to Iowa-Grant and also being aggressive off the bounce. He saw limited action for the Red Devils last season when they finished 8-15, but he figures to be a key player at Bradford in his final year of prep basketball.

Jake Berhorst, 6-1, PG, Sr., Badger
A very good all-around player with solid shooting, passing and ball handling skills, Berhorst averaged 18 ppg as a junior while helping Badger to a 16-7 record and the Southern Lakes Conference title. He can pop in three-point shots off the dribble, finish through contact on cuts to the basket and run an offense. A definite NCAA Division II prospect, Berhorst is an extension of his coach, Forrest Larson, on the court.

James Butler, 6-3, WG, Soph., The Prairie School
A cerebral player who plays with a high basketball IQ and an unselfish nature, Butler does a bit of everything for The Prairie School. He has good length and lateral movement on defense, can lead the break after grabbing a defensive rebound, and can score when needed. He had 27 points in a 60-58 victory over Badger on Sunday. One of the state's better class of 2018 prospects.

Ben Heiligenthal, 6-3, Sr., F, Catholic Central
Heiligenthal did an outstanding job finishing off of short drives to the basket as he scored in double figures in each game for the Hilltoppers. A three-year varsity performer, Heiligenthal is also an outstanding player for Catholic Central in football and baseball. A very good student, Heiligenthal is the leader for a Catholic Central squad that will rely heavily on some talented young players.

Bobby Henley, 6-2, Sr., WF, Kenosha Tremper
An active, mobile wing player who can slash to the basket and create havoc on defense with his length and aggressiveness, Henley averaged 7.6 ppg as a junior for coach Ben Chamness. 

Brayden Johnson, 6-0, Sr., G, Iowa-Grant
Johnson teams with Anderson and Collin Price to give Iowa-Grant a solid senior nucleus. Like his classmates, Johnson is a mentally strong and physically fit player who can score from the perimeter and off the dribble. He scored in double figures four times for the Panthers in Burlington, including 15 in the win over Kenosha Bradford. 

Ramson Jones Jr., 5-10, Sr., PG, Milwaukee Academy of Science
A very aggressive and very quick lead guard who can push it in transition and attack in the half court, Jones was the top scorer for MAS in Burlington and averaged 11.5 ppg as a junior for coach Agape Keys.

Jeramie King, 6-5, G/F, Frosh., Martin Luther
King is one of the better prospects in Wisconsin in the class of 2019 and he showed why in Burlington. He scored off the dribble and from the perimeter, rebounded and looked for his teammates. He has a strong build for such a young player and a solid skill set as well. He figures to start from Day One at Martin Luther and is definitely a building block for first-year coach Paul Wollersheim.

Troy Mikaelian, 5-11, Soph., WG, The Prairie School
A self-made player due to countless hours in the gym, Mikaelian is one of the top long-distance shooters in the Metro Classic Conference. His ability to always stretch a defense opens the lane for teammates like Butler, Michael Krekling and Logan Krekling.

Collin Price, 6-2, Sr., G, Iowa-Grant
A physical, tough-minded guard who can finish around the basket with his quickness and ability to absorb contact, Price scored in double figures four times for the Panthers, including a team-high 19 points in their victory over Kenosha Bradford in the title game. He averaged 7.6 ppg as a junior for coach Toby Tripalin and figures to be a huge asset for Iowa-Grant in 2015-16.

Daryk Ruple, 5-11, Sr., WG, Kenosha Indian Trail
One of the very good backcourt players in the Indian Trail program, Ruple is very good off the dribble and scored at a high level in the Hawks' four games at Burlington. He had 17 in the two-point loss to Bradford and got to the foul line eight times in that contest.

Alex Thiede, 6-2, Sr., G/F, Cudahy
A big, strong wing player with the ability to score in the post with his size and strength or go outside and knock down three-point shots, Thiede is the top returning player for coach Nick Conrad, Thiede finished with five triples and 15 points in a 44-43 victory over Milwaukee Academy of Science. 

Cal Tully, 6-1, Sr., G, Burlington
Tully can play on the wing or even at small forward in 2015-16 as coach Steve Berezowitz puts sophomore Nick Klug and senior Mitch Klug in the backcourt. Tully has very good physical strength and the ability to score if defenses pay too much attention to his teammates. He averaged 6.0 ppg as a junior for the Demons.

Hamza Yousef, 5-11, Sr., G, Salam School
An exceptional athlete with tremendous speed in the open court, Yousef made some incredibly difficult shots for the Stars in their 12-point loss to Iowa-Grant. He can get from one endline to the other in a hurry and can soar above defenders to finish at the rim.

Josh Washburn, 5-11, Sr., PG, Kenosha Indian
Though on the smaller side, Washburn is exceptionally skilled with his ability to shoot, pass and dribble. He averaged 8.8 ppg as a junior for an Indian Trail team that shared the Southeast Conference title with Racine Case and Racine Horlick. The left-handed point guard is quick with the ball and can make shots from distance.

Eric Zazueta, 5-8, Sr., PG, Martin Luther
A returning starter for the Spartans, Zazueta has good quickness and ball-handling ability. He can pop in three-point shots and get into the heart of a defense to create for his teammates. A senior leader for a very young team at Martin Luther, Zazueta's leadership will be vital as the Spartans attempt to move out of the cellar in the Metro Classic Conference.

Team Champion
 
Iowa-Grant

The Panthers met every challenge at Burlington, topping Catholic Central, Martin Luther and Kenosha Bradford in convincing fashion their toughest tests of the event. Anderson was a consistent scorer who also looked for his teammates and rebounded at a high level. His ability to play inside and outside will create some matchup problems for opponents in the SWAL next winter. Johnson and Price give Iowa-Grant a solid backcourt with plenty of aggressiveness and physical strength. Junior wing Caleb Hill (6-1) also had a strong weekend for the Panthers, who played a 2-3 zone, pushed the ball in transition, and moved the ball well in the half-court setting. Darlington and Cuba City are the teams to beat next season in the SWAL, but if Iowa-Grant can remain healthy and get some contributions from its young players, the Panthers could wind up battling for the league title along with the Redbirds and Cubans.

Notes
Kenosha Bradford had an intense 52-50 victory over defending Southeast Conference champion Kenosha Indian Trail and appeared to run out of gas a bit in its title-game loss to Iowa-Grant. In addition to Abdelghani and Bell, promising sophomore point guard DeMonte Nelson (5-8) and physical senior C.J. Scott (6-4) had strong moments for the Red Devils ... In addition to King and Zazueta, Martin Luther got good minutes from senior forward Henry Jensen (6-4), who hit a game-winning three-point basket against Cudahy, sophomore left-handed wing Ki-Anthony Blake (6-3) and freshman Allan Johnson (6-0). The Spartans could start as many as three freshman in King, Johnson and Xzavier Jones (6-3), who sat out the event with an injury. The mix of newcomers with holdovers like Zazueta, Jensen and senior Max Hoffman (5-10) figures to make for an intriguing season at the southside school ...Al Anderson did a terrific job at Kenosha Indian Trail last season, leading the school to a league title in his first year as head coach. In addition to the solid backcourt tandem of Ruple and Washburn, look for senior Connor Sheahan (6-5) to have a big season for the Hawks ... The Metro Classic Conference figures to be exceptionally competitive and Catholic Central could be in the mix for an upper-division finish in the nine-team league under coach Kyle Scott if Heiligenthal gets some solid support from junior point guard Aaron Rueber (5-8), senior wing guard Brandon Vandehei (6-1), junior forward Cole Pankau (6-3) and promising sophomore wing Frankie Koenke (6-0). All five of those players had their moments over the weekend as the Hilltoppers finished 3-1 ... Salam School did not field a varsity squad last season, but the Stars will be back in 2015-16 under coach John Kloppenburg. Yousef played on the varsity two years ago and averaged 7.7 ppg and he figures to be the leader for a promising group of newcomers that possess some size and skill ... Senior Jacob Burden (6-5) played very well on Sunday as he cut to the basket and received some excellent feeds from Wendt, who was often double teamed on the block. Burden averaged 9.5 ppg as a junior and provides some scoring punch for the Pacers alongside Wendt ... Union Grove went 1-3 over the weekend, but the Broncos were very competitive in losses to Southern Lakes Conference rivals Burlington and Badger. Sophomore point guard Jack Pettit (5-8) and junior wing Matthew Nelson (6-0) had strong showings for Union Grove ... Playing without two-year starter Derek Franklin (6-4), who went down with an ankle injury, The Prairie School nonetheless finished 3-1 and looked very good throughout the event. The Hawks have a very strong sophomore class and rely on the considerable abilities of Butler, Mikaelian and both Kreklings. But Franklin and senior Nick Bissegger (6-4) are also key players for coach Jason Atanasoff. This is a club that will make noise over the next three seasons ... Badger was without senior Austin Jackson (6-6), but did get some solid play from another intriguing big man in senior Chase Kruger (6-5). Kruger showed some range on his jump shot and played with physical toughness in the post. Junior Mason Dumez (5-11) was also solid for the Badgers, who figure to again contend for the league title ... Burlington was without sophomore Nick Klug (AAU) and senior Mitch Klug (injury), but still went 2-2 as the depth in the program is very good. Junior Luke Geiger (5-11) played well for the Demons and sophomore Brock Halbach (6-5) showed some very good promise ... Moving up in a league as competitive and balanced as the Woodland Conference is not easy, but Cudahy appears to have the pieces in place to win more games in 2015-16. In addition to Thiede, the Packers got solid contributions from senior Ryan Simerson, senior Christian Grobarchik (5-10) and junior Darren Jozefiak ... Kenosha Tremper junior Riley Keckeisen (6-2) appears to have a solid beat on being a very good player for the Trojans the next two seasons. He has length and skill to match his aggressiveness ... Johnson Creek is still a year or two away from being competitive in the Southern Division of the Trailways Conference, but coach Chad Hayes has some very good young players coming his way in the future. Senior Evan Kapitz (6-2) was the top scorer for the Bluejays in Burlington ... Messmer senior Romare Ramsey (6-0) and promising sophomores Ajani Sprewer (6-2) and Keyron Guiveia (5-10) figure to play prominent roles for coach Ken Klatkiewicz next winter. Senior Eddie Burt (6-1), who averaged 9.0 ppg as a junior, sat out the event in Burlington, but could also be a top player for the Bishops ... Jones and senior Monterious Metcalfe (5-10) comprise a potent backcourt combination at Milwaukee Academy of Science. Both can score with Metcalfe showing plenty of range on his jump shot.

Tag(s): Summer Tournaments