Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook

Observations from the fifth annual Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Tournament held at Viterbo University in La Crosse June 4-5:

Championship Game
La Crosse Central 74, Darlington 59

Third Place Game
Onalaska 64, Columbus Catholic 51

Consolation Championship
Tomah 53, Augusta 23

Team Records
La Crosse Central 4-0, Darlington 3-1, Tomah 3-1, Onalaska 3-1, Verona 3-1, Columbus Catholic 2-2, Aquinas 2-2, Augusta 2-2, La Crosse Logan 2-2, River Falls 2-2, Adams-Friendship 2-2, Richland Center 1-3, Menomonie 1-3, Almond-Bancroft 1-3, Black River Falls 1-3, New Lisbon 0-4.

Most Valuable Player

Bailey Kale, 6-0, Sr., PG, La Crosse Central
A smooth point guard with excellent quickness and an improved perimeter shooting stroke, Kale was dynamite in the Red Raiders' championship-game victory over Darlington. He drilled eight three-point baskets in the game en route to scoring 31 points. He shot 40 percent from three-point range a year ago after making 50 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc as a sophomore. Kale kept defenders off balance all weekend with his perimeter shooting prowess and his ability to blow past opponents on the way to the basket.

All-Tournament Team (In alphabetical order)

Ethan Anderson, 6-3, Jr., WG, Black River Falls
An elite-level perimeter shooter, Anderson continues to make progress in the development of his game. In a loss to La Crosse Logan, Anderson sank nine three-point shots and scored 32 points for the Tigers. He finished the weekend with 17 three-point baskets in four games. 

Dylan Bunders, 6-7, Sr., G/F, Almond-Bancroft
Bunders bring a somewhat unique skill set to the game for a player of his size. He can handle the ball like a guard, get to the basket off the dribble and shoot from the perimeter. He is also a solid defender with his impressive length. Bunders averaged 17.9 ppg as a junior for coach Curt Lamb.

Nathaniel Buss, 5-11, Sr., PG, Verona
An exceptionally skilled ball handler and passer, Buss is a streaky shooter who can get on a roll from deep. His biggest contribution, though, centers around his basketball IQ and ability to deliver a pass at just the right time to an open teammate. He also handles the ball very well against full-court pressure and can beat his defender off the dribble with his quickness and ability to change directions.

Joe Duty, 6-2, Sr., WG, Adams-Friendship
A solid all-around player who does a bit of everything, Duty was outstanding all weekend for Adams-Friendship. He scored at a good rate (15.0 ppg) while also setting up his teammates with good passes and crashing the glass on both ends of the court. After averaging 15.9 ppg as a junior, Duty appears primed for a big senior season for coach Jered Massen.

Ben Ebert, 6-2, Sr., WG, Menomonie
After receiving somewhat limited playing time as a junior, Ebert is one of the most improved players in the Menomonie program and appears ready for a breakout season as a senior. He scored 26 points in a 63-57 loss to La Crosse Logan and had 19 in a 52-47 setback to Adams-Friendship.

Donnell Finch, 5-10, Sr., PG, Adams-Friendship
A rugged, physical and relentless point guard who can push the ball in transition, score off the bounce and rebound at a high rate for a player his size, Finch is an excellent defender who makes countless plays that help his team win. What he lacks in physical stature he more than makes up for with his tenacity and skill. Finch averaged 16.1 ppg as a junior for the Green Devils.

Joe Georgeson, 6-2, Sr., WG, Tomah
An extremely active wing prospect, Georgeson possesses good length and athleticism. He scored at a high rate for Tomah at Viterbo, and averaged 11.3 ppg as a junior for the Timberwolves. Georgeson moves well laterally, which makes him one of the top defenders in the Tomah program. 

Eddie Harwick, 5-10, Sr., PG, Aquinas
Harwick is on the small side, but his production was big time as he helped an undermanned Aquinas squad to a 2-2 record. Playing without several key players due to the Blugolds baseball team advancing to the sectional level of the WIAA playoffs, Harwick took it upon himself to make Aquinas competitive. He averaged 18.5 ppg in four games and went for 23 points and three triples in a loss to Verona. His quickness, ball handling, passing and shooting ability are all very strong.

Kobe King, 6-4, WG, Sr., La Crosse Central
The most impressive aspect of King's game at Viterbo was unquestionably his versatility. He created very well for his teammates from the high post, made shots from deep, scored off of offensive rebounds and soared above the crowd for dunks on drives to the basket. The University of Wisconsin recruit and top-ranked prospect in Wisconsin in the class of 2017 appears to be back in top form after missing much of the spring with a wrist injury. 

Kayne Korger, 6-0, G, Sr., Augusta
A solid combination guard who competes with aggressiveness, Korger used his quickness and speed to get around defenders while helping Augusta to victories over New Lisbon and Almond-Bancroft. The returning first-team all-Dairyland Conference performer teams with junior Carter Jacobs (6-0) to give coach Paul Henrichs a solid backcourt tandem.

Hunter Schultz, 6-0, G, Sr., Columbus Catholic
An experienced varsity performer for Columbus Catholic who is extremely quick off the dribble, Schultz is a triple-threat offensive player in that he can pop in three-point shots -- he made 15 in four games -- get to the basket and score, or set up his teammates with his solid passing skills. Schultz averaged 17.0 ppg for the Dons and went for 23 points in a loss to Onalaska in the third-place game. 

Will Schwartz, 6-1, G/F, Sr., Darlington
Schwartz led a balanced attack for the Redbirds, averaging 16.5 ppg over four games, including 22 in a triumph over Richland Center. An active and versatile wing player who plays solid defense, Schwartz averaged 13.2 ppg and 5.8 rpg as a junior, helping Darlington to a 20-6 record. He is one of seven returning players for coach Mike Hopkins who started at times last winter and is a first-team all-Southwest Wisconsin Activities League performer. 

C.J. Siegel, 6-0, PG, Jr., La Crosse Logan
When Siegel plays with confidence, he is extremely difficult to contain. He does a stellar job of scoring off the dribble and gets around most defenders with his quick burst of speed. Siegel is a good perimeter shooter as well. Once he gains a bit more strength and consistency from the perimeter, Siegel will emerge as one of the top 2018 players in the state. 

Landon Skemp, 6-2, WG, Jr., Onalaska
An ever-improving wing player with very good length and aggressiveness, Skemp scored in double figures in three of four games and led the Hilltoppers at Viterbo by averaging 10.5 ppg. He likely will not start for a senior dominated team, but Skemp's ability to immediately impact a game will be huge for coach Craig Kowal in 2016-17.

Travis Spafford, 6-6, Sr., WF, River Falls
Spafford averaged 5.7 ppg as a junior playing for a River Falls squad loaded with size. He figures to dramatically improve that number as a senior as he showed the ability to make shots from the perimeter while also using his size, length and strength to score in the lane. Spafford enters his final year of high school basketball as one of the top players in the Big Rivers Conference. 

Team Champion

La Crosse Central
The Red Raiders could very well enter the 2016-17 high school season as the team to beat among WIAA Division 2 schools. Four starters return for coach Todd Fergot from a squad that went 22-5 and lost to eventual state-champion Kaukauna in the semifinal round of the state tournament. Kale and King lead the way for the Red Raiders, who also return senior sharpshooter Isaiah Dahman (6-2), senior forwards Adam Haberman (6-4) and Mitchell Lash (6-4) and sophomore guard Noah Parcher (6-0). Lash and Parcher missed the tournament with injuries, but promising 2020 prospects Jordan Davis (6-0) and Jon Davis (5-11) filled in and played well. The Davis twins appear capable of providing stellar depth and are the sons of former Old Dominion star Mark Davis (6-6), who played 31 games with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1988-89.

Notes
Darlington could very well be the state's top Division 4 team when the 2016-17 season tips off in November. The Redbirds have great depth, senior experience and toughness, and an incredibly deep roster. Schwartz and senior classmates Ryan Glendenning (5-10), Trevor Johnson (6-1), Chad Golackson (6-3) and Josh Soper (6-2) all played well at Viterbo and form a solid nucleus along with seniors Brayden McDonald (5-10) and Hunter Johnson (6-2). Newcomers from a 20-2 JV team figure to give Darlington one of the deepest teams in Wisconsin. Soper played very well at Viterbo, averaging 15.8 ppg over four contests while being exceptionally active on both ends of the court ... Onalaska won 17 games last winter and returns its top seven players. In addition to Skemp, the Hilltoppers boast talented senior guard Jalen Zubich (5-10), skilled senior point guard Noah Fredrickson (5-10), versatile senior wing Tyler Hughes (6-1), senior forwards Jalen Sample (6-4) and Tyler Tufriff (6-2), and junior guard Noah Skifton (5-11). Incoming freshman Carson Arenz (6-4) also figures to earn playing time for the experienced and battle-tested Hilltoppers, who finished 3-1 at Viterbo with the lone loss coming to La Crosse Central in the semifinals ... Columbus Catholic went undefeated in the Eastern Division of the Cloverbelt Conference and finished 21-4 overall under coach Joe Konieczny. The Dons figure again to field one of the top Division 5 teams in Wisconsin with Schultz and senior wing guard Tyler Fuerlinger (6-2) leading the way. Fuerlinger is a strong, aggressive wing player who gets to the basket with his ability to weave through traffic. He scored 63 points in four games at Viterbo. Junior sharpshooter Nick Malovhr (5-11) also is a key returning performer for the Dons ... Tomah could be the most improved squad in the Mississippi Valley Conference. The Timberwolves won the consolation championship with victories over La Crosse Logan, River Falls and Augusta. In addition to strong play from Georgeson, coach Brad Plueger watched on as promising junior Josh Dahlke (6-7), junior wing Peter Bray (6-2) and senior forward Brian Huneck (6-4) each performed well. Dahlke has a chance to be an all-league performer before his prep career concludes due to his mobility, length, size and skill ... With a pair of all-Dairyland Conference performers back in Korger and Jacobs, Augusta figures to move up in the league standings in 2016-17. Sophomore Ryan Grunewald (5-8) also played well in La Crosse for the Beavers ... Aquinas lost three starters and a top reserve to graduation and might be hard pressed to equal its 15-12 showing of a year ago. Nonetheless, the Blugolds boast an experienced and talented backcourt duo with the return of Harwick and junior Conley Malone (6-1), who continues to improve his athleticism while also scoring well off the dribble. Aquinas also got some solid minutes over the weekend from junior forward Jonathan Klauke (6-2), who used his strength to battle inside for rebounds and putbacks ... Duty and Finch are a tough combination for opponents in the South Central Conference to deal with and their return makes Adams-Friendship one of the favorites in the competitive six-team league. Senior C.J. Tikkanen (5-11) also returns for the Green Devils ... Verona has one of the top players in the Big Eight Conference in Buss, but the Wildcats need others to step up in order to remain in the thick of things in the deep and extremely talented league. Senior wing guard Nick Pederson (6-0) and senior forward Colton Reiber (6-3) each performed well at times at Viterbo as did junior guard Bui Clements (5-11), who figures to team with Buss in the Wildcats' starting backcourt ... Almond-Bancroft boasts two of the premier players in the Central Wisconsin 10 Conference in Bunders and sophomore Noah Kollock (6-1), a physical combination guard with good shooting range and the ability to finish through contact. Finding some dependable role players to go alongside Bunders and Kollock is the primary task for the Eagles this summer ... New Black River Falls coach Dave Cowley was on the sidelines on Sunday watching the Tigers fall to La Crosse Logan and defeat New Lisbon. In addition to the stellar play of Anderson, junior guard Isaac Cowles (6-2) played strong minutes for Black River Falls ... Menomonie finished 12-11 under coach Matt Riley last winter and lost four starters, including Big Rivers Conference Player of the Year Nate Stanley. Ebert is one of the top returning players for the Mustangs along with senior Jace LaBuda (6-3), who shot the ball well from outside the three-point arc at Viterbo and averaged 8.4 ppg as a junior ... New Lisbon finished 0-4 in La Crosse playing some tough competition with losses to Richland Center, Augusta, Black River Falls and Menomonie. Coach Jacob Moore is working hard with his young players to turn things around after a 4-17 record a year ago. Sophomore Cody Haschke (6-2) is a good job of handling the ball for the Rockets while senior Tom Torkelson (6-3) scored with his physical strength in the lane ... Junior Jaxon Knotek (6-4) turned in some solid performances for River Falls, using his versatility and mobility to score, pass, defend and rebound for coach Zac Campbell ... Richland Center junior Devon Schmitz (5-11) had 16 points and four three-point baskets in a loss to Adams-Friendship while scoring in double figures in three of four games for the Hornets.