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Observations from the WBY Tournament at Viterbo University

06/23/2019, 11:00am CDT
By Mark Miller

La Crosse Central, a WIAA State Tournament qualifier in each of the past three seasons and Division 2 state champion in 2017, finished with an unbeaten record at the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Summer Tournament held Saturday at Viterbo University in La Crosse. 

La Crosse Central finished with a 3-0 record to win Pool A while Division 4 upstart Manitowoc Lutheran went 3-0 in Pool B.

Following are some observations from the eighth annual event:

Pool A Standings
La Crosse Central 3-0, Madison La Follette 2-1, Onalaska 1-2, Menomonie 0-3.

Pool B Standings
Manitowoc Lutheran 3-0, Shoreland Lutheran 2-1, Viroqua 1-2, Westby 0-3.

Pool A Most Valuable Player

Johnny Davis, 6-5, WG, Class of 2020, La Crosse Central

Rising in the player rankings nationally in the class of 2020 due to his strong play on the Under Armour Association circuit in the spring while playing for the Wisconsin Playground Club, Davis was outstanding while helping La Crosse Central to a 3-0 record at Viterbo. He scored at a very high and consistent level, mostly off of aggressive drives to the basket, but also from three-point range and from the foul line. He also defended well, both on the ball and blocking shots with his help-side defense. A superb athlete with very good strength and a warrior-like attitude on the court, Davis has scholarship offers from both Marquette and Wisconsin, among many others. He is ranked No. 2 among class of 2020 prospects in the state in the WisSports.net Player Rankings and is one of the state's top all-around athletes as he also excels as a quarterback for the La Crosse Central football team.  

Pool A All-Tournament Team (In Alphabetical Order)

Carson Arenz, 6-4, G/F, Class of 2020, Onalaska

A steady, if not spectacular, performer in each of the past two seasons for the varsity squad at perennial power Onalaska, Arenz ran a bit hot-and-cold at Viterbo. He scored 20 points and shot well from deep in a victory over Menomonie, but he struggled with the quickness and aggressiveness of the defenders from Madison La Follette and finished with just two points in a loss. Arenz is a skilled wing guard with good size and good physical strength. Ranked No. 26 among class of 2020 prospects in the state by WisSports.net, Arenz's ability to make shots from deep and score off the bounce will once again be huge assets for Onalaska in 2019-20.

Davis Barthen, 5-9, G, Class of 2020, Menomonie
Folks around the Big Rivers Conference are picking Eau Claire Memorial, Eau Claire North and River Falls as the teams to beat in 2019-20. Menomonie might not yet be in the category of the previously mentioned squads, but the Mustangs are anything but pushovers. Barthen and his teammates were highly competitive at Viterbo, pushing Onalaska and Madison La Follette to the end before coming up short. Barthen is one of coach Matt Riley's top returning players as he averaged 8.0 points per game last season. He 11 points in a loss to La Crosse Central and 10 in a setback to Onalaska. His quickness, aggressiveness and ability to score from deep will be important for Menomonie as it sets out to surprise opponents in the Big Rivers next winter. 

 

Jordan Davis, 6-4, WG, Class of 2020, La Crosse Central
The twin brother of Johnny Davis, Jordan Davis is an outstanding basketball player in his own right. He does a bit of everything on the court for coach Todd Fergot and the Red Raiders. He can defend, score from outside the three-point arc and off the dribble, and rebound at a consistent level. Jordan Davis does an outstanding job of letting the game come to him and owns NCAA Division I scholarship offers from Green Bay and Milwaukee, and also is considered a very good prospect at the high-major level in football. 

Noah Feddersen, 6-7, F, Class of 2022, Menomonie
An up-and-coming big man who is active and aggressive, Feddersen turned in some solid minutes against some very good competition at Viterbo. He scored 23 points in three games for the Mustangs while also crashing the boards on both ends of the court. He competed with very good poise and confidence for such a young player who spent his freshman year on the JV squad. Feddersen has a good basketball frame and very well could emerge as one of the top players in the 2022 class with continued development and work. 

Ben Probst, 6-1, WG, Class of 2020, Madison La Follette
A very talented wing guard with deep shooting range, Probst made 13 three-point shots and averaged 20.3 points for the Lancers during their three games at Viterbo. His quick release and ability to make shots from well beyond the arc puts big pressure on the defense. Probst, a three-year varsity performer for coach Curtrel Robinson at La Follette, also does a very good job of using ball fakes to get around defenders for mid-range jump shots. He averaged 14.9 ppg as a junior and is a key component for what appears to be another very good team at La Follette.

Isaiah Stewart, 6-0, G, Class of 2020, Madison La Follette
One of the top defenders in his class in the state, Stewart keeps opponents in front of him with his lateral quickness, excellent anticipation and high basketball IQ. Offensively, Stewart is coming on strong, particularly as a shooter from outside the three-point arc. He made three triples and scored 17 points for the Lancers in their 61-49 loss to La Crosse Central. As a junior at La Follette, Stewart averaged 10.0 points per game. He appears poised to increase that total substantially in 2019-20.

Tyrell Stuttley, 6-4, WF, Class of 2020, Onalaska
Opposing defenses had better keep Stuttley out of the lane off the dribble or else he'll put up huge offensive numbers against you. He did just that against Madison La Follette, using his physical strength, vertical jumping ability and soft touch around the basket to score 27 points in a 63-55 loss. Stuttley is a straight-line, drive-to-the-basket forward who finishes through contact, makes foul shots and rebounds at a high level. He is young for his class and is a match-up nightmare for many opposing teams because of his combination of quickness, size, strength and aggressiveness.  

Terrance Thompson, 6-7, PF, Class of 2020, La Crosse Central
A powerful forward who can step out and play out of the high post or even make some shots from outside the three-point arc, Thompson is not a huge scorer, but he's a vital piece to the success of the La Crosse Central program. He can defend in the lane, block some shots, rebound at both ends and set some nasty screens. Thompson has toned his body over the last year or so and is a physical specimen. He owns multiple scholarship offers from NCAA Division I programs thanks in large part to impact a game on so many different levels despite scoring at a rather modest rate.  

Pool B Most Valuable Player

Trey Zastrow, 6-0, G, Class of 2020, Manitowoc Lutheran

If there is a more accurate shooter from three-point range than Zastrow in the state's 2020 class, I have yet to see him. Simply put, Zastrow is a dead-eye shooter from deep. He led Manitowoc Lutheran to a 3-0 record and buried 12 three-point baskets at Viterbo while averaging a robust 26.3 points per game. To go along with his stellar shooting, Zastrow also showed off a vastly improved shot off the dribble. The left-handed backcourt prospect loved pulling up for mid-range jump shots and made the vast majority of them. In addition, he went 11 of 11 from the foul line in the Lancers' win over Shoreland Lutheran. Zastrow, the son of Manitowoc Lutheran coach Gordy Zastrow, begins his senior season with 1,418 points with a realistic shot at reaching 2,000 for his stellar prep career. 

Pool B All-Tournament Team (In Alphabetical Order)

Jared Anderson, 6-3, F, Class of 2020, Viroqua

A physical player who can score and rebound in the lane area, Anderson's presence on defense was a positive factor for the Blackhawks. The son of Viroqua coach Joel Anderson, Jared Anderson scored at a decent level at Viterbo, but his ability to play with physical strength and determination were even bigger assets for the Blackhawks.

Joe Armbruster, 6-2, G/F, Class of 2020, Westby
After averaging 9.0 points per game as a junior for a Westby squad that went 15-7 under veteran coach Bob Constalie, Armbruster figures to emerge as the team leader for his team in 2019-20. He averaged 12.0 points per game at Viterbo and also knocked down three-point shots at a regular rate for the Norsemen. Armbruster has good size and is a versatile player who could very well contend for all-Coulee Conference laurels next winter.

Josh Edmundson, 6-0, G, Class of 2020, Shoreland Lutheran
Edmundson averaged 8.4 points per game as a junior starter for coach Paul Strutz at Shoreland Lutheran. He is an extremely active defender who can guard multiple positions. A good three-point shooter who can also score off the bounce, Edmundson is part of a very balanced offensive attack for the Pacers. His energy and passion for the game were evident at Viterbo as he competed at a very high level in all three games for Shoreland Lutheran.

Brandon Freitag, 6-1, G, Class of 2020, Shoreland Lutheran
Freitag finished in double-scoring figures in each of the Pacers' games at Viterbo. One of the better three-point shooters in the Shoreland Lutheran program, Freitag made eight triples on the day and had 17 points in a victory over Westby. As a junior starter for the Pacers, Freitag averaged 9.0 points per game. His ability to score from deep and off the dribble were key components in the Pacers finishing the day with a 2-1 record.

Hudson Lipski, 5-10, G, Class of 2022, Westby
A young, quick backcourt player who saw some varsity playing time as a freshman at Westby, Lipski competed at a high level for the Norsemen at Viterbo. He was on fire from deep against Shoreland Lutheran, making five three-point shots and scoring 17 points in a 44-43 double overtime loss. Lipski's ability to score from the outside is key for the Norsemen, who must replace four starters from a year ago.

Jacob Lotz, 6-4, G/F, Class of 2021, Viroqua
A perimeter player with good size and length, Lotz was the top scorer for the Blackhawks at Viterbo. He scored in a lot of different ways and finished with 18 points in Viroqua's 57-49 loss to Manitowoc Lutheran. Lotz made three-point jump shots, scored off of offensive rebounds, took the ball to the basket and was able to finish, and he was successful from the foul line. Lotz figures to be one of the top players in the Coulee Conference over the next two seasons and is a huge contributor for coach Joel Anderson and the Blackhawks. 

Nathaniel Luebke, 6-6, F, Class of 2021, Manitowoc Lutheran
Luebke appeared to gain confidence as the day went on Saturday and evolved into a big contributor for the Lancers on their way to a 3-0 record. In the third game of the day, a match-up against Shoreland Lutheran, Luebke finished with 14 points. A long, lanky player who helped the Manitowoc Lutheran JV squad to a 14-6 record last winter, Luebke's ability to score around the basket, rebound at a high level and defend in the lane will be absolutely huge to Manitowoc Lutheran in its bid to win the Big East Conference championship. 

Simeon Poehlman, 6-2, G/F, Class of 2020, Manitowoc Lutheran
One of the key returning players from a club that went 13-11, Poehlman scored 26 points and made six three-point baskets on the day for the Lancers. His size, aggressiveness and stellar team play were big reasons Manitowoc Lutheran went 3-0. He came off the bench a year ago to average 2.7 points and 1.4 rebounds, but figures to challenge for a starting spot in the Lancers' line-up in 2019-20.

Tag(s): Summer Tournaments