Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook

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

Pools E-F
                                                   
Final Standings
 
Pool E – Marshall Red 3-1, Auburndale 2-2, Hortonville 2-2, Wrightstown 2-2, Laconia 1-3.
 
Pool F – Two Rivers 3-1, Oshkosh West 3-1, West De Pere 3-1, Brillion 1-3, Freedom 0-4.  
 
Pool E vs. Pool F Championship Game – Marshall Red 87, Two Rivers 72.
 
Most Valuable Player

Cam Ward, 6-1, Jr., PG, Marshall Red
Trying to project what level Ward will play in college was a big topic of discussion among fans and college coaches alike in Kaukauna. Though the skilled, quick and heady point guard is not physically big, Ward’s ability to stop-and-go, deliver excellent passes, score off the dribble and make shots from distance are undeniable. He is pure energy in motion and he possesses a very impressive skill package to go along with his constant motion.
 
All-Tournament Team (In alphabetical order)

Jake Bamke, 5-11, Sr., PG, Hortonville
One of the more pleasant surprises of the entire tournament, Bamke was stellar for the young and somewhat inexperienced Polar Bears. He used his quickness and physical strength to get to the basket and to the foul line while also playing strong defense and even knocking down a few triples.
 
Andrew Boeder, 6-4, Sr., WG, Oshkosh West
Boeder shot the lights out in helping Oshkosh West to a 59-48 victory over Two Rivers, nailing five triples en route to 17 points. His basketball I.Q., ability to defend and ability to make shots were highly impressive.
 
Blake Derickson, 6-9, Sr., PF, Oshkosh West
One of the more improved players in the state, Derickson continues to work hard on his game and the results are starting to show for the physical 6-9 power forward prospect. He finished well in scoring 17 points in a victory over Two Rivers while also cleaning the glass and blocking some shots. Derickson is without question one of the elite big men in the Fox Valley Association.
 
Eric Kittel, 5-8, Sr., PG, Brillion
The son of a coach who plays like the son of a coach, Kittel learned the game from his father, Brillion coach peter Kittel. He is solid in all phases of the game and his ability to make long-distance shots or use his quickness and high-arcing shots off of drives to the basket were impressive. He plays with a high basketball I.Q., and makes others around him better with his considerable passing skills.  
 
Brett Linzmeier, 5-11, Sr., PG, Two Rivers
An outstanding scorer and competitor, Linzmeier had 30 points and drilled six three-point shots in the Purple Raiders’ loss to Marshall Red in the Pools E-F title game. He can shoot off the dribble or coming off screens while also getting to the basket and finding open teammates. Look for Linzmeier to again put up big numbers for coach Randy Fredrikson at Two Rivers.
 
Cody Schwartz, 6-8, Soph., F, West De Pere
The sky is the limit for Schwartz, who displayed an impressive combination of shooting, ball handling and rebounding skills for the Phantoms. With additional strength and muscle, Schwartz figures to become one of the elite players in Wisconsin over the next three seasons.
 
Tyler Semenas, 6-3, Sr., WG, Laconia
Semenas had two subpar showings and two outstanding performances for the Spartans. He scored 24 points and made 14 free throws in Laconia’s 59-48 victory over Marshall Red, and he has 22 points and a couple of three-pointers in a 38-37 loss to Hortonville. Semenas’ ability to get to the basket and finish is as impressive as his length and left-handed shooting stroke. 
 
Dexter Smith, 6-2, Jr., WG, Two Rivers
Like Linzmeier, Smith has the green light from beyond the arc and he isn’t afraid to toss up shots from 25 feet. He has the ability to consistent make deep shots and he finished with 13 triples in five games for Two Rivers.
 
Brandon Stensaas, 6-4, Sr., WF, Marshall
Stensaas was unstoppable at times for the Cardinals as he was able to score off of aggressive moves to the basket as well as from downtown. He also earned multiple trips to the free-throw line and was able to cash in for the Pools E-F champions.
 
Cole Van Schyndel, 6-5, Sr., PF, Wrightstown
Van Schyndel competes with a “bull-in-a-china-shop” mentality and the results were outstanding for the Tigers, who played without junior forward Doug Fabry. Van Schyndel muscled his way around the basket to consistently score in the lane for coach Cory Haese.
 
Team Champion
 
Marshall Red
Marshall returns three starters from a club that advanced to the WIAA Division 3 State Tournament in junior point guard Cam Ward and seniors Brandon Stensaas and Carl Henning (6-0). Ward runs the show as well as any other point guard in Wisconsin and is extremely difficult to defend because of his quickness and ability to shoot off the dribble. Stensaas had 31 points in Marshall’s victory over Two Rivers and is able to score in a variety of ways for coach Jason McConnell. Finding another scorer and rebounder will be key for the Cardinals in their quest to join the likes of Little Chute, Aquinas, Wisconsin Dells, Lodi and East Troy as premier Division 3 teams in the state.
 
Notes
 
Hortonville is still without a coach after Craig Hawley was let go early last spring. Word at the tournament was the administration at the school is still searching for a physical education teacher/coach to take over Hawley’s role … Junior point guard Trevor Wenig (6-0), who quit the team last January, was back playing for Oshkosh West … Like Hortonville, Oshkosh West remains without a coach since letting Brad Clark go last spring. Also like Hortonville, there are physical education positions open at the school to go along with the coaching spot … Senior point guard Evan Kahler (6-0) had a solid tournament for Wrightstown and delivered some excellent passes inside to Cole Van Schyndel … Auburndale was without its top returning player in senior Austin Hawkins (6-4), but the Apaches got some solid play from junior point guard Isaac Castellano (5-10) … The future looks bright for West De Pere junior Chandler Diekvoss (6-5), who has a smooth shooting stroke from the perimeter and an excellent basketball frame … Junior Mike Waters (6-1) turned in some solid minutes for a young Freedom squad that played without senior Bo Casper.