Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook

Observations from the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Summer Tournament held in Prairie du Chien June 29-30:

Pools A-B
                                                    
Final Standings
 
Pool A – Monona Grove 2-1, Sauk Prairie 2-1, Marshall 2-1, Prairie du Chien 0-3.

 

Pool B – Mount Horeb 3-0, Lodi 2-1, Aquinas 1-2, Southwestern 0-3.

 

Pool A vs. Pool B Championship Game – Mount Horeb 42, Monona Grove 39.

 

Pool A vs. Pool B Second-Place Game – Sauk Prairie 61, Lodi 51.

 

Pool A vs. Pool B Third-Place Game – Aquinas 41, Marshall 39.

 

Poll A vs. Pool B Fourth-Place Game – Southwestern def. Prairie du Chien.
 
Most Valuable Player 

Max Meylor, 6-2, Soph., WG, Mount Horeb
Efficient, effective and evasive, Meylor did a bit of everything for Mount Horeb. He was exceptional off the dribble, knocked down some three-point shots, got to the rim and finished and was a beast on the glass. His physical strength, basketball I.Q. and overall skill package are extremely impressive for such a young player.     

 

All-Tournament Team (In alphabetical order)

 

Tyler Blang, 6-3, Sr., WG, Monona Grove

An athletic and mobile wing with good skill, Blang did an outstanding job of attacking the basket and putting pressure on the defense throughout the weekend. He was also able to make some perimeter shots and his ability to score on a consistent basis will be vital to the Silver Eagles’ chances of repeating as league champions in the Southern Division of the Badger Conference.

 

Carter Fleege, 6-4, Sr., F, Southwestern

After averaging 6.8 ppg as a junior for a talented Southwestern squad, Fleege appears to be the new ‘go-to’ player for coach Mike Allen and the Wildcats. He was able to score a high level for Southwestern while playing against some rather stiff competition. Fleege finished with 21 points in a loss to Lodi.

 

Drew Fredrickson, 5-11, Jr., PG, Mount Horeb

Fredrickson is a very good long-distance shooter who can also set up his teammates with drives to the basket. At no point over the weekend was that more apparent than in a pool-play victory over Lodi. With his team trailing by one point and needing to go the length of the floor with just seven seconds left, Fredrickson took an inbounds pass, calmly drove down the floor, made a spin dribble and found an open Isaiah Lesure under the basket. Lesure went up for a layup at the horn to give the Vikings a thrilling come-from-behind victory.

 

Dylan Gumz, 6-1, Sr., WG, Marshall

In four games in Prairie du Chien, Gumz finished with 71 points for an average of 17.8 points per game. He poured in 31 points in a 50-34 victory over Prairie du Chien. In addition, the three-year varsity performer buried a whopping 16 three-point baskets in four contests. With both Cam Ward (6-2) and Austin Sinden (6-3) unavailable, Gumz turned in stellar showings for coach Jason McConnell and the Cardinals.

 

Seth Kostroski, 5-10, Soph., PG, Sauk Prairie

Kostroski was superb in helping Sauk Prairie to victories over Lodi, Monona Grove and Prairie du Chien. He sees the floor very well and is able to deliver spot-on passes to his teammates. Kostroski is very skilled with the ball in his hands and is able to weave through trapping defenses to set up his teammates. Kostroski is also a very consistent perimeter shooter. He finished with a team-high 15 points in a victory over Lodi.  

 

Tanner Leister, 6-3, Sr., F, Sauk Prairie

Leister and teammate Jake Fiene (6-2) were able to have success in the lane for the Eagles. Leister used his length, stellar footwork in the lane and mobility to score in the post while also doing an excellent job of defending taller players in the lane.

 

Isaiah Lesure, 6-2, Sr., WF, Mount Horeb

A second-team all-league pick in the Northern Division of the Badger Conference as a junior, Lesure is a long, athletic wing player who can guard on the perimeter or in the post. His length, quick jumping ability and timing are big assets for Mount Horeb on both ends of the court. Lesure finishes well around the basket and is a solid team leader for a young but extremely talented Mount Horeb squad.

 

Mark Nelson, 6-3, Sr., PG, Monona Grove

With coaches from both Platteville and Stevens Point in attendance, Nelson struggled a bit with his perimeter shot on Sunday, but he still played well overall throughout the weekend. His competitiveness, height, length and skill are impressive. The fact he is left-handed is also a plus. He has a penchant for making big plays down the stretch and his three late in the game in the title contest against Mount Horeb helped Monona Grove stay close until the final horn sounded.

 

Issac Santana, 6-3, Jr., F, Aquinas

A transfer from Virginia and the cousin of former Aquinas standout Jimmy Whitehead, Santana had his moments over the weekend. He is difficult to contain off the dribble because of his physical strength and size. He had double-figure scoring games against both Lodi and Southwestern, thanks in large part to his ability to get to the basket and finish off the bounce.

 

Jordan Shea, 6-4, Sr., WG, Lodi

It’s puzzling why NCAA Division II schools haven’t extended scholarship offers to Shea, a do-everything wing player who competes with extremely high basketball instincts. Shea can give you scoring, he can defend, he can rebound and he can pass. He has good size and strength, and is a terrific teammate. Shea has taken a couple of unofficial visits to DI academic schools in the east, but he remains wide open and would welcome offers from DII schools.  

 

Team Champion
 
Mount Horeb
Coach Todd Nesheim used a couple of contact days to work with his kids in Prairie du Chien and the results were extremely impressive. The Vikings have an exceptionally deep team with good length, athleticism and skill. Lesure and Fredrickson are all-league caliber players along with Meylor. The role players in the program appear to have embraced their roles and make outstanding hustle plays for Mount Horeb. Sophomore Treke Neishim (6-4), the son of the head coach, is also an emerging young player who can score from the perimeter or off the dribble. Mount Horeb won 16 games last season and finished in second place in the Badger North. Look for more success in 2013-14.  
 
Notes
Look for Lodi to get major production out of seniors Gable Smith (6-5) and John Hatch (6-6) next winter. Smith is a skilled perimeter player, while Hatch can knock down three-point shots or finish at the rim with a dunk … Junior Ty DeForest (6-1) had a very strong weekend for Marshall, scoring at a high clip in all four games for the Cardinals … Scoring punch is a definite concern for Prairie du Chien coach Andy Banasik. The Blackhawks have some experienced players returning in seniors Austin Roach (6-4), Brett Trautsch (6-0) and Luke Rickleff (6-0), but finding enough scoring is a major question mark for traditionally strong Prairie du Chien … Monona Grove got solid contributions from junior Zach Stinson (6-2) in its loss to Mount Horeb in the title game. Stinson hit a couple of three-point shots, took the ball to the basket and scored and finished with 10 points for the Silver Eagles … Aquinas played without senior Parker Weber (6-8), who was attending an AAU event in Appleton, and had senior point guard Reggie Rabb (5-11) for two games on Saturday, but none on Sunday due to a work conflict … Sophomore Chris Ancius (6-3) shows plenty of promise and figures to be a key player for coach Rick Schneider and Aquinas next winter.