Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook

Observations from the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Summer Tournament held in Plymouth July 19-21:

Final Pool Standings

Pool C – Sheboygan Lutheran 3-1, North Fond du Lac 2-2, St. Thomas More 2-2, Two Rivers 2-2, Winnebago Lutheran 1-3.

Pool D – Sheboygan Christian 4-0, Racine Lutheran 2-2, Royall 2-2, Hilbert 1-3, Three Lakes 1-3.

Pool C vs. Pool D Title Game: Sheboygan Lutheran 59, Sheboygan Christian 41.

Most Valuable Player 

Tyler Zastrow, 5-10, Sr., PG, Sheboygan Lutheran
Zastrow may not be one of the smoothest players out on the court, but he is most definitely one of the most effective. A bulldog point guard who doesn’t turn the ball over, Zastrow can score and set up his teammates. He averaged 14.6 ppg over five games in Plymouth and connected on nine three-point baskets. Moreover, he played strong defense, pushed the ball well in transition and proved to be a more-than-willing passer. 

All-Tournament Team (In alphabetical order)

Mitch Ballwanz, 6-3, Jr., G/F, North Fond du Lac
Ballwanz was the top scorer and rebounder for a North Fond du Lac squad that went 2-2 and was highly competitive in all four games it played. Ballwanz did an excellent job of attacking the defense, both off the dribble and from distance. He also was a menace on the glass, ripping down offensive rebounds and getting put-backs for the upstart Orioles.

Trae Ness, 6-0, Sr., G, Royall
Ness and seniors Jordan Boeseman (6-0) and Brandon Retzlaff (6-3) are the lone returning player with much varsity experience at Royall, which has a new coach in Scott Uppena. Ness is a tough-minded wing player with good physical strength and an overall excellent feel for the game. He figures to be one of the leaders for a Royall program looking to three-peat as league champions in the Scenic Bluffs Conference.  

Jacob Schley, 6-2, Jr., PF, St. Thomas More
An extremely physical frontline player who used his massive size and soft shooting touch to sore in the lane, Schley averaged just under 10 ppg in four games in Plymouth. He has a quick release around the basket and also used his physical size to ward off defenders.

Dexter Smith, 6-0, Sr., G, Two Rivers
A physically and mentally tough combination guard who can score, rebound and defend, Smith is the heart and soul of the Two Rivers program. He enters his senior season as a two-year varsity starter and three-year letter winner for coach Randy Fredrikson. He had 25 points and five three-point baskets in a loss to Winnebago Lutheran.

Josh Steckar, 6-0, Sr., G, Sheboygan Christian
With senior James Rasmussen (5-9) and junior Caleb Kelley (6-0) out of town, Steckar took on more of the ball-handling duties for Sheboygan Christian and he responded well, leading the Eagles to a 4-1 record. His ability to find open teammates and weave through traffic were big for Sheboygan Christian, which appears much improved from last year’s squad that went 6-17 under veteran coach Brett Flipse.

Thomas Stewart, 5-8, Jr., G, St. Thomas More
Stewart is a skilled combination guard who does an excellent job of getting into the heart of the defense and dropping off assists to his teammates. He is also a capable shooter, both from deep and from mid-range. His quickness off the dribble is difficult for opponents to contend with throughout the course of an entire game.

Ethan Willman, 6-2, Jr., WG, Two Rivers
One of the more pleasant surprises of the entire WBY Tournament in Plymouth, Willman showed strong shooting, passing and dribbling skills while helping Two Rivers to a 2-2 record. He showed the ability to make deep jump shots while also getting around defenders with his quick first step toward the basket.     

Eddie Windsor, 6-3, Soph., F, Sheboygan Christian
An extremely active and aggressive forward who used his length and athleticism to score around the basket, Windsor scored in double figures in three games before missing the final two games due to a scheduling conflict. Windsor has good basketball instincts and appears to be an emerging frontline prospect for the Eagles.

Ben Wolf, 6-6, Sr., PF, Winnebago Lutheran
Wolf was a beast in the paint all weekend for the Vikings, scoring 20 points in a loss to North Fond du Lac and 14 in a victory over Two Rivers. He gives Winnebago Lutheran a strong presence in the lane on both ends of the court thanks to his outstanding size, strength and aggressiveness. He averaged 8.4 ppg as a junior for coach Jeremiah Hoffman and is the top returning scorer for the Vikings.  

Taylor Zastrow, 6-1, Sr.,WF, Sheboygan Lutheran
A physical forward who stretches the defense with his ability to make shots from beyond the three-point arc, Zastrow scored well in Plymouth and hit at least one triple in all five games for the Crusaders. The cousin of point guard Tyler Zastrow, Taylor Zastrow came off the bench for coach Nick Verhagen a year ago, but he appears to have played his way into the starting rotation for 2013-14 with his aggressiveness and ability to score.

Team Champion

Sheboygan Lutheran
The Crusaders finished 18-8 a year ago one season after winning the WIAA Division 5 state championship in dramatic fashion behind Mr. Basketball award winner Sam Dekker. Sheboygan Lutheran appears to be emerging as a potential title contender again this winter as the Crusaders boast an exceptionally strong senior class. Seniors Tyler Zastrow (5-10), Phil Leibham (6-0), Jeff Hess (6-0), Ryan Scheele (6-4), Jacob Ames (6-4), Taylor Zastrow (6-1) and Nathan Hasenstein (6-0) form a solid nucleus along with sharpshooting junior wing guard Jacob Jurss (6-0). There is plenty of scoring punch, good size, excellent athleticism and stellar depth within the Sheboygan Lutheran program heading into the 2013-14 season.

Notes
Sheboygan Christian could be one of the more improved teams in the Central Lakeshore Conference. In addition to the strong play provided by Steckar and Windsor, the Eagles got solid performances from junior Graham Ver Velde (6-1) and senior Ben Andringa (6-2) … Senior Alex Mendoza (5-9) did not play basketball a year ago for St. Thomas More, but the stellar quarterback on the football field plans to play this winter. He displayed a soft shooting touch from beyond the arc, making seven triples for the Cavaliers. Senior point guard Drew Butzler (6-1) also turned in some good minutes for St. Thomas More, which played without senior Daymeann Stewart (5-10) … Two Rivers hopes to remain among the elite teams in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference behind the return of Smith and Willman, but the Purple Raiders also figure to receive significant boosts from rugged junior Jordan Steckler (6-5) and seniors Brett Slaby (5-11) and Austin Rehaurer (6-3). Steckler gives Two Rivers a dependable inside presence while Slaby is a physically strong wing player who can defend on the perimeter. Rehaurer is a streaky perimeter shooter who can really get on a roll from beyond the arc. He finished with a remarkable eight three-point baskets and 24 points in a victory over St. Thomas More … Sophomore Mitch McFarlane (6-0) had some strong showings for Winnebago Lutheran. He can play either guard spot and is a good scorer from the perimeter and off the bounce … Balance is the name of the game for North Fond du Lac, which returns plenty of experience and depth from a club that went 8-15 last season under coach Kris Saiberlich. In addition to the strong performances of Ballwanz, the Orioles got some solid play from seniors Colton Krupp (6-0), Ben Mand (6-0) and Parker Parrish (6-0), among others. Look for North Fond du Lac to climb upward in the Wisconsin Flyway Conference this winter … Racine Lutheran sophomore Brendan Naegeli (5-10) missed all but the opening half of the Crusaders’ first game after sustaining a thigh injury. Without Naegeli in the lineup, the Crusaders struggled a bit to score, though senior Chase Wember (6-3) and sophomores Austin Blaesing (6-2) and Isaac Brandies (5-10) had solid performances for Racine Lutheran … Three Lakes lacks size, but coach Jack Wales got some good guard play out of seniors Kyle Queen (6-0) and Jordan Wales (5-9) in Plymouth. Sophomore Gavin Maney (6-0) also played well for the Bluejays … Hilbert was without returning senior guards Mitch Gruett (5-10) and Jordan Jones (5-7), but the Wolves beat Royall behind a strong outing from junior Nick Krueger (6-1).