Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook

The 22nd annual Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Exposure Camp concluded Tuesday at Viterbo University in La Crosse.

Following are some end-of-the-camp news and notes.

A total of 120 players at the WBY Camp were divided into 12 different teams. Following are the Most Valuable Players for each of the teams at camp as selected by the camp coaches:

Kyle Rutkowski, 6-7, PF, Sr., Evansville
Hard-working big man who runs the floor, scores in the lane and battles for rebounds ... Maintained a solid effort throughout camp and wore down opposing frontcourt players with his hustle and determination ... Sets screens, looked for open teammates and earned trips to the foul line on a consistent basis ... Second-team all-league performer in the Northern Division of the Rock Valley Conference as a junior ... Competes with the Wisconsin Swing -- Bredesen team on the travel-team circuit.

Erik Christopherson, 6-0, PG, Jr., Melrose-Mindoro
An attacking point guard with excellent physical strength and an extremely high skill level ... Can make long-distance shots and get into the heart of a defense to draw fouls or locate open teammates ... Cousin to former Aquinas and Iowa State wing guard Scott Christopherson ... First-team all-league performer in the Large Schools Division of the Dairyland Conference as a sophomore ... Plays with the Wisconsin Playmakers -- Boll 17U squad on the travel-team circuit.

Alex Duff, 6-4, WG, Sr., Oregon
An extremely athletic wing player who can stroke shots well beyond the three-point arc as well as finish off aggressive moves to the basket with crowd-pleasing dunks ... Very good size and excellent athleticism ... Earned honorable mention all-league honors as a junior in the Southern Division of the Badger Conference ... .Plays with the Wisconsin Academy -- Nelson travel-team program.

Austin Greenwalt, 6-6, F, Sr., New Prague, MN
Competitive, athletic and unselfish forward prospect with excellent grades and test scores ... Can play inside and on the wing with equal effectiveness ... Good rebounder and defender ... Competes with the Minnesota Heat -- Northwest 17U program on the travel-team circuit.

Zach Baker, 6-4, G/F, Sr., Blaine, MN
A physically strong wing player who loves to drive the baseline and finish above the rim ... Can play on the wing or on the block ... Finishes exceptionally well around the basket ... Excellent footwork in the post ... Competes with the Minnesota Heat -- Northwest team on the club circuit.

Charlie Soule, 6-2, WG, Sr., Oregon
Strong and highly competitive wing guard who is relentless in attacking the basket and going after loose balls ... Gives 110 percent each time he steps onto the court ... Very quick with the ball in the open court ... Improved perimeter shooter who possesses a very quick first step to the basket ... First-team all-league pick in the Southern Division of the Badger Conference ... Plays for the Wisconsin Academy -- Kostroski 17U squad on the travel-team circuit.

Carter Voelker, 6-0, PG, Sr., Kiel
Smart lead guard who can score and set up his teammates ... Good long-distance shooter who also moves the ball to the open man ... Solid defender with good physical strength ... First-team all-league pick in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference as a junior and second-team choice as a sophomore ... Competes with the Wisconsin Jets program on the travel-team circuit.

Parker Carlsen, 6-4, WG, Sr., Catholic Memorial
Aggressive wing player who finishes off moves to the basket with superior jumping ability and a nose for the basket ... Rebounds at a high level for a backcourt player and competes with hustle and energy at all times ... Good communicator on both ends of the court and a solid team leader ... Second-team all-league pick in the Classic Eight Conference as a junior ... Competes with the Wisconsin Focus squad on the club circuit.

Isaac Appleby, 6-2, PG, Sr., Eau Claire Memorial
One of the top point-guard prospects in Wisconsin in the class of 2016 ... Outstanding student (32 ACT) who competes with a high basketball IQ and solid athleticism ... Can drill perimeter shots and finish drives to the basket with his considerable length ... Rebounds at a high level and reads passing lanes exceptionally well ... Second-team all-league selection in the Big Rivers Conference as a junior ... Competes with the Wisconsin Playmakers -- J team on the travel-team scene.

Brandon Myer, 6-6, WF, Sr., Superior
Skilled wing player who can stroke three-point shots from well beyond the three-point arc ... Receiving NCAA Division II recruiting interest from a number of schools in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference ... Good student with a basketball build and room to grow as he continues to increase his strength and add weight ... Averaged 10.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a junior while helping Superior to a 21-5 record ... Competes for the Wisconsin Playground Warriors squad on the travel-team circuit.

Hunter Plamann, 6-0, PG, Soph., Xavier
One of the few sophomores to ever be named a team MVP during the 22-year history of the WBY Camp ... Has the ball on a string while measuring up his defender and either popping a quick three-point shot or taking him to the basket for a layup ... Takes and makes big shots ... Averaged 7.8 points per game as a freshman while helping Xavier to the Eastern Valley Conference title and a second-place finish in the WIAA Division 3 State Tournament ... Plays with the Wisconsin Swing -- Litscher 15U team on the travel-team circuit.

Garrett Nelson, 5-10, PG, Jr., Beaver Dam
A quick-on-quick point guard with an eye-popping burst to the basket ... Very aggressive player on the both ends of the court ... Consistently beats defenders off the dribble to either score or set up a teammate ... A second-team all-league pick in the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference as a sophomore ... A member of the Wisconsin Academy -- Hauser travel-team squad.

*****

Ten additional players cited by team coaches who consistently played well included:

Blake Ehrke, 6-4, WG/WF, Sr., Deerfield – The returning Player of the Year in the Southern Division of the Trailways Conference has excellent size and skill ... Played inside and away from the basket at the WBY Camp and was effective in both spots.

Andrew Bruggink, 6-4, WF, Sr., Brookfield Central – An extremely versatile player who can rebound, score, set screens, defend and pass ... Scores from the perimeter and in the lane ... A first-team all-league choice in the Greater Metro Conference as a junior. 

Jake Gebert, 6-4, WF, Sr., D.C. Everest – Like Bruggink, Gebert is a versatile wing player who does all the little things necessary for his team to challenge for a victory ... Rebounds, defends, passes, gets on the floor for loose balls and scores ... Second-team all-league player in the Wisconsin Valley Conference as a junior.

Bryce Beekman, 6-3, PG, Sr., Wauwatosa East – The sky is the limit once Beekman figures out how to play at a consistently high level on every possession ... Excellent size and athleticism ... Improving ball handling, shooting and passing skills ... Earned second-team all-league recognition in the Greater Metro Conference as a junior.

Ben Retzlaff, 6-2, WG, Sr., McDonell Central – Streaky perimeter shooter with a quick release ... Can get on a roll from deep, but is also effective off the dribble ... Very good team leader who is vocal on the court ... Second-team all-league pick in Western Division of Cloverbelt Conference as a junior.

Drew Gunnink, 6-1, G, Jr., Laconia – Left-handed combination guard who has good physical strength and an excellent overall skill package ... Can shoot from deep and hit mid-range shots ... Good feel for the game ... A second-team all-league pick in Wisconsin Flyway Conference as a junior.

Ryan Coffey, 6-5, PF, Jr., Milwaukee Marquette – Physically strong inside player who was as consistent as any other player in camp finishing off plays with his back to the basket ... Excellent footwork and can score with either hand ... Averaged 7.2 ppg and 2.5 rpg as a sophomore for a Marquette squad that went 21-5.

Hunter Schultz, 6-0, PG, Jr., Columbus Catholic – High-energy player who can make mid-range shots as well as attempts from beyond the arc ... Good physical strength and quickness ... First-team all-league pick in the Eastern Division of Cloverbelt Conference as a sophomore.

Bobby Brenner, 6-3, WG, Sr., Wilmot – A bit unorthodox at times, Brenner nonetheless is a highly productive wing player who uses his strength and skill to overpower defenders on drives to the basket ... Has deep shooting range ... First-team all-league pick in Southern Lakes Conference as a junior.

Sam Meyer, 6-4, F, Sr., Madison West – An extremely steady wing player who has good physical strength and the ability to impact a game with his scoring, rebounding, passing and defense ... High basketball IQ and a solid student ... Earned third-team all-league recognition as a junior in the Big Eight Conference.

*****

In addition to Plamann, other sophomores from camp who played at a very high level included:

Wesley Schiek, 5-10, PG, Soph., Valley Christian – Skilled, instinctive point guard who can score from the perimeter and off moves to the basket ... A bit on the thin side yet, but figures to blossom as he gains weight and strength over the next three seasons.

Akeir McKinney, 5-7, PG, Soph., Milwaukee South Division – Very good defender with good physical strength and an excellent ability to handle the ball ... Played on the varsity squad at South as a freshman and should be a mainstay in the lineup for coach Ty Moseler the next three years.

Carson Moe, 6-0, PG, Soph., Oconto – Solid backcourt performer who can score and defend ... Possesses good strength and size ... Averaged 5.2 ppg as a freshman at Oconto.

Nick Klug, 5-11, PG, Soph., Burlington – Long, skilled lead guard who gets to the rim and finishes ... Also has a good perimeter jump shot ... Averaged 9.1 ppg on the varsity at Burlington last winter.

James Butler, 6-2, G, Soph., The Prairie School – Mature beyond his years in terms of understanding the game and reading the defense ... Very unselfish player who can score off the dribble ... Honorable mention all-league selection in Metro Classic Conference as a freshman.

Eric Carl, 6-3, G, Soph., Shawano – Smart, skilled and long backcourt player with a very promising future ... Basketball build and advanced skills figure to lead to plenty of looks from collegiate coaches in the future ... Still on the thin side, but a productive player who averaged 8.2 ppg on the varsity squad at Shawano as a freshman.

Quante' Carter, 5-11, G, Soph., Shorewood -- A scoring backcourt player who can drain three-point shots and get to the basket ... Aggressive nature on the offensive end of the court ... Good quickness and ball handling skill.

Ben Lambele, 6-2, WG, Soph., Elk Mound -- Strong, physical player who finishes very well in traffic ... Good mid-range jump shot and a solid rebounder on both ends of the court ... Averaged 5.8 ppg as a freshman at Elk Mound.

Mitch Listau, 6-2, WG, Soph., Waunakee -- Smooth wing player who a high basketball IQ and a very good skill package ... Left-handed shooter who can also get by defenders off the bounce ... Started for the Waunakee varsity squad as a freshman.

Joe Grundhoffer, 6-5, PF, Soph., Assumption -- Thick, aggressive post player who can finish over his shoulder with either hand ... Excellent post player who can also step outside and make mid-range shots ... Averaged 5.1 ppg as a freshman for the Assumption varsity team.

Conley Malone, 5-11, PG, Soph., Aquinas -- Smooth, smart combination guard who can shoot and take defenders off the dribble ... Willing passer and defender who works extremely hard at his game.

 *****

The three-on-three tournament was held at camp on Tuesday and the team of Blake Ehrke of Deerfied, Kyle Rutkowski of Evansville, Sam Meyer of Madison West, Alex Duff of Oregon and Luke Nelson of Monona Grove won the championship.

*****

The three-point shooting contest was won by junior Eddie Harwick of Aquinas, who nipped junior Evan Ganther of Lourdes Academy by one shot.

 *****

Melrose-Mindoro junior Erik Christopherson won the skills competition.

 *****

The Thunder squad coached by Preston Dubey won the team championship at the WBY Camp. Team members included Jack Pettit of Union Grove, Bryce Nolop of LaCrescent, Minn., Plamann, Jalen Zubich of Onalaska, Mahlik Lindsey of Wauwatosa East, Ben Heiligenthal of Catholic Central, Dane Lew of Elk Mound, Aidan Nordquist of Pewaukee, Erik Landsverk of Valders and Meyer.

Colleges represented at the camp included:

Iowa
Clarke College

Nebraska
Central Community College

Wisconsin
Beloit College
Cardinal Stritch University
Concordia University
Lakeland College
Edgewood College
Lawrence Unviersity
Marian University
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Ripon College
UW-Eau Claire
UW-La Crosse
Viterbo University
Western Wisconsin Technical College

*****

Special thank you to Viterbo University coach Wayne Wagner and V-Hawk assistants Dustin Boll and Matt Schneider, along with all the coaches and counselors who worked the WBY Camp. And a special thank you to the players and their families for participating in the camp.