Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook

The 23rd 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 140 players at the WBY Camp were divided into 14 different teams. Following are the Most Valuable Players for each of the teams at camp as selected by the camp coaches:

Sam Fredrickson, 6-8, F, Sr., Fond du Lac
Versatile big man who can step outside and make three-point jump shots or post-up in the lane and score with his back to the basket ... Solid athlete who runs the floor well and is willing to set screens and defend interior players ... Figures to blossom as a senior as he benefits from the stellar guard play of seniors Luke Loewe and Caleb Goldstein at Fond du Lac ... Honorable mention all-league performer in the Fox Valley Association as a junior ... Competes with the Wisconsin Academy -- Fermanich 17U team on the travel-team circuit.

Hunter Plamann, 6-0, PG, Jr., Xavier
An attacking point guard with excellent ball handling and change-of-direction ability ... Good perimeter shooter who can get around defenders with shot fakes and quickness ... Does a solid job of looking for teammates off of penetration to the basket ... Second-team all-league performer in the Bay Conference as a sophomore ... Plays with the Wisconsin Swing -- Litscher 16U squad on the travel-team circuit.

Donnell Finch Jr., 5-10, PG, Sr., Adams-Friendship
Physically strong point guard who gets into the lane and often scores by out-jumping his defender in the lane ... Outstanding athlete who gets rebounds with his quick jumping ability ... Improved long-distance shooter and strong on-the-ball defender ... Earned first-team all-league honors as a junior in the South Central Conference ... .Plays with the Wisconsin Dynasty 17U  travel-team program.

Eddie Muench, 6-4, WG, Sr., Ripon
Terrific long-range jump shooter who has grown a couple of inches over the past year ... Has improved his ball handling and ability to get to the basket off the dribble from the wing ... Has added a post-up game to his offensive skill package thanks to his recent growth spurt ... Second-team all-league performer in the East Central Conference as a junior ... Competes with the Wisconsin Swing -- Bredesen 17U program on the travel-team circuit.

Wade Geenen, 5-10, G, Sr., Pulaski
One of the more pleasant surprises of the WBY Camp, Geenen showed the ability to help his team win by playing either guard position ... Good perimeter shooter with deep range ... Makes smart decisions with the ball in his hands and does an excellent job of finding open teammates ... Earned honorable mention all-league honors in the Fox River Classic Conference as a junior ... Competes with the Wisconsin Crusaders 17U team on the club circuit.

Jalen Zubich, 5-10, PG, Sr., Onalaska
Whatever Zubich lacks in physical height, he more than makes up for with his tenacity, physical strength and mental toughness ... Outstanding defender with a bulldog mentality who keeps opponents out of the lane with his lateral movement and strength ... Clutch perimeter shooter who is one of several key returning players for a very good Onalaska squad ... First-team all-league pick in the Mississippi Valley Conference in each of the past two seasons ... Plays for the Wisconsin Playmakers -- Hjelter 17U squad on the travel-team circuit.

Alex Ranney, 5-11, PG, Sr., Lake Mills
Skilled point guard who makes good decisions and consistently looks for open teammates ... Good defender with solid lateral movement ... Improving long-distance shooter who can also get to the basket off the dribble ... Does an excellent job of running a team on both ends of the court ... First-team all-league pick in the Northern Division of the Capitol Conference as a junior ... Competes with the Wisconsin Swing -- Koslowski 17U program on the travel-team circuit.

Brennen Banks, 6-0, PG, Sr., Evansville
Thick, aggressive point guard who is much quicker than he might look ... Gets into the lane and completes plays ... Good shooter from outside the three-point arc and a very good passer ... One of the stongest lead guards in the state in the class of 2017 ... Receiving recruiting interest from NCAA Division II and NAIA Division I schools ... First-team all-league pick in the Rock Valley North Conference as a junior and sophomore ... Competes with the Wisconsin Dynasty 17U squad on the club circuit.

Eddie Harwick, 5-10, PG, Sr., Aquinas
Though on the small side, Harwick is able to gain separation from his defenders with his quickness, change of direction and stellar ball-handling skills ... A very good long-distance shooter who can knock down triples at a high rate ... Shot 88 percent from the free-throw line as a junior at Aquinas ... Second-team all-league selection in the Mississippi Valley Conference as a junior ... Competes with the La Crosse Elevate 17U team on the travel-team scene.

Dylan Bunders, 6-7, F, Sr., Almond-Bancroft
One of the more versatile players in the entire 2017 class in Wisconsin ... Handles the ball and shoots from the perimeter like a guard, but can also go inside and use his height and length to score off of offensive rebounds ... Needs to add strength and develop some moves to his left, but future looks very promising as he adds weight and muscle to his frame ... First-team all-league player in the Central Wisconsin 10 Conference as a junior ... Competes for the Wisconsin Dynasty 17U squad on the travel-team circuit.

Ben Wittig, 6-2, WG, Sr., Ashwaubenon
Smart, skilled and athletic wing guard who made three-point shots while also completing plays to the basket at the WBY camp ... Son of former Green Bay Preble coach Mike Wittig and grandson of former Green Bay East and University of Wisconsin player Bob Wittig ... Communicates very well with his teammates on both ends of the court ... Maintains a 4.4 grade-point average and scored a 33 on the ACT exam ... Second-team all-league choice in the Fox River Classic Conference as a junior ... Plays with the Wisconsin Jets 17U team on the travel-team circuit.

Jake Schroeckenthaler, 6-5, PF, Jr., Monona Grove
Strong, thick power forward who does an excellent job of finishing plays off of strong post-up moves ... Can also make face-up mid-range jump shots ... Solid on the glass and a good communicator on the floor with his teammates ... An honorable mention all-league pick in the Badger South Conference as a junior ... A member of the Wisconsin Academy -- Nelson 16U travel-team squad.

Cameron Kuepers, 6-3, WF, Sr., Lakeside Lutheran
Athletic player who loves to drive to the basket and use his jumping ability to soar to the hoop and score over opponents ... Quick off his feet and a good rebounder on both ends of the court ... Adding a consistent perimeter game to his very strong driving ability would round out his game exceptionally well ... Father, Ben Kuepers, was an outstanding player at both Cuba City and UW-Stout ... Honorable mention all-league pick in the Capitol North Conference as a junior ... Competes with the Wisconsin Swing -- Bredesen 17U team on the AAU circuit.

Joe Duty, 6-2, WG, Sr., Adams-Friendship
Super athletic wing guard who can make mid-range jumpers or finish off drives to the basket at the rim ... Very quick to the ball and does an excellent job of passing to teammates off of aggressive moves to the basket ... Can out-jump most defenders on his jump shot and in battles for rebounds ... Also an outstanding quarterback in football ... Earned second-team all-league honors in the South Central Conference as a junior ... Competes with the Wisconsin Dynasty 17U squad on the club circuit. 

*****

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

Max Fernholz, 6-0, G, Jr., Stoughton – Made long-distance shots at a very high rate all week and also got to the basket off of shot fakes ... Teams with senior Troy Slaby and junior Brady Schipper (5-11) to give Stoughton one of the better backcourt tandems in the state.

Cameron Brussow, 6-4, WF, Sr., Loyal – Physically strong wing player who is tough to contain off the bounce because of strength and ability to use spin moves to free himself from opponents ... Competes with lots of energy and also showed the ability to make shots from outside the three-point arc. 

Nacio Villarreal, 6-1, WG, Jr., Beloit Turner – Villarreal displayed deep shooting range while also getting to the basket off the dribble ... Could emerge as a lock-down defender due to his length and lateral quickness ... Two-year varsity player entering junior season at Beloit Turner.

Wesley Schiek, 5-11, PG, Jr., Valley Christian – The WIAA Division 3 state champion in the 3,200-meter run, Schiek is also an accomplished basketball player ... He can score in a variety of ways and has become an excellent passer off of his drives to the basket ... Two-year starter at Valley Christian.

Ben Kennedy, 6-6, WF, Sr., Luther – A 6-foot-6 forward who can dribble behind his back in traffic, finish off of high post moves to the basket and drill mid-range jump shots, Kennedy is extremely skilled for a player his size ... He showed the ability to rip down rebounds on one end, dribble up the floor and use spin moves to score at the rim ... Locating open teammates and playing at 110 percent all the time are the next steps in his progression as a player, but Kennedy had a terrific camp at Viterbo.

Vlado Zrnic, 6-4, G, Jr., Greendale – An extremely promising future is in store for Zrnic, who is exceptionally versatile in that he can play along the baseline, in the post and out on the perimeter ... Good ball skills and the ability to score with his jump shot and off of moves in the post ... A long, active athlete with a basketball build, Zrnic averaged 7.4 ppg as a sophomore at Greendale.

Brady Wagner, 5-11, G, Sr., Lake Mills – Left-handed combination guard who knows how to compete and make winning plays ... Good physical strength and the ability to move well on defense ... High basketball IQ and the ability to make clutch plays with the game on the line.

Payton Dachel, 6-3, PF, Jr., Bloomer – Deceiving forward who completed plays about as well as any frontline player in camp, Dachel is much quicker than he looks ... Uses size and physical strength to seal off defenders and finishes off post moves with baskets or trips to the foul line.

Matthew Myers, 5-11, PG, Sr., Barneveld – The son of Barneveld coach Jim Myers, Matthew Myers is a very skilled point guard with the ability to make long-distance shots while also utilizing his ball-handling skills to gain separation from his defender ... Smart player who has played varsity basketball in each of the past three seasons at Barneveld.

Brady Polk, 5-11, PG, Sr., Berlin – It was difficult at times to stand out in a camp loaded with stellar point guards, but Polk managed to impress onlookers with his quickness in the open court, his strong ball handling and passing skills, and his ability to run a team ... A smart player who averaged 12.0 ppg and 4.5 apg as a junior at Berlin.

*****

Class of 2019 players from camp who played at a very high level included:

Will Knatz, 5-11, PG, Soph., Waunakee – With junior point guard Mason Steffen back for his third year of varsity play at Waunakee, Knatz may compete on the JV team at the WIAA Division 2 power this winter, but he displayed strong decision-making skills at Viterbo and appears to have a strong future for the Warriors .

Abraham Schiek, 6-0, WG, Soph., Valley Christian – The younger brother of Wesley Schiek, Abraham Schiek is a solid wing guard who can post-up and use his strength to score in the lane. He can also make perimeter shots and rebounds at a good level as well.

Jared Payne, 6-1, PG, Soph., Seneca – Crafty backcourt player who is very good off the dribble ... Averaged 7.9 ppg for the varsity squad at Seneca as a freshman.

Josh Cash, 6-3, WG, Soph., Waunakee – Solid all-around player with exceptional physical strength and aggressiveness, Cash played well all week, showing the ability to score from deep while also battling for rebounds and scoring in the lane ... A promising 2019 prospect with a good feel for the game, Cash played on the varsity team at Milton as a freshman, but has since moved to Waunakee with his family.

Bryce Haertle, 5-10, G, Soph., Lake Country Lutheran – Confident backcourt player who loves to get into the lane and either score or set up an open teammate ... Good perimeter shooter who earned honorable mention all-league honors in the Midwest Classic Conference as a freshman.

Nate Jenkins, 6-1, PG, Soph., Kettle Moraine – Very promising lead guard who displayed good physical strength, solid skills and mature decision making ... Competed on the varsity team at Kettle Moraine as a freshman and is the son of former University of Wisconsin player Bob Jenkins.

Gunnar Nortman, 6-0, G, Soph., Mount Horeb -- A skilled guard who competed on the varsity team at Mount Horeb as a freshman, Nortman showed deep shooting range at Viterbo while also competing on both ends at a high level throughout camp.

Justin Kuehl, 6-1, G, Soph., Hustisford -- Kuehl can play either guard position and showed excellent athleticism while helping his team to success.

Bennett Loersch, 6-9, F, Soph., Luther -- Loersch is still learning the game, but he runs the court well, has excellent length, gives a very good effort and has the ability to score, both in the paint and from mid-range ... As he continues to gain confidence and adds some weight and strength to his frame, Loersch figures to emerge as one of the top prospects in the state in the 2019 class.

*****

The three-on-three tournament was held at camp on Tuesday and the team of Noah Skifton of Onalaska, Jake Sullivan of Assumption, Joe Grundhoffer of Assumption, Landson Skemp of Onalaska and Noah Fredrickson of Onalaska won the championship.

*****

The three-point shooting contest was won by Ripon senior Eddie Muench (6-4), who beat senior Noah Fredrickson (5-10) of Onalaska in the finals.

 *****

Berlin senior point guard Brady Polk (5-11) won the skills competition.

 *****

The Jazz squad coached by Johnson Creek assistant and former Frederic head coach Ryan Lind won the team championship at the WBY Camp. Team members included Noah Skifton of Onalaska, Jack Pettit of Union Grove, Justin Gruber of Menomonee Falls, Noah Knudson of Little Chute, Jalen Holley of Wauwatosa East, Drew Yetka of Oak Creek, Hayden Reese of Evansville, Donnell Finch Jr. of Adams-Friendship, Alexander Baackes of New Holstein and Payton Dachel of Bloomer.

*****

Colleges represented at the camp included:

Iowa
Clarke College
Waldorf College

Minnesota
St. Mary's University

Wisconsin
Beloit College
Concordia University
Edgewood College
Lakeland College
Marian University
Northland College
St. Norbert College
UW-La Crosse
UW-Oshkosh
UW-Stevens Point
UW-Stout
Viterbo University
Western Wisconsin Technical College
Wisconsin Lutheran College

*****

Special thank you to Viterbo University coach Wayne Wagner, V-Hawk assistant Matt Schneider and Jefferson coach Jay Benish, 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.