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Your complete guide to the 2018 Rick Majerus WBY Shootout

12/20/2018, 3:45pm CST
By Mark Miller

Your official guide to the 14th annual Rick Majerus Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Shootout, scheduled for December 27-28-29 at Concordia University in Mequon:

Five Things To Watch …

1. Brookfield Central vs. Martin Luther – This game has a bit of everything. Scholarship players, highly respected coaching staffs and teams more than capable of hoisting a Gold Ball in their respective divisions come March. Brookfield Central is led by the senior guard tandem of Gage Malensek (6-0) and Cole Nau (6-3). Both signed letters of intent to play at NCAA Division II schools with Malensek headed to Truman State in Missouri and Nau off to Hillsdale College in Michigan. The Lancers, one of the favorites to win the championship in the deep and extremely talented Greater Metro Conference, also boast two sophomores who have already earned scholarship offers from Division I programs in guard Ben Nau (6-1) and forward David Joplin (6-6). Martin Luther, meanwhile, opened the campaign with impressive wins over East Troy, Milwaukee Washington, Racine St. Catherine's and Waupun, among others. Senior Xzavier Jones (6-5) is one of the state's top unsigned class of 2019 prospects and has picked up recent recruiting interest from Maryland and Milwaukee, among others. The Spartans' also boast a first-rate backcourt with lightning-quick senior Trequan Carrington (5-9) and the athletic Ace Evans (6-1) leading the way. For those who enjoy accurate long-range shooting, Martin Luther features talented junior wing Joey Immekus (6-2), who connected on 54 percent (19 of 35) of this three-point shots through the first six games of the season. Brookfield Central in Division 1 and Martin Luther in Division 3 most definitely rank among the favorites to win state championships later this season, and the contest figures to be one of the marquee match-ups in the 14th annual Rick Majerus WBY Shootout.

2. David Skogman, Waukesha West & Nobal Days, Racine Park – In back-to-back contests on December 28, fans can watch two of the state's top-ranked senior forwards compete. David Skogman (6-10) of Waukesha West plays at 6:00 p.m. against unbeaten Onalaska, which also features a big man in 6-foot-9 sophomore Gavin McGrath. Skogman owns NCAA Division I scholarship offers from a variety of schools, including Rutgers, Southern Illinois, Texas Tech and Valparaiso. But after having to deal with a heart ailment over the summer and missing the all-important July evaluation period, Skogman decided to wait until the spring of 2019 to sign with a school. Thus, he is on the recruiting radar of many programs, thanks to his size, skill and steady improvement. Nobal Days (6-9), on the other hand, takes the court with his Racine Park teammates at 7:30 p.m. against a very good and well coached Mount Horeb squad. Days signed with Tulane last month and is the state's top-ranked senior in the WisSports.net Player Rankings. His tip-in at the buzzer gave Racine Park a 64-62 win over Southeast Conference rival Franklin on December 19th. Like Skogman, Days is a versatile big man who can score around the basket and play out of the high post thanks to his passing, ball handling and shooting ability.

3. 10 ranked teams in WisSports.net Coaches Poll – Two top-ranked teams and 10 ranked programs overall are scheduled to participate in the 32-team WBY Shootout. At the Division 1 level, fourth-ranked Brookfield Central, fifth-ranked Brookfield East and eighth-ranked Waukesha West will compete. Three of the top 10 teams in Division 2 will participate, including fourth-ranked Green Bay Southwest, sixth-ranked Onalaska, and eighth-ranked Mount Horeb. Also taking part are the state's top-ranked Division 3 team -- Martin Luther -- and the state's second-ranked Division 4 squad -- Manitowoc Roncalli. Other ranked teams include seventh-ranked Mineral Point in Division 4; and top-ranked Sheboygan Lutheran in Division 5. 

4. WBY Shootout Newcomers, Green Bay Southwest and Oshkosh West – Fans of the Rick Majerus WBY Shootout over the years have enjoyed watching the top teams in the Fox River Valley compete against some of southeast Wisconsin's top programs. Bay Port, De Pere, Kaukauna, Kimberly and Oshkosh North, among others, have all performed well over the years while featuring some truly outstanding individual performers. This time around, two newcomers from the Fox Valley region will be participating -- Green Bay Southwest and Oshkosh West. Southwest is among the favorites to win the Fox River Classic Conference and is led by a pair of experienced and talented seniors in guard Lucas Stieber (6-3) and wing Will Pytleski (6-3). Oshkosh West, meanwhile, features one of the state's more prolific scorers in 6-foot-0 junior guard Karter Thomas along with a senior forward who is receiving NCAA Division I interest in 6-foot-10 Luke Haasl.  

5. Unsigned seniors worth watching – College coaches from programs at all levels have no shortage of unsigned seniors to watch at the WBY Shootout. The list is long and includes many very talented players. In alphabetical order, here is a list of seniors still searching for the right collegiate program ...

A.J. Ambroso, 5-11, Oshkosh West
Robert Anderson, 5-10, Milwaukee Vincent
Chris Bready, 6-4, Waukesha West
Braeden Brown, 6-3, Milwuakee Marquette
Larry Canady, 6-3, Racine Park
Zyiere Carey, 6-1, Racine Park
Trequan Carrington, 5-9, Martin Luther
Cade Christensen, 6-4, St. Mary's Springs
Henry Egan, 6-0, Xavier
Ace Evans, 6-2, Martin Luther
Xavier Evans, 6-5, Milwaukee Lutheran
Bryce Farnsworth, 6-5, Mount Horeb
Bryson Felder, 6-0, Wisconsin Lutheran
Thomas Francken, 6-2, Brookfield East
Jaylon Gentry, 5-8, Brown Deer
Noah Glembin, 6-2, St. Thomas More
Graden Grabowski, 6-3, Sheboygan Lutheran
Sam Greenthal, 6-3, Muskego
Luke Haasl, 6-10, Oshkosh West
Marco Humphrey, 6-0, Brookfield Academy
Brooklyn Jagers, 6-2, Brown Deer
Mohammed Jamaleddin, 6-2, Greenfield
Xzavier Jones, 6-5, Martin Luther
Jeramie King, 6-6, Martin Luther
Chombi Lambert, 5-9, Roncalli
Jason Larson, 6-5, Mount Horeb
Matthew LaVene, 6-2, Roncalli
A.J. Makinen, 6-1, Muskego
Gunnar Nortman, 6-2, Mount Horeb
Nick Otto, 6-4, Xavaier
Babatunde Otukoya, 6-2, Milwaukee Messmer
Joey Platz, 6-4, Milwaukee Marquette
Will Pytleski, 6-3, Green Bay Southwest
Elijah Rosario, 6-3, Greenfield
David Skogman, 6-10, Waukesha West
Lucas Stieber, 6-3, Green Bay Southwest
Mitch Waechter, 6-3, St. Mary's Springs
Eric Williams, 6-2, St. Thomas More
Dusty Zenz, 5-11, Mount Horeb

20 + One Players To Watch …

Carson Arenz, 6-4, Jr., Onalaska (Uncommitted) -- The top offensive performer for a very balanced and talented Onalaska squad, Arenz is the younger brother of former Hilltopper Nick Arenz, who went on to play for UW-Green Bay and Winona State. Carson Arenz is outstanding at attacking the basket off the dribble and has the strength to finish through contact. He is averaging 15.3 ppg. 

Larry Canady, 6-3, Sr., Racine Park (Uncommitted) -- An attacking wing guard with good length and skill, Canady is averaging 17.2 points and 4.0 assists for a senior-dominated squad looking to make some major noise in 2018-19.

Trequan Carrington, 5-9, Sr., Martin Luther (Uncommitted) -- One of the quickest and more competitive players in the state, Carrington is putting up huge numbers for unbeaten Martin Luther as he is averaging 19.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists. 

Aidan Clarey, 6-2, Jr., Brookfield Academy (Uncommitted) -- An offensive-minded combination guard who can score at all three levels, Clarey is averaging 22.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists and has already surpassed 1,000 career points for the Blue Knights. 

Brayden Dailey, 6-5, Soph., Mineral Point (Uncommitted) -- A rangy wing player who plays on top of Mineral Point's 1-3-1 zone defense and is able to get lots of deflections and steals with his length and anticipation, Dailey is a productive player for coach Dan Burreson and is averaging 18.8 ppg.

Nobal Days, 6-9, Sr., Racine Park (Tulane) -- A long, rangy and unselfish forward, Days is averaging 11.6 points and 9.0 rebounds for one of the state's top WIAA Division 1 teams.

Ace Evans, 6-2, Sr., Martin Luther (Uncommitted) -- An athletic player who finishes above the rim while also knocking down perimeter shots, Evans is averaging 17.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists while also playing strong defense for the Spartans. 

Xzavier Jones, 6-5, Sr., Martin Luther (Uncommitted) -- A physically strong wing prospect who affects the game with his passing, scoring and rebounding, Jones is averaging 15.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists for coach Paul Wollersheim and the unbeaten Spartans.

David Joplin, 6-6, Soph., Brookfield Central (Uncommitted) -- Already ranking among the top class of 2022 prospects in the state because of his athleticism and size, Joplin is averaging 15.0 points and 6.6 rebounds for coach Dan Wandrey at Brookfield Central. 

Isaac Lindsey, 6-3, Jr., Mineral Point (Uncommitted) -- One of the top perimeter shooters in the state and an unselfish player with good basketball instincts, Lindsey is averaging 20.5 points per game for the Pointers and owns NCAA Division I scholarship offers from Brown, De Paul, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Oakland, South Dakota State, UIC and UNLV.

Gage Malensek, 6-0, Sr., Brookfield Central (Truman State) -- A physically strong and exceptionally competitive point guard, Malensek is averaging 21.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists, and has scored more than 1,200 points in his four-year prep career.

Ben Nau, 6-1, Soph., Brookfield Central (Uncommitted) -- The younger brother of Brookfield Central senior Cole Nau, Ben Nau is a sharpshooting wing with deep shooting range and the ability to knock down multiple triples in a single game. He owns NCAA Division I offers from De Paul and Milwaukee and is averaging 13.4 ppg while shooting 64 percent (18 of 28) from three-point range.

Cole Nau, 6-3, Sr., Brookfield Central (Hillsdale) -- One of the state's top defenders who competes with a great feel for the game, Nau is averaging 10.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists for an absolutely loaded team that features many different scoring options. 

Jacob Ognacevic, 6-7, Jr., Sheboygan Lutheran (Uncommitted) -- A rangy combination forward who can hurt opponents off the dribble and from beyond the three-point arc, Ognacevic is one of Wisconsin's more productive players as he is averaging 31.7 points and 15.0 rebounds. He owns a NCAA Division II offer from Michigan Tech, but figures to draw plenty of interest from Division I programs as well in the upcoming months.  

Cam Palesse, 6-4, Soph., Waukesha West (Uncommitted) -- Another of the better collegiate prospects in Wisconsin's loaded class of 2021, Palesse is the starting point guard for Waukesha West and has does an outstanding job of facilitating the Wolverines' offense while also averaging 15.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 4.7 apg. 

Joey Platz, 6-4, Sr. Milwaukee Marquette (Uncommitted) -- One of the state's best shooter from deep, Platz is having a big senior season for the Hilltoppers, averaging 25.6 ppg and 6.6 rpg. 

David Skogman, 6-10, Sr., Waukesha West (Uncommitted) -- An active player who can score facing the basket and off the dribble, Skogman is averaging 18.0 points and 16.2 rebounds for a team expected to contend for the Classic Eight Conference championship. 

Tyrell Stuttley, 6-4, Jr., Onalaska (Uncommitted) -- An athletic wing player who is young for his class but nonetheless highly productive for coach Craig Kowal and the Hilltoppers. Already a three-year varsity performer for the Hilltoppers, Stuttley is averaging 15.3 ppg. 

Kaleim Taylor, 6-2, Jr., Milwaukee Academy of Science (Uncommitted) -- A physical, tough-minded and skilled combination guard, Taylor is averaging 22.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists for coach Agape Keys. 

Karter Thomas, 6-0, Jr., Oshkosh West (Uncommitted) -- A powerfully built wing guard prospect with a nose for the basket, Thomas has put up some crazy scoring statistics for the Wildcats, going for 45 points in a win over Fond du Lac, 38 in a triumph over Neenah, and 37 in a victory over Madison West. He is averaging 28.5 ppg through six contests.

Trey Zastrow, 6-0, Jr., Manitowoc Lutheran (Uncommitted) -- The son of Manitowoc Lutheran coach Gordy Zastrow and younger brother of former North Dakota State guard Nathan Zastrow, Trey Zastrow is a very good long-distance shooter who is averaging 24.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists. 

Other Sophomores (Class of 2021) To Watch …

Jeremiah Dotson, 6-5, Brown Deer
Hayden Doyle, 6-0, Brookfield East
Isaiah Hopf, 6-2, Wisconsin Lutheran
Rashad Kelly, 6-0, Milwaukee Lutheran
Ronja Kelly, 6-0, Milwaukee Lutheran
Sam Kick, 6-1, Onalaska
Max Kunnert, 6-3, Brookfield Academy
Logan Landers, 6-8, Brookfield Academy
J.C. Latham, 6-7, Catholic Memorial
Gavin McGrath, 6-8, Onalaska
Donald McHenry, 6-0, Milwaukee Academy of Science
Aidan Ottery, 6-2, St. Mary's Springs
Jacquez Overstreet, 6-3, Oshkosh West
Mark Wade, 5-11, Brown Deer
Hunter Wohler, 6-1, Muskego
J.P. Wolterstorff, 6-0, Regis

Freshmen (Class of 2022) To Watch …

Micah Causey, 5-6, St. Thomas More
Colin Girdaukas, 6-1, Sheboygan Lutheran
Armani Jones, 5-7, Milwaukee Academy of Science
Luke Pautz, 6-1, Roncalli
Charlie Pfefferle, 5-9, Xavier
Andrew Rohde, 6-0, Brookfield Central
Casey Verhagen, 5-11, Sheboygan Lutheran
Austin Wagner, 6-2, Kettle Moraine Lutheran

Rick Majerus WBY Shootout Notes …

There will be no pre-sale tickets. All tickets for the WBY Shootout will be sold at the door. The Buuck Fieldhouse can accommodate around 2,000 fans so plan to arrive early to make sure you can purchase a ticket.

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Parking for the Rick Majerus WBY Shootout is free.

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Ticket prices are $5 for students and senior citizens and $10 for adults. The tickets are good for the entire day.

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Copies of the 344-page 2018-19 Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook will be available for purchase for $30.

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Game programs, which includes rosters and other information for all 32 teams, will be sold for $3.

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The Concordia University basketball team will sell concessions throughout the event.

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Following is the schedule of games for the Rick Majerus WBY Shootout …

Thursday’s Games (December 27)
At Concordia University (Mequon)

9:00 a.m. – St. Mary's Springs (5-2) vs. Sheboygan Lutheran (8-0)
10:30 a.m. – Eau Claire Regis (4-2) vs. Manitowoc Lutheran (7-2)
Noon – Manitowoc Roncalli (8-0) vs. Catholic Memorial (3-4)
1:30 p.m. – Kettle Moraine Lutheran (5-2) vs. Milwaukee Academy of Science (2-4)
3:00 p.m. – Brown Deer (4-5) vs. Oshkosh West (4-3)
4:30 p.m. – Green Bay Southwest (6-0) vs. Wisconsin Lutheran (5-3)
6:00 p.m. – New Berlin West (2-7) vs. Kettle Moraine (2-5)
7:30 p.m. – Martin Luther (7-0) vs. Brookfield Central (4-1)
9:00 p.m. – Mount Horeb (7-1) vs. Milwaukee Lutheran (7-1)

Friday’s Games (December 28)
At Concordia University (Mequon)

9:00 a.m. – Eau Claire Regis (4-2) vs. Milwaukee Messmer (2-4)
10:30 a.m. – Brookfield Academy (2-2) vs. Manitowoc Lutheran (7-2)
Noon – St. Thomas More (2-5) vs. Sheboygan Lutheran (8-0)
1:30 p.m. – Appleton Xavier (4-2) vs. Milwaukee Pius XI (2-7)
3:00 p.m. – Oshkosh West (4-3) vs. Green Bay Southwest (6-0)
4:30 p.m. – Mineral Point (4-2) vs. Milwaukee Academy of Science (2-4)
6:00 p.m. – Onalaska (7-0) vs. Waukesha West (7-1)
7:30 p.m. – Mount Horeb (7-1) vs. Racine Park (3-2)
9:00 p.m. – Greenfield (9-1) vs. Muskego (6-2)

Saturday’s Games (December 29)
At Concordia University (Mequon)

9:00 a.m. – Milwaukee Messmer (2-4) vs. Manitowoc Roncalli (8-0)
10:30 a.m. – Mineral Point (4-2) vs. Brookfield Academy (2-2)
Noon – St. Thomas More (2-5) vs. St. Mary's Springs (5-2)
1:30 p.m. – Appleton Xavier (4-2) vs. Kettle Moraine Lutheran (5-2)
3:00 p.m. – Milwaukee Marquette (4-1) vs. Kettle Moraine (2-5)
4:30 p.m. – Onalaska (7-0) vs. Milwaukee Vincent (1-4)
6:00 p. m. -- Wisconsin Lutheran (5-3) vs. Muskego (6-2)
7:30 p.m. -- Martin Luther (7-0) vs. Brookfield East (4-2)
9:00 p.m. -- Waukesha West (7-1) vs. Milwaukee Lutheran (7-1)

Tag(s): WBY Shootout