Little Chute's Martin to attend St. Norbert College

Ellenson transfers to Rice Lake; DeMarcus Phillips signs with Iowa State

North Dakota State extends scholarship offer to Milwaukee Lutheran's Kadima

Sign up for your WBCA Membership Today

Blue headlines group of 14 state players to sign with Division I schools

Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook in Stores

Northwestern's Tecker latest state prep standout to commit to DI school

WIAC Men's Basketball Preview

Time once again to stroll through the Wisconsin prep basketball alphabet

The Prairie School's Koenen accepts scholarship offer from Texas State

The only magazine in Wisconsin devoted entirely to prep sports. Click to read the most recent issue!

By Mark Miller
WisSports.net Editor

St. Norbert College received a verbal commitment from an outstanding three-sport athlete in its own backyard this week.

Moments after watching his Green Knights defeat UW-Oshkosh in De Pere Monday night, St. Norbert coach Gary Grzesk received more good news as Little Chute senior J.J. Martin verbally committed to the emerging Midwest Conference power.

The 6-foot-3 Martin is the lone returning first-team all-conference player in the Eastern Valley Conference. He averaged 13 points, six rebounds and two assists per contest as a junior while helping the Mustangs to a 15-7 record. 

Martin selected St. Norbert over interest from Beloit, Carroll, Coe, Edgewood, Lake Forest, Lakeland, Marian and UW-Stevens Point.  

“J.J. is a competitive and skilled wing player whose strength is getting to the basket often times against bigger opponents,” said his father and coach, Mickey Martin. “He shot 142 free throws (making 106) last year, which shows his aggressiveness to the basket. This year, J.J. will take these skills to point guard for us to make us a more complete team.”  

A versatile athlete who also excels in football and baseball, Martin maintains a 3.75 grade-point average and figures to fit in well with a St. Norbert program that finished tied for third place in the Midwest Conference last season.  

“As a college player, J.J. has to improve his strength for sure and become a more consistent shooter from the perimeter,” Mickey Maritn said. “(Assistant) coach (John) Miron works hard with our players every day in our shooting drills, and J.J. is showing improvement.  

“The ability to knock down the three-point shot would really make him a rock-solid player at the next level because his skill set offensively is so good. But what makes J.J. really special and makes my job easier come game time is that he has the length and athleticism to defend a variety of players, which is a huge plus when it comes match-up time.”  

Attention Prep Coaches: Please send updated rosters to WisSports.net  

High school coaches are reminded to send in updated varsity basketball rosters to WisSports.net.  

We will be updating our roster page for each high school in the state over the new few weeks. Coaches can send updated rosters to me at wbnews@charter.net.  

Quick Hitters … Fans of prep basketball who use Twitter can follow me throughout the high school season at http://twitter.com/wisbbyearbook ... I will be a regular visitor on Mike McGivern’s Wendy’s Varsity Blitz High School Coaches talk show on WSSP AM-1250 in Milwaukee. The show runs from 10 a.m. to noon each Saturday and is streamed at www.SportsRadio1250.com. McGivern, the new coach at Heritage Christian, brings in coaches and players from the Milwaukee area and talks high school sports for the full two hours.   

Comments(0) [+]

By Mark Miller
WisSports.net Editor

One of the state’s top class of 2012 prospects is heading home. 

Wally Ellenson, an athletic 6-foot-4 wing guard, has withdrawn from Eau Claire Memorial and will begin classes Tuesday morning at Big Rivers Conference rival Rice Lake. 

Ellenson’s three siblings, including 6-5 freshman Ellwood Ellenson, also plan to make the switch from Eau Claire to Rice Lake, according to their father, John Ellenson.

Both Wally and Ellwood Ellenson figure to gain immediate eligibility from the WIAA due to the family's permanent move from Eau Claire to Rice Lake. 

Wally Ellenson and his siblings attended Rice Lake schools before moving as family to Eau Claire nearly two years ago.

“We are going back to Rice Lake and to a healthier environment for our kids and for my wife,” said John Ellenson, a guidance counselor in the Eau Claire School District. “We have a home in Rice Lake and my wife (Holly) has taught there for 16 years.

“We made a lot of sacrifices for our four kids to attend school in Eau Claire over the past year, but the move back to our home in Race Lake is just a better overall fit for our family.”

Wally Ellenson earned honorable mention all-league honors as a freshman in the Big Rivers Conference while averaging nine points and four rebounds per contest for an Old Abes squad that finished 6-15. 

Currently ranked No. 3 among state sophomores by WisSports.net, Ellenson attracted the attention of collegiate recruiters over the spring and summer while playing for the highly successful Wisconsin Playground Warriors grassroots program. 

Green Bay, Milwaukee and Saint Louis are among many NCAA Division I schools currently showing very strong interest in Ellenson, whose father played for both Marquette and Wisconsin in the late 1980s and early 1990s. 

Ellwood Ellenson is a 6-5 class of 2013 prospect who has grown several inches over the past year.

The Ellensons joins a Rice Lake program needing to replace three starters from last year’s club that went 14-9, including all-league guard and Michigan Tech recruit Alex Culy.

Senior Andy Helbstab (6-4) and Trevor Kiehl (6-0) are returning regulars for coach Kevin Orr while seniors C.J. Damaske (6-0) and Scott Spear (5-9), along with sophomore Alex Cusky (6-3) are also key returning players. 

Ex-Milwaukee Washington star signs with Iowa State

Former Milwaukee Washington standout DeMarcus Phillips signed a national letter of intent Monday morning to play college basketball at Iowa State.

The 6-foot-2 Phillips earned the prestigious Mr. Basketball award in Wisconsin following his senior year at Washington in 2007-08. He averaged 22 points and eight rebounds per game as a senior while helping Washington to a 21-1 record and the Milwaukee City Conference championship.

Phillips, who played on the grassroots scene for Stay In The Game/Terry Porter Elite, is currently attending Marshalltown Community College in Marshalltown, Iowa, and will have two years of eligibility at Iowa State beginning in the 2010-11 season. 

Phillips becomes the fourth player from the state to join the Iowa State men’s basketball program, which includes a pair of assistant coaches with state ties in Jeff Rutter and T.J. Otzelberger. 

Milwaukee Vincent’s Diante Garrett, La Crosse Aquinas’ Scott Christopherson and Racine Horlick’s Antwon Oliver are members of this year’s squad, though it appears Oliver will redshirt during the 2009-10 season.  

Phillips averaged 17.3 points per game as a freshman at Marshalltown Community College and is an athletic, scoring wing guard who can get to the basket or make mid-range jump shots.    

Comments(1) [+]

By Mark Miller
WisSports.net Editor

Milwaukee Lutheran senior guard Chim (T.J.) Kadima has earned a scholarship offer from North Dakota State. 

The 6-foot-5 Kadima, who is currently ranked No. 14 among state seniors by WisSports.net, is a versatile backcourt player who can knock down perimeter shots or use his length and skill to get around defenders and either finish at the rim or get to the foul line. 

Kadima had given the coaching staff at Iowa State a verbal commitment to play for the Cyclones in September of 2008, but he decided to re-open his recruitment last spring. 

Kadima averaged 16.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 13 games for Milwaukee Lutheran last season before missing the final nine games of the season with an injury. He earned first-team all-league honors as a junior in the North Shore Conference. 

Kadima played well on the grassroots circuit in the summer and appears healthy and primed to have a huge season for Milwaukee Lutheran, which finished 11-11 under coach Jason Moesch a year ago. 

Mukwonago’s Bauschek earns scholarship offer from Wayne State

Mukwonago senior guard Tyler Bauschek recently received a scholarship offer from coach Paul Combs at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska. Combs accepted the head coaching position at Wayne State College last summer after previously serving as head coach at both Lakeland College and UW-Platteville. 

Bauschek (6-1) earned first-team all-league honors in the Classic Eight Conference as a junior when he averaged 15 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals per game while helping the Indians to a 9-12 record. 

Wayne State College is a NCAA Division II school that competes in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Bauschek is also receiving strong recruiting interest from Southwest Minnesota State, another Division II school and member of the NSIC.

Bauschek expects to make a decision on where he’ll play collegiate basketball by the end of December. 

Former Milwaukee prep star now attending Huntington Prep

Former Milwaukee Vincent and Wauwatosa East guard Larry Bradley is now attending Huntington Prep, a privately owned basketball academy and part of the Covenant School in Barboursville, West Virginia. 

Members of the Huntington Prep varsity basketball team attend classes at Covenent School, a K-12 Christian school which is certified by the NCAA clearinghouse, but compete on the basketball court as members of Huntington Prep.

Bradley, a 6-foot-5 junior point guard, played on the varsity squad as a freshman at Milwaukee Vincent before transferring and competing for Wauwatosa East as a sophomore. 

Bradley encountered some serious off-the-court problems following his sophomore season at Wauwatosa East, but appears to have a fresh start now at Huntington Prep. 

Memphis Grizzilies guard O.J. Mayo and University of Kentucky star Patrick Patterson both attended Huntington Prep, which plays a national schedule against top-flight prep-school and traditional high school competition. 

Quick Hitters … Former Verona standout Jason Ziemer has elected not to play basketball at UW-Stevens Point. Ziemer averaged 22.6 points per game for coach Alan Buss at Verona last season … Orfordville Parkview senior Nick Melton is receiving recruiting interest from Beloit, Carroll, La Crosse, Lawrence, St. Mary’s (Minn.), Stevens Point and Viterbo, among others.  

Comments(0) [+]

Coaches, before the season swallows up your time, don’t forget to sign up for your Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) membership.   It is only $35 for an individual membership or $90 to sign up a staff of 8 coaches.

Your membership helps support an organization that provides guidance for our great game in Wisconsin, puts on great events that help great causes and honors the fine coaches and players in the state on a yearly basis.

There are also memberships available for referees, youth coaches and retired coaches. 

Please visit the WisBCA.org website to sign up online with a credit card or print-off and mail in with check.

Below is a list of boys high school and college teams that HAVE signed up for their membership this year.

Colleges:
Cardinal Stritch Men's Basketball
Lakeland College Men's Basketball
MSOE Men's Basketball
UW-Whitewater Men's Basketball
Madison Area Technical College
Marquette Univesrity Men's Basketball
Wisconsin Men's Basketball
UW-Milwaukee Men's Basketball
UW-Parkside Men's Basketball
UW-Platteville Men's Basketball
Wisconsin Lutheran College
UW-River Falls Men's Basketball
Beloit College Women's Basketball
UW-Stevens Point Men's Basketball
UW-Eau Claire Men's Basketball
Fox Valley Technical College
UW-Green Bay Men's Basketball
Northern Athletics Conference
UW-Stout Men's Basketball
Carroll University Men's Basketball

High Schools:
Abundant Life
Albany
Alma
Almond-Bancroft
Amery
Amherst
Appleton West
Arrowhead
Assumption
Auburndale
Augusta
Badger (Lake Geneva)
Baldwin-Woodville
Baraboo
Barneveld
Bay Port
Beaver Dam
Beloit Turner
Benton
Black Hawk
Black River Falls
Blair-Taylor
Bonduel
Boscobel
Bowler
Brillion
Brodhead
Brookfield Central
Brookfield East
Brookwood
Brown Deer
Butternut
Cambria-Friesland
Cambridge
Cassville
Catholic Central
Catholic Memorial
Chippewa Falls
Clinton
Colby
Columbus
Crandon
Crivitz
Cuba City
Cumberland
D.C. Everest
De Pere
DeForest
Delavan-Darien
Denmark
Dodgeland
Dodgeville
Durand
Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran
Eau Claire Memorial
Eau Claire North
Edgerton
Elcho
Eleva-Strum
Elk Mound
Elkhorn
Fall Creek
Flambeau
Florence
Fond du Lac
Fort Atkinson
Fox Valley Lutheran
Freedom
Germantown
Gilmanton
Glenwood City
Grantsburg
Green Bay East
Green Bay Preble
Green Bay West
Green Lake
Greendale
Greenfield
Hamilton (Sussex)
Hayward
Highland
Hillsboro
Howards Grove
Hustisford
Iola-Scandinavia
Iowa-Grant
Ithaca
Janesville Craig
Janesville Parker
Johnson Creek
Juda
Kaukauna
Kenosha Christian Life
Kettle Moraine
Kettle Moraine Lutheran
Kickapoo
Kiel
Kohler
Laconia
Lake Country Lutheran
Lake Holcombe
Lake Mills
Lakeland (Minocqua)
Lakeside Lutheran
Lincoln (Alma Center)
Little Chute
Luther
Madison Edgewood
Madison Memorial
Madison West
Manitowoc Lincoln
Markesan
Marshall
Marshfield
Mayville
McDonell Central
Melrose-Mindoro
Menomonie
Middleton
Milton
Milwaukee Bay View
Milwaukee Custer
Milwaukee North
Milwaukee Vincent
Milwaukee Washington
Mineral Point
Mishicot
Mondovi
Monona Grove
Monroe
Montello
Mosinee
Mount Horeb
Mukwonago
Muskego
Necedah
Neenah
New Glarus
New London
Newman
Northwestern
Northwood
Oconto
Oostburg
Osceola
Oshkosh Lourdes
Oshkosh North
Ozaukee
Palmyra-Eagle
Pardeeville
Peshtigo
Phillips
Pioneer Westfield
Pittsville
Platteville
Plymouth
Port Washington
Portage
Potosi
Poynette
Prairie du Chien
Prairie Farm
Prescott
Racine Horlick
Racine Lutheran
Racine St. Catherine's
Randolph
Reedsburg
Rio
Ripon
River Falls
River Ridge
River Valley
Riverdale
Roncalli
Rosholt
Saint Francis
Saint Lawrence Seminary
Sauk Prairie
Sevastopol
Seymour
Sheboygan Area Lutheran
Sheboygan Falls
Sheboygan North
Sheboygan South
Shoreland Lutheran
Shorewood
Slinger
Somerset
Southwestern
Sparta
Spring Valley
St. Mary's Springs
St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Thomas More
Stevens Point
Stoughton
Stratford
Sun Prairie
The Prairie School
Tri-County
Valders
Verona
Viroqua
Waterford
Watertown
Waukesha South
Waunakee
Waupun
Wausau West
Wautoma
Wauwatosa West
Wayland Academy
West Bend East
West Salem
Westby
Westosha Central
Whitefish Bay Dominican
Whitehall
Whitewater
Whitnall
Wild Rose
Williams Bay
Wisconsin Dells
Wisconsin Heights
Wisconsin Lutheran
Wisconsin Rapids
Wrightstown

Comments(0) [+]

By Mark Miller
WisSports.net Editor

National signing week began today and no less than 14 prep basketball players from Wisconsin planned to sign national letters of intent to attend NCAA Division I schools.

In addition to the 14 players headed to Division I schools, another six players from the state received scholarships to attend Division II schools.

There is no question, 2010 is an exceptionally strong year for prep basketball talent in the Badger state. A year ago, just nine players from the state received scholarships to attend Division I institutions. Two years ago, the number stood at 11.

Headlining the list of Division I recruits from the state is Madison Memorial guard Vander Blue, an ultra-athletic 6-foot-4 wing guard and top 30 national prospect who signed today with Marquette.

The University of Wisconsin also got in on the deep talent run in the state as 6-foot-11 center Evan Anderson of Eau Claire North and rapidly emerging 6-4 guard Josh Gasser of Port Washington both opted to join the Badgers.

Blue became the third player from Memorial in the past five seasons to sign with Marquette, joining 2005 Mr. Basketball award winner Wesley Matthews and 2009 Mr. Basketball winner Jeronne Maymon.

“I'm 100 percent confident in my heart that I want to play for the Golden Eagles,” Blue said during a press conference in the school library. “I’m excited to be playing in the Big East Conference against teams like UConn and Louisville and Syracuse. There is no doubt in my mind I made the right decision.”

Ranked No. 1 among state seniors by WisSports.net and one of the most highly regarded high school basketball players to come out of Wisconsin this decade, Blue endured a long and often difficult road during his recruitment. 

He gave a verbal pledge to play for the hometown Badgers and coach Bo Ryan following his sophomore season, but opted to re-open his recruitment at a press conference last spring.

Over the summer and into the fall, Blue became the subject of many intense message-board threads on both Marquette and Wisconsin fan sites, stoking an already red-hot rivalry between the two schools.

But all of the speculation and wondering and questioning is behind Blue now. And, he says he is excited to finally be 100 percent focused on his basketball future, rather than dwelling on the past.

“This whole thing made me more mature,” Blue said. “I look forward to my high school season now and, hopefully, winning another state championship.”

Blue is one of the top candidates to win the coveted Mr. Basketball award in 2009-10, but he says he isn’t thinking about individual awards, but rather team success.

“If I get Mr. Basketball, that’s great,” he said. “But I’d rather have a Gold Ball than Mr. Basketball.”

Collins says he is eager to watch Blue play his final season of high school basketball and believes he’ll be even better than a year ago, when he earned first-team all-state honors from both the Associated Press and Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association.

“He had a phenomenal run at the end of the season last year and I think he’s gotten better,” Collins said. “I’ve seen it in the open gyms. He’s done an exceptional job of leading us. For us to win, he’s going to have to lead. He does things on the basketball court that are just unbelievable.” 

Meanwhile, Marquette coach Buzz Williams said in a statement released by the school today he is eager to have Blue join the Golden Eagles’ program. 

“We are very excited have Vander join our family,” Williams said.  “So much has been said of who Vander is as a player and that is easily justifiable. What hasn’t been said enough though, is who Vander is as a person. He is a better person than he is a player, and he will fit perfectly into the culture of our program, and will be a great representative of our institution on and off the floor.”

Following is a list of players from the state who are expected to sign national letters of intent this week with Division I and II schools:

Vander Blue, 6-4, PG/WG, Madison Memorial with Marquette

Evan Anderson, 6-11, C,  Eau Claire North with Wisconsin

Josh Gasser, 6-4, PG/WG, Port Washington with Wisconsin

Kameron Cerroni, 6-2, WG, Sussex Hamilton with Green Bay

Chip Rank, 6-6, WF, Cedarburg with Northern Iowa

Flavien Davis, 6-5, WF, Wisconsin Lutheran with Loyola of Chicago

Kyle Kelm, 6-8, WF/PF, Randolph with Milwaukee

Ben Mills, 7-1, C, Arrowhead with Boise State

Steve McWhorter, 6-2, PG, Racine St. Catherine’s with Indiana State

T.J. Bray, 6-4, PG/WG, Catholic Memorial with Princeton

Troy Huff, 6-3, WG, Brookfield Academy with North Dakota

Evan Richard, 6-3, WG, Cuba City with Milwaukee

Reid Koenen, 6-7, WF, The Prairie School with Texas State

Trevor Hass, 6-3, WG,  New London with Augustana (DII)

Brandon Pritzl, 6-2, WG, De Pere with Hillsdale (DII)

Matt Craggs, 6-5, WF, Kimberly with Northern Michigan (DII)

Jake Schalow, 6-3, WG, Kaukauna with Bemidji State (DII)

Jordan Mach, 6-2, PG/WG, Antigo with UW-Parkside (DII)

Derek Schell, 6-1, WG, Catholic Memorial with Hillsdale (DII)

Comments(0) [+]