Madison Memorial enters season ranked No. 1 among Division 1 schools
posted by Mark Miller at 10/29/2009
By Mark Miller
WisSports.net Editor Despite losing promising sophomore Junior Lomomba for at least a portion of the season due to a wrist injury, defending WIAA Division 1 state champion Madison Memorial begins the 2009-10 season as the top-ranked team in the state in the upcoming edition of the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook, which will hit the streets in mid November.
Memorial, which defeated Racine Horlick in the Division 1 title game last March, is led by 6-foot-4 senior Vander Blue, the top-ranked player from the class of 2010 in the WisSports.net Player Rankings and a Marquette University recruit.
Blue averaged 16.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a junior and is ranked No. 22 nationally by Rivals.com.
Senior guard Tre Creamer (6-4) also returns to the Spartans’ starting lineup. Creamer averaged 10.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per contest while helping Memorial to a 26-1 record.
Lomomba (6-4) joined Blue and Creamer in the starting rotation, but will miss at least the start of the season while recovering from wrist surgery.
Other returning players expected to play key roles for coach Steve Collins include seniors Eric Fruhling (6-1) and Ed Kluender (6-7), and juniors Miles Chamberlain (6-4) and Tre Burnette (6-3). Sophomore Jamar (Popcorn) Morris (6-4) is also expected to be a key contributor for Memorial, which opens the season at Madison West on December 5.
Memorial’s non-conference schedule includes a game against Milwaukee City Conference power Milwaukee Rufus King on Dec. 19 in the Eastbay/Converse Classic at the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee, and three games in the Motor City Classic in Detroit on Dec. 28-30.
The 25th edition of the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook will be shipped in mid November. Over the next several days, we’ll release the preseason team rankings that appear in this year’s edition of the WBY, which includes conference-by-conference previews, hundreds of photos, statistics, rosters, schedules, team and player rankings and much, much more.
To order your copy of the WBY, simply go to
www.wishoops.net and click on the ordering info link next to the cover of this year’s edition.
And now, here are the preseason team rankings for Division 1:
1. Madison Memorial … Vander Blue is the best player in the state on the best team in the state.
2. Milwaukee Hamilton … Wildcats are loaded with outstanding young talent.
3. Milwaukee Washington … Depth is a bit of a concern, but the Purgolders’ starting five is exceptionally strong.
4. Arrowhead … Five starters return from a club that won the Classic Eight title, including 7-foot-1 center Ben Mills.
5. Milwaukee King … Well-coached, skilled and hungry, King will battle Hamilton and Washington for the City Conference title.
6. De Pere … The Redbirds have it all – experience, size, athleticism, depth and talent.
7. Madison East … Senior Marquis Mason is a four-year starter while junior Nimrod Hilliard is a heady point guard.
8. Menomonee Falls … It is worth the time of every prep basketball fan in the state to go and watch super sophomore J.P. Tokoto.
9. Kimberly … Papermakers get the slight edge over Appleton East in the tough Fox Valley Association.
10. Racine Park … The Panthers feature an experienced and deep backcourt.
HONORABLE MENTION: Antigo, Appleton East, Bay Port, Burlington, D.C. Everest, DeForest, Eau Claire Memorial, Eau Claire North, Germantown, Kenosha Tremper, La Crosse Central, La Crosse Logan, Merrill, Milwaukee Marquette, Oconomowoc, Oshkosh North, Superior, Verona, Waterford, Wauankee, Wasau West, Wauwatosa West.
Comments 14
On
10/29/2009 2:53:49 PM
MHornet9 wrote:
and for smaller divisions.... i guess they were left out as usual
On
10/29/2009 2:57:05 PM
MarkMiller wrote:
The article says we will be releasing the Pre-Season Team Rankings on a daily basis. Look for D2 tomorrow followed by D3 and D4.
All schools are included on both the WSN Website and in the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook ... as usual. :)
On
10/29/2009 5:27:10 PM
DYNEX wrote:
my guy salty out here hahah
On
10/29/2009 8:26:08 PM
RChoops22 wrote:
wat about beloit is beloit just that sorry now??
On
10/30/2009 8:24:38 AM
sportsfan wrote:
Patience MHornet9. What fun would it be if Mark released everything all at once?
On
10/31/2009 6:31:38 PM
Ty Sqy wrote:
Its typical for Beloit to get no respect at the start of the season...
On
10/31/2009 7:14:27 PM
MarkMiller wrote:
Beloit lost its two frontcourt starters to graduation and one of its returning starting backcourt performers to transfer. Beloit will still be highly competitive, but I think Jay Bryant would be the first to say the Purple Knights are not among the top 3 teams in the Big Eight in the preseason.
On
11/1/2009 8:19:43 AM
jeff5595 wrote:
I thought Sun Prairie was coming on
On
11/1/2009 2:05:53 PM
RChoops22 wrote:
i wouldnt see who would be that much better than beloit to not give them a shot at it what teams in the big 8 pose those problems??
On
11/2/2009 10:15:08 AM
Ty Sqy wrote:
Presuming what Jay Bryant may think about his team is quite bold. I would still have to take Beloit in a three spot or higher in the Big Eight, regardless of their losses. Verona loses about 40% of their offensive output in Ziemer and still are put in higher regard than a Beloit Memorial team that was well rounded, from the year before.
On
11/2/2009 11:19:33 AM
MarkMiller wrote:
It isn't bold at all. Coach Bryant told me a few weeks ago he believes Beloit will be highly competitive and could make some noise. But at least in the preseason, he did not think Beloit should be placed among the top 3 teams in the league. Doesn't mean the Purple Knights won't finish that high, but replacing three starters, including both frontline starters, will take some time.
On
11/2/2009 12:28:11 PM
Ty Sqy wrote:
Thank you for the insight. But I still wonder why Verona of all teams would be placed on honorable mention, ahead of Beloit or Sun Prarie. Like I said before, Ziemer basically carried Verona in both games against Beloit last year, one in which he scored nearly 20 points from the free throw line, and almost 40 overall.
On
11/2/2009 2:12:16 PM
Ridin24 wrote:
Ty Sqy- its only honorable mention. teams are noted often as being ranked as honorable mention. also its only the preseason. come tip-off, let their game speak
On
11/4/2009 9:53:18 AM
parkerhoops wrote:
Right now, I would put Sun Prairie and Verona both ahead of Beloit in the Big 8. Big 8 will be extremely tough this year. Don't sleep on Middleton either. I think it is a two horse race at the top but there is a lot to be decided after East and Memorial.
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