The basketball skillset of players today continues to rise with more of an emphasis being put on ball-handling, shot creation, and high school athlete's ability to extend the shot range well beyond the arc.
The increase in regular season games to 24 has also given athletes more chances to add to their career totals. Though this may diminish the achievement of top scorers, scoring milestones (1,000 career points), etc, we'll continue to champion those who succeed on the hardwood.
Coming into the 2024-25 season, there is a bounty of athletes who will climb the scoring record books at their own schools and throughout the annals of Wisconsin high school basketball history.
Let's preview some of the top overall scorers (total points scored in career) for each class with data gathered from WSN's expansive statistical database.
The Class of 2025 comes into the 2024-25 season with 40 players having already scored 1,000 career points and another 30 who have surpassed 800.
However, five of those top scorers will not be suiting up for a WIAA team this season.
- Davion Hannah, formerly at Nicolet, now at Link Academy in Missouri - 1,480 career points
- Devin Brown, formerly at Milwaukee Academy of Science, now at Overtime Elite - 1,192 career points
- Kai Rogers, formerly at Wauwatosa West, now with Overtime Elite - 1,192 career points
- Juan Guerrero-Hernandez, formerly at Grafton, now with Veritas Academy in California - 1,104 career points
- LaTrevion Fenderson, formerly at The Prairie School, now with DME Prep Academy - 993 career points
Below is a list of the top ten returning scorers in the state. A full list of those coming into the season with 600+ points will be available at the bottom of the article.
Xzavion Mitchell of Oshkosh North
Daoust had the 15th (885 points) and 23rd (835 points) highest scoring seasons in state history the past two years and comes in to his senior campaign having surpassed 2,000 career points, sitting at 2,225. That number is good enough for 27th all-time already. He was third in the state in scoring last season, averaging 32.8 points per game. With another 800 point season, He would find himself as the second highest scoring player in state history, a feat that doesn't seem horribly unreachable for the elite scorer.
Mitchell has had to score at an elite level alongside another elite scorer in just graduated teammate Stevie Clark, who amassed 1,979 points over the past four years. Mitchell will enter his senior season with 1,818 points. The Iowa State commit will need to average around 24 points per game to enter the top 10 all-time in scoring, which seems very plausible.
Phillips led Almond-Bancroft to its first state tournament last season averaging 25.7 points per game. The talented big man will begin his senior year with 1,728 points and will likely end up in the top 20 of all-time scorers when it's all said and done.
Davis Jr. was the top scorer in not just Wisconsin, but the nation last year at Sun Prairie West, averaging an eye-popping 40.8 points per game. He scored 980 total points last season, good enough for 7th all-time in single-season scoring totals. Transferring to cross-town rival Sun Prairie East this year, Davis begins his senior year with 1,703 career points. Though 40 points per game will be almost impossible to repeat, Davis will surely finish his prep career near or in the top-10 all-time.
Wollan's scoring actually dropped by three points per game from his sophomore year to his junior year, but the arrival of his younger brother Keaton who averaged 16.3 points per game may have been a reason why. However, he comes into his senior year with 1,646 career points. If he averages 25 points per game, Wollan should crack the Top 25.
Bender will spend next season playing at Division II Minnesota State-Mankato. However, he'll come into his senior year looking to join the 2,000 point club in his prep career. Bender will begin the season with 1,616 career points, needing less that 400 points to surpass that milestone. That should be no problem for Bender, as his lowest season total in points was 447 as a freshman.
Womack recently committed to play basketball at Syracuse following his senior season, choosing the Orange over a handful of other Division I schools. The skilled guard comes into the season with 1,520 points and seems to be on track to pass the 2,000 point milestone like those mentioned before.
Buckman averaged 25.7 points per game last year and was the Player of the Year in the Capitol South Conference. A talented quarterback as well, Buckman will play basketball at NCAA Division II Hillsdale next season. He comes into his senior year with 1,517 career points and right on track to get to the 2,000 threshold come seasons end.
Gores has a very real chance to have a 2,000 point and 1,000 rebound career if this goes the course this season. He comes into the year with 1,440 points and 731 rebounds. Over a 25 games, he'll need to average 22 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, both under his average from last year. Gores recently committed to play basketball at Wyoming following high school.
Isaj obviously has the biggest hill to climb to surpass 2,000 points in his career coming into his senior campaign. The 6'6" wing has 1,419 career points. This means over 25 games, Isaj will need to average 23.24 points per game, which would be on par for the 23.3 points he averaged last season.
Here is a list of the other players in the Class of 2025 who have already scored 1,000 points coming into their senior years.
Channing Brown, Ithaca - 1,291
Carter Koch, Oconto - 1,277
Jace Paul, Alma Center Lincoln - 1,267
Jack Lutz, Whitnall - 1,255
Drew Murphy, Verona - 1,250
Jared Schultz, Northwood - 1,250
Zach Kinziger, De Pere - 1,248
Jamarion Batemon, Milwaukee Academy of Science - 1,248
Reagan Flickinger, Clinton - 1,207
Jesse DeBauch, Gillett - 1,203
Tommy Martin, Niagara - 1,198
Cullen Walker, Brodhead - 1,195
Camden Schurk, Pacelli - 1,185
Ty Roehm, Luck - 1,174
Zach Behn, Kewaskum - 1,152
Aiden Hawkinson, Waupun - 1,129
Brooks Hinson, Marshfield - 1,116
Cade Stasiek, Spring Valley - 1,087
Zach Orr, Rice Lake - 1,060
Logan Zahour, Cedarburg - 1,050
Carter Uppena, Royall - 1,035
Jaquarius Bent, Milwaukee South - 1,030
Trent Grunewald, Howards Grove - 1,012
Perry Dorris, Martin Luther - 1,012
Cohen Priebe, D.C. Everest - 1,007
Josh Manchester of Mount Horeb
Below are the top ten returning scorers for the Class of 2026 with regards to total points scored, data from WSN. With their current projection and total points scored, ten are on the trajectory to hit the 2,000 point mark after their senior years. Of those ten, two have already surpassed the 1,000 point mark in their first two seasons of varsity basketball.
Below we'll list all players from the Class of 2026 with 450 or more points.
Zavatchin is the top returning scorer in the Class of 2026 having put together back-to-back seasons averaging 20.2 points per game as a freshman and 21 points per game last year as a sophomore. The 6'4" forward has tallied 1,030 points already and is on a clear path to 2,000 in his career.
Manchester is the other incoming junior to have surpassed the 1,000 point milestone coming into the year with 1,018 total points. One of the top players in his class, Manchester averaged 24.1 points per game while shooting over 41% from three. The 6'3" guard is an extremely skilled scorer and drawing interest from many high level NCAA Division I programs.
Kayden, son of Plymouth head coach Tim Schultz, is the reigning East Central Player of the Year after he averaged 19.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.33 assists per game last season. He'll begin his junior campaign with 895 total points. A jump in scoring should be expected for the 6'3" guard, as the second and third top scorers in Jordan Schmitt and Jack Jacquat both graduated.
Hamilton is a great multi-sport athlete as he is a Division I basketball prospect, but has also been garnering interest on the gridiron from Division I schools. The junior point guard has scholarship offers From Detroit Mercy and Western Illinois and comes into the year with 878 career points after averaging 22.3 as a sophomore.
Karvala is the top player in the Class of 2026 in Wisconsin and has the interest of many high level Division I schools, including scholarship offers from in-state programs Wisconsin and Marquette. At 6'6", Karvala is a long athletic guard that took a huge step in production from his freshman to sophomore seasons, upping his points per game from 9.6 to 24.1. He begins his junior year with 857 career points, which he could very well double during the 2024-25 campaign.
Wickersheim is a two-time All-CWC North performer already for a White Lake team that improved by six games within the conference from 2022-23 to 2023-24. The 5'9" guard does benefit from playing in the CWC-North but he's been a very good scorer regardless, having tallied 854 total points through his first two varsity seasons.
There may not be a more explosive player in the state than Hereford. His quickness to the basket and ability to hit a shot from beyond the arc led him to averaging 25.1 points per game last season as a sophomore. He'll come into 2024-25 with 854 total points and like Karvala, is a real candidate to double up that number. Hereford has NCAA Division I offers from Northern Illinois and Western Illinois.
Lord was the top scorer in the Marawood-North conference last season as a sophomore, having averaged 20.6 points per game. The 6'2" shooting guard has tallied 840 total points through two seasons and will need to average around 23 points per game in 50 games over the next two years to get to the 2,000 point threshold by the time he graduates.
Baxter is one of twelve players that averaged over 20 points per game as a sophomore last season. He'll come into his junior year with 831 career points. The 6'3" combo guard/forward shot 42% from the three-point line last season and an uptick in attempts from beyond the arc should correlate to more points scored over the next two seasons.
Dirkse is the second Oostburg junior to make the top ten, bookending this list with teammate Jamison Zavatchin. Dirkse is the reigning Player of the Year in the Big East South after averaging 19 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. The 6'2" guard is also a very good soccer player for the Division 4, third-ranked Flying Dutchmen. Dirkse comes into his junior season with 766 career points and poised to take another step in his scoring production.
Donovan Davis of Freedom
Stepping into prominent scoring role as a freshman takes a certain level of skill regardless of competition at the varsity level. Below we'll highlight the top five scorers from last season in terms of overall points scored.
At the bottom of this page, also find a table with every player that scored 250 or more points as a freshman.
Johnson not only is the top scorer from the Class of 2027, but is the top prospect overall in this class. The 6'4" wing has a handful of Division 1 offers already including Marquette and Cincinnati. As just a freshman, Johnson averaged 24.7 points per game while shooting over 47% from beyond the arc. He scored a class high of 569 points and could end his career in the top 5 if he projects to increase his production year after year.
Mathis is one of two players from Augustine Prep to finish in the top five of scorers in the Class of 2027. The 6'0" combo guard averaged 22.6 points per game last year as a freshman, totaling 542 on the season. St. Augustine Prep will play an independent schedule this season, with games against tougher competition scheduled.
Yuenger scored at a high level last season as a freshman playing at Dodgeland. He averaged 21 points per game and totaled 525 points on the season while playing in the Trailways-East, earning first team all-conference honors. After the school season, Yuenger transferred to Beaver Dam where he'll suit up for head coach Tim Ladron and play in a much tougher conference with a more balanced team. I'd expect a drop in production as far as scoring, but Yuenger still projects as a skilled scorer in the Badger-Large.
Davis is a powerhouse of an athlete that has all the measurables and skillset to be a high level Division I recruit. He currently has a scholarship offer from Wisconsin after he averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists as a freshman. Davis scored 496 total points and made 43% of his shots beyond the arc, though he only attempted 58 total three-point shots. Davis projects as a 2,000 career point scorer as his game continues to grow and develop.
Whitmore rounds out the top five returning scorers from the Class of 2027, joining teammate Jcobi Mathis. Like Mathis, it'll be interesting to see how his production is effected by a tougher schedule in 2024-25. As a freshman, Whitmore averaged 22.5 points per game and totaled 472 points, while earning first team All-Lake City honors.
As we've looked ahead, let's take a quick look at those top scorers from the Class of 2024.
Though 1,000 points may not be considered quite the accomplishment it used to be, there are many schools who don't regularly have athletes that hit that career mark. From the Class of 2024, 115 graduated having scored over 1,000 points in their careers according to our data. Six of those surpassed the 2,000 mark in their four-year prep career.
Here's a look at some of those who entered the record books.
Schmitz was a scoring machine at G-E-T and finished his prep career with 2,654 points. Schmitz now sits at fourth all-time in the state in career points scored, one spot ahead of Sam Dekker. His senior season total of 843 points and junior season total of 824 landed 20th and 25th on the all-time single season scoring list in the state. Schmitz is a freshman with Division II Northern Michigan this season.
Johnson averaged 32.3 points per game for the Popes as a senior in the ultra-competitive Woodland-West conference. He finished his prep career with 2,473 points, which landed him at eight on the all-time list. His senior year production of 839 points was the 21st highest scoring season in the state's history. Johnson is a freshman with Bradley University.
Janowski is one of the more decorated athletes to come through the state in a while, having won three state championships his first three seasons and finishing with a silver ball as a senior; a year where he averaged 30.8 points per game. He finished with 2,297 career points which landed him 18th all-time. His 923 points last season were the 12th best scoring season in state history. Janowski will compete in the Big 10 this season as a freshman with Nebraska.
McCottry finished his prep career with a state championship and 2,284 career points, good enough for 20th on the career list. He averaged over 20 points per game each of his last three seasons with the Cavaliers. Mccottry committed late in the process to Division 1 Saint Louis University.
McNabb was an elite scorer for Grafton in the tough North Shore conference. He average 28 points per game as a senior, after two-straight 23-plus points per game seasons as a junior and sophomore. McNabb finished with 2,157 career points, which is 30th best in state history. He'll suit up this season alongside Schmitz at Northern Michigan University.
Massey was a standout three-sport athlete and could have played at the next level in any of basketball, baseball, or football. He chose to head to UW-Eau Claire to continue to play basketball. Massey finished his prep career as the 33rd highest scorer in history with 2,153 points.
Clark and Xzavion Mitchell (2025) were one of the best duos in the state last year with Oshkosh North. Clark finished his time at North with 1,979 career points, averaging 22.4 as a senior. He currently sits at 68th all-time and is playing for Division 1 Colgate.
Knueppel finished his year on the highest of highs, finally beating rival Pewaukee in the Division 2 State Championship as well as being named Mr. Basketball in the state of Wisconsin. He finished his career at Lutheran with 1,978 points which was one short of Clark and lands him at 69 on the all-time scoring list. Knueppel will suit up for one of the blue-blood basketball programs this season, Duke.
Franks also competed in the extremely tough North Shore conference for Homestead and averaged 27.6 points per game as a senior. He finished with 1,923 points which landed him exactly at 75th on the all-time scoring list. Franks is at St. Thomas University in Minnesota, which is in its fourth season in Division 1.
A full list of the players from the Class of 2024 to finish with over 1,000 points is listed below.
Tag(s): News Archive BBB News Colton Wilson