Racine, Kenosha Set to Produce Powerhouse Rosters Next Season
I didn’t know that I would be peddling the Racine and Kenosha region weeks after the World Hoops Scouting camp. Neither did I think that four teams from that region could be conference and postseason contenders. But, as the grassroots…
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Continue ReadingI didn’t know that I would be peddling the Racine and Kenosha region weeks after the World Hoops Scouting camp. Neither did I think that four teams from that region could be conference and postseason contenders. But, as the grassroots season bleeds in the school season, Racine Case, Racine St. Catherines, Kenosha Bradford, and Kenosha Indian Trail have proven themselves to be postseason fixtures, each one dappled with noteworthy prospects from that area.
Racine Case:
When researching for this piece, I noticed that there’s a narrative to be drawn from their backcourt. JaKobe Thompson and Terryon Brumby led Case in scoring as underclassmen last season, both were crafty combo guards and steal-happy defenders. But, the two times Thompson scored in single digits, Brumby did too. They’ve also been within five points of each other in roughly 40 percent of their games last season. A good game from one of them doesn’t undoubtedly denote a modest game from the other. It’s not a turn-taking ordeal. As young players eager to establish themselves, they’ve played as a unit, setting aside personal agendas.
Case hasn’t even brought Amari Jedkins completely into the fold yet, their highest-rated player and the assumed starting forward in his sophomore season. They also boast a supporting cast that has more star power than complementary pieces. Nick Fugiasco, JayVian Farr, Logan Schmidtmann, and Jonathan Rankins are all seniors next season, their skill sets and experience will be vital in piecing together a roster that has potential to be a sprouting high school powerhouse.
Racine St. Catherines:
Tyrese Hunter recently moved into Prep Hoops’ top-five ranking with Michael Foster Jr. leaving for Hillcrest Prep (AZ). Hunter paces an array of offensive weapons at St. Catherines, as he averaged 14.8 points per game while Kamari McGee, the eleventh ranked prospect in the 2021 class, is nipping at his heels with 10.4 points per game. That said, St. Catherines’ most efficient shooter last season was Jermaine Tomlin. He converted on 70 percent of his shots and will be thrust into a more pivotal scoring fix next season. He’ll be accompanied by Elijah Lambert, who will also mount the depth chart as a permanent starter.
I can say with confidence that St. Catherines, a team with four prospective college players, is poised for a State birth.
Kenosha Bradford:
Maxwell Glass’ most recent performance at the NY2LA Summer Jam invited Twitter-fingers while prompting college interest from Silver Lake. He’s the leading scorer for Bradford, as he poured in 15.3 points per game as a junior last season. And it was hardly a competition either, as Glass converted on 44 more shots than the next highest scorer and 87 more than Tre Gordon, Bradford’s star in the making. As a freshman last season, Gordon checked into 12 games and averaged 5.7 points per contest. In those games, his buckets often came on drives, contrary to the eyebrow-raising, three-point barrage he unleashed at the World Hoops camp.
Kenosha Indian Trail:
To view Ezra Stargell as anything but a high-major player is to under-value his skillset. As a sophomore, he shouldered Indian Trail’s fourth-place finish in the Southeast Conference, averaging 15.8 points per game while facilitating a balanced offensive attack. Anthony Bernero teamed up with Stargell last year, and despite his 6-foot-3 frame being somewhat undersized for a center, he’s an instinctive shot blocker and spreads the floor with a smooth three-point jump shot (it’s of note that a majority of his threes I’ve watched on film were assisted by Stargell, who could be the class’ top passer).