Preseason All-Conference: Big Eight

<p>Preseason POTY - Anthony Washington: After watching Washington this summer, I noted a few things that were prevalent in his performances. The guard has an impeccable stature with length and physicality that plays perfectly into his key skills. His attack-first playstyle made him unique on offense, as he maneuvered through the lane like an SUV through traffic cones. Whatever way you look at him, whatever stat you bring to the fore, each one shows that he's a premier talent and a POTY frontrunner.</p> <p>Last season he was the leader of his school team, scrounging up 16.9 points per game as Madison East notched a one-seed in the playoffs.</p> <p>Preseason First Team:</p> <p>Anthony Washington, G - Madison East: As the highest ranked player in the conference and the guy at the helm of Madison East’s campaign for a one-seed last season, he’s supplied enough evidence for me to give him a chinch nod here.</p> <p>Colin Schaefer, G - Sun Prairie: The State tournament tends to polish the skillsets of young guards. That's especially true for a guy like Schaefer, a prospect oozing with skill and hungry for experience after missing time with injury. </p> <p>The Sun Prairie guard eased into things during the playoffs with some solid outings then lit up like a rocket early in the spring at the Swish N’ Dish tournament. The guard displayed a fluid stroke from outside and poise as a floor general in the half-court offense. Look for his experience last season and this summer to help him as he pursues first-team honors.</p> <p>Delaware Hale, F - Sun Prairie: Hale is very much a versatile power forward, the only caveat being that his skillset remains mostly paint-oriented. His blunt force on backdowns is the stuff that leaves defenders battered and bruised. He’s solid cutting to the rim for layups and easy scores, as he can operate on the perimeter when off the ball but struggles with it in his hands. Look for him to thrive next season as his strength and power will be unmatched by any opposing big.</p> <p>Dayne Armwald, F - Madison West: Armwald’s skillset — one that made him the leading scorer in the conference last season — is a unique one. The forward is undersized in terms of height, but plays with a high motor and freely uses his body to squeak through cracks in the defense. It took a back seat last season, but his smooth jumper and clean shot mechanics helped him diversify his shot selection as well. If he can incorporate that more without settling, he'll be a silent weapon next season for West.</p> <p>Armwald isn’t an eye-popping player, but he can flat-out score and may find himself on a college roster after his senior season. </p> <p>Ben Probst, G - Madison La Follette: You can’t responsibly talk about Probst’s game without first mentioning his three-point jumper. He launched 147 threes last season, blitzing the defense from the perimeter. He still struck an appropriate balance between hoisting and driving, which served to his benefit as he developed last season. He went from 7.9 to 14.9 points per game from sophomore to junior year, conceivably due to more minutes and opportunities due to departures (turnover is an issue once again, so logically we can expect him to capitalize with more improvements).</p> <p>Honorable Mentions: Keonte Jones, Kyle Yu, Isaiah Stewart</p>