Preseason All-Conference: FVA
Preseason POTY: Max Klesmit – After committing to Wofford this summer, Prep Hoops Wisconsin moved Klesmit up to number nine in the 2020 class — a move that was months in the making. His performances last year earned him the…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingPreseason POTY: Max Klesmit – After committing to Wofford this summer, Prep Hoops Wisconsin moved Klesmit up to number nine in the 2020 class — a move that was months in the making. His performances last year earned him the second most votes for conference POTY. With last year’s first and third-place finishers now gone and Klesmit’s stock going through the roof, he sits comfortably in the driver’s seat for the award.
Preseason First-Team:
Max Klesmit, G, Neenah – The FVA first-team is guard-heavy, clearly. Forward will be somewhat of an embattled position, but with the surplus of guards, Klesmit is the one guy that could easily play a big man role. He’s 6-foot-3, and in high school that’s enough to survive in the paint. When push comes to shove, he can and will tap into a bottomless well of skills, which includes rebounding and shot-blocking among other forward-specific abilities.
Jake Buchanan, G, Kimberly – Kimberly’s incumbency as the FVA’s powerhouse program will come under fire this season. After a year finding success behind a college-caliber nucleus, they’ll ebb as they lose two of their top three scorers. As the one guy remaining from last year’s core, Rockhurst commit Jake Buchanan hopes defend Kimberly’s spot at the top.
On offense, Buchanan repeatedly finds a way to exploit the looks he’s given. Whether defenses extend out and guard him on the perimeter or collapse into the paint to thwart his driving game, he finds a way to light up the stat sheet, as he averaged 17.3 points and 3.7 rebounds a night in his junior season.
Keaton Ferris, G, Kaukauna – As a pass-first guard and a needle-threader in the half-court, Ferris easily will likely justify his All-Conference status for the second straight season.
Ferris averaged 12.9 points per game last year to pair with a handful of assists. His junior year was impressive, but a more recent evaluation of his game came on the Prep Hoops Circuit this summer. In each game he played, it was evident that Ferris has begun pushing harder on the gas pedal. Where a pass-first playstyle bordered passive last year, he’s recently become a more deliberate scorer with a more aggressive motor.
Logan Jedwabny, G, Kaukauna – Jedwabny subtly averaged 17.2 points per game last season, a number that speaks to his ability to heat up quickly. He had nine games with over 20 points, scorching teams from beyond the arc. The logical next step would be adding an inside presence and smooth driving game. He’s done that to an extent and is a surefire college talent, but to make that worthwhile tweak would be to cement himself as one of the more skillful scorers in the 2020 class.
Karter Thomas, G, Oshkosh West – Recovering from an ACL tear means Thomas’ status must be taken with a grain of salt. This summer, Thomas told Prep Hoops Wisconsin that he plans to play in his season opener, but until he proves he’s 100 percent there’s not a ton to predict.
That said, if he’s healthy he can easily contend for the POTY in the conference. Of course, that’s assuming the most optimistic in terms of growing pains along with a big if around his knee. Say he reverts back to being his 24.2 points per game self, then he’ll surely be a first-team player and establish himself on the recruiting scene.
Honorable Mentions: Max Nelson, Jacob Newhouse, Evan Glaser, Cole Warning, Parker Lawrence, Grant Asman, Josh Dilling, Jalen Keago, Christopher Morgan