2019-20 Season: Early MIP Candidates

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With a new season right around the corner, PHW looks to make use of the agape window for prediction. What’s next? Most Improved Player, and a whole bunch of candidates to choose from. </span></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">(Caveat: Candidates can only be chosen if they’ve played a whole year on varsity)</span></i></p> <p><b>Eric Radisevic - Brookfield Central</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Those following the Brookfield Central Fall League, even just a scroll through Twitter, likely heard the hype building around Radisevic. He has power and an elite frame with finesse lightly stirred in, a potent brew that, after almost no playing time last season, makes him a candidate for this award.</span></p> <p><b>Tyler Borowski - Appleton East</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The sophomore looks to capitalize off his freshman showcase, assuming a more loaded offensive plate and burgeoning usage. In summer leagues and the grassroots circuit, Borowski parsed defenses for high-scoring games, launching threes and nosing out easy layups. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Not to leave out, departures to East’s core allow Borowski to fit into a primary scoring fix.</span></p> <p><b>Mason Martinson - New Glarus</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With New Glarus’ top two scorers gone via graduation, they look towards a new wave of talent capped off by Martinson. The 6’4” forward will have the burden of upholding last year’s state expectations. If he pulls it off, he could be a frontrunner for this award. </span></p> <p><b>Joe Reuter - Chippewa Falls</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reuter scored over 40 points in the WBY tournament, an explosion that caught me a tad off-guard. Aside from that being the first time I’d seen him play, he averaged only 9.5 points a night last season. Assuming the 40-ball wasn’t an incredibly coincidental outlier, and his strong frame, lethal jab step and mobility at his position were legitimate, a major breakout year could be on the horizon. </span></p> <p><b>Lance Nelson - Monona Grove</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nelson’s playstyle mimics a star, or at least the confidence of one. His low, aggressive bursts make for an elite driving ability, and his comfort on the perimeter coined him as a versatile and malleable guard. After averaging just 2.1 points a game last year, more minutes could get him into the MIP conversation.  </span></p> <p><b>Parker Lawrence - Hortonville </b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After two years developing on the varsity squad, Lawrence will crop up this season, possibly as his team’s top pure scorer. Hortonville keeps their top three scorers in the fold, Lawrence being the third, but he will be transitioning from sophomore to junior year, a leap that typically goes hand-in-hand with breakout seasons. </span></p>