Sectional Semi-Final Preview: Prospects to Watch

<p>The road to get to this point was arduous, demanding, and anything but easy. But, for all the prospects that were able to make it to this year’s sectional semi-finals, the hard work was worth it. Each player that made it this far now has an opportunity to shine on one of the biggest stages that Wisconsin has to offer. </p> <p>Prep Hoops Wisconsin previews Thursday's sectional semis by listing six prospects to watch: </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="804902" first="Jayden" last="Jackson"] -- Whitefish Bay -- SG</strong></p> <p>Scoring with Nicolet is not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. Whitefish Bay will need to lean heavily on Jackson if it wants to keep up with the Knights.</p> <p>The 6-foot-3 shooting guard will need to create his own offense because the matchups simply don’t favor his squad. On paper, Nicolet should have no problem beating WB and advancing to the next round. But, weird things happen in March. A big game from Jackson could turn this into an interesting matchup. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="935428" first="Logan" last="Pearson"] -- Kimberly -- SG</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="544519" first="Jake" last="Buchanan"] is averaging 18.9 points per game, so it would make sense for Eau Claire North to devise a gameplan that would slow down the point guard. But, if too many resources are allocated to stopping Buchanan, Pearson will gladly step in and make shots. The 6-foot-2 guard played sparingly last season but has now carved out a niche for himself as a knockdown shooter. If ECN’s defense crashes on dribble drives from other Papermaker players, Pearson will be ready to make a three. </p> <p>The SG is also a terrific defender. Expect him to play some role in defending [player_tooltip player_id="544501" first="Dalton" last="Banks"]. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="811851" first="Carson" last="Smith"] -- Sussex Hamilton -- SG</strong></p> <p>Because [player_tooltip player_id="544570" first="Patrick" last="BaldwinJr."] will be locked up with [player_tooltip player_id="544505" first="Carter" last="Gilmore"] in what should be one of the best individual matchups this season, Smith will have the opportunity to have a really productive game.</p> <p>The Northern Michigan commit has been on a tear lately. He has put up over 25 points in two out of his last three games. Smith will need to continue shooting the ball well for Hamilton to get past a really good Arrowhead team. </p> <p><strong>Da’Quante Sawyer -- Kenosha Bradford -- PG</strong></p> <p>Sawyer will likely draw the task of guarding Racine Case’s JaKobe Thompson. Thompson has proven to be a tough player to slow down this season due to his ability to put the ball in the hoop. Thompson had his way with Bradford in the first matchup, scoring 23 points on 8-19 shooting. </p> <p>Sawyer will need to lockdown Thompson on defense while also producing on offense in the rematch for Bradford to have a chance at pulling the upset. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="694814" first="Keonte" last="Jones"] -- Madison East -- SG</strong></p> <p>Much of the attention has been directed towards [player_tooltip player_id="811017" first="Anthony" last="Washington"], but Jones is quietly having an outstanding senior season. The two-guard is putting up an efficient 14.1 points per contest. </p> <p>Jones’ athleticism and length will be a problem for Oconomowoc. On Thursday, Jones will attempt to expose the Raccoons on both ends of the court. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="830582" first="Cameron" last="Palesse"] -- Waukesha West -- PG</strong></p> <p>This one is all on Palesse. If Waukesha West wants to make it to the sectional finals, the point guard will need to be playing his best basketball.</p> <p>The good news? Palesse is having a terrific junior season and he has met little resistance when scoring.</p> <p>The bad news? Palesse will have a tough matchup on Thursday, as Elkhorn’s [player_tooltip player_id="806560" first="Jordan" last="Johnson"] has been one of the biggest guard stock risers this season. </p>