Week One’s Standout Sleeper Prospects

Week one of the boy’s high school season in Wisconsin has wrapped up, and I was able to catch a number of games both in person and on film. These are some of the top under-the-radar players I saw throughout the week! Stats via wissports.net, team Twitter accounts, and in-game announcements. 

Jacob Christjohn (6’ 2023 G, Cudahy)-  There’s nothing flashy about Jacob’s game, but he’s consistent, productive, and fundamentally sound as a player. I was able to catch him in Cudahy’s game against Saint Thomas More, and although he didn’t put up huge numbers, there was a lot to like about Jacob’s game. He has a strong frame that allows him to stay balanced in the paint to finish through contact, while also clearing out space with a box-out to rebound at a high rate for a guard. Jacob ran the point for Cudahy and was making smart reads while making crisp and accurate passes. I also liked his ability to move without the ball and knock down a couple of threes off the catch.

Tyson Skalecki Tyson Skalecki 6'5" | SF Union Grove H.S. | 2022 WI (6’5 2022 F, Union Grove)- I think that as Tyson continues to become more confident in his abilities, he’ll become an increasingly more dangerous player in the Southern Lakes Conference. At 6’5 he has some nice length, and plays as a stretch-four for UG. In their opener against Prairie, although his outside shot wasn’t falling, he did a good job of cutting off the ball to get open around the basket where he finished at a high rate. Showcasing his touch around the rim, he scored 13 points on 6-11 shooting (5-7 inside the arc), while also using his vision to dish out three assists. Later in the week he dropped 20 points as Union Grove knocked off Wilmot. 

Jackson Woodward (5’10 2021 PG, Racine Lutheran)- The Metro Classic Conference is loaded with point guards this season, and Jackson looks ready to compete with them over the next few months. At 5’10 he doesn’t have a ton of length, but makes up for it with a strong frame and quickness to defend. Jackson is a leader on the floor for his team both vocally and with his energy defensively. In a win over Saint Thomas More, Jackson looked confident on the offensive end, dropping 22 points in a variety of ways. He knocked down catch-and-shoot threes, looked really good pulling up from mid-range off one dribble, and showcased his quick burst to attack baseline and finish inside. 

Peter Skogman (6’5 2021 W, Waukesha West)- I really like Peter’s potential to be a nice second scoring threat alongside Cam Palesse this season. At 6’5 he’ll have to defend a lot in the post at this level, but looked really comfortable out on the wing offensively. Against St. John’s NW Academies, Peter put up 13 points in a tight game. He was able to float out along the perimeter and move into space after a teammate penetrated the lane to get open for a kick out. Peter ended up knocking down three triples on the game, and I think we could end up seeing similar numbers from him all year long. 

Jalen Murphy (6’ 2021 G, Oak Creek)- Oak Creek looks ready to contend in the SEC this year, and Jalen looks like a senior ready to step up for them. At 6’ he brings solid athleticism to the floor, but is also a threat to shoot from mid-range or three. In the game I watched against West Bend West, Jalen was moving well off the ball to find space along the perimeter to shoot. I liked his ability to read the close out, and make smart decisions on whether to take the three, or take one dribble to beat his man into an open shot from mid-range. He finished off the game with 11 points, and is averaging 9.5 ppg through the first two games of the year. 

Drew Reindl (6’ 2022 SG, Saint Thomas More)- I caught Saint Thomas More’s first two games of the season, and Drew Reindl looks like a player ready to take the next step forward for them. The lefty guard looks the part of an upcoming sniper, knocking down threes all week long with his quick release. Micah Causey Micah Causey 5'9" | PG St. Thomas More | 2022 WI was able to draw a lot of help defenders with his quickness and handle, and Drew did a really nice job of recognizing the space along the perimeter to find openings for kick out passes. He also added in a few tough finishes around the rim. Drew scored 16 in a win over Cudahy, but I wasn’t able to find any stats for his game against Racine Lutheran.

Brady Wilks (5’10 2021 PG, Racine Lutheran)- Brady has been a really consistent performer in the Metro Classic Conference over the last three years, and has a good chance of breaking the 1,000 point mark in just the second week of his senior season. At 5’10 he’s another smaller guard, but has put on a lot of muscle over the years to help make up for it. Defensively he’s a pest who plays hard and is extremely quick. Against Saint Thomas More he really used that quickness to his advantage, turning one steal into a transition lay-up, and also beating his defender to the rim in the half-court. Although Brady can normally be found stretching the floor with his shooting, he scored the majority of his 16 points with crafty finishes around the rim.