State Tournament: Day 1 Prospect Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>MADISON, Wis. -- </strong>The 2023 WIAA State Tournament kicked off from the Kohl Center on Thursday with semifinal action in Division 3 and Division 4...</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1447228' first='Jamarion' last='Batemon'] - 2025 - SG - Milwaukee Academy of Science</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Said it before, I'll say it again -- Batemon is one of the top three shooters in the state regardless of class. The way he can go from putting his head down to pulling up from anywhere on the floor is just plain special. The sophomore guard scored a team-high 19 points, including a 5-of-6 effort from 3-point range. Batemon also had five rebounds and two steals from the guard spot. A plus-length sniper that also buys in defensively, Batemon brings a ton of value to the table. With his long arms and anticipation skills, Batemon is highly effective in MAS's full court press, able to alter the flight pattern of the ball, if not get his hands on the ball and turn defense into offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1447228"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6414423711cd8"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='981201' first='Levi' last='Birkholz'] - 2023 - SG - Lakeside Lutheran</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Always loved Birkholz's approach. First trip to state, nerves are probably running high, but you'd never know it. The Citadel commit knew he had to be special in order for the Spartans to knock off Brillion, but Birkholz wasn't out there trying to be anything that he's not, let the game come to him, and even took a few minutes to let things settle in before getting aggressive offensively. Despite a two-point loss, definitely nothing t for Birkholz to hang his head about. In his final high school game, Birkholz tallied 18 points (7-14), 12 rebounds, six steals, and four assists. While he's primarily a slasher, Birkholz shot it really well in the mid-range, able to shake loose with a beautiful behind the back dribble that lets defenders just glide by. Although he wasn't able to get a shot off at the end, Birkholz made a pair of free throws and had a steal prior to the last possession to get the Warriors within a score at the end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["981201"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6414423711d32"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1160035' first='Tamarrein' last='Henderson'] - 2024 - SG - West Salem</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Henderson had a very solid all-around game in the win over MAS. Thought he was terrific on both ends of the floor and really took things up a notch when star wing [player_tooltip player_id='1409364' first='Peter' last='Lattos'] hit the bench in the first half with three fouls. Henderson finished with 25 points (8-14), nine rebounds, four assists, one block, and a steal in 34 minutes of action. A prospect that's still got a ton of room left for growth, Henderson was a very streaky shooter early in his career. He's now developed quite a bit of consistency. The next area of growth appears to be the handles. Facing some really good defenders, Henderson was able to break them down and just looked like he was toying with them at times. At 6-foot-4, Henderson has some combo guard potential too. He's not a tweener, but more of a blend that has attributes for either role. A strong, athletic guard that's also one of the better perimeter defenders in the state, Henderson is a two-way prospect that should be in the mix for Division 2 offers this spring/summer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1160035"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6414423711d7f"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1852437' first='Eric' last='Kenesie'] - 2024 - PG - Kenosha St. Joseph</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a Division 5 game, tough to get a feel for what type of prospect Kenesie is in terms of how he stands up to the other point guards across the state, but one thing is for sure, he's very savvy. Top seed St. Mary Catholic eventually went zone to try and slow him down. Kenesie scored 22 of his team's first 30 points. With 14:34 left in the game, Kenesie had scored or assisted on 33 of KSJ's 41 points. Not bad for a prospect I had never heard of. St. Mary Catholic simply could not slow him down. A skilled ball handler who can get into tight spaces and weave in traffic, Kenesie lived in the paint. When the opposition had bodies protecting the rim, Kenesie was able to counter with a series of step-back, pull-up, or off-balance jumpers. Eventually, SMC started trapping Kenesie on ball screens, but their defense suffered because of it as Kenesie stayed poised and made heady passes to get out of trouble. Despite dishing out all eight of his assists in the second half, Kenesie still finished with a state tournament record, across all divisions, 51 points on just 21 shots. Icing the game down the stretch, Kenesie scored 14 points in the final 5:24 to take down the top seed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1017916' first='Jeremy' last='Lorenz'] - 2023 - PF - Brillion</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When it looked like Lakeside Lutheran was going to overtake Brillion in the second half, that's when Lorenz turned it up a notch or two. The Wofford commit scored nine of 11 points during a stretch to answer everything the Warriors threw at them. Lorenz finished with 25 points (9-14), 11 rebounds, six blocks, and three assists. Down the stretch, Lorenz scored 15 of the last 20 points for the Lions, who were able to survive the scare. Facing constant double teams, Lorenz remained poised in traffic and picked his spots really well. Lorenz was very effective at spinning off bodies, maintaining his pivot foot, and getting into tight areas where he could score inside. Felt like Lorenz was also very cognizant of when double teams were late as well, making sure he worked quickly and backed his man down with authority before the help could arrive. Defensively, he was just a force on the interior, blocking/altering shots without fouling. Having been there before, Lorenz didn't get fazed in a close game down the stretch. The 6-foot-8 forward made four of his last five shots to help seal the deal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1017916"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-641441742be00"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brett McConkey - 2023 - PF - West Salem</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Panthers had 30 second-chance points in Thursday's win over Milwaukee Academy of Science. You can point right to McConkey, who once again, dominated on the interior. Of his 14 rebounds, seven came on the offensive end. McConkey would finish with 18 points, 14 rebounds, and three assists. A big body with nimble feet and a high motor, McConkey just changes games as an x-factor for this West Salem squad, who is looking really good to get a ring on Saturday. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>RESULTS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West Salem 93 Milwaukee Academy 65</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brillion 57 Lakeside Lutheran 55</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kenosha St. Joseph 83 St. Mary Catholic 72</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Luther 79 Whithall 51</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->