State Tournament: Day 2 Standouts

MADISON -- Day two of the WIAA state tournament featured semifinal action in Division 5, 2, and 1. Who stood out at the Kohl Center during Friday's action?   [player_tooltip player_id='1142119' first='Bennett' last='Basich'] - 2024 - SG - Arrowhead   Basich gave Arrowhead a huge boost in the second half, helping the Warhawks hold off Neenah. The junior guard scored 17 of his 19 points after halftime. Basich got to the rim pretty much whenever he wanted and knocked down some 3-pointers early in possessions as well. Basich went 7-of-14 from the field and also grabbed nine rebounds. A tough as nails prospect that provides momentum boosts, Basich sealed the deal with nine-straight points as Arrowhead broke the game open with a 62-49 lead with 3:04 remaining. After appearing to roll his ankle following a jump shot, Basich checked out momentarily. An injury he missed some of the season with, Basich managed to come back stronger and put some distance between the Warhawks and Rockets when he did. Early in the second half, he also scored nine of 15 points for Arrowhead to push the lead to 13.    [player_tooltip player_id='1022499' first='Bennett' last='Fried'] - 2023 - SF - La Cross Central   Really looked like Fried was going to put the River Hawks over the top in Friday's semifinal loss to Whitnall. Fried scored 10 of the last 12 points, including the game-tying layup with 17 seconds remaining. That spurt accounted for all of Fried's points in the second half. He would finish with 17 (6-10), four blocks, and four rebounds. Still one of the more intriguing prospects in the class of 2023, Fried is a lanky, explosive 6-foot-7 wing/forward that's steadily developed over the last four years. He's most effective at scoring around the rim, but can now mix things up with a fallaway game in the post. Defensively, he's also got some serious versatility and can switch onto four positions no problem. Might be a little bit of a boom or bust player at the next level, but wouldn't be surprised to see Fried explode at the next level given how good of a player his dad was.    [player_tooltip player_id='1364523' first='Jace' last='Gilbert'] - 2024 - PF - Arrowhead   Gilbert dominated Friday's semifinal win over Neenah early, scoring seven quick points to set the tone. The Iowa State football commit was a pain in Neenah's side all game long, using his big body to control the interior. Gilbert finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds, including eight offensive. The Warhawks had 11 offensive rebounds as a team -- all from Gilbert. The 6-foot-5 forward has a wide frame, but surprisingly nimble feet. He was able to catch in the paint and score off a dribble or two and get off the ground quickly to retrieve his own misses and put the ball back in. During a game that was relatively close throughout, Gilbert's efforts were huge in allowing Arrowhead to advance to Saturday.   [player_tooltip player_id='1390443' first='Davion' last='Hannah'] - 2025 - SF - Nicolet   Pewaukee tends to suffocate the other team's best player and take them out of the game. That didn't happen to Hannah in Friday's Division 2 semifinal. Hannah was absolutely big time and showed off his future NBA potential with his ability to hit tough, contested shots while moving away from the rim. Hannnah finished with 23 points, five rebounds, and three steals in a two-point loss to the two-time defending state champs. When the game was in the balance, Nicolet got the ball in Hannah's hands and he delivered. Hannah made five of his last six shots with the lone miss coming at the buzzer with a chance to win. I've said this previously, but if Hannah showed consistency in his jumper, he'd move to the No. 1 spot in the class of 2025 rankings. Friday's performance definitely got me thinking.    [player_tooltip player_id='1300316' first='Myles' last='Herro'] - 2025 - PG - Whitnall   La Crosse Central always wins tight games...always. That was until they ran into [player_tooltip player_id='1300316' first='Myles' last='Herro']. The sophomore guard had a big steal that led to a 3-pointer to take the lead with 46 seconds left. After the River Hawks tied things up, Whitnall got the ball in Herro's hands for the final possession and he was fouled on a 3-pointer. Herro would make the game-winning free throw to send the Falcons to the state title game. Not known for his scoring, Herro put up 21 points on just nine shots. He also dished out two assists and scored 15 of his points after the break. A savvy, high-IQ prospect that operates really well in the pick n' roll and can knock down his open triples, Herro runs the show like a true floor general and makes everyone around him better.    [player_tooltip player_id='1193234' first='Will' last='Hornseth'] - 2024 - PF - De Pere   De Pere made it a point of emphasis to get Hornseth going early and he didn't make them look foolish. Hornseth made it look easy at times although Friday's semifinal win over Kettle Moraine was certainly not a cake walk. But when you're as skilled as Hornseth and his size (6-8), the game looks a lot easier than it is when you're playing from five feet in. A strong mid-major prospect, Hornseth posted 19 points on a very efficient 9-of-12 shooting. Hornseth also grabbed eight rebounds, dished out three assists, and blocked two shots. Just love the confidence and soft touch that Hornseth has in the paint. He's extremely advanced, knowing how to score based on where the defender is, and does his work early by putting the defender on his rear end and giving the passer an easy target.    Canan Huss - 2023 - SF - McDonell Central Catholic   Huss scored 21 points (8-15) and grabbed 12 rebounds as MCC rallied to knock off Fall River in the Division 5 semifinals. In crunch time, the senior wing scored eight straight points, including a three-point play to get a one-point lead for his team with 1:26 left. A versatile, tough wing/forward, Huss was very effective around the rim. The 6-foot-3 will catch in the high post and score off a spin. He also does a terrific job of remaining patient even when multiple defenders swarm him, using head fakes to get them up in the air.   [player_tooltip player_id='953944' first='Milan' last='Momcilovic'] - 2023 - F - Pewaukee   Momcilovic was getting his, although it was more of a quiet production. Then Nicolet put Pewaukee's season in jeopardy. That's when the Iowa State commit started to roar. Finishing with a game-high 32 points, Momcilovic scored the final 10 points for the Pirates, who survived a scare. Pewaukee fell behind three twice. Momcilovic answered with a triple and a three-point play the old fashioned way to tie it up on both occasions. With 1:09 left, Momcilovic put home the game-winning jumper. The 6-foot-8 senior was 12-of-20 from the floor and grabbed 11 rebounds while playing all 36 minutes. Earning Mr. Basketball co-honors later in the afternoon, Momcilovic more than earned that billing with Friday's win.    [player_tooltip player_id='1289029' first='Jackson' last='Schlomann'] - 2023 - G/W - Neenah   Not the first time I've seen Schlomann break out. In the biggest game of his life, Schlomann often kept Neenah afloat and had a nice spurt to bring the Rockets back from an early first half hole. The senior guard scored a game-high 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting. He also grabbed nine rebounds and two steals. A versatile, almost positionless prospect, Schlomann serves as an extra ball handler, can handle the point duties, and defend multiple spots on the floor. He's potentially a sneaky good prospect for a small school program given his ability to impact the game in multiple ways.   [player_tooltip player_id='1140129' first='Isaac' last='Seidel'] - 2023 - SG - Newman Catholic   You never know how a team, as one as good as Newman Catholic, is going to come out in a state tournament opener. Seidel really calmed the waters early in Friday's semifinal win over Royall, scoring nine of the first 13 points. Seidel has just smooth, decisive, and confident as a shooter. Not a kid that plays particularly fast, but he knows what types of shots he wants and how to get them. Seidel had 15 of his 27 points at the half. Royall's game plan was very much focused on stopping [player_tooltip player_id='981128' first='Mason' last='Prey'] and they didn't let the star guard breathe for most of the game. Seidel finished with 25 points (6-12), seven rebounds, and three assists. Closing the game down the stretch, Seidel went 10-of-11 from the charity stripe.    [player_tooltip player_id='1177351' first='Colin' last='Vieth'] - 2023 - PF - Fall River   An energy forward, Vieth scored 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting in Fall River's tough loss to MCC. Vieth came out and set the tone early, scoring five of the first seven as Fall River would lead by as many as 11 in the first half. Although his team was outplayed in the second half, it looked like Vieth would steal the win back for Fall River, connecting on a short jumper with 48 seconds left to put the Pirates up one with 48 seconds left. Not only did Vieth dominate in stretches offensively around the rim, he was protecting the other basket as well. The senior finished with six rebounds, three blocks, and two steals in his final game.

MADISON -- Day two of the WIAA state tournament featured semifinal action in Division 5, 2, and 1. Who stood out at the Kohl Center during Friday's action?