Thursday’s Individual Matchups To Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state tournament gets kicked off this Thursday in Madison, with the Division 4 and Division 3 semi-finals games taking place! I'll be taking a look at a key individual matchup to keep an eye on in each of the four games. Stats via wissports.net. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1409364' first='Peter' last='Lattos'] (West Salem) vs [player_tooltip player_id='1390441' first='Devin' last='Brown'] (Milwaukee Academy of Science)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state tournament gets kicked off with a bang on Thursday afternoon, as red hot MAS team takes on a West Salem group that hasn't lost to a Wisconsin team all season. Of course there's talent all over the floor, but I'll be focused in on the post matchup here. [player_tooltip player_id='1409364' first='Peter' last='Lattos'] is a strong yet agile forward at 6'8, and is a lot more versatile than I think most people know. He is second on the team in scoring and rebounding, and actually leads West Salem in assists. Peter has the physical tools to bang in the paint and finish at the rim, but he's quick at his size and can pop out on the perimeter and take his man off the dribble. On the other end will be [player_tooltip player_id='1390441' first='Devin' last='Brown'], one of the most explosive players in the state regardless of class. He showed flashes as a freshman, and due to losses from transfer/graduation, he's stepped up for his team in a big way as a sophomore. He leads MAS both in scoring (21.6 ppg) and rebounding (9.6 rpg) as he has the ability to dominate a game in the paint. Plays much bigger than 6'7, and if he gets even an inch of space to elevate, he's going to throw down a powerful dunk. Brown has a nice face up game as well with the ability to attack off one or two dribbles, while featuring a quick spin move to get to the rim. Major shot blocking threat as well with his quickness off the floor. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1203243' first='Grady' last='Geiger'] (Brillion) vs Trey Lauber (Lakeside Lutheran)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While neither of these two players are their team's go-to player, they will both play a big role on Thursday. Grady offers additional size next to [player_tooltip player_id='1017916' first='Jeremy' last='Lorenz'], and when teams focus too much on him, Grady has proven he can step up with consistent production. He's a physical forward at 6'6 who can power his way to the basket and rebound at a high level. Efficient scorer because of how well he can finish through contact while also not forcing up many bad shots. Isn't going to take a ton of threes, but if you leave him open from the top of the key Grady has the touch to known 'em down. 6'6 junior averaging 11.9 ppg. Trey Lauber has some length at 6'4 that will be necessary to help slow down a big Brillion team. On the offensive end, he has the type of shooting touch that has to be accounted for at all times. If you leave him in some space he's going to let it fly, and has the ability to hit a few shots in a row when he gets going. The 6'4 senior is averaging 10.9 ppg, but is someone who can just about double that average if he sees a few shots go in early.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Daniel Griffith (St. Mary Catholic) vs Eric Kenesie (Kenosha St. Joseph)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nice guard matchup to kick off the D4 semi's at 6:35pm. Daniel is a quick 5'8 guard who can hurt you as both a scorer and facilitator. His quickness and handle allows him to probe and get into dangerous spots forcing extra defenders to collapse on him. Has the vision to locate open shooters from the paint leading to wide open shots. Can also step out and hit threes for himself. Daniel is putting up 18 points and 5.5 assists per game this season. Eric is one of the breakout players of the year, as he went from scoring 5 ppg as a sophomore to averaging 21.9 ppg to lead St. Joes to state as a junior. That includes a 42 point outburst in the section finals to lead his team past Kohler. And it doesn't end there, as he also dished out 10 assists in that same game! Eric is an impressive all-around athlete who just has a nose for the basket. Tough as nails finisher with either hand who you almost have to foul to stop. Because of that attacking mentality, he shoots a ton of free throws each game, and he makes the most of those opportunities at the line. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kodi Miller (Luther) vs Devon McCune (Whitehall)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The night ends with another nice guard matchup. Kodi leads Luther in scoring at 17.6 ppg while also shooting it at 37.5% from beyond the arc. He's a super crafty finisher who can score in a variety of ways, and does a nice job of finding ways to finish under/around shot blockers with off-hand layups. Also has a nice floater when he gets into the paint. Kodi does a nice job of drawing contact when he looks to attack, and because of this he's able to get to the charity stripe at a high rate. Devon is a multi-sport standout for Whitehall, and brings the same physicality from the football field to the basketball court. He's a tough-as-nails guard who isn't afraid of some contact, and uses his body well when he gets to the rim to shield off defenders while he goes up to finish. Scoring a team high 17.2 ppg to go along with 7.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->