Week 2 Individual Matchups To Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Five individual player matchups to keep an eye on across Wisconsin during week two of the high school basketball season! Stats via wissports.net</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tuesday: [player_tooltip player_id='1142122' first='Michael' last='McNabb'] (Grafton) vs [player_tooltip player_id='1214393' first='Isaiah' last='Allen'] (Milwaukee Lutheran)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Future Northern Michigan teammates face off on Tuesday night as Milwaukee Lutheran hosts Grafton. The two are similar sizes, and both have been productive at the varsity level for multiple years already. Michael started off his senior season with a 27 point performance down in Illinois, while Isaiah scored 30 in a season opening win over Waukesha West. Michael is so good at maneuvering through multiple defenders to work his way to the basket and has a smooth jumper from deep. Isaiah is an impressive athlete who can finish above the rim with ease, dominate on the glass, and score in the post against opposing guards. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wednesday: [player_tooltip player_id='1203054' first='Eli' last='Podoll'] (Franklin) vs [player_tooltip player_id='1206235' first='Termarion' last='Brumby'] (Racine Case)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These two SEC teams get their seasons started off with a key matchup in the conference title race. Both are led by experienced senior guards in Podoll and Brumby. Franklin has a history of guys taking a huge leap during their senior seasons, and Podoll looks like he could be that guy. He's a tough as nails defender and has the athleticism to surprise you with some above the rim finishes at 6'1. Brumby is one of the best in the state when it comes to attacking the basket and finishing through contact. He has a strong frame at 6'2, and uses it to pin defenders on his hip as he gets to the rim to score. Averaged 17.6 ppg last season and is on pace to be a 1,000 point scorer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Thursday: [player_tooltip player_id='1447229' first='Will' last='Garlock'] (Middleton) vs [player_tooltip player_id='1260947' first='Sam' last='Mickelson'] (Madison Memorial)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two of the top players in the Big Eight conference face off in Madison on Thursday night. [player_tooltip player_id='1447229' first='Will' last='Garlock'] scored above his average in all three meetings with Memorial last season, and will look to keep that strong run of play continued. He does a great job of fighting for low post position and quickly turning to finish over either shoulder. He's also a solid athlete who can run the floor hard at 6'11. [player_tooltip player_id='1260947' first='Sam' last='Mickelson'] is a strong and explosive 6'7 forward. Has the ability to finish above the rim when given space to step in to, and can also face up and knock down mid-range jumpers with a hand in his face. Has the strength to back opposing forwards deep into the post and finish over the top. Looking to help Memorial rebound after a season opening loss to Hartford.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Friday: [player_tooltip player_id='1282617' first='Xzavion' last='Mitchell'] (Oshkosh North) vs [player_tooltip player_id='1561925' first='Andrew' last='Jensen'] (Kaukauna)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another huge conference matchup takes place early in the season as two of the FVA frontrunners compete on Friday night. Mitchell has been ridiculously productive since the beginning of his freshman season, already having eclipsed 1,000 points after scoring 20+ ppg in his first two seasons. He's a skilled forward who can beat you on the perimeter, face up out of the post, or use his strength to bully his way to the rim. So dangerous at the top of the zone when North goes into their 1-3-1. On the other end we'll see [player_tooltip player_id='1561925' first='Andrew' last='Jensen'], one of the top 2026 prospects in the state. He has size at 6'9 that you can't teach, and some impressive athleticism at that height. He can take off in the open floor to pick up easy transition buckets, and is so quick off the floor to block shots. Will look to take a leap forward as a sophomore after averaging 4 points and 3.8 rebounds as a freshman.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Saturday: [player_tooltip player_id='2350015' first='Will' last='Stuckey'] (Kettle Moraine) vs [player_tooltip player_id='2116495' first='Cahlil' last='Jones'] (Germantown)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both of these players had strong winters last year, but looked even more impressive over the past few months in some fall league events. Stuckey was a 2nd-team all conference performer last season, and impressed with some huge fall league showings. He has the ability to catch fire from three, and is so crafty playing off two feet around the rim and creating openings with a variety of pivots. Cahlil showed his potential last winter as a freshman, averaging 6.9 ppg at the varsity level. He's one of the most explosive 2026 guards in the state who can finish above the rim with ease while also being able to stretch the floor from three. Offers some defensive versatility as he can defend bigger than his size. Able to slow down play in the half-court and remain effective, while also excelling at getting out in the open floor to make plays.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->