WIAA State Tournament Preview: Division 1 Sectional 3

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the 2024 WIAA State Tournament tipping of this week, Prep Hoops Wisconsin takes a closer look at Sectional 3 in Division 1...</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>THE FAVORITE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(1) Kettle Moraine</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Lasers look to make it back to Madison for the second consecutive season. At 21-3, this is a group that just continues to outplay the talnet on its roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Do to his football commitment to Navy, star guard [player_tooltip player_id='1115917' first='Drew' last='Wagner'] did not play his senior season. Still, [player_tooltip player_id='2350015' first='Will' last='Stuckey'] (16.9 ppg) and others picked up the slack and led Kettle Moraine to a second-place finsih in the Classic Eight Conference, just one game behind Arrowhead.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not only do the Lasers own a win over the Warhawks, arguably the second-best team in Division 1, they've knocked off Germantown and Waunakee and enter the playoffs riding an eight-game winning streak.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2350015"],"_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-65db7f5914732"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>TOP CONTENDERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(3) Sun Prairie West</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wolves feel really dangerous as a 3-seed. Think you could make the case they're the best team in this sectional.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(2) Waunakee</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One thing doesn't change about the Warriors -- they're not going to beat themselves and they'll be a tough out. Waunakee also played a brutal schedule and came out 17-7 overall with a Badger-Large title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Warriors are a balanced, methodial squad led by senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1190373' first='Keaton' last='Frisch'] (15.1 ppg) and junior guard Kaden McKenzie (12.5 ppg). They'll be playoff ready having faced Stevens Point, Stoughton, Lake Mills, Arrowhead, Sun Prairie East, Kettle Moraine, and Whitnall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1190373"],"_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-65db7f59147d7"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DARK HORSE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(6) Sun Prairie East</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the issues with this sectional is that it's so Big Eight heavy. That being said, none of these lower-seeded teams fear the cream of the crop and they've already played a lot of close games against each other.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>East is 16-8 overall, finished second in the Big Eight, and is coming off a huge win over crosstown rival Sun Prairie West to close the season. The Cardinals enter the playoffs having won nine of their last 12. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1764156' first='Gavin' last='Van Wie'] (18.3 ppg) is quietly having a big senior season as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1764156"],"_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-65db7f591483e"} /-->