Division 1, Sectional 1: First Look

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today we begin a late summer trek through the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association sectionals, starting with Division 1, Sectional 1.<br><br><strong>Top Teams:</strong><br><br>Appleton North<br>D.C. Everest<br>Eau Claire Memorial<br>Kaukauna<br>Kimberly<br>Marshfield<br>Neenah<br>Stevens Point<br><br><strong>Overview:</strong><br><br>A loaded sectional. Tops teams from the Fox Valley Association, Big Rivers and Wisconsin Valley conferences will slug it out for a single berth in the state tournament. Looking at this list, there are three or four teams worthy of playing at the Kohl Center, but with the current 4-4-4-4-4 setup the WIAA utilizes just one will play on the big stage. Appleton North is still young, but the kids who started and played a ton of minutes as freshmen are now juniors. And the Lightning also boast a talented senior in [player_tooltip player_id='1494698' first='Abraham' last='Tomori']. D.C. Everest looked good all summer and has the scoring balance, length and experience to push Marshfield and Stevens Point in the Wisconsin Valley. Eau Claire Memorial boasts a couple of scholarship players in senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1481178' first='Cooper' last='Jesperson'] and senior wing Wes Mboga. Kaukauna has the best collegiate prospect in the sectional in 6-foot-9 junior [player_tooltip player_id='1561925' first='Andrew' last='Jensen'], who owns an offer from Marquette. Kimberly might be the deepest team in the sectional, has a new coach in Freddie Owens, and is eager for success in the rugged FVA. Marshfield boasts plenty of senior leadership and experience with the return of four-year starter [player_tooltip player_id='1244808' first='Brooks' last='Hinson'] along with classmates [player_tooltip player_id='2426092' first='Landon' last='Lee'], [player_tooltip player_id='2426214' first='Ethan' last='Knecht'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2425973' first='Joey' last='Ketterer']. Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='1973149' first='Chris' last='Pohl'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2381688' first='Valin' last='Ramberg'] also return for the Tigers. Never count out Neenah, a team that always gets better as the season progresses and a program that has won this sectional the past two seasons. And Stevens Point is another team with lots of experience and a true X-factor once Pacelli transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1500914' first='Jaydon' last='Awe'] gains eligibility in early January.<br><br><strong>Pre-Season All-Sectional Team:</strong><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1244808"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66b63bd327dd2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Mr. Steady and Mr. Clutch. Hinson lets the game come to him about as well as any other player in the state. And with the game on the line, there are few in Wisconsin you'd want taking the big shot over Hinson, a four-year starter for Marshfield. Hinson is considering NCAA Division II scholarship offers from Northern Michigan and Winona State. The physically and mentally tough combination guard is the returning Player of the Year in the Wisconsin Valley Conference and a two-time first-team all-league selection. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1561925"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66b63ce1ad32d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Jensen can be a difference maker this winter for Kaukauna as his size, skill, versatility and athleticism are all assets for coach Mike Schalow's squad. Jensen is coming off a good sophomore season for the Ghosts as he averaged 13.7 points and 9.6 rebounds. His production will need to increase in both of those areas if the Ghosts want to achieve their goal of winning the Fox Valley Association title. Jensen had a strong summer for the [program_tooltip program_id='2225511' first='All-Wisconsin' last=''] club team, and might be ready to fill the stat sheet in 2024-25 with his ability to score, rebound, pass, block shots and get steals/deflections. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1481178"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66b63e38ba5e9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Jesperson is bound to enter the season with as much drive and want-to as any player in Wisconsin. The sharpshooting guard unfortunately missed the second half of last season and all of the spring club campaign while recovering from an injury. The time away was tough to take, but he did come back to play well in July for the [program_tooltip program_id='2076033' first='Wisconsin' last='Playmakers']. Jesperson owns Division II scholarship offers from Northern Michigan, and is eager to prove his standing among the state's elite, particularly as a long-distance shooter. Jesperson is a four-year varsity player at Eau Claire Memorial and one of several seniors looking to keep Eau Claire Memorial among the top teams in the Big Rivers Conference. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1289073"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66b6402dc1a57"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Van Kauwenberg had a huge spring/summer for the [program_tooltip program_id='2076029' first='Wisconsin' last='Crusaders'] program as he consistently knocked down long-distance shots while also getting into the lane off the dribble and scoring or distributing. His length, skill and ability to play either guard spot really stood out as he took his game to another level. Van Kauwenberg received three NCAA Division II scholarship opportunities for his strong play this summer as Michigan, Tech, Rockhurst and Missouri S&amp;T offered the emerging prospect. As a junior, Van kauwenberg averaged 18.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists. He teams in a talented Kaukauna backcourt with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2398517' first='Jonah' last='Roehrig'] and senior Brody McMullen. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1561874"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66b6419b8ed15"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Appleton North's biggest strength is its depth and balance. Coach Chris Kellett's squad has any number of players capable of leading the team in scoring and/or rebounding on any given night, including Ramus. Ramus can get points in different ways, but is probably best known for his ability to drill three-point shots. Still, he's also strong enough and athletic enough to get into the lane and rise up for mid rang jump shots. Part of an exceptional junior class at Appleton North that also includes [player_tooltip player_id='1561908' first='Grant' last='Hardy'], [player_tooltip player_id='1561879' first='Will' last='Sweeney'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1561876' first='Ben' last='Zdzieblowski'], among others, Ramus is coming off a sophomore season in which he averaged 9.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He then followed up that showing with a big season for the talented Davis Brothers Elite 16U squad. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Pre-Season Pick to Click:</strong><br><br>I am going to go with Marshfield to win this sectional, although obviously any number of teams mentioned above could get hot and earn a trip to Madison next March. The Tigers, however, feature the experience, difference makers, depth, size and toughness required to get through one of the state's toughest sectionals and earn the school's first appearance in the state tournament since 1994. Coach Chris Fischer's anticipated starting rotation of [player_tooltip player_id='1244808' first='Brooks' last='Hinson'] (6-2), [player_tooltip player_id='2426092' first='Landon' last='Lee'] (5-11), [player_tooltip player_id='2426214' first='Ethan' last='Knecht'] (6-5), [player_tooltip player_id='1973149' first='Chris' last='Pohl'] (6-7) and [player_tooltip player_id='2381688' first='Valin' last='Ramberg'] (6-6) is rock solid, and the bench has some depth as well with the return of [player_tooltip player_id='2425973' first='Joey' last='Ketterer'] (6-2) and the potential of sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2389647' first='Camden' last='Kolstad'] (6-2).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->