Division 1, Sectional 3: First Look

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We continue a late summer trek through the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association sectionals, today looking at Division 1, Sectional 3.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Teams:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Beloit Memorial<br>Kettle Moraine<br>Madison La Follette<br>Madison Memorial<br>Middleton<br>Oregon<br>Verona<br>Waunakee</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Overview:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lots of balance in this sectional as no team immediately jumps out as the preseason favorite to earn a trip to the WIAA State Tournament. On the other hand, there are any number of teams beyond the eight listed above who also could make some noise come March, including Madison West, Mukwonago and Sun Prairie West, among others. The four teams listed from the Big Eight Conference all return plenty of experience and talent. Verona likely will be without senior [player_tooltip player_id='1740863' first='Tre' last='Poteat'], a second-team all-league pick and one of the top athletes in the state's 2025 class. Poteat is expected to play football for Verona this fall and then graduate early so he can enroll at Tennessee and take part in the Volunteers' football program after Christmas. Still, the Wildcats are loaded with experience as [player_tooltip player_id='1156904' first='Drew' last='Murphy'], [player_tooltip player_id='1544745' first='Bennett' last='Buss'], [player_tooltip player_id='1874957' first='Cameron' last='Williams'], [player_tooltip player_id='1688319' first='Kamarr' last='Bridges-Miller'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2505503' first='Will' last='Stremlow'] all return for coach Curtrel Robinson. Madison Memorial welcomes back four starters and boasts impressive depth with four additional varsity performers also back for long-time coach Steve Collins. Middleton boasts the best player in the Big Eight in 6-foot-10 senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1447229' first='Will' last='Garlock'], who committed to Wisconsin earlier this summer. And Madison La Follette boasts some of the best young talent in the Big Eight with sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2140977' first='Reece' last='Jordan Jr']. transferring in from Madison East and joining junior [player_tooltip player_id='1561953' first='Thian' last='Riak'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2140969' first='Origin' last='Prewitt'] in the Lancers' program. Kettle Moraine is coming off consecutive trips to the state tournament and boasts an experienced one-two punch with the return of seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1611623' first='Roman' last='Thompson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1544760' first='Ben' last='Bestor']. Beloit Memorial and Oregon have standout individual players with junior [player_tooltip player_id='1561889' first='Amare' last='Hereford'] capable of getting 20-plus points on any given night for Beloit Memorial and junior [player_tooltip player_id='2045301' first='Vaughn' last='Karvala'] already earning scholarship offers from Marquette and Wisconsin. Waunakee might have more depth than any other team in the sectional. The Warriors have incredible numbers and also feature four returning starters, led by seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2042435' first='Kaden' last='MacKenzie'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1749696' first='Eli' last='Selk'].<br><br><strong>Pre-Season All-Sectional Team:</strong><br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1447229"],"_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-66bb9b4c04b7a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the state's 2025 class by Prep Hoops Wisconsin, Garlock is recovering from an injury sustained right after the high school season. He missed all of the spring/summer club year, but did announce his commitment to coach Greg Gard and the University of Wisconsin during that time period. A big man who runs the floor and can play inside and outside, Garlock is a developing prospect with a big upside as he continues to gain strength and weight. He is a capable shooter from the mid range and can make three-point shots as well. But he needs to improve his foul shooting as he made just 49 percent of his attempts from the line as a junior. Garlock also needs to step up his aggressiveness and his ability to dominate games. But he might be eager to do both of those things as a senior and become a force in a talented Big Eight Conference.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1156904"],"_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-66bb9b4c04bdd"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Murphy is a scoring small forward who competes with passion and with the driven focus of putting the ball in the basket. He can hurt opponents in a lot of different ways when he has the ball in his hands. He is a good shooter, tough to handle off the bounce due to his size and strength, and is adept at drawing fouls. The returning first-team all-Big Eight Conference pick averaged 23.0 points per game as a junior and committed to NCAA Division II Northern Michigan last spring. Murphy begins his final year of high school basketball with 1,250 career points and has a good shot at becoming the school's all-time leading scorer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2045301"],"_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-66bb9b4c04c23"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The most explosive player in Wisconsin's high school ranks, Karvala excelled over the spring/summer on the EYBL circuit with [program_tooltip program_id='2391400' first='Team' last='Herro']. In the process, the bouncy 6-foot-6 wing picked up scholarship offers from Marquette and Wisconsin. His ability to handle the ball, shoot it from deep and play vertically around the hoop all stood out as he impressed for both [program_tooltip program_id='2391400' first='Team' last='Herro'] and Oregon in the summer. Staying healthy is the biggest question mark for Karvala. He is long and exceptionally athletic, but he's also on the thin side so he tends to take some hard falls along with the normal bumps and bruises that come with his style of play. A two-year varsity performer heading into his junior season, Karvala currently sits as the state's No. 1 prospect in the 2026 Prep Hoops Wisconsin player rankings. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1561889"],"_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-66bb9b4c04c64"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A dynamic, quick and skilled backcourt performer who competes with endless energy and a strong desire to win, Hereford is one of the more enjoyable players to watch in the state. He gets it done with his ability to slash to the basket and finish over taller opponents. But the 6-foot-1 point guard also can shoot it from deep. In one game for Beloit Memorial this summer, Hereford dropped nine three-point baskets. A solid team leader who can put extreme pressure on opponents with his quickness on defense, Hereford has picked up NCAA Division I scholarship offers from Northern Illinois and Western Illinois. The first-team all-Southern Lakes Conference performer helped Beloit Memorial to a 21-6 record as a sophomore by averaging 25.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists for coach Todd Marks' squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1561951"],"_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-66bb9b4c04ca4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The more you watch Wilson, the more you like his game. A physical guard with size, skill and physical strength, Wilson can score from the mid range, get all the way to the basket or drop the occasional three-point jump shot. He piles up points in almost every game he plays and is tough for opponents to slow down because of his consistent aggressiveness with the ball in his hands. Wilson might not be the quickest guard in the gym on most nights, but he more than makes up for it with his bullish yet graceful style of play. He will also surprise defenders with a quick burst off the floor for a dunk. Simply put, he is a handful to play against because of his skill, size and strength. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Pre-Season Pick to Click:</strong><br><br>As mentioned previously, this sectional is wide open with any number of teams capable of winning four games to get to the Kohl Center. I'll go ahead and select Madison Memorial as my pick to click. It's been a while since Steve Collins has guided a Spartan team to the state tournament. After gaining WIAA Division 1 State Tournament spots for nine straight seasons between 2004 and 2012, Memorial has played in just one state tournament (2017) since. However, Memorial might have the necessary ingredients to make it back to the big stage next March. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2524112' first='Ian' last='Wischoff'] (5-10) and [player_tooltip player_id='2524092' first='Abe' last='Dykstra'] (6-4) along with talented junior twins [player_tooltip player_id='2045264' first='Ezra' last='Liggon'] (6-5) and [player_tooltip player_id='1561947' first='Caleb' last='Liggon'] (6-5) are returning starters from a club that went 12-14. Wischoff is small but extremely gritty and is a four-year varsity performer. Dykstra brings good perimeter shooting skills to the lineup with the Liggon brothers are long, athletic and versatile on both ends of the court. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1756988' first='Anthony' last='Miller'] (6-0) is a two-year varsity performer who can get on a roll from three-point range while juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2469250' first='Jouseph' last='Rodriguez'] (6-0), Brayden Banyai (5-11) and [player_tooltip player_id='2495043' first='Andrew' last='Braun'] (6-1) also return after earning varsity minutes as a sophomores. Look for Braun to have a big season for Memorial as he is wired to score.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->