Fox River Classic Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2023-24 Final Standings</strong><br><br>1. De Pere 18-0 (26-2); 2. Ashwaubenon 16-2 (23-5); 3. Sheboygan North 10-8 (14-12); 4. Manitowoc Lincoln 9-9 (12-13); 4. Pulaski 9-9 (15-12); 4. Bay Port 9-9 (10-15); 4. Sheboygan South 9-9 (12-12); 8. Notre Dame 8-10 (11-16); 9. Green Bay Preble 2-16 (6-20); 10. Green Bay Southwest 0-18 (1-25).<br><br><strong>2024-25 Picks</strong><br><br><strong>1. De Pere</strong> -- The Redbirds shoot for their fourth consecutive Fox River Classic crown and look to increase their 40-game league winning streak behind the senior trio of [player_tooltip player_id='1351717' first='Zach' last='Kinziger'] (6-3, 19.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, committed to Wisconsin), [player_tooltip player_id='1908410' first='Pryce' last='Gregoire'] (6-6, 10.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg, committed to Northern Michigan) and [player_tooltip player_id='1428204' first='Roan' last='Demovsky'] (6-2, 7.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg). Few, if any, teams in Wisconsin can match the talent, experience, toughness and unselfishness of that gifted threesome. Coach Brian Winchester also will count heavily on seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2400106' first='Connor' last='Hutjens'] (6-2, 5.8 ppg) and Nathan Bonfigt (6-4, 2.0 ppg) along with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2400483' first='Jack' last='Bookter'] (5-11, 1.8 ppg).<br><br><strong>2. Sheboygan North</strong> -- Good players and lots of them abound in the Sheboygan North program. Although coach Eric Worth might not have an abundance of scholarship players on his roster, he does have an experienced group hungry to have a big season. Four starters and eight letter winners are back from a 14-12 squad. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1853686' first='Cale' last='Buboltz'] (6-1, 16.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg), [player_tooltip player_id='2403281' first='Max' last='Olsen'] (6-1, 8.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2272014' first='Logan' last='Steffensmeier'] (6-6, 5.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg) along with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2391090' first='Blake' last='Buhr'] (6-4, 9.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg) all started last winter. Buboltz is one of the premier backcourt players in the league, Buhr is a very good athlete and top football prospect, Olsen provides toughness and grit, and Steffensmeier is one of the league's most improved performers. Also back are seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2403375' first='Landon' last='Schramm'] (6-6, 5.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg), Tyler Konrad (6-3, 3.0 ppg), EJ Renzelmann (6-3, 2.5 ppg) and Bryce Ten Pas (6-1, 5.5 ppg) also return.<br><br><strong>3. Ashwaubenon</strong> -- The Jaguars are a difficult team to project. For starters, the team lost four starters and its head coach from last year's 23-5 squad. On the other hand, first-year coach DeVante Blanks welcomes the best transfer student in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='1240336' first='Amari' last='Allen'], a gifted 6-foot-7 guard/forward who played as a freshman at Kaukauna before competing for IMG Academy the past two seasons. Allen, who has committed to Alabama, is a matchup nightmare because of his skill, size, strength and confidence. He is talented enough to keep the Jaguars among the league's elite, even with the heavy graduation losses the program sustained. Improved junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2391086' first='Carson' last='Dorgu'] (6-8, 5.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg) is the most experienced returning player while Ashwaubenon also could get good production from junior Elijah Fenner (6-0).<br><br><strong>4. Pulaski</strong> -- The Red Raiders surpassed expectations a year ago when they finished 15-12 under coach John Polkowski. And with four starters back, another highly successful campaign might be forthcoming. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2446943' first='Colin' last='Schultz'] (6-2, 18.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg) is a proven performer in the Fox River Classic and leads the way for the Red Raiders. Other returning regulars include seniors Bryce Wotruba (5-9, 8.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg), [player_tooltip player_id='2444591' first='Ethan' last='Schmidt'] (6-0, 7.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2444624' first='Joey' last='Mijal'] (6-2, 9.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg). Lack of an interior scorer and defender are concerns.<br><br><strong>5. Manitowoc Lincoln</strong> -- Rookie coach Shane Evans takes over a program that went 12-13 last winter and returns two of its premier players in seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2626372' first='Eddie' last='Bolchen'] (5-11, 16.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2626373' first='Brayden' last='Steinbecker'] (6-3, 13.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg). Bolchen is a terrific shooter while Steinbecker is a strong defender and one of the top all-around players in the 10-team circuit. Senior Bradin Bender (6-3, 3.1 ppg) and juniors [player_tooltip player_id='1561882' first='Micah' last='Kubsch'] (5-10, 6.1 ppg) and Brett Danielson (6-4, 2.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg) also figure to play key roles for the Ships.<br><br><strong>6. Notre Dame</strong> -- The best news coming out of Notre Dame entering the season is the health of senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1412884' first='Andrew' last='Rader'] (6-10, 12.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg, committed to Minnesota-Duluth). Rader missed substantial portions of the past two years with an injury, but begins the new year set to go for a Notre Dame team that also brings back talented and versatile senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2388798' first='Adam' last='Guyette'] (6-4, 16.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg). In addition to Rader and Guyette, coach Brian Bobinski should get solid contributions from senior Drew Siudzinski (5-11, 6.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg), juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2400119' first='Jack' last='Warden'] (6-5, 5.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2400083' first='Leo' last='Weber'] (6-0, 5.6 ppg), and the sophomore brother combination of [player_tooltip player_id='2140868' first='AJ' last='Hendricks'] (6-3, 4.2 ppg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2140873' first='Austin' last='Hendricks'] (6-3, 1.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg).<br><br><strong>7. Bay Port</strong> -- There is almost no way Bay Port finishes seventh in the Fox River Classic, but the six teams picked to finish ahead of the Pirates all received more votes from league coaches than coach Nate Rykal's squad. The league is exceptionally deep and the Pirates certainly add to the quality of of league as four starters are back from a 10-15 squad. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1544726' first='Maddox' last='Cornette'] (6-7, 13 ppg, 7 rpg) is one of the league's most improved players while junior [player_tooltip player_id='2092138' first='Sawyer' last='Durkee'] (6-4, 12 ppg, 5 rpg) is a solid all-around player with good size and strength. Other key returning players include seniors Caden Hendricks (5-10, 5 ppg, 3 rpg) and Connor Gering (6-2, 6 ppg) along with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2400063' first='Mikey' last='Jones'] (6-2, 4 ppg, 3 rpg).<br><br><strong>8. Green Bay Preble</strong> -- There is almost no question the Hornets will be better than a year ago. But whether that means improving upon a 6-20 record remains to be seen. The competition in the league is so fierce that making huge inroads isn't likely even if coach Rick Rosinski has three returning starters in senior [player_tooltip player_id='1439056' first='Ty' last='Gerard'] (6-0, 9 ppg, 2 rpg) along with juniors Micah Johnson (6-0, 8 ppg) and Gavin Sullivan (6-0, 6 ppg, 2 rpg). Senior Peyton Kuehn (6-2, 3 ppg) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2399891' first='Nick' last='Howard'] (6-4, 3 ppg) also figure to be solid players for Preble.<br><br><strong>9. Sheboygan South</strong> -- The final go around for Sheboygan South in the Fox River Classic figures to be challenging as all of last year's starters have graduated. The Red Wings, who will move to a new league next season, have a core back who will work hard to help coach Jesse Shaw's squad stay competitive. That group includes Ryan Stephen (6-2), Noah Groh (6-5), [player_tooltip player_id='2501109' first='Nolan' last='Pedrin'] (6-6), Nate Moore (5-8), [player_tooltip player_id='2404362' first='Jayden' last='Wesaw'] (6-1) and Marcus Teal.<br><br><strong>10. Green Bay Southwest</strong> -- As previously mentioned, the terrain in the Fox River Classic is tough. Earning any wins in the league this winter will be difficult, especially for programs coming off a 1-25 season. Such is the case for the Trojans, who hope to move up a notch or two in the final league standings behind the play of seniors Curtis Danforth (6-1, 9.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg), [player_tooltip player_id='2803693' first='Desmond' last='Stokes'] (6-1, 2.7 ppg) and Mason Hermes (6-0, 2.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg) along with junior Ian Jones (5-9, 2.8 ppg).<br><br><strong>Top Returning Scorers</strong><br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1351717' first='Zach' last='Kinziger'], De Pere (19.9 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2446943' first='Colin' last='Schultz'], Pulaski (18.3 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2388798' first='Adam' last='Guyette'], Notre Dame (16.7 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1853686' first='Cale' last='Buboltz'], Sheboygan North (16.7 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2626372' first='Eddie' last='Bolchen'], Manitowoc Lincoln (16.6 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2626373' first='Brayden' last='Steinbecker'], Manitowoc Lincoln (13.3 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1544726' first='Maddox' last='Cornette'], Bay Port (13.0 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1412884' first='Andrew' last='Rader'], Notre Dame (12.2 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2092138' first='Sawyer' last='Durkee'], Bay Port (12.0 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1908410' first='Pryce' last='Gregoire'], De Pere (10.4 ppg)<br><br><strong>Projected All-League Teams<br>First Team</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1240336' first='Amari' last='Allen'], 6-7, Sr., Ashwaubenon<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1351717' first='Zach' last='Kinziger'], 6-3, Sr., De Pere<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1908410' first='Pryce' last='Gregoire'], 6-6, Sr., De Pere<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1412884' first='Andrew' last='Rader'], 6-10, Sr., Notre Dame<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2446943' first='Colin' last='Schultz'], 6-2, Sr., Pulaski<br><br><strong>Second Team</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1544726' first='Maddox' last='Cornette'], 6-7, Sr., Bay Port<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1428204' first='Roan' last='Demovsky'], 6-2, Sr., De Pere<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1853686' first='Cale' last='Buboltz'], 6-1, Sr., Sheboygan North<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2626372' first='Eddie' last='Bolchen'], 5-11, Sr., Manitowoc Lincoln<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2388798' first='Adam' last='Guyette'], 6-4, Sr., Notre Dame<br><br><strong>The Big Five<br><br>Best Shooter:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1351717' first='Zach' last='Kinziger'], De Pere<br><strong>Best Rebounder: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1412884' first='Andrew' last='Rader'], Notre Dame<br><strong>Best Defender: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1428204' first='Roan' last='Demovsky'], De Pere<br><strong>Best Collegiate Prospect:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1240336' first='Amari' last='Allen'], Ashwaubenon<br><strong>Most Improved Player:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2272014' first='Logan' last='Steffensmeier'], Sheboygan North</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->