North Shore Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2023-24 Final Standings</strong><br><br>1. Nicolet 17-1 (24-5); 2. Homestead 16-2 (20-7); 3. Cedarburg 12-6 (18-9); 4. Hartford 9-9 (12-13); 5. Slinger 8-10 (12-13); 5. West Bend West 8-10 (12-13); 7. Grafton 7-11 (12-14); 7. Whitefish Bay 7-11 (13-14); 9. Port Wasington 5-13 (7-19); 10. West Bend East 1-17 (1-24).<br><br><strong>2024-25 Picks</strong><br><br><strong>1. Nicolet</strong> -- Defending league-champion Nicolet, which advanced to the WIAA Division 2 State Tournament the past two season, lost all-state wing [player_tooltip player_id='1390443' first='Davion' last='Hannah'] (6-6, 19.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg) to Link Academy Prep in Missouri over the summer. That's a major blow to shrug off for coach Terence Smith's program. Hannah recently narrowed his list of potential colleges to Alabama, Cincinnati, Missouri and Ohio State. Despite the loss of Hannah, the Knights enter the campaign looking to repeat at North Shore winners. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1598239' first='David' last='Bolden'] (5-11, 12.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, committed to Canisius) is a physical, tough-minded leader who teams with super quick junior [player_tooltip player_id='1781157' first='Rashaad' last='Davis'] (5-8, 12.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg) to comprise the best backcourt duo in the league. Junior Carter Zuithoff (6-4) and sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='2140912' first='Edward' last='Bullock III'] (6-0) and Truman Wenzel (6-6) look to take major strides in the Niciolet program while transfer Jameir Hayfort (6-6), who moved to Wisconsin from Texas, also could be a big factor.<br><br><strong>2. Homestead</strong> -- The Highlanders annually compete for the North Shore crown and that doesn't figure to change in 2024-25. Coach Sean Crider has some extremely talented basketball players in his program, led by senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1435902' first='Trevor' last='Polite'] (6-6, 13.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, committed to Northern Michigan). Polite's ability to play inside and outside, not to mention his ability to use his strength and size to overpower defenders off the dribble, will be big assets for Homestead. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2492806' first='Tommy' last='O'Hagan'] (6-2, 8.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg) joined Polite in the starting rotation while senior Justin Bliesner (6-5, 5.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2138098' first='Mike' last='Rogers Jr']. (5-9, 6.5 ppg) were key players off the bench. Look for sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2140968' first='Oliver' last='Belot'] (6-0) to make a big impact for the Highlanders as well.<br><br><strong>3. Cedarburg</strong> -- Led by one of the most competitive and versatile players in the North Shore, Cedarburg looks to push Nicolet, Homestead and Slinger for the lea gue title in 2024-25. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1544731' first='Logan' last='Zahour'] (6-4, 21.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg) is a returning first-team all-league performer who impacts a game with his scoring, rebounding, physicality and intensity. He is one of three returning starters from an 18-9 squad along with seniors Griffin French (6-0, 8.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 7.0 apg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2817257' first='Mitchell' last='Czajkowski'] (5-11, 4.4 ppg). Others who figure to contribute include seniors Owen Hallbeck (6-2, 6.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg), Ryan O'Neill (6-2, 3.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg) and Luke Leair (6-4, 1.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg) along with junior Robert Piskula (6-3).<br><br><strong>4. Slinger</strong> -- Sophomore guard/forward [player_tooltip player_id='2351190' first='Jack' last='Kohnen'] (6-6, 18.8 ppg, 12.3 rpg) had a great summer after a great freshman campaign with the Owls. Since the end of last season, Kohnen has picked up scholarship offers from Iowa State and Marquette. Kohnen's penchant for scoring from different spots on the floor and his mobility on both ends makes him a very difficult player to stop. He is one of four returning starters for coach Alex Lavine. The other returning regulars include juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2874937' first='Bryson' last='Fogle'] (6-0, 9.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg), [player_tooltip player_id='1874955' first='Brett' last='Palm'] (5-11, 10.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2765150' first='Colton' last='Mantz'] (6-3, 2.0 ppg). Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2508415' first='Jude' last='Siikarla'] (6-5, 4.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2398448' first='Joey' last='Kohnen'] (6-3) also figure to be in the Owls' rotation.<br><br><strong>5. Whitefish Bay </strong>-- A solid transition game and very good half-court defense figures to typify the Blue Dukes in 2024-25. Coach Ryan Fiet has four starters and four key backups returning from a 13-14 squad. Leading the way are junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2500873' first='Marcus' last='Webb'] (6-0, 17.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg) and senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2493678' first='George' last='Dern'] (6-4, 11.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg). Webb and Dern make plays on both ends of the court and should provide strong leadership. Senior Luke Sarnowski (6-0, 3.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2325607' first='Jack' last='Brodersen'] (6-1, 5.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg) also return to the starting lineup. Seniors Emory Robbins (5-10, 2.4 ppg) and Ethan Waldron (6-4, 2.0 ppg), junior Matt Schoenfeldt (6-3, 2.3 ppg) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2140905' first='Colin' last='Julien'] (6-1, 3.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg) also will be in the mix for Whitefish Bay.<br><br><strong>6. Hartford</strong> -- The mental and physical toughness of the players in the Hartford program is equal or better than any other program in the league. That is a testament to the stellar job coach Chris Smith has done in establishing a good culture. It's also a compliment to the hard work the players in the program put in each spring/summer/fall. Hartford may not have the indidual standout of other programs in the league, but the Orioles will come to play on a nightly basis. Senior Joe Landgraf (6-2, 7.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg) and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1561963' first='Sam' last='Richter'] (6-3, 7.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg) will work hard to overcome to loss of three double-figure scorers to graduation. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2140870' first='Alex' last='Kuepper'] (5-10, 4.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg) and senior Bennett Klages (6-1, 1.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg) should have big years for Hartford.<br><br><strong>7. West Bend West</strong> -- Versatile senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2383714' first='Carson' last='Bauer'] (6-4, 16.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg) is one of the league's best, to be sure. But coach Ryan Matenaer has to find players to fill around Bauer as three starters graduated from a 12-12 squad. Senior Grant Walter (5-10, 1.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg) joined Bauer in the starting lineup last winter while seniors Ed Scott (5-10, 3.0 ppg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2677207' first='Cal' last='Baker'] (5-10, 1.7 ppg) were key reserves. Juniors Eli Kopidlansky (5-7) and Teagan Ongert (5-11) along with sophomore Cullen Roell (5-10) also return.<br><br><strong>8. Port Washington</strong> -- The Pirates return everybody from last year's club that went 7-19. Improvement is definitely in store for coach Garrett Hoffmann's crew as the Port Washington nucleus worked with purpose over the spring and summer. Still, moving up in the North Shore is a big challenge. Port Washington's returning core includes seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2493632' first='Kyle' last='Uselding'] (6-2, 13.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg), Josh Arnold (6-1, 13.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Eamonn Tetzlaff (6-2, 5.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg) along with juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2303643' first='Cal' last='Loose'] (6-1, 14.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2417348' first='Grady' last='Karrels'] (6-4, 10.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg).<br><br><strong>9. Grafton</strong> -- The Black Hawks have some enormous shoes to fill as Michael McNabb Jr. (6-4, 28.0 ppg, 8.2 rpg) is now playing at NCAA Division II Northern Michigan while Juan Guerrero-Hernandez (6-5, 19.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg) is spending his senior year at Veritas Academy in California. Coach [player_tooltip player_id='2486893' first='Damon' last='James'] will look to senior Tommy Lutz (6-2, 8.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg), junior DJ James (6-0, 5.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2140895' first='Caleb' last='Battles'] (6-1, 4.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg) to overcome the losses of McNabb and Guerrero-Hernandez. Senior Carson Hildebrand (6-1, 3.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg) and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1561912' first='Jack' last='Marti'] (6-5, 4.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg) also figure to play big roles for Grafton. <br><br><strong>10. West Bend East</strong> -- This is West Bend East's last go around in the North Shore as the Suns will join a new league in 2025-26. The trekking figures to remain tough for coach Zach Lindberg's squad as the North Shore is a deep and very talented conference. Three starters are back in seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2381608' first='Lukas' last='Kiefer'] (6-2, 9.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2381605' first='Brady' last='Wirtz'] (5-11, 13.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg) along with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2610544' first='Aidan' last='Grant'] (5-10, 4.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg).<br><br><strong>Top Returning Scorers</strong><br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1544731' first='Logan' last='Zahour'], Cedarburg (21.1 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2351190' first='Jack' last='Kohnen'], Slinger (18.8 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2500873' first='Marcus' last='Webb'], Whitefish Bay (17.1 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2383714' first='Carson' last='Bauer'], West Bend West (16.3 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2303643' first='Cal' last='Loose'], Port Washington (14.4 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2493632' first='Kyle' last='Uselding'], Port Washington (13.8 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2381605' first='Brady' last='Wirtz'], West Bend East (13.3 ppg)<br>Josh Arnold, Port Washington (13.2 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1435902' first='Trevor' last='Polite'], Homestead (13.2 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2493678' first='George' last='Dern'], Whitefish Bay (11.9 ppg)<br>Eamonn Tetzlaff, Port Washington (10.6 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1874955' first='Brett' last='Palm'], Slinger (10.5 ppg)<br><br><strong>Projected All-Conference Teams<br>First Team</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1544731' first='Logan' last='Zahour'], 6-4, Sr., Cedarburg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1435902' first='Trevor' last='Polite'], 6-6, Sr., Homestead<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1598239' first='David' last='Bolden'], 5-11, Sr., Nicolet<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2351190' first='Jack' last='Kohnen'], 6-6, Soph., Slinger<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2383714' first='Carson' last='Bauer'], 6-4, Sr., West Bend East<br><br><strong>Second Team</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2138098' first='Mike' last='Rogers Jr']., 5-9, Soph., Homestead<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1781157' first='Rashaad' last='Davis'], 5-8, Jr., Nicolet<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2303643' first='Cal' last='Loose'], 6-1, Jr., Port Washington<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1874955' first='Brett' last='Palm'], 5-11, Jr., Slinger<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2500873' first='Marcus' last='Webb'], 6-0, Jr., Whitefish Bay<br><br><strong>The Big Five</strong><br><br><strong>Best Shooter</strong>: [player_tooltip player_id='1544731' first='Logan' last='Zahour'], Cedarburg<br><strong>Best Defender:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1598239' first='David' last='Bolden'], Nicolet<br><strong>Best Rebounder:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2351190' first='Jack' last='Kohnen'], Slinger<br><strong>Best Collegiate Prospect:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2351190' first='Jack' last='Kohnen'], Slinger<br><strong>Most Improved Player:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2140912' first='Edward' last='Bullock III'], Nicolet</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->