SwingFam Showcase standouts

Waunakee High School was the site Saturday for the #SwingFam Showcase as 10 teams from Wisconsin took part in the event hosted each year by the [program_tooltip program_id='2078835' first='Wisconsin' last='Swing'] club program. Following are some observations from the event: GAME ONE Darlington 76, Delavan-Darien 61 KEYS TO THE GAME Darlington moved the ball into the paint, out to the perimeter and to cutters to the basket in the first half against Delavan-Darien's zone defense in racing to a commanding 47-23 lead at intermission. The Redbirds were never in danger of losing their lead in the second half, but the scrappy and inspired Comets of Delavan-Darien kept playing hard until the final horn sounded to keep things respectable. The Comets cut their 24-point halftime deficit to 13 on a three-point basket by senior [player_tooltip player_id='2635463' first='Hunter' last='Rendon'] (5-10) with 6:30 left, but Darlington responded with the type of poised play you'd expect from coach Tom Uppena's squad, which improved to 9-2 with the non-league victory. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2045300' first='Broker' last='Buschor'] (6-3) was outstanding for Darlington as he made six three-point baskets and scored a career-best 35 points. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2635460' first='Caden' last='Duckworth'] (6-0) led Delavan-Darien with 18 points while junior [player_tooltip player_id='2739694' first='Andrew' last='Maass'] (5-10) added 16 for the Comets, who fell to 3-6. STAR OF THE GAME    Buschor continues to make a case as one of the state's better class of 2026 prospects. A physical player with good size and a strong feel for the game, Buschor made six-of-12 shots from outside the arc on the way to scoring his career-high of 35 points. Buschor gets to the lane, can score through contact near the hoop because of his strength and has a nice jumper from deep. Defensively, Buschor positions himself well and also utilizes his size and strength to keep opponents away from the basket. Buschor figures to get plenty of looks over the next seven months from NCAA Division II programs due to his excellent shooting, size, strength and instincts.    EMERGING PLAYERS    Zuberbuhler is off to a terrific sophomore season for one of the state's elite Division 4 programs. The sharp-shooting combination guard had 16 points against Delavan-Darien and got to the free throw line often, making seven-of-nine from the stripe. He leads the team in scoring at 21.8 ppg and has made 29 three-point baskets in 11 contests. Zuberbuhler has grown an inch or two over the past year and figures to be a mainstay in the Redbirds' lineup over the new few seasons.     Duckworth had a strong outing for the Comets, scoring 18 points and swishing two three-point shots while helping Delavan-Darien narrow a 24-point halftime deficit to 13 on a couple of occasions in the second half. A three-year varsity performer for coach Todd Pyszora, Duckworth's activity on defense and his aggressiveness on defense were big factors in the Comets' comeback. Duckworth is averaging just over 12 ppg for the Comets this season.    BOXSCORE Delavan-Darien (23-38 = 61) Ammon 2, Rendon 10, McKean 4, Duckworth 18, Maass 16, Soellner 0, Green 6, Garbe 3, Samuel 2. Three-point field goals: Rendon 2, Duckworth 2, Garbe 1. FT: 4-9. Fouled out: None. record: 3-6. Darlington (47-29 = 76) Glendenning 0, Gille 3, C. Paisley 5, Zuberbuhler 16, Buschor 35, Fitzsimons 12, O'Brien 0, Larson 2, P. Paisley 0. Three-point field goals: Buschor 6, Fitzsimons 2, O'Brian 1, Zubuerbuhler 1. FT: 14-22. Fouled out: None. Record: 9-2. GAME TWO Lake Mills 68, Edgewood 25 KEYS TO THE GAME Lake Mills is an experienced, physical team with improved depth and big expectations. Edgewood is a young team that continues to experience the ups and downs of having two freshmen and three sophomores in its rotation while playing against a very strong schedule. The result? A dominating Lake Mills win. Few would have expected Edgewood to win the game before tipoff, but after playing a respected Stoughton squad to a close game in its prior outing and owning wins over both Merrill and Portage, the Crusaders have proven they can compete. But that simply didn't happen against Lake Mills. The L-Cats' swarming defense, incredible lateral movement and impressive intensity helped Lake Mills zoom to a 35-7 lead en route to its dominating victory. Balance was in play for coach Steve Hicklin's L-Cats as 10 players scored, led by NCAA Division II Minnesota State Mankato recruit [player_tooltip player_id='1412881' first='AJ' last='Bender']'s 14 points and two dunks. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2819684' first='Tanner' last='Wendorf'] (6-5) also had a strong outing for Lake Mills as he finished with 12 points to help the L-Cats improve to 8-2. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2231583' first='Timmy' last='West'] (6-1) topped Edgewood as he scored all seven of his points in the first half. STAR OF THE GAME    Bender's continued health is of absolute utmost importance to Lake Mills the rest of the season. The NCAA Division II recruit for Minnesota State Mankato missed three games earlier in the season and the L-Cats lost two of those. Bender is 7-0 when in the lineup and he was his usual productive self against Edgewood, scoring 14 points and anchoring an outstanding Lake Mills defense with his athleticism, quickness and mobility. Bender has some impressive stats on the campaign, averaging 19.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists for one of the state's top Division 3 teams.    EMERGING PLAYERS    A pure athlete on the basketball court, Wollin ranks among the elite all-around athletes in the state's 2027 class. Wollin is coming off a terrific football season where he passed for over 2,000 yards and 22 touchdowns while also rushing for 491 yards. On the basketball court, Wollin's defense is aided by his speed, verticality and physical toughness. On offense, Wollin can make three-point shots, score off of offensive rebounds and get to the foul line. He presence on the floor for big minutes every night out is one of the reasons the L-Cats are considered a state title contender in Division 3.     West and the entire Edgewood team got knocked on their heels by Lake Mills. Still, you can see there is young talent in the Crusaders' program and that starts with West, a combination guard who has an improved jump shot while also continuing to get to the basket. He scored all seven points for Edgewood in the first half and handled the ball well against some intense pressure defense. He will need to get stronger over the next two seasons, but his future in the game remains exceptionally strong.    BOXSCORE Edgewood (7-18 = 25) West 7, Bagstad 3, Oeth 4, Gnewuch 0, Christensen 0, Jacques 4, Clark 0, Mitchell 0, Hannan 2, Breidel 0, Young 0, Faust 3, Wood 2. Three-point field goals: West 1, Faust 1, Bagstad 1. FT: 2-2. Fouled out: None. Record: 2-8. Lake Mills (35-33 = 68) Wollin 8, Bender 14, Schaefer 0, B. Benish 8, Wendorf 12, Horkan 7, Kolkovich 5, Daniels 4, Winger 2, Christian 6, Rosales-Gray 0, Kirchberg 0, C. Benish 2. Three-point field goals: B. Benish 2, Wollin 2, Kolkovich 1, Bender 1, Horkan 1. FT: 3-5. Fouled out: None. Record: 8-2. GAME THREE Janesville Craig 58, De Forest 52 KEYS TO THE GAME Janesville Craig had a 25-10 lead with just seconds left in the first half, thanks to some impressive three-point shooting from junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2422338' first='Nolan' last='Duffy'] (6-0). But De Forest got a triple from senior Caleb Brandl (5-11) just before intermission to give the Norskies some momentum going into the locker room despite trailing 25-13. De Forest came out and scored the first eight points of the second half, and took a 29-28 lead on a three from senior [player_tooltip player_id='2493701' first='Lincoln' last='Hottmann'] (6-1). Janesville Craig responded with some strong play from sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2452081' first='Keyon'Dre' last='Thornton'] (5-6), who scored five straight points to give the Cougars a 50-38 advantage. De Forest stayed close until the end, but a runner in the lane from senior Alex Currie (6-2) with just over a minute left gave Janesville Craig the cushion it needed to get the win. STAR OF THE GAME    Duffy is 6-foot-7 and a bit north of 290 pounds. Those attributes helped him earn first-tam all-Big Eight Conference honors last fall as an offensive lineman. That size also helps him on the basketball court as he can set mean screens and create space around the basket. Duffy continues to hone his post skills and is an outstanding passer. He is much lighter on his feet than his size might suggest, and he also possesses a very smooth shooting stroke from the perimeter. He had three triples in the game and finished with a game-high 20 points.    EMERGING PLAYERS    Jenkins is a slashing guard who loves to get to the rim or drive the lane and pull-up for mid range jump shots. He scored 10 points for the Cougars in their win over DeForest, making three short shots, one three-point basket and splitting a pair of foul shots. Jenkins is a two-year varsity performer and a key member of a quick backcourt that also includes sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2452081' first='Keyon'Dre' last='Thornton']. Jenkins and Thornton use their quickness well to make things difficult for guards of opposing clubs.     Ohman finished with 19 points for DeForest and had a big-time scoring spree late in the game to help the Norkies cut a 12-point deficit to just two at 52-50 with two minutes left. His ability to score off cuts to the rim, drives to the basket and from outside the arc helped a DeForest offense that struggled at times. A combination guard who defends well on the perimeter in addition to his scoring ability, Ohmen is a two-year varsity performer for coach Eric Stewart. He is averaging 14.2 points, 4.3 rpg and 1.9 apg.    BOXSCORE De Forest (13-39 = 52) Ohmen 19, Hottmann 9, Brandl 13, Paskey 6, Hermansen 2, Doedens 3, Schloemer 0. Three-point field goals: Paskey 2, Doedens 1, Brandl 1, Hottmann 1, Ohmen 1. FT: 4-7. Fouled out: None. Record: 3-8. Janesville Craig (25-33 = 58) Thornton 6, Jenkins 10, Daskam 7, Currie 12, Duffy 20, Nickols 0, DeGraaf 3. Three-point field goals: Duffy 3, DeGraaf 1, Daskam 1, Jenkins 1, Thornton 1. FT: 11-15. Fouled out: None. Record: 7-6. GAME FOUR Waunakee 88, Madison La Follette 57 KEYS TO THE GAME Waunakee's execution on offense and physicality on defense were simply too much for Madison La Follette to handle. The Warriors pulled away early in this matchup of Badger Large and Big Eight conference teams. Waunakee took a 16-4 lead just minutes into the contest on three triples from [player_tooltip player_id='2042435' first='Kaden' last='MacKenzie'] and seven points from Jack Elickson. The lead grew to 48-26 by halftime and it only continued to grow in the second half. Waunakee made nine three-point baskets, but the Warriors were also stellar in the post, using their superior strength and stellar footwork to score in the lane. MacKenzie led a balanced attack with 20 points while [player_tooltip player_id='1749696' first='Eli' last='Selk'] and Jack Elickson added 11 each. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2364727' first='Deb' last='Lumpkin'] (5-8) was the lone bright spot for La Follette as he came off the bench to score a game-high 23 points. STAR OF THE GAME    MacKenzie isn't overly flashy on the basketball court, but he is overly productive. He gets it done on both ends of the court thanks to his vast knowledge of the game, his 6-foot-4 size, his athleticism and his skill. He gets to the rim in transition, makes three-point shots and cuts well to the basket. On the other end, MacKenzie ranks as one of the better defenders in Wisconsin as he can shut down perimeter scorers with his ability to play man defense as well as anybody. He had 20 points and four triples against La Follette and appears primed for a big second half of his senior season for coach Tyler Selk and the Warriors.    EMERGING PLAYERS    Selk's presence on the court is a huge plus for Waunakee as his long-distance shooting touch must always be accounted for by opposing teams. That attention can often open up the lane for drives to the basket for his teammates. In addition, Selk has now added the ability to slash to the hoop and either locate an open teammate or get all the way to the basket and score himself. He scored 11 points against La Follette, but his contribution in the victory also included a solid court presence, rebounding and strong defense inside and outside of the lane.     Lumpkin's quickness, shiftiness, aggressiveness and confidence proved to be the bright spot for La Follette at the #SwingFam Showcase. He came off the bench to score in just about every way imaginable en route to netting 23 points. Due to his lack of height, Lumpkin has learned to get his shot off over taller defenders with his deft ball handling and an entire tool chest of moves. One of the true measures of how difficult it can be to guard a player is how many free throws said player takes in a game. Lumpkin went seven-of-nine from the foul stripe against Waunakee.    BOXSCORE Madison La Follette (26-31 = 57) Holland 6, Prewitt 4, Jordan 8, Moss 3, Bryson 2, Lumpkin 23, Rice 0, Mack 1, Rice-Lee 2, Costello 6, Stewart 2. Three-point field goals: Lumpkin 2, Costello 1. FT: 17-24. Fouled out: None. Record: 6-4. Waunakee (48-40 = 88) MacKenzie 20, Murray 6, Elickson 11, Selk 11, V. Johnson 8, M. Johnson 8, Wagner 5, Thompson 2, Fath 3, Cralam 0, DuCharme 4, Hughey 4, Ubersox 2, Hanzel 5. Three-point field goals: MacKenzie 4, Selk 2, Hanzel 1, Elickson 1, Fath 1. FT: 14-19. Fouled out: None. Record: 10-2. GAME FIVE Dominican 87, Lodi 83, 2OT KEYS TO THE GAME Easily the most entertaining and competitive game of the #SwingFam Showcase, Dominican outlasted Lodi by four in two overtimes in a contest that featured lots of lead changes, ties and swings in momentum. Dominican senior and Syracuse recruit [player_tooltip player_id='1351718' first='Aaron' last='Womack'] (6-6) scored 32 of his 37 points after intermission to help the Knights improve to 7-3. Lodi also had a standout performance as junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1874993' first='Theo' last='Traeder'] (6-3) scored 36 points, thanks in large part to six three-point baskets but also due to his physical strength to complete drives to the hoop. Womack's steal with under 10 seconds left and Dominican leading 85-83 in double overtime was the biggest play of the game and helped the Knights head back to Milwaukee with the victory. STAR OF THE GAME    Despite not feeling well and coming off an emotional 77-76 Metro Classic Conference loss Friday night to Racine Lutheran, Womack still managed to get 37 points against a really good team in Lodi. He scored off the bounce with his length and also from deep as he made three triples, More than anything, though, Womack was a demon on the glass and also got fouled repeatedly as he made 12 of 18 foul shots. Womack's skill, length, court demeanor and upside as he gains more weight and adds more strength make him a player to watch now and well into the future.    EMERGING PLAYERS    Jones' shooting ability from beyond the arc and from mid range were evident early as he did most of his offensive damage early. He finished with 18 points and made a couple of three-point baskets for coach Steve Showalter's squad. One of the more promising class of 2027 prospects in the state, Jones could emerge as a scholarship player over the next year or two with continued development on both ends of the court. He definitely is trending in the right direction as he is earning major playing time for Dominican while playing against quality competition.     This game was a coming out party for Traeder, a player who has expanded his game and improved his physical strength. He was simply outstanding against Dominican as he made one big shot after another. He scored a career-best 36 points and made six three-point baskets, but he also was confident in taking the ball to the basket, taking a hit and finishing the play. When you can stroke triples like Traeder can, it opens eyes at the next level. That might be his ticket for college basketball, but he also has done an impressive job of improving his overall play on both ends of the court through a lot of hard work.     Talk about toughness, Schneider exhibited an abundance of that asset in the Blue Devils' double overtime loss to Dominican. Whether he was getting on the floor for a loose ball, returning to the game after taking a severe hit, or making a big basket down the stretch of regulation and overtime, Schneider was highly impressive at the #SwingFam Showcase. He finished with 21 points, making three triples, while also defending with his toughness and strength on the perimeter. Schneider is a physical lead guard who doesn't turn the ball over, makes big shots and is unselfish while looking to get the ball to his teammates.    BOXSCORE Dominican (34-36-6-11 = 87) Womack 37, Myles 11, Jones 18, Taylor 6, Nixon 14, Moore 0, Applewhite 1. Three-point field goals: Womack 3, Jones 2, Taylor 1. FT: 23-39. Fouled out: Taylor. Record: 7-3. Lodi (30-40-6-7 = 83) Traeder 36, Follis 6, K. Schneider 21, E. Schneider 7, Best 3, Oberling 3, Ballweg 0, Kurt 7, Nyquist 0. Three-point field goals: Traeder 5, K. Schneider 3, Follis 2, Best 1, Kurt 1. FT: 11-17. Fouled out: E. Schneider, Kurt. Record: 8-3.

Waunakee High School was the site Saturday for the #SwingFam Showcase as 10 teams from Wisconsin took part in the event hosted each year by the Wisconsin Swing club program.

Following are some observations from the event:

GAME ONE

Darlington 76, Delavan-Darien 61

KEYS TO THE GAME

Darlington moved the ball into the paint, out to the perimeter and to cutters to the basket in the first half against Delavan-Darien's zone defense in racing to a commanding 47-23 lead at intermission. The Redbirds were never in danger of losing their lead in the second half, but the scrappy and inspired Comets of Delavan-Darien kept playing hard until the final horn sounded to keep things respectable. The Comets cut their 24-point halftime deficit to 13 on a three-point basket by senior Hunter Rendon Hunter Rendon 5'11" | CG Delavan-Darien | 2025 WI (5-10) with 6:30 left, but Darlington responded with the type of poised play you'd expect from coach Tom Uppena's squad, which improved to 9-2 with the non-league victory. Junior wing Broker Buschor Broker Buschor 6'3" | SG Darlington | 2026 State WI (6-3) was outstanding for Darlington as he made six three-point baskets and scored a career-best 35 points. Senior Caden Duckworth Caden Duckworth 6'1" | CG Delavan-Darien | 2025 WI (6-0) led Delavan-Darien with 18 points while junior Andrew Maass Andrew Maass 5'10" | SF Delavan-Darien | 2026 State WI (5-10) added 16 for the Comets, who fell to 3-6.

STAR OF THE GAME