Bay Conference Preview 2025-26

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Final 2024-25 Standings:</strong><br><br>1. West DePere 13-1 (16-9); 2. Xavier 12-2 (21-7); 3. Seymour 10-4 (19-7); 4. Menasha 7-7 (12-14); 5. New London 6-8 (9-16); 6. Green Bay West 4-10 (11-13); 6. Shawano 4-10 (7-18); 8. Green Bay East 0-14 (3-22).<br><em><br>Note: West DePere moves to the Fox River Classic Conference while Fox Valley Lutheran and Winneconne join the Bay Conference for 2025-26.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025-26 Picks</strong><br><br><strong>1. Seymour</strong> -- A team to watch not only in the Bay but in all of Wisconsin, Seymour is loaded with experience, depth, scoring punch and balance. The Thunder figure to be a top 10 team in WIAA Division 3 behind the return of five starters and a couple of top reserves. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2391083' first='Kyler' last='Marks'] (6-4, 21.2 ppg, 8.9 rpg) is one of the better scorers and rebounders in the league and his ability to shed defenders in the paint to score at the rim is extremely impressive. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2615539' first='Jordan' last='Krause'] (6-0, 11.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg) came off the bench to provide an offensive spark for a 19-7 team as a freshman and has only gotten better during the off season. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2500851' first='Xavier' last='Salzman'] (6-0, 9.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2990446' first='Sam' last='Geyso'] (6-0, 4.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg) along with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2508494' first='Isaac' last='Feske'] (6-3, 14.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2508496' first='Teage' last='Cornell'] (5-10, 9.3 ppg) joined Marks in the starting rotation last winter. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2508497' first='Greg' last='Salzman'] (5-10, 4.1 ppg) also returns for coach Bobby Kuchta. <br><br><strong>2. Fox Valley Lutheran</strong> -- Moving over from the North Eastern Conference to the Bay, the Foxes appear to have the firepower required to contend for a league title. Coach Tommy Stelter welcomes back three starters in seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2381574' first='Gabe' last='Heiges'] (5-8, 9.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg), [player_tooltip player_id='2672650' first='Caleb' last='Dahlke'] (6-5, 10.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2385567' first='Amani' last='Dahlke'] (6-5, 6.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg). Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1561938' first='Eligh' last='Erickson'] (6-0, 4.8 ppg), [player_tooltip player_id='2825647' first='Riley' last='Lindell'] (6-7, 2.0 ppg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2820041' first='Blessings' last='Kapande'] (6-1, 1.7 ppg) also return for Fox Valley Lutheran. Depth is an assist as newcomers from JV1 and JV2 teams that finished a combined 39-5 also figure to battle for playing time. <br><br><strong>3. Xavier </strong>-- Here's a stat most would not know ... Xavier coach Matt Klarner has won more games in his first 14 seasons than any other coach in WIAA history. Klarner helped Xavier to a 21-7 record a year ago, the ninth time in the past 11 seasons Xavier has reached at least 20 wins. During his 14 years at Xavier, Klarner's teams own a 298-71 record. And with returning Bay co-Player of the Year [player_tooltip player_id='2434543' first='Logan' last='Ramczyk'] (6-2, 19.7 ppg, 5.5 apg) back for his junior season, Xavier figures to be a tough out once again. Ramczyk and senior Kyle Bleck (5-11, 10.0 ppg, 3.0 apg) form a strong backcourt for the Hawks, who must overcome a lack of size for the second year in a row. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2961786' first='Grant' last='Neumann'] (6-2, 4.1 ppg) and juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2509443' first='Caden' last='Schuler'] (6-1, 4.5 ppg), [player_tooltip player_id='2961788' first='Quinn' last='Comerford'] (6-1), [player_tooltip player_id='2961792' first='Osaze' last='Fournillier'] (6-2) and Kobe Donnermeyer (5-11) also return for the Hawks. Look for sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id='2961794' first='Ben' last='Kappell'] (6-2) to provide some interior defense. <br><br><strong>4. New London </strong>-- The Bay Conference is loaded with talented teams and New London is proof in point as the Bulldogs bring back all five starters and yet are picked to finish no higher than fourth in the nine-team loop. New London coach Zach Molner has the benefit of building his team around one of the better forward prospects in the state's class of 2026 in versatile [player_tooltip player_id='1561965' first='Joseph' last='Daly'] (6-6, 22.0 ppg, 12.6 rpg), the reigning Player of the Year in the league. Daly's ability to dominate in the paint while also being effective away from the basket figure to be big assets again for the Bulldogs. Other key returning players include senior [player_tooltip player_id='2919599' first='Brett' last='Marquardt'] (5-11, 9.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2990442' first='Parker' last='Heise'] (6-1, 5.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg) along with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2387053' first='Ryan' last='Dalhoe'] (6-4, 10.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2381628' first='Camron' last='Taylor'] (6-2, 6.8 pgp, 4.2 rpg).<br><br><strong>5. Winneconne </strong>-- After finishing 8-17 in John Flanigan's first year as head coach last season, Winneconne could rank among the most improved teams in the state in 2025-26. Five starters are back for the Wolves, including double-figure scorers [player_tooltip player_id='2308750' first='Brody' last='Schaffer'] (6-2, 21.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg), [player_tooltip player_id='2500850' first='Parker' last='Ingles'] (5-10, 21.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2523953' first='Gage' last='Bartel'] (6-4, 11.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg). Schaffer is an Iowa football recruit, Ingles is a terrific long-distance shooter and Bartel can help on the glass but also score some away from the hoop. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2961799' first='Cal' last='Volp'] (6-1, 3.2 ppg) and junior [player_tooltip player_id='2961798' first='Ryan' last='Quigley'] (6-4, 3.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg) also return to the starting lineup while incoming freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2436991' first='Drew' last='Lenz'] (5-9) ranks among the better class of 2029 prospects in the state. <br><br><strong>6. Menasha </strong>-- Despite losing four starters to graduation who accounted for 44 points per game, Menasha could be a tough out this winter as the Bluejays return plenty of scoring punch and athleticism. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2421410' first='Mason' last='Lukasavage'] (6-3, 7.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg) is the lone returning regular for coach Paul Mattek and leads a talented young squad that also includes juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2140980' first='Tayden' last='Wilke'] (5-10, 8.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg), Levin Miller (6-3, 7.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg), [player_tooltip player_id='2511764' first='Shamir' last='Senyange'] (6-2, 7.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg) and Jeremayah Cantu (5-11, 2.9 ppg). Quickness is the biggest strength for the Bluejays while team defense and size are concerns. <br><br><strong>7. Shawano </strong>-- Take the Hawks lightly at your own risk. Even though Shawano is picked for a second-division finish in the Bay, coach David Ambrosius has some talented players returning and if those players can stay healthy, Shawano can pull some upsets. Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2140991' first='Will' last='Verkuilen'] (5-11, 12.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg) is already a two-year varsity letter winner and one of the better lead guards in the league. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2990480' first='Anderson' last='Schmidt'] (5-10, 4.9 ppg) also returns to the Hawks' backcourt while juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2381614' first='Jackson' last='Nordin'] (6-5, 3.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2400263' first='Austin' last='Heling'] (6-3, 1.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg) figure to handle things on the frontline.<br><br><strong>8. Green Bay East </strong>-- It's been difficult for the Red Devils to remain competitive in the Bay as they enter the 2025-26 campaign with a 34-game league losing skid that dates back to the 2022-23 season. East is just 1-41 in conference play over the past three seasons, but coach JD DeVault's group is hoping to end its skid as soon as possible behind the scoring and rebounding of senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2828248' first='Quincy' last='Shields'] (6-2, 17.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg). Shields and senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2989895' first='Matuta' last='Msafiri'] (5-9, 8.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg) are returning starters for the Red Devils.<br><br><strong>9. Green Bay West </strong>-- The Wildcats lost all five starters to graduation from a club that went 11-13. So second-year coach Malcolm Moore looks to have a rebuilding season on his hands. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2810070' first='Kordarreus' last='Jeremiah Ira Howell'] (5-8, 2.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg) is the most experienced returning player, Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2989976' first='Urijah' last='Moore'] (5-10) and senior [player_tooltip player_id='2989979' first='Bryson' last='Thao'] (5-9) join Howell in the Wildcats' quick backcourt. Lack of size, experience and proven scoring punch are concerns for Moore. <br><br><strong>Top Returning Scorers</strong><br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1561965' first='Joseph' last='Daly'] (New London) 22.0 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2500850' first='Parker' last='Ingles'] (Winneconne) 21.8 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2391083' first='Kyler' last='Marks'] (Seymour) 21.2 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2308750' first='Brody' last='Schaffer'] (Winneconne) 21.2 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2434543' first='Logan' last='Ramczyk'] (Xavier) 19.7 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2828248' first='Quincy' last='Shields'] (Green Bay East) 17.3 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2508494' first='Isaac' last='Feske'] (Seymour) 14.5 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2140991' first='Will' last='Verkuilen'] (Shawano) 12.0 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2523953' first='Gage' last='Bartel'] (Winneconne) 11.9 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2615539' first='Jordan' last='Krause'] (Seymour) 11.1 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2672650' first='Caleb' last='Dahlke'] (FVL) 10.5 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2616479' first='Kyler' last='Bleck'] (Xavier) 10.0 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2387053' first='Ryan' last='Dalhoe'] (New London) 10.0 ppg<br><br><strong>Projected All-Conference Teams<br>First Team</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1561965' first='Joseph' last='Daly'], 6-6, Sr., New London<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2434543' first='Logan' last='Ramczyk'], 6-2, Jr., Xavier<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2391083' first='Kyler' last='Marks'], 6-4, Sr., Seymour<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2508494' first='Isaac' last='Feske'], 6-3, Jr., Seymour<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2672650' first='Caleb' last='Dahlke'], 6-5, Sr., Fox Valley Lutheran<br><br><strong>Second Team</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2828248' first='Quincy' last='Shields'], 6-2, Sr., Green Bay East<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2140991' first='Will' last='Verkuilen'], 5-11, Jr., Shawano<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2308750' first='Brody' last='Schaffer'], 6-2, Sr., Winneconne<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2381574' first='Gabe' last='Heiges'], 5-8, Sr., Fox Valley Lutheran<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2500850' first='Parker' last='Ingles'], 5-11, Sr., Winneconne<br><br><strong>The Big Five</strong><br><br><strong>Best Shooter:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2500850' first='Parker' last='Ingles'], Winneconne<br><strong>Best Rebounder: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1561965' first='Joseph' last='Daly'], New London<br><strong>Best Defender: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2391083' first='Kyler' last='Marks'], Seymour<br><strong>Best Collegiate Prospect:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2434543' first='Logan' last='Ramczyk'], Xavier<br><strong>Most Improved Player:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2385567' first='Amani' last='Dahlke'], Fox Valley Lutheran</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->