Metro Classic Preview 2025-26

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Final 2024-25 Standings:</strong><br><br>1. Racine St. Catherine's 13-1 (21-5); 1. Racine Lutheran 13-1 (24-3); 3. Dominican 8-6 (17-9); 3. Martin Luther 8-6 (16-9); 5. Kenosha St. Joseph 6-8 (13-14); 6. Saint Thomas More 4-10 (11-15): 7. The Prairie School 3-11 (14-16); 8. Shoreland Lutheran 1-13 (10-16). <br><br><strong>2025-26 Picks</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>1. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/st-catherines/">Racine St. Catherine's </a></strong>-- The Angels went 1-2 against Racine Lutheran last winter, losing a regional final after splitting a pair of league games. Those city outings will be must-see hoops again this time around with both programs returning the vast majority of its players. Racine St. Catherine's has all five starters back for coach Ryan Thompson, including a big-time difference maker in University of Minnesota football recruit [player_tooltip player_id='1959723' first='LaMont' last='Hamilton'], a jet of a 6-foot-1 guard who averaged 30.4 points and 4.3 rebounds as a junior while leading the Angels to a 21-5 record. Hamilton has scored 1,638 career points at St. Catherine's and teams with seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2319070' first='Eddie' last='Vinson Jr'] (6-0, 10.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2432733' first='Antoine' last='Ozier'] (6-1, 5.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg) in the Angels' backcourt. Wings [player_tooltip player_id='2399573' first='Richard' last='Watson'] (6-2, 4.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2954990' first='Jayden' last='Phillips'] (6-0, 6.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg) return along with power forward [player_tooltip player_id='2739730' first='A.C.' last='Ward'] (6-3, 15.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg). Seniors Knai Kidd (6-4, 1.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg) and Ja'Nyus Lockridge (6-1, 2.2 ppg) along with junior Donte Evans (5-11) also could be in the mix. <br><br><strong>2. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/racine-lutheran/">Racine Lutheran </a></strong>-- No team in the Metro Classic can match the depth within the Racine Lutheran program. In addition to four starters and five reserves back from a 24-3 squad, coach Justin Hullum welcomes newcomers from JV1 and JV2 squads that finished a combined 43-1. That's some serious firepower, probably enough to keep Racine Lutheran in the hunt for another league title while also ranking as one of the state's elite WIAA Division 4 teams. Leading the way for the Crusaders are seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2224532' first='Sam' last='Pitrof'] (6-4, 18.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg), [player_tooltip player_id='2429738' first='Isaiah' last='Cosey'] (5-11, 8.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2399971' first='Malachi' last='Imani'] (6-3, 5.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg). Pitrof ranks as one of the better uncommitted class of 2026 prospects in Wisconsin and enters his senior year as a three-year varsity performer for the Crusaders. Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2398434' first='Bryce' last='Austin'] (6-3, 10.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg), [player_tooltip player_id='2140959' first='Michael' last='Pratt-Hassan'] (6-2, 6.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg), [player_tooltip player_id='2833117' first='Deeon' last='Brumby'] (6-2, 7.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg), Mekhi Pratt-Hassan (6-2, 4.3 ppg), [player_tooltip player_id='2423534' first='Max' last='Contreras'] (6-3, 3.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2399560' first='Jacobi' last='Jones'] (6-3, 3.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg) alsor return.<br><br><strong>3. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/dominican/">Dominican</a> </strong>-- Former Fond du Lac coach Nick Ford replaces Steve Showalter as the head coach at Dominican and takes over a tradition-rich program that returns three starters from a 17-9 squad. Syracuse recruit Aaron Womack (6-7, 28.8 ppg, 11.0 rpg) will be difficult to replace, but Ford has some talent in the pipeline, nonetheless. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2728593' first='Amare' last='Nixon'] (6-4, 11.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='3019744' first='Demitrius' last='Taylor'] (5-9, 10.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg) along with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2127267' first='Zaihir' last='Jones'] (6-4, 18.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg) give the Knights plenty of offensive firepower. Jones is ranked No. 8 among juniors in the state by Prep Hoops Wisconsin and owns NCAA Division I offers from Bethune-Cookman, La Salle, Northwestern State, Queens and Eastern Illinois while both Nixon and Taylor are multi-year varsity performers. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2842203' first='Ethan' last='Moore'] (6-3, 3.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2613201' first='Brandon' last='Applewhite'] (6-1, 2.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg) will contend for starting spots as will sophomore DaZhaun Biami-Jackson (6-2) and freshmen [player_tooltip player_id='2850469' first='Reed' last='McGivern'] (6-3) and [player_tooltip player_id='2845408' first='Davion' last='Powell'] (6-3). <br><br><strong>4.<a href="https://prephoops.com/team/martin-luther/"> Martin Luther </a></strong>-- Demonte Bynum comes over from Heritage Christian to replace Paul Wollersheim as the Spartans' head coach, and he has some talented players to work with as Martin Luther looks to better a 16-9 record. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2836418' first='Damariye' last='Redmond'] (5-11, 17.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg) led the team in scoring as a junior and earned second-team all-league honors. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2474839' first='Bryson' last='Dorris'] (6-4, 10.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg) also started for Martin Luther last winter while junior [player_tooltip player_id='2431222' first='Noah' last='Tyler'] (6-0, 8.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg) was the Spartans' sixth man. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='3020953' first='Jaiden' last='Shumpert'] (6-0) and [player_tooltip player_id='3020955' first='Elijah' last='Watkins'] (6-2) return to contend for time in the playing rotation. Newcomers would could work their way into significant roles include juniors Jordan Clark (6-1), [player_tooltip player_id='2140939' first='Jordan' last='Blockton'] (6-1), [player_tooltip player_id='2408737' first='Jamerion' last='Coleman'] (5-9) and Kenson Wiggins (6-1). A loaded freshmen class features [player_tooltip player_id='2918879' first='Treyvonn' last='Williams'] (6-1), [player_tooltip player_id='2371541' first='Semaj' last='Pruitt'] (6-0), [player_tooltip player_id='2918896' first='Rmani' last='Watson'] (6-4) and [player_tooltip player_id='2841177' first='Messiah' last='Harmon'] (6-1). <br><br><strong>5. </strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/team/st-thomas-more/"><strong>Saint Thomas More</strong> </a>-- After capturing the WIAA Division 3 state crown in 2024, the Cavaliers went 11-15 last winter and must replace two double-figure scorers in Stout recruit Kenari Parr (6-2, 15.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and Viterbo recruit Jack Hennessy (6-2, 12.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg). Coach Tony Mane does have three starters back in seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2500051' first='Omar' last='Fofana'] (6-0, 14.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg), [player_tooltip player_id='2982319' first='Quin' last='Buscher'] (6-7, 4.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg) and Brandon Andrzewjeski (6-3, 7.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg). Those three players will be key players for the Cavaliers and figure to get some help from seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2398478' first='Sebastian' last='Cruz'] (5-10, 4.1 ppg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2641950' first='Brayden' last='Alivo'] (6-0, 6.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg) along with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2842251' first='Aiden' last='Knitter'] (5-10, 2.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg). Newcomers who could contribute include juniors [player_tooltip player_id='3022414' first='Brody' last='Alivo'] (5-10) and [player_tooltip player_id='3022413' first='John' last='Pica-Melendez'] (6-2) along with freshman Jacobe Cruz (5-9). <br><br><strong>6. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/st-joseph/">Kenosha St. Joseph</a></strong> -- Always a difficult team to beat because of its style of play, Kenosha St. Joseph once again will put forth a strong unit under coach Kyle Clark. Three starters are back from a 13-14 squad in senior [player_tooltip player_id='2440055' first='Tomas' last='Baez'] (5-10, 12.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg), junior [player_tooltip player_id='2508296' first='Christopher' last='Kenesie'] (6-0, 18.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2354009' first='Reymundo' last='Garibay'] (5-10, 10.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg). Baez is a quick combination guard with a nose for the basket, Kenesie is a solid player on both ends of the court and can score from deep and off the dribble, and Garibay is a terrific long-distance shooter with a good feel for the game. The Lancers figure to get solid inside play from seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2922452' first='Berkley' last='Kuiper'] (6-2, 2.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2922455' first='Sincere' last='Williams'] (6-2, 3.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg) while guards [player_tooltip player_id='2922464' first='Noah' last='Harrell'] (6-1), [player_tooltip player_id='2922463' first='Alex' last='Vasquez'] (5-10) and [player_tooltip player_id='2922466' first='Jack' last='Schmitz'] (5-10) will compete with varsity newcomers [player_tooltip player_id='2763283' first='Charlie' last='Guttormsen'] (5-9) and [player_tooltip player_id='2401618' first='Eric' last='McCray'] (5-10) for playing time. <br><br><strong>7. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/prairie-3/">The Prairie School </a></strong>-- The teams projected to finish in the bottom half of the Metro Classic are good enough to win conference championships in other leagues. The depth in the league is crazy good and you can include The Prairie School among the talented squads in the eight-team circuit. Coach Jason Atanasoff begins his 15th year as head coach of the Hawks with four starters back from a 14-16 squad. Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2140901' first='Chandler' last='Perry'] (6-3, 12.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg), [player_tooltip player_id='2508284' first='Dalton' last='Ahlensdorf'] (6-5, 11.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2508306' first='Ryan' last='Vanoss'] (6-2, 9.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg) are multi-year varsity performers while sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2503099' first='Emmett' last='Wassil'] (6-3, 7.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg) also returns to the starting five. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2841632' first='Nolan' last='Greb'] (6-1, 7.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg) figures to move into the regular rotation for the Hawks while senior [player_tooltip player_id='3022535' first='Maurice' last='Carter'] (5-11), junior [player_tooltip player_id='3022530' first='Owen' last='Jedlicka'] (6-6) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2550915' first='Hunter' last='Greb'] (5-11) also figure to be key performers. <br><br><strong>8. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/shoreland-lutheran/">Shoreland Lutheran</a> </strong>-- The Pacers may be picked for eighth place in the Metro Classic, but make no mistake about coach Paul Strutz's squad. They are more than capable of playing with any team in the league and pulling multiple upsets. Four starters are back from a 10-16 squad in senior [player_tooltip player_id='1561917' first='Owen' last='Hahm'] (6-1, 16.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.0 apg), [player_tooltip player_id='3022189' first='Mason' last='Sittig'] (6-0, 5.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='3022184' first='Joel' last='Lindemann'] (6-1, 5.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg) along with junior [player_tooltip player_id='3022186' first='John' last='Roehl'] (6-1, 9.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.8 apg). Those four form a quality nucleus and figure to receive plenty of help from seniors Bret McClean (6-3, 2.4 ppg), [player_tooltip player_id='2429733' first='D'Amirion' last='Mayweather'] (5-11, 7.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2982403' first='Ezekial' last='Barajas'] (6-0, 7.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg) along with junior Riley Jacobson (6-2, 4.0 ppg). Strutz lists experience and depth as strengths while lack of size is a concern.<br><br><strong>Top Returning Scorers</strong><br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1959723' first='LaMont' last='Hamilton'] (Racine St. Catherine's) 30.4 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2508296' first='Christopher' last='Kenesie'] (Kenosha St. Joseph) 18.8 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2224532' first='Sam' last='Pitrof'] (Racine Lutheran) 18.7 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2127267' first='Zaihir' last='Jones'] (Dominican) 18.4 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2836418' first='Damariye' last='Redmond'] (Martin Luther) 17.7 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1561917' first='Owen' last='Hahm'] (Shoreland Lutheran) 16.0 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2739730' first='A.C.' last='Ward'] (Racine St. Catherine's) 15.5 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2500051' first='Omar' last='Fofana'] (Saint Thomas More) 14.6 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2440055' first='Tomas' last='Baez'] (Kenosha St. Joseph) 12.6 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2140901' first='Chandler' last='Perry'] (The Prairie School) 12.3 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2508284' first='Dalton' last='Ahlensdorf'] (The Prairie School) 11.5 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2728593' first='Amare' last='Nixon'] (Dominican) 11.2 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2398434' first='Bryce' last='Austin'] (Racine Lutheran) 10.9 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2354009' first='Reymundo' last='Garibay'] (Kenosha St. Joseph) 10.8 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2474839' first='Bryson' last='Dorris'] (Martin Luther) 10.7 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2319070' first='Eddie' last='Vinson Jr'] (Racine St. Catherine's) 10.1 ppg<br>[player_tooltip player_id='3019744' first='Demitrius' last='Taylor'] (Dominican) 10.2 ppg<br><br><strong>Projected All-Conference Teams<br>First Team<br></strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1959723' first='LaMont' last='Hamilton'], Sr., Racine St. Catherine's<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2224532' first='Sam' last='Pitrof'], 6-4, Sr., Racine Lutheran<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2508296' first='Christopher' last='Kenesie'], Jr., Kenosha St. Joseph<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2127267' first='Zaihir' last='Jones'], Jr., Dominican<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2500051' first='Omar' last='Fofana'], Sr., Saint Thomas More<br><br><strong>Second Team</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2836418' first='Damariye' last='Redmond'], Sr., Martin Luther<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2398434' first='Bryce' last='Austin'], 6-3, Jr., Racine Lutheran<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2739730' first='A.C.' last='Ward'], Sr., Racine St. Catherine's<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1561917' first='Owen' last='Hahm'], Sr., Shoreland Lutheran<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2508284' first='Dalton' last='Ahlensdorf'], 6-5, Jr., The Prairie School<br><br><strong>The Big Five</strong><br><br><strong>Best Shooter: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2508306' first='Ryan' last='Vanoss'], The Prairie School<br><strong>Best Defender:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1959723' first='LaMont' last='Hamilton'], Racine St. Catherine's<br><strong>Best Rebounder: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2224532' first='Sam' last='Pitrof'], Racine Lutheran<br><strong>Best Collegiate Prospect:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2127267' first='Zaihir' last='Jones'], Dominican<br><strong>Most Improved: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2140959' first='Michael' last='Pratt-Hassan'], Racine Lutheran</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->