Top 10 moments from Day 1 of Majerus WBY Shootout

The top 10 moments, performances and insights from Day 1 of the Rick Majerus Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Shootout, held Saturday at Concordia University in Mequon. Day 2 and Day 3 are slated for Monday and Tuesday with games beginning at 9:15 a.m. each day. A full preview of the WBY Shootout can be found <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/12/rick-majerus-wby-shootout-preview-2/">here</a>.   No. 1 ... [player_tooltip player_id='2127267' first='Zaihir' last='Jones'] stunning performance for Dominican Jones put up 39 points for the Knights in their victory over Living Word Lutheran. He scored from outside the arc, off drives to the basket and from the foul line en route to his career-high point total. Jones got his big point-total with solid efficiency. He is an offensive force for first-year Dominican coach Nick Ford as the 6-foot-4 wing is averaging 30.7 points for the 5-1 Knights, who face a big challenge on Monday when they take on WIAA Division 1 power Oshkosh North. Ranked No. 8 among juniors in Wisconsin by Prep Hoops, Jones owns several scholarship offers from DI programs, including Eastern Illinois, La Salle and Northwestern State, among others. He is trending upward, however, and could eventually wind up with offers from high-major collegiate programs due to his length, skill, size, athleticism and steady improvement. No. 2 ... Freedom's exceptional play against Brookfield Central Freedom finished second in the WIAA Division 3 State Tournament last March, and the Irish haven't missed a beat in the new season despite some significant graduation losses. Coach Andrew Gibbons' squad was simply outstanding Saturday in a 74-58 win over Brookfield Central in a game that was much closer for the first 32 minutes. The Irish shared the ball better than any other team in the WBY Shootout and ended up with their eighth victory of the season without a loss in large part because of their unselfishness. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2724372' first='Kaden' last='Vandenberg'] (6-1) put in 27 points and junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1847792' first='Donovan' last='Davis'] (6-8), the state's top-ranked junior, added 25 with Marquette coach Shaka Smart sitting courtside. But the Irish also got 16 huge points from junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2140894' first='Cal' last='Calhoon'] (5-10), and they defended at a very high level on each possession throughout the contest. Freedom did this while playing against a very good Brookfield Central squad that had won four in a row after an 0-2 start. Davis, by the way, was as impressive as he could possibly be. He trusted hist teammates with his impressive and accurate passing skill while also scoring from outside the arc and in the lane. No. 3 ... Slinger rallies past Arrowhead Slinger looked to be in trouble at halftime in its matchup with previously undefeated Arrowhead. The Owls trailed 42-28 and junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2351196' first='Blake' last='Basich'] (5-10) had it going big time for the Warhawks as he drilled a couple of three-point shots late in the half to give coach Craig Haase's group its 14-point lead. Slinger, though, got a huge second-half showing from sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2398448' first='Joey' last='Kohnen'] (6-4), the state's top-ranked class of 2028 prospect, to rally for its sixth win against two losses. Kohnen scored 17 of his 24 points after halftime and played a big role in a defense that put the clamps down on Arrowhead's potent offense. The result was a 43-27 scoring edge that resulted in 71-69 victory that wasn't sealed until Basich missed on a shot just instead the half-court line as the game ended. Balance was a key for coach Alex Lavine's squad as four players finished in double scoring-figures ... [player_tooltip player_id='2398448' first='Joey' last='Kohnen'] with 24, [player_tooltip player_id='2874937' first='Bryson' last='Fogle'] with 12, [player_tooltip player_id='2351190' first='Jack' last='Kohnen'] with 12 and [player_tooltip player_id='2765150' first='Colton' last='Mantz'] with 11. No. 4 ... Beaver Dam with statement win over Waterford Beaver Dam was so connected on defense in its outing with Waterford that virtually every shot taken by the Wolverines' was contested. Yes, Northern Michigan recruit [player_tooltip player_id='1561893' first='Caden' last='Gustafson'] (6-4) had 26 points and four three-point shots. But ask Gustafson how hard it was to reach that lofty point total and he'll likely tell you it was exceptionally hard. The energy and togetherness Beaver Dam played with on both ends of the floor was extremely impressive for all 36 minutes and helped the Beavers record a convincing 76-65 victory in a matchup of two of the better WIAA Division 2 teams in the state. Senior shooting star [player_tooltip player_id='2391088' first='EJ' last='Salettel'] (6-4) was exceptional, as usual, as he scored 26 points and made six-of-seven foul shots when Waterford was trying to rally late. Promising sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id='2508468' first='Ben' last='Wittnebel'] (6-6) added 20 points, junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2371701' first='Isaiah' last='Yuenger'] (6-4) added 13 and fearless senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2496335' first='Parker' last='Blank'] (5-11) added 12. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2140933' first='Jaxon' last='Ladron'], son of Beaver Dam coach Tim Ladron, played a very strong floor game and guarded Gustafson and others with physicality, determination and seemingly endless energy. Beaver Dam is a very good team, one of the best the school has had in recent memory. Waterford also is a strong squad. These two outfits could meet again, perhaps in the WIAA State Tournament in March. No. 5 ... St. Thomas More's strong shooting from deep in win over Catholic Memorial The Cavaliers of St. Thomas More had a rather pedestrian three made shots from outside the three-point arc in the first half against Catholic Memorial. That changed big time in the second 18 minutes, however, as the Cavaliers buried 10 triples in the second half and came away with an impressive come-from-behind win over the Crusaders in a matchup of former Catholic/Metro Conference rivals. Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2839308' first='Jakobe' last='Cruz'] (5-9), senior [player_tooltip player_id='2641950' first='Brayden' last='Alivo'] (6-0) and senior [player_tooltip player_id='2982319' first='Quinn' last='Buscher'] (6-7) each made three shots from deep while reserve [player_tooltip player_id='2842251' first='Aiden' last='Knitter'] (5-11) also connected from beyond the arc to help the Cavaliers of coach Tony Mane erase a 15-point second-half deficit. St. Thomas More needed all of those big baskets to notch its 71-65 win, particularly because CMH was hitting from deep as well with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2140928' first='Jackson' last='Albee'] (6-1) making five triples in the second half with teammates [player_tooltip player_id='2795366' first='Karti' last='Calvert'] (6-6) and [player_tooltip player_id='2414753' first='Rigg' last='Waterman'] (6-4) also connecting from deep. No. 6 ... Marquette High cashes in from foul line in win over Oregon Marquette High coach Casey Kowaleski probably wishes his club could have made a few more foul shots in its 68-58 win over Oregon. Still the Hilltoppers' 68 percent shooting from the stripe (22 of 32) was enough for Marquette High to get its third win of the season against two setbacks. Marquette registered a plus-13 differential from the line against Oregon in large part because the Hilltoppers kept attacking the basket. Junior wings [player_tooltip player_id='2642421' first='Christian' last='Miller'] (6-4) and [player_tooltip player_id='2835400' first='Harrison' last='Schwabe'] (6-5) each made all of their free throw attempts with Miller going six-for-six and Schwabe connecting on all four his attempts. With Miller and Schwabe scoring inside, senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='3138905' first='Luke' last='Gundrum'] (5-11) made four shots from outside the arc, including two late in the game that helped the Hilltoppers put away the Panthers. Miller led Marquette High with 21 points while Gundrum contributed 16. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2970569' first='Brayden' last='Hermsdorf'] (6-6), who missed the past two seasons while recovering from injuries, had 17 points for Oregon. No. 7 ... Nicolet guard duo too much for Ashwaubenon Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1781157' first='Rashaad' last='Davis'] (6-0) and junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2140912' first='Edward' last='Bullock'] (6-3) had it going for Nicolet in its 72-56 win over Ashwaubenon. Davis, a Southern Utah recruit, got to the basket with ease and also hit a couple of three-point shots on the way to scoring 20 points. Bullock, one of the state's better juniors, added a game-best 23 points, including 14 in the first half when the Knights grabbed a 36-27 lead. Bullock showed off his bounce with a dunk but also had some sweet shots from deep for coach Terence Smith's squad. Ashwaubenon, which is playing this season without senior guard Isaiah Fenner due to an injury, got 19 points from Northern Michigan recruit [player_tooltip player_id='2391086' first='Carson' last='Dorgu'] (6-8). No. 8 ... KML's balance and defense derail Brookfield Academy Brookfield Academy took away some positives in its 85-70 loss to Kettle Moraine Lutheran. But the Knights couldn't get the upper hand against the balanced Chargers, who had four players in double scoring figures led by junior [player_tooltip player_id='2935650' first='Jacob' last='Hess'] (6-1) with 22 and senior [player_tooltip player_id='2624965' first='Henry' last='Bednar'] (6-5) with 17. KML, which improved to 5-3 under coach Josh Lindner, also got 16 points from junior [player_tooltip player_id='2935649' first='Jonah' last='Kruse'] (6-2) and 15 from senior Nathan Kabelowsky (6-1). While balance definitely was important for KML, its defense was also key as the Chargers forced 24 turnovers. For Brookfield Academy, junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2140975' first='Pavle' last='Djilas'] (6-7) proved why he's a solid collegiate prospect as he used his skill and size to score 24 points while also drawing six fouls. His brother, junior [player_tooltip player_id='2140952' first='Lazar' last='Djilas'] (6-8), also had his moments as he finished with 18 points. No. 9 ... Sheboygan Lutheran holds off University School It was far from easy, but Sheboygan Lutheran recorded its eighth win against just one loss with a 65-59 triumph over University School of Milwaukee. Coach Nick Verhagen had four players finish in double figures with sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2562463' first='McCoy' last='Michael'] (5-10) finishing with 18 followed by senior [player_tooltip player_id='2224503' first='Brennen' last='Hackbarth'] (6-5) with 16, junior [player_tooltip player_id='2509476' first='Oliver' last='Leibham'] (5-11) with 14 and junior [player_tooltip player_id='3022155' first='James' last='Schulze'] (6-4) with 12. Sheboygan Lutheran led for most of the contest, but the Wildcats stayed within striking distance thanks to a strong showing from senior Jordan Farrington-Coleman (6-0), who had a game-high 21 points and was able to keep defenders off balance with his ability to score off the dribble and from the perimeter. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2479757' first='Kristian' last='Bartl'] (6-7) added 13 points for USM, which was outscored 15-6 from the foul line. No. 10 ... Rick Majerus MVP plaques The following players earned Rick Majerus Most Valuable Player plaques for each of the nine games Saturday: Game 1 ... [player_tooltip player_id='2935650' first='Jacob' last='Hess'] of Kettle Moraine Lutheran. Game 2 ... [player_tooltip player_id='2562463' first='McCoy' last='Michael'] of Sheboygan Lutheran Game 3 ... [player_tooltip player_id='2127267' first='Zaihir' last='Jones'] of Dominican. Game 4 ... [player_tooltip player_id='2641950' first='Brayden' last='Alivo'] of St. Thomas More. Game 5 ... [player_tooltip player_id='2140912' first='Edward' last='Bullock'] of Nicolet. Game 6 ... [player_tooltip player_id='2724372' first='Kaden' last='Vandenberg'] of Freedom. Game 7 ... [player_tooltip player_id='2398448' first='Joey' last='Kohnen'] of Slinger. Game 8 ... [player_tooltip player_id='2642421' first='Christian' last='Miller'] of Marquette. Game 9 ... [player_tooltip player_id='2391088' first='EJ' last='Salettel'] of Beaver Dam.

The top 10 moments, performances and insights from Day 1 of the Rick Majerus Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Shootout, held Saturday at Concordia University in Mequon.

Day 2 and Day 3 are slated for Monday and Tuesday with games beginning at 9:15 a.m. each day. A full preview of the WBY Shootout can be found here.