Division 3 Basketball: Top Surprise Teams

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Which teams at the WIAA Division 3 level have surprised the most this season based on preseason prognostications? Let's dive into the list and give these programs, players and coaches the credit they deserve.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/team/st-croix-central/">St. Croix Central </a></strong>-- Selected no higher than fifth place in the eight-team Middle Border Conference at the start of the season, St. Croix Central has surpassed that prediction while earning the No. 1 seed in the top half of Sectional 1. Coach Matt Bailey's squad has secured no less than a share of the league title and takes a 15-8 overall record into its regular-season finale at Osceola on Thursday. The four returning starters from last year's club that went 10-15 have played huge roles in the Panthers' success. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2809654' first='Tanner' last='Grinnell'] (12.9 ppg, 7.9 rpg), [player_tooltip player_id='1561922' first='Matyas' last='Larson'] (13.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='3022347' first='Braiden' last='Rasmussen'] (12.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg) along with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2409155' first='Aaron' last='Siler'] (7.4 ppg, 3.6 apg) have paved the way for St. Croix Central. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='3022345' first='Chayton' last='Gottfredsen'] (8.3 ppg) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2820491' first='Braden' last='Pierce'] (6.5 ppg) also have been key performers for the Panthers, who recently had an eight-game winning streak snapped by Amery.<br><br><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/team/fuller-collegiate-academy/">Fuller Collegiate Academy </a></strong>-- The unknown has become known and in a big-time way. First-year coach Khalif El'Amin has Fuller Collegiate Academy playing some solid basketball in the school's first year in a new building. Few knew exactly how Fuller Collegiate Academy would fare once it joined the Lake City Conference, but the Lions ran the table in their new conference, finishing 16-0 in league play and often winning by huge margins. The Lions take a 20-2 mark into the WIAA playoffs and earned a No. 3 seed in Sectional 4. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2825588' first='Demarion' last='Epperson'] has put up crazy numbers this winter, averaging 23.9 points and 13.8 rebounds. He gets plenty of help from a trio of juniors in [player_tooltip player_id='2401823' first='Damarion' last='Luna'] (14.2 ppg), [player_tooltip player_id='2858777' first='Maurice' last='Steward'] (12.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2392334' first='Blake' last='Williams'] (10.5 ppg). The Lions take a 17-game winning streak into the post season and await the winner of Milwaukee North vs. Audubon Technology for a regional semifinal contest next Friday.<br><br><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wittenberg-birnamwood/">Wittenberg-Birnamwood </a></strong>-- The Chargers have lost three of their last four outings and no longer figure into the chase for the Central Wisconsin East Conference title as Bonduel has wrapped up that crown. Still, Wittenberg-Birnamwood can finished 18-6 overall and in second place with an 11-3 league mark with a win over Manawa on Thursday. Not bad for a team projected to finish fourth in the league and needing to replace three starters from a 17-8 squad. Coach Garrett Rogowski has relied heavily on his upperclassmen with seniors [player_tooltip player_id='3005739' first='Zandyr' last='Barke'] (21.0 ppg), [player_tooltip player_id='2387566' first='Oliver' last='Fraaza'] (10.4 ppg, 9.7 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='3289233' first='Kaden' last='Yaeger'] (6.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg) all playing important roles. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='3289231' first='Logan' last='Gibson'] (6.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg) has been big for the Chargers as well. W-B awaits the winner of Clintonville vs. Denmark for a regional semifinal to be play in the W-B gym next Friday.<br><br><a href="https://prephoops.com/team/kingdom-prep-lutheran/"><strong>Kingdom Prep Lutheran</strong> </a>-- Rookie coach Chauncey Russell has done a masterful job of helping the Wolfpack become a tough out in the Midwest Classic Conference. Picked for an eighth-place finish in the 12-team circuit, Kingdom Prep currently sits alone in third place in the league standings. The Wolfpack own a 15-7 overall record and have difficult outings left with Brookfield Academy and Lake Country Lutheran. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2631452' first='Myles' last='Zawacki'] has been a stat-sheet stuffer for Kingdom Prep as the lanky, athletic senior is averaging 17.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 7.6 rebounds and 2.3 steals. Sharpshooting shooting wing [player_tooltip player_id='2832087' first='Ladarius' last='Finkley'] has made 101 shots from three-point range and is averaging 24.0 ppg and 5.3 rpg while promising sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='3019743' first='Lavant' last='Johnson'] is contributing 13.5 ppg and 7.4 rpg. Kingdom Prep is looking most likely at a tough regional semifinal matchup with Milwaukee School of Langauges, which would be played next Friday in the Kingdom Prep gym. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->