State Tournament Preview: 5 storylines to monitor

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Each contest at the WIAA State Tournament this weekend figures to have plenty of storylines, things you are watching on the sidelines and on the floor while teams battle for the right to win a state championship.<br><br>Here is a breakdown of five things to monitor, one for each division.<br><br><strong>DIVISION 1 </strong><br><br><strong><em>Can any team give juggernaut Wisconsin Lutheran a competitive game?</em></strong><br><br>Wisconsin Lutheran is 28-0 and is averaging 74.7 points per game while allowing just 44.1 ppg. The Vikings won their four WIAA playoff games by an average of an almost unheard of 46 points per game. No Wisconsin team has come closer than 15 points of the Vikings as Germantown battled to a 69-52 setback just prior to Christmas. So, can Appleton North provide solid competition to Wisconsin Lutheran in the state semifinals Friday? As co-champions of the Fox Valley Association, Appleton North comes into the contest battle tested. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1561879' first='Will' last='Sweeney'], [player_tooltip player_id='1561908' first='Grant' last='Hardy'], [player_tooltip player_id='1561874' first='Nathan' last='Ramus'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1561876' first='Ben' last='Zdzieblowski'] are experienced and very talented players as is sophomore shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='2447768' first='Matt' last='Rosplochowski']. They will have to somehow contend with the incredible size and length of a locked-in Wisconsin Lutheran defense while also attempting to deal with the versatility of senior [player_tooltip player_id='1552512' first='Zavier' last='Zens'], the shooting skill of junior [player_tooltip player_id='2140949' first='Kager' last='Knueppel'] and the all-around solid play of junior [player_tooltip player_id='2412809' first='Riley' last='Walz'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2613959' first='Kinston' last='Knueppel']. It's a very tall order and one that must be keeping Appleton North coach Chris Kellett awake at nights. But strange things often happen at the state tournament and Appleton North, it could be argued, might be the second-team team in the Division 1 field even though the Lightning are seeded fourth. Appleton North will need to shoot the ball well and scrap on defense to slow down Zens and Co. while also holding its own on the glass.<br><br><strong>DIVISION 2<br><br></strong><em><strong>Are we looking at an all-North Shore Conference final?</strong> </em><br><br>Top-seeded Slinger and third-seeded Whitefish Bay could meet for a third time if the Owls get past McFarland and Whitefish Bay defeats West Salem in state semifinal games on Friday. Slinger, led by the gifted brother combination of junior Jake Kohnen and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2398448' first='Joey' last='Kohnen'], swept Whitefish Bay by the slimmest of margins during North Shore Conference action. Slinger posted a 56-55 win at home over Whitefish Bay on December 16 behind 33 points and 17 rebounds from [player_tooltip player_id='2351190' first='Jack' last='Kohnen']. On February 7 at Whitefish Bay, Slinger rallied from a 32-23 halftime deficit to post a 58-56 victory as [player_tooltip player_id='2351190' first='Jack' last='Kohnen'] had 23 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. Somehow finding a way to slow [player_tooltip player_id='2351190' first='Jack' last='Kohnen'] will be key for coach Ryan Feit's squad should the two square off again. On the other hand, beating a team as good as Whitefish Bay three times in one season is a huge hurdle. And the Blue Dukes are playing some excellent basketball at the right time of the year. All five starters scored in double figures in a sectional semifinal triumph over defending Division 3 state champion Milwaukee Academy of Science, and then the Blue Dukes got 20 points from senior [player_tooltip player_id='3022921' first='Matt' last='Schoenfeldt'] and 10 rebounds from junior Jack Broderson in a 60-40 win over Waterford in the sectional finals. Sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2466054' first='Mace' last='Miskel'] and junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2140905' first='Colin' last='Julien'] are potential scholarship players for Whitefish Bay while senior [player_tooltip player_id='2500873' first='Marcus' last='Webb'] is a slasher who can defend and get to the basket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DIVISION 3<br><br></strong><em><strong>Will Racine St. Catherine's extend its remarkable success at the Kohl Center?</strong><br></em><br>In the 26 years since the state's private schools joined the public schools in competing for WIAA state championships, Racine St. Catherine's boys' basketball teams have advanced to the Kohl Center to play in the state tournament eight times. Heading into their eighth visit this weekend, the Angels have a glossy record of 13-1 in state-tournament games, a remarkable winning percentage of 93 percent. St. Catherine's has won six state titles in the WIAA, the last coming in 2021. Can the Angels extend their mastery over D3 opponents this time around? It will be a huge challenge for coach Ryan Thompson's squad as the Angels square off with second-seeded Lake Mills Thursday afternoon. Lake Mills, 0-3 in three previous trips to state, appears to have enough firepower, discipline and toughness to win the D3 state title, let alone get past St. Catherine's in the semifinals. But if the Angels of coach Ryan Thompson beat Lake Mills, they are looking at the very real possibility of playing top-seeded and one-loss Seymour in the title game. Defeating Lake Mills and Seymour is a big ask, to be sure, but the Angels might be up for it behind a senior-dominated lineup led by senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1959723' first='LaMont' last='Hamilton'], the all-time leading scorer in Racine history. Long-time observers of the state tournament will recall St. Catherine's and Seymour playing for the Division 2 crown back in 2005 with the Angels holding on for a memorable 52-50 victory in a game that went down to the last shot.<br><br><strong>DIVISION 4</strong><br><br><strong><em>Can Milwaukee Juneau win the state title and restore some of the lost luster to the Milwaukee City Conference?</em></strong><br><br>Milwaukee Juneau is a small school with just 227 students. But it represents a large population base as the lone member of the Milwaukee City Conference to advance to the state tournament. The Pioneers will attempt to become the first City Conference member to win a state championship since Milwaukee King accomplished the feat in 2004. Ending a 20-year drought -- there was no state tournament in 2020 due to COVID-19 -- would be an enormous accomplishment for coach Torre Johnson's squad, which won the Gold Division title of the City Conference and went unbeaten in league play this season. And Juneau has the talent and firepower to once again shine the spotlight on the City Conference. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2194315' first='Dooney' last='Johnson'] is one of the top-ranked class of 2027 prospects in the country and is headed to Gonzaga to play college basketball after next season. He earned Player of the Year honors in the City Conference Gold Division and was joined on the first team by teammates [player_tooltip player_id='2045272' first='Takis' last='Tyler'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2400094' first='Jaden' last='Hardiman']. The Pioneers face a Regis team in the semifinals that can light it up from the perimeter. A victory over the Ramblers would mean the Pioneers advance to the title game to play the winner of Bonduel vs. Cambridge for the state championship. <br><br><strong>DIVISION 5<br><br><em>1946 revisited?</em></strong><br><br>Reedsville won the single-class state tournament back in 1946, beating Eau Claire 48-39 in the championship contest played before a then-record 13,800 fans at the University of Wisconsin Fieldhouse. The Panthers have not been back to state since that game all those years ago. Until now. Coach Ron Prochnow is hoping Reedsville can replicate the 1945-46 squad and come back to Manitowoc County with a state championship. He will count heavily on his son, senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1561897' first='Ben' last='Prochnow'], to help Reedsville overcome a big hurdle in the state semifinals against Sheboygan Lutheran, a program that finished second in Division 5 last March and has been a regular of sorts at the state tournament for the past 15 years or so. [player_tooltip player_id='1561897' first='Ben' last='Prochnow'] has been nothing short of sensational all winter for the Panthers as he is averaging 21.8 points., 4.8 rebounds, 11.0 assists and 3.3 steals while leading his team to a 26-3 record. His strong play will be needed in order for Reedsville to get past Sheboygan Lutheran and then survive the winner of the Prentice vs. Southwestern semifinal game. Should the Panthers clear two more hurdles, the city of Reedsville can proudly claim winning state titles in the largest division (single division, 1946) and the smallest division (Division 5 in 2026).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->