Division 3, Sectional 3: First Look

An already loaded sectional field gained some additional punch when the WIAA released its sectional groupings earlier in the summer. Edgewood moves into Sectional 3 from Division 2 while Brookfield Academy, Lake Country Lutheran and St. John's Northwestern join Sectional 3 from Sectional 4. The newcomers join a sectional that already included Columbus, Lake Mills, Lakeside Lutheran, Lodi, Platteville, East Troy and Watertown Luther Prep, among others. It's a very deep sectional that includes several teams that could be labeled as favorites to advance to the WIAA State Tournament next March. Here's a look at the top players and top teams in Sectional 3: Top Five Players [player_tooltip player_id='2346694' first='Tyler' last='Wollin'], 6-3, Sr., G, Lake Mills [player_tooltip player_id='2140975' first='Pavle' last='Djilas'], 6-7, Sr., G, Brookfield Academy [player_tooltip player_id='2425632' first='Kale' last='Schneider'], 6-2, Sr., G, Lodi [player_tooltip player_id='2402768' first='Ethan' last='Hans'], 6-1, Sr., G, Lake Country Lutheran [player_tooltip player_id='2438999' first='Cameron' last='Polvi'], 6-0, Sr., G, East Troy Five Breakout Performers [player_tooltip player_id='2140952' first='Lazar' last='Djilas'], 6-8, Sr., F, Brookfield Academy [player_tooltip player_id='2505500' first='Collin' last='Christian'], 6-2, Sr., G, Lake Mills [player_tooltip player_id='2452072' first='Drew' last='Christensen'], 6-2, Sr., G, Edgewood [player_tooltip player_id='2834838' first='Connor' last='Sickler'], 6-7, Sr., F, East Troy [player_tooltip player_id='2906124' first='Levi' last='Nottling'], 6-4, Sr., G/F, Watertown Luther Prep Top Five Teams <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/lake-mills/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/lake-mills/">1. Lake Mills</a> -- [player_tooltip player_id='2346694' first='Tyler' last='Wollin'] is back for his senior year. That's great news for Lake Mills and not so great news for every other team in Sectional 3. One of the state's top all-around athletes and a football recruit for NCAA Division II Winona State, Wollin's versatility, toughness, skill and size are all big assets for coach Steve Hicklin's program. Wollin, a three-time first-team all-Capitol North Conference selection, begins his senior season with 1,148 career points. The 6-foot-3 Wollin returns to the starting lineup from a team that finished 26-3 and qualified for the WIAA Division 3 State Tournament for the second straight season along with senior [player_tooltip player_id='2505500' first='Collin' last='Christian'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2436993' first='Jenner' last='Wellman'], who is coming off an ACL injury. Seniors Mason Rasales-Gray and [player_tooltip player_id='3020650' first='Ben' last='Nordby'] along with juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2751649' first='Cam' last='Benish'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3564920' first='Cam' last='Hack'] also figure to be key players for Lake Mills, which welcomes newcomers from a 21-3 JV1 team. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/east-troy/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/east-troy/">2. East Troy</a> -- Experience and depth are two major strengths for East Troy, which went 21-6 a year ago brings back seven key players. Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2438999' first='Cameron' last='Polvi'] earned Player of the Year laurels in the Valley Division of the Rock Valley Conference and headlines the list of returning players for coach Noah Phillips. Ever-improving [player_tooltip player_id='2834838' first='Connor' last='Sickler'], a 6-foot-7 forward, averaged 8.0 points and 6.3 rebounds as a junior starter while junior [player_tooltip player_id='3019783' first='Jaylen' last='Hoffman'] also returns after starting a year ago. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2635465' first='Brayden' last='Golabowski'], a ruggled 6-foot-4 wing, had a very strong summer and figures to be a key performer for the Trojans along with sharpshooting sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id='2919477' first='Mason' last='Phillips']. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='3019786' first='Carter' last='Swendrowski'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='3019777' first='Cole' last='Pettijohn'] also return for East Troy. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/brookfield-academy/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/brookfield-academy/">3. Brookfield Academy</a> -- The triplets, believe it or not, are now seniors. And the development of [player_tooltip player_id='2140975' first='Pavle' last='Djilas'] (6-7), [player_tooltip player_id='2140952' first='Lazar' last='Djilas'] (6-8) and [player_tooltip player_id='2140963' first='Nikola' last='Djilas'] (6-3) will go a long way in determining the level of success the Blue Knights of Brookfield Academy achieve in 2026-27. All three of the Djilas brothers showed well on the club circuit and with coach Pat Clarey's Brookfield Academy squad over the spring/summer. They form a strong nucleus along with junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2614872' first='Eli' last='Petropoulos'], a very good perimeter shooter. The transfer of senior [player_tooltip player_id='3680537' first='Omar' last='Aliesa'], a physical 6-foot-8 forward who can score inside and outside, gives the Knights additional size and skill. Aliesa moved to the Milwaukee area from Kuwait with his family last spring. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/lodi/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/lodi/">4. Lodi</a> -- Two double-figure scorers and a couple of promising sophomores form the core for Lodi, which won 17 games a year ago. Physical and tough-minded senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2425632' first='Kale' last='Schneider'] is the top returning player for the Blue Devils and a returning first-team all-Capitol North Conference choice. Schneider sets the tone of the Blue Devils with his smart and aggressive play, but he will get plenty of help from classmates [player_tooltip player_id='2140883' first='Bennett' last='Nyquist'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2140906' first='Colton' last='Waller'], a pair of experienced wings who understand what it takes to win consistently in the rugged Capitol North. Sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='3531452' first='Silas' last='Seffrood'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2399514' first='Keaton' last='Waldsmith'] also will play big roles for Lodi. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/lake-country-lutheran/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/lake-country-lutheran/">5. Lake Country Lutheran</a> -- Winners of the last six Midwest Classic Conference championships, Lake Country Lutheran boasts yet another strong squad, one certainly capable of edging out the likes of Brookfield Academy, Milwaukee Messmer and Watertown Luther Prep for another league crown. Coach Zach Jahns has two starters back from a 20-6 squad in senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2402768' first='Ethan' last='Hans'], a second-team all-league pick in 2025-26, and senior forward Simon Dutson, a mobile 6-foot-7 interior player who continues to take positive strides in his game. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2440788' first='Eli' last='Wintheiser'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='2826132' first='Will' last='Molnau'] also return along with a long list of capable players from a very successful JV1 team. Sleeper Team <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/platteville/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/platteville/">Platteville</a> -- Platteville hopes to make in five in a row this winter as the Hillmen have won the past four titles in the Southwest Wisconsin Conference. The Hillmen won 18 games under coach Mike Huser a year ago and welcome the return of three starters from that club in [player_tooltip player_id='2552683' first='Grady' last='Poppy'], [player_tooltip player_id='3123872' first='Jace' last='Digman'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2976598' first='Brody' last='Digman']. Poppy averaged a double/double a year ago at 16 ppg and 10 rpg while [player_tooltip player_id='3123872' first='Jace' last='Digman'] is a physical 6-foot-8 post player who could emerge as a dominant force in the paint. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='3124050' first='Brad' last='Rupp'] returns after missing all of last season with an injury while incoming freshman [player_tooltip player_id='3681202' first='Hudson' last='Poppy'] looks to work his way into the Platteville starting rotation.

An already loaded sectional field gained some additional punch when the WIAA released its sectional groupings earlier in the summer. Edgewood moves into Sectional 3 from Division 2 while Brookfield Academy, Lake Country Lutheran and St. John's Northwestern join Sectional 3 from Sectional 4. The newcomers join a sectional that already included Columbus, Lake Mills, Lakeside Lutheran, Lodi, Platteville, East Troy and Watertown Luther Prep, among others. It's a very deep sectional that includes several teams that could be labeled as favorites to advance to the WIAA State Tournament next March.

Here's a look at the top players and top teams in Sectional 3:

Top Five Players
Tyler Wollin Tyler Wollin 6'3" | SF Lake Mills | 2027 State WI , 6-3, Sr., G, Lake Mills
Pavle Djilas Pavle Djilas 6'7" | CG Brookfield Academy | 2027 State WI , 6-7, Sr., G, Brookfield Academy
Kale Schneider Kale Schneider 6'2" | PG/SG Lodi | 2027 State WI , 6-2, Sr., G, Lodi
Ethan Hans Ethan Hans 6'1" | PG/SG Lake Country Lutheran | 2027 State WI , 6-1, Sr., G, Lake Country Lutheran
Cameron Polvi Cameron Polvi 6'0" | PG East Troy | 2027 State WI , 6-0, Sr., G, East Troy

Five Breakout Performers
Lazar Djilas Lazar Djilas 6'8" | SF Brookfield Academy | 2027 State WI , 6-8, Sr., F, Brookfield Academy
Collin Christian Collin Christian 6'2" | CG Lake Mills | 2027 State WI , 6-2, Sr., G, Lake Mills
Drew Christensen Drew Christensen 6'2" | SG Edgewood | 2027 State WI , 6-2, Sr., G, Edgewood
Connor Sickler Connor Sickler 6'7" East Troy | 2027 State WI , 6-7, Sr., F, East Troy
Levi Nottling Levi Nottling 6'4" | PF/SF Watertown Luther Prep | 2027 State WI , 6-4, Sr., G/F, Watertown Luther Prep

Top Five Teams

1. Lake Mills -- Tyler Wollin Tyler Wollin 6'3" | SF Lake Mills | 2027 State WI is back for his senior year. That's great news for Lake Mills and not so great news for every other team in Sectional 3. One of the state's top all-around athletes and a football recruit for NCAA Division II Winona State, Wollin's versatility, toughness, skill and size are all big assets for coach Steve Hicklin's program. Wollin, a three-time first-team all-Capitol North Conference selection, begins his senior season with 1,148 career points. The 6-foot-3 Wollin returns to the starting lineup from a team that finished 26-3 and qualified for the WIAA Division 3 State Tournament for the second straight season along with senior Collin Christian Collin Christian 6'2" | CG Lake Mills | 2027 State WI and sophomore Jenner Wellman Jenner Wellman 5'11" | PG Lake Mills | 2029 State WI , who is coming off an ACL injury. Seniors Mason Rasales-Gray and Ben Nordby Ben Nordby 6'3" | SF Lake Mills | 2027 WI along with juniors Cam Benish Cam Benish 6'0" | /PG Lake Mills | 2028 WI and Cam Hack Cam Hack 5'11" | CG Lake Mills | 2028 WI also figure to be key players for Lake Mills, which welcomes newcomers from a 21-3 JV1 team.

2. East Troy -- Experience and depth are two major strengths for East Troy, which went 21-6 a year ago brings back seven key players. Senior point guard Cameron Polvi Cameron Polvi 6'0" | PG East Troy | 2027 State WI earned Player of the Year laurels in the Valley Division of the Rock Valley Conference and headlines the list of returning players for coach Noah Phillips. Ever-improving Connor Sickler Connor Sickler 6'7" East Troy | 2027 State WI , a 6-foot-7 forward, averaged 8.0 points and 6.3 rebounds as a junior starter while junior Jaylen Hoffman Jaylen Hoffman 6'1" | SG East Troy | 2028 WI also returns after starting a year ago. Senior Brayden Golabowski Brayden Golabowski 6'4" | PG East Troy | 2027 State WI , a ruggled 6-foot-4 wing, had a very strong summer and figures to be a key performer for the Trojans along with sharpshooting sophomore wing Mason Phillips Mason Phillips 6'1" | SG/PG East Troy | 2029 State WI . Senior Carter Swendrowski Carter Swendrowski 5'10" | PG East Troy | 2027 WI and junior Cole Pettijohn Cole Pettijohn 6'1" | SG East Troy | 2028 WI also return for East Troy.

3. Brookfield Academy -- The triplets, believe it or not, are now seniors. And the development of Pavle Djilas Pavle Djilas 6'7" | CG Brookfield Academy | 2027 State WI (6-7), Lazar Djilas Lazar Djilas 6'8" | SF Brookfield Academy | 2027 State WI (6-8) and Nikola Djilas Nikola Djilas 6'3" | PG/CG Brookfield Academy | 2027 WI (6-3) will go a long way in determining the level of success the Blue Knights of Brookfield Academy achieve in 2026-27. All three of the Djilas brothers showed well on the club circuit and with coach Pat Clarey's Brookfield Academy squad over the spring/summer. They form a strong nucleus along with junior guard Eli Petropoulos Eli Petropoulos 5'10" | CG Brookfield Academy | 2028 State WI , a very good perimeter shooter. The transfer of senior Omar Aliesa Omar Aliesa 6'8" | PF Brookfield Academy | 2027 WI , a physical 6-foot-8 forward who can score inside and outside, gives the Knights additional size and skill. Aliesa moved to the Milwaukee area from Kuwait with his family last spring.

4. Lodi -- Two double-figure scorers and a couple of promising sophomores form the core for Lodi, which won 17 games a year ago. Physical and tough-minded senior guard Kale Schneider Kale Schneider 6'2" | PG/SG Lodi | 2027 State WI is the top returning player for the Blue Devils and a returning first-team all-Capitol North Conference choice. Schneider sets the tone of the Blue Devils with his smart and aggressive play, but he will get plenty of help from classmates Bennett Nyquist Bennett Nyquist 6'0" | CG Lodi | 2027 WI and Colton Waller Colton Waller 5'10" | PG Lodi | 2027 WI , a pair of experienced wings who understand what it takes to win consistently in the rugged Capitol North. Sophomores Silas Seffrood Silas Seffrood 5'8" | SG WI and Keaton Waldsmith Keaton Waldsmith 6'5" | PF/SF Lodi | 2029 State WI also will play big roles for Lodi.

5. Lake Country Lutheran -- Winners of the last six Midwest Classic Conference championships, Lake Country Lutheran boasts yet another strong squad, one certainly capable of edging out the likes of Brookfield Academy, Milwaukee Messmer and Watertown Luther Prep for another league crown. Coach Zach Jahns has two starters back from a 20-6 squad in senior guard Ethan Hans Ethan Hans 6'1" | PG/SG Lake Country Lutheran | 2027 State WI , a second-team all-league pick in 2025-26, and senior forward Simon Dutson, a mobile 6-foot-7 interior player who continues to take positive strides in his game. Senior Eli Wintheiser Eli Wintheiser 6'0" | SG Lake Country Lutheran | 2027 WI and junior Will Molnau Will Molnau 6'2" | SG Lake Country Lutheran | 2028 WI also return along with a long list of capable players from a very successful JV1 team.

Sleeper Team

Platteville -- Platteville hopes to make in five in a row this winter as the Hillmen have won the past four titles in the Southwest Wisconsin Conference. The Hillmen won 18 games under coach Mike Huser a year ago and welcome the return of three starters from that club in Grady Poppy Grady Poppy 6'5" | SG Platteville | 2027 State WI , Jace Digman Jace Digman 6'8" | PF Platteville | 2027 WI and Brody Digman Brody Digman 5'9" | CG Platteville | 2027 WI . Poppy averaged a double/double a year ago at 16 ppg and 10 rpg while Jace Digman Jace Digman 6'8" | PF Platteville | 2027 WI is a physical 6-foot-8 post player who could emerge as a dominant force in the paint. Senior Brad Rupp Brad Rupp 6'1" | SG Platteville | 2027 WI returns after missing all of last season with an injury while incoming freshman Hudson Poppy Hudson Poppy 6'1" | SG/PG Platteville | 2030 WI looks to work his way into the Platteville starting rotation.