Classic Eight Preview 2026-27

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Final 2024-26 Standings</strong><br><br>1. Arrowhead 13-1 (19-7); 2. (tie) Kettle Moraine 8-6 (15-10); 2. (tie) Oak Creek 8-6 (15-11); 4. Catholic Memorial 7-7 (11-14); 5. Muskego 6-8 (13-13); 6. (tie) Mukwonago 5-9 (9-16); 6. (tie) Waukesha West 5-9 (14-12); 8. Oconomowoc 4-10 (7-19)<br><strong><br>2026-27 Picks</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1.<a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/arrowhead/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/arrowhead/"> Arrowhead </a>-- With three double-figure scorers, four starters and a boatload of newcomers poised to contribute at the varsity level, Arrowhead is favored to capture its fourth Classic Eight Conference title of the past five seasons. Veteran coach Craig Haase, now in his 27th season and owning a remarkable 467 victories, will count heavily on his most experienced and gifted players -- seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2138537' first='Trey' last='Resch'] (6-2), [player_tooltip player_id='2351196' first='Blake' last='Basich'] (5-11), [player_tooltip player_id='2412856' first='Theo' last='Toepel'] (6-4) and [player_tooltip player_id='2412841' first='Rylan' last='Schulz'] (5-10). All four started for an Arrowhead squad that went 19-7 and won the league crown in 2025-26. Resch, a four-year varsity performer, led the team in scoring at 21.2 ppg while Toepel, a versatile wing, topped the club in rebounding at 7.1 rpg. Basich, a Wisconsin Lutheran College recruit, is an experienced point guard with good speed and Schulz can do a bit of everything for the Warhawks. Sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='2401280' first='Thomas' last='Toepel'] (6-3) and [player_tooltip player_id='2920347' first='Bennett' last='Johnson'] (6-5) are a year older and anxious to make big contributions along with returning seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2405602' first='Evan' last='Wozniak'] (6-1) and [player_tooltip player_id='3018912' first='Andrew' last='Leoni'] (6-3). The Warhawks boast plenty of scoring and experience and are led by a strong core of seniors who will provide excellent leadership.<br><br>2. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/catholic-memorial/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/catholic-memorial/">Catholic Memorial </a>-- A strong senior class, a talented sophomore and a big wild card should make for an exciting season at Catholic Memorial. Three seniors -- [player_tooltip player_id='2414753' first='Rigg' last='Waterman'] (6-4), [player_tooltip player_id='2140928' first='Jackson' last='Albee'] (6-1) and [player_tooltip player_id='2394688' first='Matthew' last='Goedheer'] (6-4) -- along with gifted sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2795366' first='Karti' last='Calvert'] (6-6) return to the starting rotation and all four averaged in double figures for coach Kyle Johnsen. Albee picked up first-team all-league laurels after leading the team in scoring at 19.0 ppg, followed by Goedheer at 13.4 ppg, Calvert at 12.4 ppg and Waterman at 10.4 ppg. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2731450' first='Will' last='Kinateder'] (6-1) and junior [player_tooltip player_id='2834880' first='Will' last='Schmitzer'] (6-3) also return while senior [player_tooltip player_id='3019361' first='Dustin' last='Roach'] (6-4) is the biggest question mark. A first-team all-league pick two years ago, Roach missed almost all of last season with a torn ACL. The University of Wisconsin football recruit is a stellar defender and more than capable scorer and his healthy presence in the CMH lineup will be a huge plus for the Crusaders. Look for junior [player_tooltip player_id='2845290' first='Jack' last='Geller'] (6-0), sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='3437859' first='Reggie' last='Green'] (6-3) and freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2402470' first='Sam' last='Staebler'] (6-4) to potentially also be in the mix.<br><br>3. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/oak-creek/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/oak-creek/">Oak Creek</a> -- For the Knights to have the type of season to fulfill a third-place finish in one of the state's elite conferences, junior [player_tooltip player_id='2504214' first='Ja'Quan' last='Turner'] (6-4) will need to provide the type of production he's capable of on a nightly basis. Turner, one of the more athletic players in the league, averaged 16 ppg and 9 rpg as a sophomore and will need to match or surpass those totals in 2026-27. Coach Eric Hollow has the pieces in place surrounding Turner in seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2140987' first='Tyson' last='Busch'] (6-1) and [player_tooltip player_id='3021532' first='Lincoln' last='Hanson'] (6-2) along with physical junior [player_tooltip player_id='2561077' first='Coleton' last='Brukwitzki'] (6-3). Busch, one of the biggest gym rats in the state, is an elite shooter who averaged 21 ppg while helping Oak Creek to a 15-11 record. Hanson and Brukwitzki are also proven performers in the league who compete with an edge, particularly on defense. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2194421' first='Jaden' last='Boyd'] (5-8) and [player_tooltip player_id='3216168' first='Mason' last='Botsch'] (6-1) also return for the Knights, who like to play in transition and spot up for three-point shots. <br><br>4. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/kettle-moraine/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/kettle-moraine/">Kettle Moraine</a> -- The Lasers, coming off a 15-10 season, have a new head coach in Nick Ford, who previously served as the head coach at both Fond du Lac and Dominican. Ford takes over a strong program that brings back two experienced and proven performers in senior [player_tooltip player_id='2440785' first='Dane' last='Peters'] (6-2) and improving junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2962560' first='Samuel' last='Wagner'] (6-8). Peters contributed 11.8 ppg and 5.1 rpg while Wagner added 11.5 ppg and 4.2 rpg. Both players earned all-league recognition with Wagner on the second team and Peters picking up honorable mention laurels. Beyond those two, Ford will lean heavily on senior [player_tooltip player_id='2402530' first='Jackson' last='Losenegger'] (6-3) and junior [player_tooltip player_id='2872765' first='Braylon' last='Bodden'] (6-6). Newcomers who could contribute include junior [player_tooltip player_id='2826130' first='Everett' last='Yarbrough'] (6-2) along with sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='2697327' first='Micah' last='Belland'] (6-5) and [player_tooltip player_id='3583989' first='Christian' last='Hogan'] (6-3). Size, basketball IQ and passing are among the strengths for Kettle Moraine. <br><br>5. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/muskego/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/muskego/">Muskego</a> -- A strong senior class figures to keep the Warriors among the better teams in the very deep and exceptionally difficult Classic Eight Conference. A trio of class of 2027 prospects return to the starting rotation from a 13-13 squad. Point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2330058' first='JJ' last='DeFranco'] (5-10) is a tough-minded, skilled and quick conductor of the Muskego offense. He averaged 17 ppg as a junior to lead the team. Wings/forwards [player_tooltip player_id='3021318' first='Taylen' last='Czarniak'] (6-4) and [player_tooltip player_id='3021319' first='Braedon' last='Dibb'] (6-4) also return with Czarniak a capable double/double performer after averaging 12 ppg and 7 rpg last winter. Coach Steve Liberto will also call upon seniors [player_tooltip player_id='3021313' first='Trey' last='Larson'] (6-1) and [player_tooltip player_id='3339003' first='CJ' last='Reitz'] (6-2) to provide strong minutes for a team with a high basketball IQ and impressive competitiveness. <br><br>6. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/mukwonago/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/mukwonago/">Mukwonago</a> -- The Indians sustained a major off-season blow when forward [player_tooltip player_id='2508313' first='Evan' last='Ploeckelman'] (6-6) announced he would attend DME Academy, a prep school located on the campus of St. John's Northwestern in Delafield, for his senior season. Ploeckelman, who has committed to North Carolina Greensboro, averaged 22 points and 8 rebounds as a junior. Replacing his production will be a challenge for coach John Witte's squad, but this team still figures to remain highly competitive in the Classic Eight. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='3173773' first='Blake' last='Lindstedt'] (6-3) and [player_tooltip player_id='3647077' first='Ayden' last='Andryszck'] (6-2) are returning starters as is junior [player_tooltip player_id='2806069' first='Waylon' last='Woda'] (6-2). All three are capable players in virtually every aspect of the game. Witte has some size to work with as well with the return of senior [player_tooltip player_id='2842422' first='Nathan' last='Czarapata'] (6-3) and junior [player_tooltip player_id='3173777' first='Soren' last='Koskinen'] (6-5). <br><br>7. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/waukesha-west/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/waukesha-west/">Waukesha West </a>-- Finding enough scoring to help offset the graduation losses of Tyler Evenson (16.3 ppg), Mason LaValle (7.6 ppg), Austin Lambert (6.3 ppg) and Prince Kuumba (9.3 ppg) will be the storyline for Waukesha West. The Wolverines do bring back a pair of strong performers in senior [player_tooltip player_id='2834764' first='Ben' last='Arnold'] (6-4) and junior [player_tooltip player_id='2837074' first='Will' last='Still'] (6-1), but finding the right pieces to fill in around those two might be a challenge early in the season for coach Don LaValle. Anrold and Still each averaged around 10 ppg for a Waukesha West squad that went 14-12 and form the core for this program in 2026-27. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='3022758' first='Tyler' last='Cattarozzle'] (6-0) looks to return to the lineup after missing last season with an injury, while juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2827706' first='Noah' last='Didion'] (6-3), [player_tooltip player_id='2840308' first='Logan' last='LaValle'] (6-3), [player_tooltip player_id='2839503' first='Jordan' last='Guilette'] (6-3), [player_tooltip player_id='2407890' first='Zion' last='Vale'] (6-1) and [player_tooltip player_id='2801470' first='Jordan' last='Schroeder'] (6-3) all look to take a step forward in production after getting a taste of varsity competition last winter. <br><a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/oconomowoc/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/oconomowoc/"><br>8. Oconomowoc</a> -- How tough is the Classic Eight Conference? Well, Oconomowoc could very well finish with double-digit wins and yet coach Jay Benish's squad is picked to finish last in the eight-team circuit. The amount of returning talent in the league is crazy good and that is the case for Oconomowoc as well as three starters and several top reserves are back. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2913375' first='Mason' last='Medina'] (6-1) is one of the top scorers in the league and averaged 20.2 ppg as a junior while juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2620950' first='Karter' last='Zimmerman'] (6-0) and [player_tooltip player_id='2459346' first='Ethan' last='Bloom'] (5-10) each played major minutes for the Coons as sophomores. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='3157021' first='Jacob' last='Salas'] (6-1) and [player_tooltip player_id='3157028' first='Ethan' last='Szablewski'] (6-7) along with juniors [player_tooltip player_id='3157027' first='Ben' last='Gricius'] (6-7) and [player_tooltip player_id='2506158' first='Layton' last='Fish'] (6-7) also return after playing varsity minutes a year ago. Experience, size, athleticism and rebounding are all assets for a team capable of beating just about every team on its schedule. <br><br><strong>Top Returning Scorers</strong><br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2138537' first='Trey' last='Resch'], Arrowhead (21.2 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2140987' first='Tyson' last='Busch'], Oak Creek (21.0 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2913375' first='Mason' last='Medina'], Oconomowoc (20.2 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2140928' first='Jackson' last='Albee'], Catholic Memorial (19.0 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2330058' first='JJ' last='DeFranco'], Muskego (17.0 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2504214' first='Ja'Quan' last='Turner'], Oak Creek (16.0 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2394688' first='Matthew' last='Goedheer'], Catholic Memorial (13.4 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2412856' first='Theo' last='Toepel'], Arrowhead (12.9 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2795366' first='Karti' last='Calvert'], Catholic Memorial (12.4 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2351196' first='Blake' last='Basich'], Arrowhead (12.0 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='3021318' first='Taylen' last='Czarniak'], Muskego (12.0 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2440785' first='Dane' last='Peters'], Kettle Moraine (11.8 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2962560' first='Samuel' last='Wagner'], Kettle Moraine (11.5 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2620950' first='Karter' last='Zimmerman'], Oconomowoc (11.2 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2414753' first='Rigg' last='Waterman'], Catholic Memorial (10.4 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2837074' first='Will' last='Still'], Waukesha West (10.0 ppg)<br><br><strong>Projected All-Conference Teams<br>First Team</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2138537' first='Trey' last='Resch'], 6-2, Sr., Arrowhead<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2412856' first='Theo' last='Toepel'], 6-4, Sr., Arrowhead<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2140928' first='Jackson' last='Albee'], 6-1, Sr., Catholic Memorial<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2140987' first='Tyson' last='Busch'], 6-1, Sr., Oak Creek<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2913375' first='Mason' last='Medina'], 6-1, Sr., Oconomowoc<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2504214' first='Ja'Quan' last='Turner'], 6-4, Jr., Oak Creek<br><strong><br>Second Team</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2351196' first='Blake' last='Basich'], 5-11, Sr., Arrowhead<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2795366' first='Karti' last='Calvert'], 6-6, Soph., Catholic Memorial<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2962560' first='Samuel' last='Wagner'], 6-8, Jr., Kettle Moraine<br>[player_tooltip player_id='3173773' first='Blake' last='Lindstedt'], 6-3, Sr., Mukwonago<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2330058' first='JJ' last='DeFranco'], 5-10, Sr., Muskego<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2837074' first='Will' last='Still'], 6-1, Jr., Waukesha West<br><br><strong>The Big Five<br>Best Shooter:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2140987' first='Tyson' last='Busch'], Oak Creek<br><strong>Best Defender: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2138537' first='Trey' last='Resch'], Arrowhead<br><strong>Best Rebounder:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2412856' first='Theo' last='Toepel'], Arrowhead<br><strong>Best Collegiate Prospect: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2795366' first='Karti' last='Calvert'], Catholic Memorial<br><strong>Most Improved: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2837074' first='Will' last='Still'], Waukesha West</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->