Wisconsin Lutheran-Pius XI Prospect Standouts
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MILWAUKEE — In a Woodland West Conference battle, Wisconsin Lutheran was able to fend off a late charge from Piux XI, hanging on for a 78-73 win Tuesday night… Jamiir Allen Jamiir Allen 6'0" | CG Wisconsin Lutheran |…
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Continue ReadingMILWAUKEE — In a Woodland West Conference battle, Wisconsin Lutheran was able to fend off a late charge from Piux XI, hanging on for a 78-73 win Tuesday night…
Jamiir Allen Jamiir Allen 6'0" | CG Wisconsin Lutheran | 2023 State WI – 2023 – G – Wisconsin Lutheran
Allen is having one of the better junior seasons that people aren’t talking about. The 6-foot guard is a bucket getter that can create something high percentage pretty much whenever he wants. May not look the part physically, but Allen has dangerous handles, explosive change of direction, and long arms that allow him to put the ball in the hole with various shot types. Allen scored 18 points on an efficient 8-of-13 shooting. He also broke down the defense and had two key assists in the final few minutes to shift the momentum back to the Vikings. Allen also contributed five rebounds and five assists in Tuesday’s win.
Julian Alvarez Julian Alvarez 6'0" | SG Pius XI | 2024 State WI -Robles – 2024 – SG – Pius XI
Alvarez is really shooting it well this season and heated up like an oven in the second half. With so much attention going towards Jaquan Johnson Jaquan Johnson 5'10" | PG Pius XI | 2024 State WI , Alvarez and Pius XI made them pay for that in the final period, putting Alvarez and Johnson on the same side the floor and using dribble penetration to free up the sophomore sniper. Alvarez loves the corner triple and after he knocks down a few, the floor spacing becomes terrific for the Popes. Alvarez finished with 15 points, all in the second half, including four 3-pointers. He’s been giving Pius XI about 12 points per game this season, behind two good college prospects.
Alex Hernandez – 2022 – PF – Wisconsin Lutheran
Hernandez quietly came up with 22 points and nine rebounds on Tuesday. Pius took away Wisconsin Lutheran’s top threats for the most part, but couldn’t account for the senior forward, who more than did his job to lead the Vikings to a road win. Hernandez is a guy you don’t necessarily run offense for, but you definitely don’t mind if he gets a lot of touches. The 6-foot-4 forward is often the safety valve and just sneaks his way into high percentage areas, knows how to react to dribble penetration, and either make the defense shift or find a soft spot in the paint. Thought Hernandez finished deliberately and confidently inside. He often reeled in some tough catches, didn’t hesitate in traffic, and went right to the rim. He’s a little undersized, but mobile, and can also initiate the offense at the top of the key/high post.
Josh Knueppel – 2023 – SG – Wisconsin Lutheran
Knueppel contributed 11 points off the bench on 3-of-5 shooting. The junior guard hit two big 3-pointers in the second half that ended big runs for Pius XI, one triple in particular that was a huge turning point after the Popes got within single digits for the first time. You might be able to make a case that Knueppel is the best 3-point shooter on this loaded Wisconsin Lutheran team, which is saying something considering who his cousin is. Granted, he’s going to get the better, more open looks, but Knueppel is shooting 49.4 percent from 3-point range this season. He’s been a big x-factor and a reliable weapon for Lutheran’s smaller, attacking guards to kick out to when they can’t get all the way to the rim. In transition, Knueppel also seems to have the green light to let it fly, even when the Vikings haven’t set up their offense.
Jaquan Johnson Jaquan Johnson 5'10" | PG Pius XI | 2024 State WI – 2024 – PG – Pius XI
Johnson turned it up a few notches in the second half. The sophomore lead guard put the Popes on his back for large stretches, scoring 21 of his game-high 25 points after halftime. Johnson was doing it all at times — scoring, facilitating, rebounding, and creating turnovers on the defensive end. This was after Wisconsin Lutheran had him bottled up and often threw double teams at him in the backcourt. A tough, hard-nosed guard that can take over games offensively, Johnson somehow got his way into the paint time and time again despite the Vikings loading up at the rim/gaps. Johnson can put his head down, take a bump, and finish against contact. Also dishing out a handful of assists, the 5-foot-9 lead guard seemed to figure out the opposition’s approach and got better and better as the game wore on.