2023-24 Preview: Bay Conference

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Looking ahead to the 2023-24 season, Prep Hoops Wisconsin breaks down the race in the Bay Conference...</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PROJECTED STANDINGS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1. Xavier</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2. West De Pere</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>3. Menasha</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>4. New London</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5. Shawano</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6. Green Bay West</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>7. Seymour</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8. Green Bay East</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>THE FAVORITE - Xavier</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Xavier has been the class of this league since they joined in 2015. The Hawks have won three-straight Bay Conference titles and seven of the last eight overall. Xavier hasn't finished lower than second in any league they've been a part of since 2012-13. So, why bet against them now even though Co-Player of the Year, Alex Sherwood, has moved on?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DARK HORSE - </strong>West De Pere</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Phantoms have the best 1-2 punch in the conference in [player_tooltip player_id='1408271' first='Andrew' last='Baumgart'] (11.6 ppg) and [player_tooltip player_id='1171037' first='Langdon' last='Nordgaard'] (8.2 ppg). Ethan Heck will be tough to replace, but West De Pere has three of its top four scorers back from last season and looked like they started to turn a corner late last season, taking Nicolet down to the wire in the sectional finals before winning five of six.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>MOST IMPROVED - </strong>Green Bay West</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West went 1-13 in league play last season, led by a young roster. Sophomores were three of their top four scorers. The Wildcats get an All-Conference player back in [player_tooltip player_id='1780655' first='Brandon' last='Wilson'] (12.4 ppg), who may push for first-team honors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>First Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>G [player_tooltip player_id='1289115' first='Sam' last='Pfefferle'] - Sr. - Xavier</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>G Jonah Schlueter - Sr. - New London</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>F [player_tooltip player_id='1408271' first='Andrew' last='Baumgart'] - Sr. - West De Pere</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>F [player_tooltip player_id='1171037' first='Langdon' last='Nordgaard'] - Sr. - West De Pere</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>F Tyler Brightman - Sr. - Xavier</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Second Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>G Tru Cornell - Sr. - Seymour</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>G Logan Sipple - Jr. - Shawano</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>G Charles White - Jr. - Menasha</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>F [player_tooltip player_id='1780655' first='Brandon' last='Wilson'] - Jr. - Green Bay West</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>F Trayveon Lockridge - Jr. - Menasha</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR</strong> - [player_tooltip player_id='1289115' first='Sam' last='Pfefferle'] </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With Xavier losing its top two scorers, Pfefferle will have to shoulder more of that load. The senior point guard is already one of the state's top facilitators, dishing out 6.2 assists per game as a junior. He also averaged 9.4 points, 2.2 steals, and had an assist-to-turnover ratio of nearly 6:1. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1289115"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64e52e6285026"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>MOST IMPROVED PLAYER - </strong>Logan Sipple</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sipple was part of a very balanced offense at Shawano last season. He also shared the spotlight with the conference Co-Player of the Year. His efficiency will go down, but Sipple's overall numbers should jump. As a junior, Sipple posted 10.9 points per game on 60.3 percent shooting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SLEEPER WATCH - </strong>Tyler Gerrits</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A player not on our preseason All-Conference list, but has a good case is Gerrits. The 5-foot-9 junior managed to shoot 44.4 percent from the field, which was the best among New London's starting guards. He also knocked down 78 3-pointers, which was more than Heck and Sherwood, two of the premier shooters in Wisconsin's 2023 class. In fact, Gerrits led the Bay Conference in made triples and had 12 more than any other player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->