WBY Tournament at Viterbo: Noteworthy Players

I spent Saturday, June 1 at Viterbo University in La Crosse, WI, taking in the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Tournament, which featured nine Wisconsin high school teams. It was a great opportunity to catch talent primarily from west-central and southwestern Wisconsin and a little beyond. There were some eye-popping performances from well-known prospects, as well as notable games from others who may not have gotten quite enough recognition... yet. Here are five players that stood out for me. I'll also feature five more in part 2.    Carter showed every bit of what it takes to be a highly ranked player in Wisconsin's 2025 class during the WBY Tournament. He is a determined player who plays both ends of the court well. But he really shines with the ball in his hands. He's got an excellent handle and combines that with quickness on the perimeter to blow-by opponents and attack the rim. From there he uses his solid 6'3" frame to finish through contact. Defenders can't give him cushion to try to slow his penetration, because he will knock down (deep) three's if they do. He hit 8-10 from the line in the game I watched, so fouling on the drive isn't wise either. All-in-all, he averaged 30 ppg on Saturday, which led all scorers.     Elliott and his team started slowly in the game I watched, but I was impressed to see him stay focused and aggressive, which led to a solid second half for him. He sparked his team by hitting the boards, including following his own shot, and turning up his defensive intensity. Elliott then drove hard to the rim and converted on a couple of highly contested shots. He knocked down some free throws and hit a triple with a hand in his face as well. He ended with 13 points, which is at his average from his junior season with the Huskies. He also dropped 16 in another game during the tournament.     Brennan is a hard-working, sturdy, big man who grabbed my attention as well as some of the coaches taking in the action at the tournament. He has a strong post presence with the moves to go with it. Brennan presented a variety of approaches to working the interior defense with seal steps, spins and even a nice little baby hook. When things became a bit too congested on the inside, he unveiled a nice touch on a 10-footer from the baseline. I also saw him hit from beyond the arc as I caught the end of another game. But make no mistake, Brennan is a post player first and he uses his size quite effectively in that role, both on offense and defense.     Griffin did some really nice things during the game I watched. Playing alongside [player_tooltip player_id='1561888' first='Josh' last='Manchester'], one of the top prospects in Wisconsin's 2026 class, Griffin found a variety of ways to contribute, while Manchester did the bulk of the scoring. In fact, his ability to penetrate and kick was instrumental in creating space, allowing his teammates to capitalize on scoring opportunities. He was also a pesky defender creating turnovers and making the opposition uncomfortable. But Griffin didn't pass on every drive and finished through contact on several occasions, including one in which he took a significant jolt, but still managed to find the bucket. He then converted the "and one."     I was impressed with the diverse skillset Jack displayed on Saturday. I was able to watch him a few times and saw consistency in his ability to play a positionless brand of basketball. He has a long frame at 6'4" and can defend effectively in the post but will also step out and match up on the point. He is relentless and purposeful on the glass and will battle to secure 50/50 balls. He can score inside but will also bring the ball up on occasion and does not shy away from pulling up for the deep three. From what I saw, Jack can shoot it well, including from that deep range, which makes his ability to jab and go even that much more potent.

I spent Saturday, June 1 at Viterbo University in La Crosse, WI, taking in the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Tournament, which featured nine Wisconsin high school teams. It was a great opportunity to catch talent primarily from west-central and southwestern Wisconsin and a little beyond. There were some eye-popping performances from well-known prospects, as well as notable games from others who may not have gotten quite enough recognition... yet. Here are five players that stood out for me. I'll also feature five more in part 2.