Mississippi Valley Preview

2023-24 Final Standings 1. Onalaska 12-0 (18-7); 2. La Crosse Central 9-3 (14-12); 3. Holmen 8-4 (13-13); 4. Aquinas 7-5 (23-6); 5. La Crosse Logan 4-8 (8-18); 6. Tomah 2-10 (5-20); 7. Sparta 0-12 (4-21). 2024-25 Picks 1. Onalaska -- No team in the seven-team Mississippi Valley can match the Hilltoppers in terms of quality depth. Coach Craig Kowal might have lost three regulars to graduation, but the Onalaska program is loaded with young talent brimming to make a difference at the varsity level. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2493670' first='Noah' last='Chenault'] (6-2, 6.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg) has battled injuries in the past, but could be the most physical backcourt player in the league and returns to the starting rotation along with Kowal's son, junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2117026' first='Ian' last='Kowal'] (6-3, 7.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg). After playing a secondary role to Evan Anderson (6-4, 23.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, now playing at South Dakota) and Isaac Skemp (6-5, 14.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg) the past two seasons, [player_tooltip player_id='2117026' first='Ian' last='Kowal'] figures to become a bigger scorer for Onalaska in 2024-25. Seniors Jack Smith (6-4, 6.0 ppg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2430394' first='Broden' last='Steiner'] (6-4, 4.1 ppg) will play big roles as could classmate Tyson Hughes (5-10), who missed last season with an injury. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2405019' first='Tristan' last='Molling'] (6-2) sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2389934' first='Brendan' last='Chenault'] (6-2) and freshmen [player_tooltip player_id='2405197' first='Tyler' last='Kowal'] (6-0) and Braydyn DeLong (5-8) also could factor into the playing rotation. 2. Holmen -- There is a definite lack of size in the Holmen program, but, boy, can the Vikings shoot. Indeed, Holmen has the best trio of shooters in the Mississippi Valley with seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1436535' first='Kaiden' last='Wilber'] (5-10, 11.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2365967' first='Keenan' last='Eisermann'] (6-1, 10.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg) along with junior [player_tooltip player_id='1561933' first='Alex' last='Berget'] (5-10, 12.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg) all possessing stellar shooting strokes from deep. Opponents in the league underestimate that troika at their own peril. Coach Ryan Meyer also welcomes back seniors Parker Lindberg (5-11, 4.1 ppg) and Jerin Rink (6-1, 1.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg), reserves a year ago who could contend for starting spots in 2024-25. Top newcomers from a 17-5 JV1 squad include junior [player_tooltip player_id='2416723' first='Marshall' last='Mason'] (6-1) and sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='2833128' first='Jayden' last='Bartels'] (6-1) and Jax Meyer (6-1). 3. Aquinas -- Aquinas finished with 23 victories and advanced to the semifinal round of the WIAA Division 4 State Tournament before losing a heartbreaker to eventual champion Mineral Point. Coach Brad Reinhart lost four starters from that club, including first-team all-league wing Walter Berns (6-4, 15.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg, now playing at Iowa Central Community College). Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1890447' first='Logan' last='Becker'] (6-3, 15.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg), arguably the best player in the Mississippi Valley, is the lone returning starter for the Blugolds. Becker had 27 points and four rebounds in Aquinas' 62-61 loss at the Kohl Center to Mineral Point. Other key returning personnel for Aquinas includes seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2632136' first='Trey' last='Bahr'] (6-2, 7.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg), Vincent Bahr (6-3, 2.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2735307' first='Brayden' last='Young'] (6-1, 2.1 ppg). Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2224510' first='Fin' last='Strom'] (6-1), [player_tooltip player_id='2399128' first='Talan' last='Reinhart'] (6-0) and Ryan Johnson (5-11) along with sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2140896' first='Calvin' last='Bahr'] (6-3) also figure to be key players. 4. La Crosse Central -- It's hard to imagine the Riverhawks finishing as low as fourth place in the league as coach Todd Fergot's charges have ranked among the elite in the state over the past decade or so with six trips to the WIAA State Tournament since 2015-16. At the same time, La Crosse Central did lose three double-figure scorers to graduation from a 14-12 squad. The Riverhawks do return a pair of good young players in junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2632143' first='Joey' last='Pretasky'] (6-2, 3.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2226077' first='Gabe' last='Servais'] (6-0, 5.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg). Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1598964' first='Frankie' last='Wilk'] (6-3), Derrick Pangier (5-10), Dawson Lapic (6-2) and Jaylon Calvert (6-1) along with sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='2481761' first='Anthony' last='Jones'] (6-0) and Ezra Wiese (6-0) will contend for playing time as will juniors Marcion Basely (5-9) and [player_tooltip player_id='2637220' first='Max' last='Davis'] (6-1). 5. Tomah -- Holmen might boast the best overall shooting squad in the Mississippi Valley, but Tomah definitely isn't far behind as the extremely talented sophomore duo of [player_tooltip player_id='2371688' first='Quinn' last='Gerke'] (6-1, 18.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2508299' first='Owen' last='Laudon'] (5-10, 11.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg) can light it up with the best of them. The problem for coach Jeff Brieske is finding the right pieces to fill in around his sensational sophomore tandem. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2821368' first='Michael' last='Zastoupil'] (6-5, 5.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and senior Jackson Steffel (6-0, 1.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg) will battle for starting spots along with sophomore Adam Brieske (6-1, 2.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg), junior [player_tooltip player_id='2408389' first='Owen' last='Vandenhoogen'] (5-11) and senior Brady Hall 95-11). 6. La Crosse Logan -- The Rangers could prove to be the surprise team in the Mississippi Valley as coach Eric Check starts his second season with two of the league's top performers back for their senior campaigns in forward [player_tooltip player_id='2493662' first='Jacob' last='Hackbarth'] (6-7, 14.0 ppg, 10.3 rpg) and guard [player_tooltip player_id='2632132' first='Bradley' last='Check'] (6-0, 12.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg). Both Hackbarth and Check are all-league caliber performers and form a solid core for the Rangers. The rest of La Crosse Logan's lineup is a bit uncertain. Sophomores Bubba Lever (6-4) and Jameson Degenhardt (6-2) along with freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2614885' first='Thomas' last='Check'] (5-10) all figure to contend for starting roles. 7. Sparta -- Three straight seasons of finishing 0-12 in league play is enough to make any player or coach lose his fire. Still, Sparta hopes to overcome its recent doormat status in the conference in 2024-25 behind the return of two of its better players from last year's 4-21 squad in senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2632125' first='Gavin' last='Rhead'] (6-4, 17.6 ppg) and junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2632128' first='Kayden' last='Kaat'] (6-1, 8.2 ppg). Coach Ben Schell will also need production from senior Owen Berendes, among others, in order to snap the school's 36-game league skid. Top Returning Scorers [player_tooltip player_id='2371688' first='Quinn' last='Gerke'], Tomah (18.0 ppg) [player_tooltip player_id='2632125' first='Gavin' last='Rhead'], Sparta (17.6 ppg) [player_tooltip player_id='1890447' first='Logan' last='Becker'], Aquinas (15.7 ppg) [player_tooltip player_id='2493662' first='Jacob' last='Hackbarth'], La Crosse Logan (14.0 ppg) [player_tooltip player_id='2632132' first='Bradley' last='Check'], La Crosse Logan (12.3 ppg) [player_tooltip player_id='1561933' first='Alex' last='Berget'], Holmen (12.0 ppg) [player_tooltip player_id='2508299' first='Owen' last='Laudon'], Tomah (11.8 ppg) [player_tooltip player_id='1436535' first='Kaiden' last='Wilber'], Holmen (11.7 ppg) [player_tooltip player_id='2365967' first='Keenan' last='Eisermann'], Holmen (10.0 ppg) Projected All-Conference Teams First Team [player_tooltip player_id='1890447' first='Logan' last='Becker'], 6-3, Jr., Aquinas [player_tooltip player_id='1561933' first='Alex' last='Berget'], 5-10, Jr., Holmen [player_tooltip player_id='2226077' first='Gabe' last='Servais'], 6-0, Soph., La Crosse Central [player_tooltip player_id='2493662' first='Jacob' last='Hackbarth'], 6-7, Sr., La Crosse Logan [player_tooltip player_id='2117026' first='Ian' last='Kowal'], 6-3, Jr., Onalaska [player_tooltip player_id='2371688' first='Quinn' last='Gerke'], 6-1, Soph., Tomah Second Team [player_tooltip player_id='2632136' first='Trey' last='Bahr'], 6-2, Sr., Aquinas [player_tooltip player_id='2365967' first='Keenan' last='Eisermann'], 6-1, Sr., Holmen [player_tooltip player_id='2632143' first='Joey' last='Pretasky'], 6-2, Jr., La Crosse Central [player_tooltip player_id='2632132' first='Bradley' last='Check'], 6-0, Sr., La Crosse Logan [player_tooltip player_id='2493670' first='Noah' last='Chenault'], 6-2, Sr., Onalaska [player_tooltip player_id='2632125' first='Gavin' last='Rhead'], 6-4, Sr., Sparta The Big Five Best Shooter: [player_tooltip player_id='1561933' first='Alex' last='Berget'], Holmen Best Defender: [player_tooltip player_id='2493670' first='Noah' last='Chenault'], Onalaska Best Rebounder: [player_tooltip player_id='2493662' first='Jacob' last='Hackbarth'], La Crosse Logan Best Collegiate Prospect: [player_tooltip player_id='1890447' first='Logan' last='Becker'], Aquinas Most Improved Player: [player_tooltip player_id='2117026' first='Ian' last='Kowal'], Onalaska

2023-24 Final Standings

1. Onalaska 12-0 (18-7); 2. La Crosse Central 9-3 (14-12); 3. Holmen 8-4 (13-13); 4. Aquinas 7-5 (23-6); 5. La Crosse Logan 4-8 (8-18); 6. Tomah 2-10 (5-20); 7. Sparta 0-12 (4-21).

2024-25 Picks

1. Onalaska -- No team in the seven-team Mississippi Valley can match the Hilltoppers in terms of quality depth. Coach Craig Kowal might have lost three regulars to graduation, but the Onalaska program is loaded with young talent brimming to make a difference at the varsity level. Senior guard Noah Chenault Noah Chenault 6'2" | CG Onalaska | 2025 State WI (6-2, 6.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg) has battled injuries in the past, but could be the most physical backcourt player in the league and returns to the starting rotation along with Kowal's son, junior wing Ian Kowal Ian Kowal 6'3" | CG/SF Onalaska | 2026 State WI (6-3, 7.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg). After playing a secondary role to Evan Anderson (6-4, 23.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, now playing at South Dakota) and Isaac Skemp (6-5, 14.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg) the past two seasons, Ian Kowal Ian Kowal 6'3" | CG/SF Onalaska | 2026 State WI figures to become a bigger scorer for Onalaska in 2024-25. Seniors Jack Smith (6-4, 6.0 ppg) and Broden Steiner (6-4, 4.1 ppg) will play big roles as could classmate Tyson Hughes (5-10), who missed last season with an injury. Junior Tristan Molling Tristan Molling 6'3" | SG Onalaska | 2026 WI (6-2) sophomore Brendan Chenault Brendan Chenault 6'1" | PG Onalaska | 2027 State WI (6-2) and freshmen Tyler Kowal Tyler Kowal 5'11" | PG Onalaska | 2028 State WI (6-0) and Braydyn DeLong (5-8) also could factor into the playing rotation.

2. Holmen -- There is a definite lack of size in the Holmen program, but, boy, can the Vikings shoot. Indeed, Holmen has the best trio of shooters in the Mississippi Valley with seniors Kaiden Wilber Kaiden Wilber 5'11" | PG Holmen | 2025 WI (5-10, 11.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and Keenan Eisermann Keenan Eisermann 6'1" | PG Holmen | 2025 State WI (6-1, 10.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg) along with junior Alex Berget Alex Berget 5'11" | PG Holmen | 2026 State WI (5-10, 12.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg) all possessing stellar shooting strokes from deep. Opponents in the league underestimate that troika at their own peril. Coach Ryan Meyer also welcomes back seniors Parker Lindberg (5-11, 4.1 ppg) and Jerin Rink (6-1, 1.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg), reserves a year ago who could contend for starting spots in 2024-25. Top newcomers from a 17-5 JV1 squad include junior Marshall Mason Marshall Mason 6'1" | SG Holmen | 2026 WI (6-1) and sophomores Jayden Bartels Jayden Bartels 6'2" | SG/CG Holmen | 2027 State WI (6-1) and Jax Meyer (6-1).

3. Aquinas -- Aquinas finished with 23 victories and advanced to the semifinal round of the WIAA Division 4 State Tournament before losing a heartbreaker to eventual champion Mineral Point. Coach Brad Reinhart lost four starters from that club, including first-team all-league wing Walter Berns (6-4, 15.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg, now playing at Iowa Central Community College). Junior guard Logan Becker Logan Becker 6'3" | CG Aquinas | 2026 State WI (6-3, 15.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg), arguably the best player in the Mississippi Valley, is the lone returning starter for the Blugolds. Becker had 27 points and four rebounds in Aquinas' 62-61 loss at the Kohl Center to Mineral Point. Other key returning personnel for Aquinas includes seniors Trey Bahr Trey Bahr 6'1" | SF Aquinas | 2025 State WI (6-2, 7.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg), Vincent Bahr (6-3, 2.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and Brayden Young Brayden Young 6'2" | SG Aquinas | 2025 WI (6-1, 2.1 ppg). Juniors Finley Strom Finley Strom 6'4" | PG/SG Aquinas | 2026 State WI (6-1), Talan Reinhart Talan Reinhart 6'0" | SG Aquinas | 2026 WI (6-0) and Ryan Johnson (5-11) along with sophomore Calvin Bahr Calvin Bahr 6'4" | SG Aquinas | 2027 State WI (6-3) also figure to be key players.

4. La Crosse Central -- It's hard to imagine the Riverhawks finishing as low as fourth place in the league as coach Todd Fergot's charges have ranked among the elite in the state over the past decade or so with six trips to the WIAA State Tournament since 2015-16. At the same time, La Crosse Central did lose three double-figure scorers to graduation from a 14-12 squad. The Riverhawks do return a pair of good young players in junior wing Joey Pretasky Joey Pretasky 6'3" | SF La Crosse Central | 2026 WI (6-2, 3.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and sophomore guard Gabe Servais Gabe Servais 5'11" | PG La Crosse Central | 2027 State WI (6-0, 5.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg). Seniors Frankie Wilk Frankie Wilk 6'3" | CG LaCrosse Central | 2025 State WI (6-3), Derrick Pangier (5-10), Dawson Lapic (6-2) and Jaylon Calvert (6-1) along with sophomores Anthony Jones Anthony Jones 6'0" | PG/SG La Crosse Central | 2027 State WI (6-0) and Ezra Wiese (6-0) will contend for playing time as will juniors Marcion Basely (5-9) and Max Davis Max Davis 6'4" | SF Badger | 2025 WI (6-1).

5. Tomah -- Holmen might boast the best overall shooting squad in the Mississippi Valley, but Tomah definitely isn't far behind as the extremely talented sophomore duo of Quinn Gerke Quinn Gerke 6'3" | SG Tomah | 2027 State WI (6-1, 18.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and Owen Laudon Owen Laudon 5'10" | CG Tomah | 2027 State WI (5-10, 11.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg) can light it up with the best of them. The problem for coach Jeff Brieske is finding the right pieces to fill in around his sensational sophomore tandem. Junior Michael Zastoupil Michael Zastoupil 6'5" | SF Tomah | 2026 State WI (6-5, 5.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and senior Jackson Steffel (6-0, 1.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg) will battle for starting spots along with sophomore Adam Brieske (6-1, 2.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg), junior Owen Vandenhoogen Owen Vandenhoogen 5'10" | SG Tomah | 2026 WI (5-11) and senior Brady Hall 95-11).

6. La Crosse Logan -- The Rangers could prove to be the surprise team in the Mississippi Valley as coach Eric Check starts his second season with two of the league's top performers back for their senior campaigns in forward Jacob Hackbarth Jacob Hackbarth 6'5" | SF La Crosse Logan | 2025 State WI (6-7, 14.0 ppg, 10.3 rpg) and guard Bradley Check Bradley Check 6'0" | CG La Crosse Logan | 2025 State WI (6-0, 12.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg). Both Hackbarth and Check are all-league caliber performers and form a solid core for the Rangers. The rest of La Crosse Logan's lineup is a bit uncertain. Sophomores Bubba Lever (6-4) and Jameson Degenhardt (6-2) along with freshman Thomas Check Thomas Check 5'10" | CG La Crosse Logan | 2028 WI (5-10) all figure to contend for starting roles.

7. Sparta -- Three straight seasons of finishing 0-12 in league play is enough to make any player or coach lose his fire. Still, Sparta hopes to overcome its recent doormat status in the conference in 2024-25 behind the return of two of its better players from last year's 4-21 squad in senior forward Gavin Rhead Gavin Rhead 6'4" | PF Sparta | 2025 State WI (6-4, 17.6 ppg) and junior guard Kayden Kaat Kayden Kaat 6'1" | SF Sparta | 2026 State WI (6-1, 8.2 ppg). Coach Ben Schell will also need production from senior Owen Berendes, among others, in order to snap the school's 36-game league skid.

Top Returning Scorers

Quinn Gerke Quinn Gerke 6'3" | SG Tomah | 2027 State WI , Tomah (18.0 ppg)
Gavin Rhead Gavin Rhead 6'4" | PF Sparta | 2025 State WI , Sparta (17.6 ppg)
Logan Becker Logan Becker 6'3" | CG Aquinas | 2026 State WI , Aquinas (15.7 ppg)
Jacob Hackbarth Jacob Hackbarth 6'5" | SF La Crosse Logan | 2025 State WI , La Crosse Logan (14.0 ppg)
Bradley Check Bradley Check 6'0" | CG La Crosse Logan | 2025 State WI , La Crosse Logan (12.3 ppg)
Alex Berget Alex Berget 5'11" | PG Holmen | 2026 State WI , Holmen (12.0 ppg)
Owen Laudon Owen Laudon 5'10" | CG Tomah | 2027 State WI , Tomah (11.8 ppg)
Kaiden Wilber Kaiden Wilber 5'11" | PG Holmen | 2025 WI , Holmen (11.7 ppg)
Keenan Eisermann Keenan Eisermann 6'1" | PG Holmen | 2025 State WI , Holmen (10.0 ppg)

Projected All-Conference Teams
First Team
Logan Becker Logan Becker 6'3" | CG Aquinas | 2026 State WI , 6-3, Jr., Aquinas
Alex Berget Alex Berget 5'11" | PG Holmen | 2026 State WI , 5-10, Jr., Holmen
Gabe Servais Gabe Servais 5'11" | PG La Crosse Central | 2027 State WI , 6-0, Soph., La Crosse Central
Jacob Hackbarth Jacob Hackbarth 6'5" | SF La Crosse Logan | 2025 State WI , 6-7, Sr., La Crosse Logan
Ian Kowal Ian Kowal 6'3" | CG/SF Onalaska | 2026 State WI , 6-3, Jr., Onalaska
Quinn Gerke Quinn Gerke 6'3" | SG Tomah | 2027 State WI , 6-1, Soph., Tomah

Second Team
Trey Bahr Trey Bahr 6'1" | SF Aquinas | 2025 State WI , 6-2, Sr., Aquinas
Keenan Eisermann Keenan Eisermann 6'1" | PG Holmen | 2025 State WI , 6-1, Sr., Holmen
Joey Pretasky Joey Pretasky 6'3" | SF La Crosse Central | 2026 WI , 6-2, Jr., La Crosse Central
Bradley Check Bradley Check 6'0" | CG La Crosse Logan | 2025 State WI , 6-0, Sr., La Crosse Logan
Noah Chenault Noah Chenault 6'2" | CG Onalaska | 2025 State WI , 6-2, Sr., Onalaska
Gavin Rhead Gavin Rhead 6'4" | PF Sparta | 2025 State WI , 6-4, Sr., Sparta

The Big Five

Best Shooter: Alex Berget Alex Berget 5'11" | PG Holmen | 2026 State WI , Holmen
Best Defender: Noah Chenault Noah Chenault 6'2" | CG Onalaska | 2025 State WI , Onalaska
Best Rebounder: Jacob Hackbarth Jacob Hackbarth 6'5" | SF La Crosse Logan | 2025 State WI , La Crosse Logan
Best Collegiate Prospect: Logan Becker Logan Becker 6'3" | CG Aquinas | 2026 State WI , Aquinas
Most Improved Player: Ian Kowal Ian Kowal 6'3" | CG/SF Onalaska | 2026 State WI , Onalaska