Rick Majerus WBY Shootout preview

Your official guide to the 19th annual Rick Majerus Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Shootout, scheduled for December 26-27-28 at Concordia University in Mequon:   FIVE THINGS TO WATCH   1. De Pere vs. Milwaukee Academy of Science The eyes of the state will be on this game as you could certainly make a case for these two teams being the best in Wisconsin. Because De Pere is a Division 1 school and MAS plays in Division 3, they will not meet in the WIAA playoffs. But they will square off at Concordia in the WBY Shootout and the court will be loaded with talent, experience, toughness and a strong desire to prove who is best. De Pere is led by University of Wisconsin recruit [player_tooltip player_id='1351717' first='Zach' last='Kinziger'], a sharpshooting 6-foot-3 combination guard who is tough to guard from the perimeter and off the bounce. MAS is led by Iowa State signee [player_tooltip player_id='1447228' first='Jamarion' last='Batemon'], a very quick 6-foot-4 wing guard who ranks among the best defenders in the state while also scoring at a high clip. Coach Brian Winchester of De Pere also can call on Northern Michigan recruit [player_tooltip player_id='1908410' first='Pryce' last='Gregoire'] (6-6) and UW-Eau Claire recruit [player_tooltip player_id='1428204' first='Roan' last='Demovsky'] (6-1) to score and perform at a very high level. MAS coach Agape Keys also has stellar depth as Coastal Carolina recruit [player_tooltip player_id='1390441' first='Devin' last='Brown'] (6-7), senior wing guard [player_tooltip player_id='1390442' first='Agape' last='Keys Jr.'] (6-4), junior [player_tooltip player_id='1501903' first='Deuce' last='Burkes'] (6-2) and senior [player_tooltip player_id='1481181' first='Amare' last='Jackson'] (6-4) can all score in double figures. The juice in the Buuck Fieldhouse for this game will be off the charts as two loaded teams square off at 7:45 on Friday, December 29 in a marquee game of the WBY Shootout. 2. [player_tooltip player_id='1282617' first='Xzavion' last='Mitchell'], Oshkosh North The four-year Oshkosh North standout currently leads the state in scoring at 38.3 ppg while helping a young Oshkosh North squad to a 4-2 record. Mitchell's productivity isn't unusual as he's averaged at least 21.8 ppg over the past three seasons. But the Iowa State recruit has taken his game to a new level as a senior. He recently surpassed 2,000 career points and became the all-time leading scorer at Oshkosh North. His ability to score, at times, in an almost effortless manner is extremely unusual for a high school player garnering as much defensive attention as Mitchell does on a nightly basis. A scorer from outside the arc, in transition, in the paint, off of offensive rebounds and from the foul line, Mitchell is shooting 58 percent from the field and 84 percent from the foul line. He ranks as one of the top candidates for the Mr. Basketball award and is, without question, the team leader for coach Brad Weber's squad in 2024-25. Mitchell and his teammates will encounter two stiff challenges at the WBY Shootout as they battle West Allis Central at 4:45 p.m. on December 26 before meeting Arrowhead at 6:15 p.m. on December 27. 3. Future Badgers or Golden Eagles??? It's always fun to check out the youngest star players and this year's WBY Shootout features several sophomores who have garnered scholarship offers from Marquette, Wisconsin and other high-major NCAA Division I programs. Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2045256' first='Yusef' last='Gray Jr.'] of West Allis Central and [player_tooltip player_id='1561925' first='Andrew' last='Jensen'] of Kaukauna are two players in the 2026 class receiving plenty of attention from collegiate programs. Gray owns offers from Creighton, De Paul and Iowa State, among others, while Jensen has offers from Marquette, Green Bay, Milwaukee and Toledo, among others. Both players will perform twice in the WBY Shootout. In the 2027 class, [player_tooltip player_id='2194315' first='Dooney' last='Johnson'] of Milwaukee Juneau, [player_tooltip player_id='2351190' first='Jack' last='Kohnen'] of Slinger, [player_tooltip player_id='1847792' first='Donovan' last='Davis'] of Freedom and [player_tooltip player_id='2288469' first='Jalen' last='Brown'] of Wauwatosa West have some big-time offers. Cincinnati, Marquette, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin have extended offers to Johnson. Kohnen owns offers from Iowa State and Marquette while Davis has offers from Iowa State and Wisconsin. Brown has picked up offers from Arizona State and Northern Illinois. Others in the 2026 and 2027 classes who figure to play at the Division I level and will compete at the WBY Shootout include juniors [player_tooltip player_id='1552512' first='Zavier' last='Zens'] of Wisconsin Lutheran, [player_tooltip player_id='1561888' first='Josh' last='Manchester'] of Mount Horeb, [player_tooltip player_id='1501903' first='Deuce' last='Burkes'] of MAS, [player_tooltip player_id='1781157' first='Rashaad' last='Davis'] of Nicolet and [player_tooltip player_id='2411140' first='Kevin' last='Pittman'] of West Allis Central along with sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='2194435' first='Max' last='Jones'] of West Allis Central, [player_tooltip player_id='2385685' first='Ja'Meir' last='Hayfort'] of Nicolet and [player_tooltip player_id='2140949' first='Kager' last='Knueppel'] of Wisconsin Lutheran. 4. West Allis Central vs. Nicolet Want to see two teams get after it from one endline to the other? Then check out West Allis Central vs. Nicolet at 1:45 p.m. on December 28. These two teams have speed to burn and a willingness to go all-out for a full 36 minutes. Guard play is exceptional at both schools with [player_tooltip player_id='2045256' first='Yusef' last='Gray Jr.'], [player_tooltip player_id='2194435' first='Max' last='Jones'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1561870' first='Kayden' last='Travis'] leading the way for West Allis Central, and [player_tooltip player_id='1598239' first='David' last='Bolden'], [player_tooltip player_id='1781157' first='Rashaad' last='Davis'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2140912' first='Edward' last='Bullock III'] the best backcourt performers for Nicolet. West Allis Central and Nicolet also boast solid interior players with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2411140' first='Kevin' last='Pittman'] at 6-foot-10 the best inside player for the Bulldogs and emerging sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2385685' first='Ja'Meir' last='Hayfort'] (6-8) the best interior performer for Nicolet. West Allis Central of the Woodland West Conference competes in Division 1 while Nicolet of the North Shore Conference plays at the Division 2 level so this could be a game between two potential WIAA State Tournament qualifiers. 5. Testing your mettle One of the neat things with the WBY Shootout is the ability to pair teams from the north against teams from southeast Wisconsin. There will be plenty of opportunities for teams from outside of the greater Milwaukee area to prove their mettle at the event. Appleton North of the Fox Valley Association gets games with Brookfield Central of the Greater Metro and Eau Claire Memorial of the Big Rivers. Speaking of Eau Claire Memorial, the Old Abes play Milwaukee Academy of Science in addition to Appleton North. Freedom of the North Eastern gets a shot at both Catholic Memorial of the Classic Eight and Slinger of the North Shore. Mount Horeb from the Madison area will compete against Green Bay Notre Dame Academy and Greendale. Oshkosh North plays West Allis Central and Arrowhead. Appleton Xavier gets an old WISAA matchup with host school, Saint Thomas More. Edgerton plays Mineral Point and Martin Luther, and Mineral Point gets a game with Dominican in addition to its outing with Edgerton. Many of the teams mentioned here are ranked among the top 10 teams in their respective divisions so it should make for some outstanding basketball. NCAA DIVISION I PLAYERS The following players who will take part in the WBY Shootout have received NCAA Division I basketball scholarship offers or have already committed to DI programs: Class of 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1282617' first='Xzavion' last='Mitchell'], Oshkosh North (committed to Iowa State) [player_tooltip player_id='1351717' first='Zach' last='Kinziger'], De Pere (committed to Wisconsin) [player_tooltip player_id='1447228' first='Jamarion' last='Batemon'], Milwaukee Academy of Science (committed to Iowa State) [player_tooltip player_id='1351718' first='Aaron' last='Womack'], Dominican (committed to Syracuse) [player_tooltip player_id='1390441' first='Devin' last='Brown'], Milwaukee Academy of Science (committed to Coastal Carolina) [player_tooltip player_id='1300316' first='Myles' last='Herro'], Whitnall (uncommitted) [player_tooltip player_id='1289073' first='Keegan' last='Van Kauwenberg'], Kaukauna (committed to Green Bay) [player_tooltip player_id='1240337' first='Jake' last='Hansen'], Wauwatosa West (uncommitted) [player_tooltip player_id='1598239' first='David' last='Bolden'], Nicolet (committed to NJIT) Class of 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2045256' first='Yusef' last='Gray Jr.'], West Allis Central (uncommitted) [player_tooltip player_id='1561925' first='Andrew' last='Jensen'], Kaukauna (uncommitted) [player_tooltip player_id='1552512' first='Zavier' last='Zens'], Wisconsin Lutheran (uncommitted) [player_tooltip player_id='1501903' first='Deuce' last='Burkes'], Milwaukee Academy of Science (uncommitted) [player_tooltip player_id='1781157' first='Rashaad' last='Davis'], Nicolet (uncommitted) [player_tooltip player_id='2411140' first='Kevin' last='Pittman'], West Allis Central (uncommitted) Class of 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='1847792' first='Donovan' last='Davis'], Freedom (uncommitted) [player_tooltip player_id='2194315' first='Dooney' last='Johnson'], Milwaukee Juneau (uncommitted) [player_tooltip player_id='2288469' first='Jalen' last='Brown'], Wauwatosa West (uncommitted) [player_tooltip player_id='2351190' first='Jack' last='Kohnen'], Slinger (uncommitted) Defending State Champions Marquette (Division 1), Wisconsin Lutheran (Division 2), Saint Thomas More (Division 3) and Mineral Point (Division 4) won state championships at the Kohl Center in Madison last March, and each of those schools will take part in this year's WBY Shootout. In fact, Division 1 champion Marquette plays against Division 2 champion Wisconsin Lutheran at 6:15 p.m. on December 26. Additional Rick Majerus WBY Shootout Notes …   Tickets for the WBY Shootout will be sold online via Go Fan, and with cash at the door. The<a href="https://events.ticketspicket.com/agency/764ff987-27a2-4267-8619-c780e1770a6b?bbeml=tp-nvl5TtmyXEOswByZKvlQLQ.j3vcWxVpwjkOcT4OI7nsO9Q.ryXUQm4RsPUuzwhSR4IcLpg.lWE9WMEVn7UupgMZwyKH0HA"> link</a>s for Go Fan tickets via our host school, Saint Thomas More, are listed below. Ticket prices are $5 for students and senior citizens and $15 for adults. The tickets are good for the entire day. The Buuck Fieldhouse at Concordia University can accommodate around 2,000 fans so plan to arrive early to make sure you can purchase a ticket. 12/26: <a href="https://gofan.co/event/2273235?schoolId=WI19504" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://gofan.co/event/2273235?schoolId=WI19504</a>   12/27: <a href="https://gofan.co/event/2326551?schoolId=WI19504" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">https://gofan.co/event/2326551?schoolId=WI19504</a>   12/28: <a href="https://gofan.co/event/2326606?schoolId=WI19504" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">https://gofan.co/event/2326606?schoolId=WI19504</a>   *****   Parking for the Rick Majerus WBY Shootout is free.   *****   The 360-page 2024-25 Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook will be available for purchase for $35.   *****   Game programs, which includes rosters and other information for all 34 teams, will be sold for $4.   *****   The Concordia University basketball team will sell concessions throughout the event.   *****   Broadcast Information:   ** Zaleski Sports (www.zaleskisports.com) will stream live the games at 6:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. on December 26, the games at 12:15 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 6:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. on December 27, and the games at 6:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. on December 28.   ** The Sports Faith YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@sportsfaith194/streams) will stream the Xavier vs. Saint Thomas More contest on December 28.   ** The Big 920-AM (<a href="https://thebig920.iheart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://thebig920.iheart.com</a>) in Milwaukee will broadcast the 6:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. games on December 26th and the 9:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. games on December 28th.   Schedule At Concordia University, Mequon Thursday, December 26 Records Through Games of December 22 9:15 a.m. -- Milwaukee Reagan (2-5) vs. Martin Luther (6-1) 10:45 a.m. -- Kettle Moraine Lutheran (4-4) vs. The Prairie School (4-5) 12:15 p.m. -- Milwaukee Juneau (4-4) vs. Dominican (4-1) 1:45 p.m. -- Freedom (7-0) vs. Catholic Memorial (4-5) 3:15 p.m. -- Appleton North (4-2) vs. Brookfield Central (4-3) 4:45 p.m. -- Oshkosh North (4-3) vs. West Allis Central (4-2) 6:15 p.m. -- Wisconsin Lutheran (6-0) vs. Marquette (1-4) 7:45 p.m. -- Milwaukee Academy of Science (7-0) vs. Eau Claire Memorial (5-0) 9:15 p.m. -- Sheboygan North (5-1) vs. Sussex Hamilton (4-2)   Friday, December 27 9:15 a.m. -- Living Word Lutheran (5-1) vs. Milwaukee Reagan (2-5) 10:45 a.m. -- Edgerton (5-1) vs. Mineral Point (4-0) 12:15 p.m. -- Slinger (7-1) vs. Freedom (7-0) 1:45 p.m. -- Mount Horeb (5-0) vs. Notre Dame Academy (4-0) 3:15 p.m. -- Kaukauna (4-1) vs. Whitnall (2-6) 4:45 p.m. -- Eau Claire Memorial (5-0) vs. Appleton North (4-2) 6:15 p.m. -- Arrowhead (2-3) vs. Oshkosh North (4-3) 7:45 p.m. -- De Pere (4-1) vs. Milwaukee Academy of Science (7-0) 9:15 p.m. -- Catholic Memorial (4-5) vs. Saint Thomas More (3-4)   Saturday, December 28 9:15 a.m. -- Greendale (5-2) vs. Mount Horeb (5-0) 10:45 a.m. -- Martin Luther (6-1) vs. Edgerton (5-1) 12:15 p.m. -- Mineral Point (4-0) vs. Dominican (4-1) 1:45 p.m. -- West Allis Central (4-2) vs. Nicolet (8-1) 3:15 p.m. -- Brookfield Central (4-3) vs. Sheboygan North (5-1) 4:45 p.m. -- Saint Thomas More (3-4) vs. Xavier (5-2) 6:15 p.m. -- Homestead (6-1) vs. Kaukauna (4-1) 7:45 p.m. -- Wauwatosa West (7-1) vs. De Pere (4-1) 9:15 p.m. -- Marquette (1-4) vs. Milwaukee Juneau (4-4)

Your official guide to the 19th annual Rick Majerus Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Shootout, scheduled for December 26-27-28 at Concordia University in Mequon: