Appleton East at Xavier Standouts

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Xavier cruised to a 81-60 win Wednesday night over Appleton East, and in the process, solidified themselves in the pool of division three state contenders. While the</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> score tilted one way, prospects from both sides showed their colors in the rivalry.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">John Bunks - F - Xavier:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Points: 22</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rebounds: 10</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bunks was the best player on the floor, which will likely be a common theme this season. The forward’s stature allows him to play effectively inside and out, as his jumper fell at a consistent rate and his inside game overpowered East's frontcourt.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Charlie Pfefferle - G - Xavier: </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Points: 11</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rebounds: 8</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Assists: 9</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The sophomore guard is emerging as one of Wisconsin’s best underclassmen floor generals. Pfefferle dished out full-court passes to teammates in stride and created flow in Xavier's half-court offense. His three-point shots didn’t fall as often as he would’ve liked, but his peskiness on defense and driving ability made up for the perimeter deficiencies. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Evan Glaser - F - Appleton East:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Points: 9</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Glaser’s offensive toolset was at the fore of yesterday's matchup. His footwork allows for an array of post moves and overall production with his back to the basket, while his quickness make him a threat in the open floor.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jasiah Nolan - G - Appleton East:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Points: 13</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nolan stood out from East’s quartet of star sophomores. The guard connected on a handful of mid-range pull-ups and scored with ease and efficiency. Defensively, his strength got under the skin of Xavier’s frontcourt and backcourt players, whom Nolan could defend interchangeably.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ray Zuleger - G - Xavier: </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Points: 20</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Assists: 6</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Zuleger played with tremendous pacing from the tip-off. Particularly in transition, the guard attacked the hoop with a quick first step and nose for the rim. Going forward, double-digit outings from him could elevate Xavier to a State bid. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tyler Borowski - G - Appleton East: </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Points: 13</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Borowski couldn’t turn things on until late in the second half. But his playing time and comfort shooting on the outside show his potential to play the main role in East's offense. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cal Mares - G - Xavier:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Points: 11</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mares plays with a racing motor on both sides of the ball, as the guard helped set the pace by pushing fast breaks and hunting down driving lanes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Zach Steigenberger - G - Appleton East: </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Points: 6</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Steigenberger wasn’t himself from a scoring standpoint, but late in the second half he attacked the basket well and found the stripe often. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cade Feldhausen - F - Appleton East:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Points: 6</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The big showed flashes of offense, his size and touch around the rim looking skilled, especially for a sophomore. Look for the big to consistently raise his stock as a fine tunes his game this season.</span></p>