Metro Classic Conference Superlatives

<p>The Metro Classic Conference consistently plays home to some of the state’s top prospects and top private school teams. This year was no exception as Racine St. Catherine’s and Dominican dominated in Division 3, while Catholic Central found themselves highly ranked in Division 5 at times. All-conference teams have recently been released, but we at Prep Hoops will hand out our own superlative awards to some of the top prospects!</p> <p><strong>The MVP</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="804895" first="Tyrese" last="Hunter"] (6’1 2021 PG, Racine St. Catherine’s)- </strong>[player_tooltip player_id="804895" first="Tyrese" last="Hunter"] outplayed and outworked anyone in his path this season, and it showed in both team and individual success. He led St. Cats to a 25-0 record while averaging a conference leading 21.3 ppg while also contributing 6.6 boards and 3.5 assists a contest. Tyrese is the best prospect the city of Racine has seen in some time, combining jaw-dropping athleticism with a tight handle, impressive court vision, and a 40% three point stroke. His impressive season saw him add offers from Marquette and Minnesota, with more high majors likely to follow.</p> <p><strong>Mr. Do It All</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="879983" first="Antuan" last="Nesbitt"] (6’4 2021 G, Prairie)- </strong>Likely the biggest snub from the all-conference first team, Nesbitt did it all for Prairie this year. He scored 19 a game (4th in conference), dished out a conference leading 6.1 assists per game, and also grabbed 7.8 rebounds per game to rank among the conference’s elite. An explosive athlete with a great feel for the game and an ever improving pull-up jumper, Antuan was flirting with a triple double on a consistent basis. Ranking among the state’s best wing-guards, he’s an intriguing watch this upcoming AAU season.</p> <p><strong>Most Improved Player</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="880995" first="Joey" last="Immekus"] (6’2 2020 G, Martin Luther)- </strong>After playing primarily as his team’s shooter last season, Joey turned into an all-around threat as a senior, earning 1st team all-conference honors. Leading his team to 3rd place in the conference after losing more than anyone in the conference, Joey bumped his scoring average up to 18.2 from 10.8 as a junior. Joey also saw substantial gains in his rebounding and assist numbers. He’ll go on to play Division 3 ball at MSOE. </p> <p><strong>Defensive Player of the Year</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="935422" first="Elijah" last="Lambert"] (6’4 2020 W, Racine St. Catherine’s)- </strong>Though Lambert had a smaller offensive role due to the amount of talent he played alongside, he always made his presence felt defensively. Lambert is as strong as they come at 6’4, while also having extremely quick feet which allowed him to guard in the post or on the perimeter. With performances that included holding a top-20 junior to 0-12 shooting, and holding a top-5 sophomore to 1-11 shooting, Lambert was the definition of lockdown. All season long he took opposing teams’ star players out of the game, and colleges looking for a great defender should look no further than [player_tooltip player_id="935422" first="Elijah" last="Lambert"].</p> <p><strong>Freshman of the Year</strong></p> <p><strong>Ashe Oglesby (6’5 2023 F, Prairie)- </strong>Ashe came into the season with promise, and ended the season with proven production. His numbers consistently got better as the season went on, and he finished up averaging 10.9 ppg and 5.8 rpg. Both of those totals were second on the team behind just [player_tooltip player_id="879983" first="Antuan" last="Nesbitt"]. Ashe has solid post footwork as a young big, a soft finishing touch with both hands, and the ability to slip out to the wing and take defenders off the dribble. Perhaps most impressive about his freshman year was that he shot 41.7% from deep while being his team’s primary post player. </p> <p><strong>The Sharpshooter</strong></p> <p><strong>Ryan Scholfield (5’10 2020 G, Martin Luther)- </strong>There were a few players who shot a higher percentage from three than Ryan, but none combined accuracy with volume like he did. Scholfield shot 46-102 from beyond the arc, good for 45% on the year. He scored 13.4 ppg on the season, with a majority of his points coming off deep shots. His breakout season was a big reason that Martin Luther was able to take third in the conference.</p> <p><strong>New Kid on the Block</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="938202" first="Kody" last="Krekling"] (6’3 2021 W, Prairie)- </strong>This award goes to the player who came in relatively unknown, but turned themselves into a legit college prospect. [player_tooltip player_id="938202" first="Kody" last="Krekling"] did just that, averaging 9.6 points and 4.7 rebounds as a glue guy for Prairie this year. He has a strong build at 6’3 allowing him to play the 2 or 3 spot, and has a solid outside jumper that he hit at 32%. He’s the type of player that does whatever is asked of him, and is one of the top defenders on his team. His high scoring performances of 29 (Living Word Lutheran), 27 (Chicago Perspective School), and 23 (Brookfield Academy) showed his potential on the offensive end. </p>