2016 Southern Lakes Newspapers All-Area Boys Basketball
Athletes from 12 area schools honored by inaugural squad
By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
It’s a great time for basketball.
March Madness culminated last week with one of the most thrilling finishes in college basketball history as Villanova won its first national title since 1985.
The Golden State Warriors are about to surpass the Chicago Bulls as the best regular-season team in NBA history.
And the high school, club and youth levels are stronger than ever with increased competition, intense specialization and improved scouting thanks to the social media boom.
Yes, it’s a good time to love the game invented by Dr. James Naismith, so let’s reveal the inaugural Southern Lakes Newspapers All-Area boys basketball squad.
Our sports department has been on this since March, emailing coaches, players and even opponents to obtain the most accurate analysis of athletes from 16 schools in Waukesha, Racine, Walworth and Kenosha counties.
Last week’s girls squad featured three Division 1 college recruits, led by player of the year Myriama Smith-Traore, a junior from Whitewater.
This week, our five starters span the tri-county area and even dip into Waukesha County, and players from 12 schools are represented.
Student-athletes are picked not only based on stats, but also leadership, poise, basketball IQ and other intangibles.
Team record and playoff performance are also big factors.
We would love to hear your feedback.
Please email Sports Editor Mike Ramczyk, [email protected], with any questions, comments or concerns.
SOUTHERN LAKES NEWSPAPERS
ALL-AREA BOYS BASKETBALL
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ben Heiligenthal, Burlington Catholic Central (see separate story on www.myracinecounty.com)
First Team
Brandon Hau, Mukwonago
The 6-foot-7 junior center is already receiving Division 1 college interest from IUPUI, and he is a legit big man, according to NOW Newspapers Sports Director J.R. Radcliffe.
Hau averaged 16.5 points and double digit rebounds for an Indians squad that finished 12-11 in arguably the best conference in the state, the Classic Eight.
Hau earned first team all-conference for his stellar campaign, along with fellow local standout Caleb Wagner from Muskego.
With another year of growth on and off the court, expect the lengthy Hau to be playing major college basketball in late 2017.
Bobby Brenner, Wilmot
The heart and soul of the Panthers, Brenner was fifth in the state in scoring with 28.3 points per game.
Brenner, a 1,000-point scorer for his career, often fought through double and triple teams and still managed to get his points on a nightly basis.
In an upset victory over Southern Lakes Conference champion and rival Westosha Central, Brenner was at his best with 22 points and five rebounds.
Brenner, the Southern Lakes Conference player of the year, scored a season-high 39 points and topped 30 points nine times.
The 6-foot-3 inside-outside threat could score the basketball, simple and plain, and his hustle helped record 8.4 rebounds per game.
The Warhawks, a Division 3 collegiate power, shouldn’t have a problem continuing their rich winning tradition with Brenner.
Jake Nixon, East Troy
Another impressive scorer, Nixon, a 6-foot-1 senior guard, earned the Walworth County player of the year accolade, as voted on by coaches and media members.
“Easily the best player in our county,” said Big Foot coach Mike Dowden.
Coach Gnatzig of Whitewater added that Nixon is “very quick and has great ability to score the basketball.”
Nixon was the Rock Valley North Conference player of the year, a Division 3 first team all-state pick, team co-MVP and D3 WBCA All-Star selection.
Finally, Nixon was a wissports.net semifinalist for top point guard in the state.
Nixon was seventh in the state with 27.5 points per game. He added an area-leading seven assists per contest, along with five rebounds.
Ron Hall, Westosha Central
Hall, a 6-foot-5 wing, could do it all, score, rebound, pass and defend.
Arguably the most complete player in the area, Hall registered 29 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists at Wilmot and did whatever the team needed to win games.
The Falcons finished 16-8 and won their first SLC title since the 90s.
Hall received a full scholarship to play at a Division 1 junior college, Northeastern, in Colorado.
He was the best all-around player on perhaps the best team in the area.
Second team
Jake Berhorst, Lake Geneva Badger
Talk about lighting it up or scorching the nets.
This sharpshooting guard was one of the area’s best scorers and 3-point bombers.
A first team all-SLC pick, Berhorst battled injuries to play 18 games and averaged nearly 23 points per contest.
He just about single-handedly beat Burlington in Lake Geneva in overtime with 33 points.
Berhorst, a 1,000-point career scorer, will play at the University of Chicago, one of the top academic institutions in the country, this fall.
“He’s among the best players in the southern half of the state when healthy,” said Delavan-Darien coach Bob Beighton.
Williams Bay coach Troy Nottestad said Berhorst is an excellent shooter “that turned into a player that should be successful at the next level.”
Joe Ciriacks, East Troy
The 6-foot-3 senior was first team all-conference, team co-MVP, WBCA all-star selection, team captain and a wissports.net finalist for top wing player in the state.
Ciriacks scored 18.2 points per game on 47 percent 3-point shooting, grabbed 5.8 rebounds and dished 3.8 assists.
Legendary coach Forrest Larson, the head man at Lake Geneva Badger, said Ciriacks was the “best shooter I saw this year.”
Whitewater coach Dan Gnatzig also gave Berhorst high praise.
“He gets face-guarded every game and still manages to light it up. Jake creates huge driving lanes for teammates.”
Tre Williams, Westosha Central
This southpaw, though small in stature at 5-foot-11, can cross over the best defender and drain a 25-foot jumper in his eye in a matter of a second or two.
Williams was a first team all-SLC pick and led the conference champ Falcons at the point guard position.
He led the team in scoring at 18.6 points per game and connected on 29 triples.
Williams scored 34 in a victory over Wilmot, 28 against state-qualifying Whitnall and 27 in a win over Burlington.
Nick Klug, Burlington
Only a sophomore, this 6-foot point guard can take over a game and a team with his slashing ability, court vision and extensive long-distance range.
Often the best player on the court, regardless of opponent, Klug possesses rare quickness and grace with the basketball.
Using long strides down the court, he is able to get wherever he wants on the court to take a shot or set up a wide-open teammate.
Klug scored a season-high 33 points in a masterful performance late in the season, and his clutch play in the final minutes helped the Demons knock off Wilmot in the playoffs.
Klug plays year-round on one of the state’s best clubs, a Madison-based outfit, and his skills seem to improve each game.
At 15.4 points, 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game, Klug is an all-around threat. He canned 50 triples and shot 38 percent from long range.
Klug has a knack for getting to the foul line, as he iced several victories and finished at 78 percent (116-148).
“Nick played some fantastic basketball the second half of the season,” Burlington coach Steve Berezowitz said. “He was able to control games for us by the end of the season. His court presence, vision, and decision-making made him a great asset to us on both ends of the floor.”
Klug earned first team all-SLC and second team all-Racine County honors.
Alex Easterday, Elkhorn
This 6-foot-3 junior played like a 7-footer down low.
Despite playing on a 6-17 squad, Easterday was unstoppable at times for the Elks.
He averaged 19 points and nearly nine rebounds per contest and drew double teams in the post.
“He’s one of the best bigs in the county,” Dowden said.
Larson said Easterday is an excellent scorer and rebounder.
Easterday’s best compliments came from rival Delavan-Darien.
“Great motor, tough to stop on the glass and solid around the basket and from 15 feet in,” said Beighton.
Honorable mention
Jake Lange, Mukwonago
- 6 points per game, HM All-Classic Eight, second-best player on a 12-11 that plays in area’s best conference
William Brown, Delavan-Darien
1st team all-Walworth County, 14 ppg, 4.7 assists, 2nd team all-SLC
“Excellent point/shooting guard who became a great all-around point,” – Beighton
“Excellent shooter, ball handler,” – Larson
Jordan Easthon, Westosha Central
Talented wing’s season cut short by leg injury
16 ppg, could score 30 on any given night, team was 11-4 when he was healthy, 5-4 when he was limited or out
Chris Saltzmann, Waterford
Game-changing all-around player, 16.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks
“Chris played with passion, took the difficult shot when needed and played strong help-side defense, as evidenced by his 36 blocks,” said Waterford coach Paul Charapata.
2nd team all-SLC, HM all-county
Jake Remsza, East Troy
6-foot-3 senior, 9.4 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 2nd team all-RVC, 52% field goals
2nd team all-Walworth County
Lucas Delara, Delavan-Darien
Arguably best shooter in area, set school record with 69 3’s, including 9 in one game, another record
5.5 rpg, more than 3 assists, 17.8 ppg
2nd team all-SLC, team captain
“Great shooter with unlimited range,” said Gnatzig
Aaron Rueber, Burlington Catholic Central
If Ben Heiligenthal was the President for the Toppers this season, Rueber played the role of Joe Biden.
Quite frankly, Heiligenthal wouldn’t have scored as much without the elite maneuvering of Rueber, who rarely turned the ball over and averaged 3 assists per contest.
“Aaron’s stats aren’t comparable to other PG’s in the area, but anyone who saw us play knows Aaron was full-court often, rarely if ever turning it over,” coach Kyle Scott said. “He would continually get us into our sets and get Ben the ball where he can be effective.”
Dyln Ross, Waterford
The team’s ball-handler, Ross is a true leader, accoding to coach Charapata.
“His quickness and ball-handling skills allowed to combat full-court pressure.”
An honorable mention all-SLC pick, Ross scored 12.5 points, grabbed 2.6 rebounds and snatched 1.7 steals a game.
Matt Nelson, Union Grove
The star quarterback almost averaged a double-double during his junior campaign.
At 11.1 points per game, Nelson led the SLC in rebounding at 9.3 per game.
Jack Pettit, Union Grove
The sophomore ran the point for a 9-15 team, but Pettit played exceptional basketball, especially toward the end.
Pettit averaged 11 points and an eye-popping 3.4 assists per game.
Dayne Fisher, Elkhorn
HM all-SLC, 12 ppg, 3 rpg, 4 apg, senior point guard, 5-foot-10
Beau Cary, Walworth Big Foot
6-5 junior, 14.9 ppg, 8 rpg
1st team all-RVC, Team MVP, captain
“A much-improved big man that can score inside and out,” – Gnatzig
All-Area Roll Call
The inaugural Southern Lakes Conference All-Area boys basketball team features Delavan-Darien, East Troy, Elkhorn, Mukwonago, Lake Geneva Badger, Walworth Big Foot, Williams Bay, Faith Christian, Burlington, Catholic Central, Waterford, Union Grove, Westosha Central, Wilmot, Whitewater and Palmyra-Eagle high schools.
SLN’s sports panel included Sports Editor Mike Ramczyk, reporter Jason Arndt, correspondents Chris Bennett and Tim Wester, and photographer Rick Benavides.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this year’s All-Area squads. Log in to www.myracinecounty.com, comment on our Facebook pages (SLN Racine County, SLN Walworth County, Burlington Standard Press, SLN Kenosha County) and follow us on Twitter (@mikeramczyk17, @thejasonarndt).
If you want to offer a question, comment or concern, or you have a story idea, Ramczyk is all ears.
Shoot him an email, [email protected].
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Probably one of the most accurate evaluation of the talent in our area.
It would appear this was a popularity contest and not a true all area team. An all area team would have looked at players points, rebound, assists, etc per game. An all area team also should look at level of competition . No offense to anyone, but a kid playing Division 5 and scoring 21 points a game is nowhere as impressive as a kid playing Division 3 or 2 and scoring 21 points per game. We all saw what happened to Catholic Central when they played an actual team. Also, how do you put a kid on the All-Area team over the two kids from his high school team who out scored and played him all year? If you were looking to put together a list of the best basketball kids from Southern Wisconsin you shot an air ball.
…which is exactly why “the Division 5 kid” was named Racine County player of the year, voted on by COACHES from small schools like Racine Park, Racine Case, Burlington.
Also, you realize you contradict your own argument when you start by saying that the team should be driven by stats – then blast a kid for putting up great numbers against substandard competition…and again, substandard competition like Dominican (won a state championship in case you missed it), Kenosha St. Joe’s, Waterford..etc. Additionally the teams that they faced in the tournament (all 7 games) averaged just over 17.5 wins…again no gimmes there.
Far be it from me to defend Ramczyk – but I attack logic when logic is faulty…and yours is absolutely lost!
While I would agree with you in some regards about bcc playing D5, but that D 5 athlete plays in one of the toughest conferences in southeast WI. And that player did almost everything on the floor to get his team to state
Now i would love to hear who you are referring to about your other comment. The comment of which u contradict yourself in. In one sentence you say it’s more than just points and then add that someone made it who was 3rd on his team in scoring. Believe me, this isn’t based on popularity.
Pretty simple, there were players on the first and second teams that had better numbers then the kid picked as player of the year. Also, these players did it against much better competition. I understand CC played Domincan, but besides them they played nobody. Sorry, Waterford and ST. Joes’s were nowhere near what I would call “good”.
What numbers are you looking at? Scoring? I want to actually educate you on what it takes to be a great basketball player. It takes a lot more than scoring. It takes rebounds, assists, defense, leadership, and doing whatever it takes to win. I look at some of these all area, all county, all conference teams and you are just like most of the people out there. You focus on scoring!!! College coaches look for the best basketball players, and they focus on defense!!! So maybe you should educate yourself a little.
Now let’s address the central player you are referring to. He was 3rd on his team in scoring. You are correct. He lead the team in rebounds and assists, and did that as a point guard. He was their best defender and every night drew the other teams best defender. He also was on a team that was pretty dominant in this area. So are you talking about all around numbers, floor leadership, and defense, or again, are you talking about numbers as in “scoring”? And I hope you watched the allstar game you were talking about, cause my point was shown.
I think Brenner is a good ball player, and can score, but he is not a good defender, can not pass, or doesn’t see the floor all that well. He played on a pretty talented team that didn’t have that good of a record! So if you want to talk about numbers, let’s talk numbers.
Williams from central, good ball player. Quick, can score, but doesn’t play defense, doesn’t pass all that well and averages less than 4 rebounds a game. So are you talking about numbers or “scoring”?
Easthon from central is a good strong kid. He was second on their team in scoring, a lot of which were on assists. and second in rebounding, defends well but doesn’t handle the ball and doesn’t have a lot of assists. So are you talking all around numbers, or scoring?
I would love to hear who you think should be the first team and who you would replace, and please back it up with facts. I would also love to hear what numbers you meant besides “scoring”
Look at the kid from Central High School How does he make first team over his two team mates who had better numbers than he did?
I think it’s great that the player of the year did everything to get his team to a State Championship. I’m just pointing out his numbers were still not better than a couple other kids on this list and the fact his team made it to State in D5 really doesn’t mean much. If you ever have a chance, go to the Racine vs Kenosha All star game you would see what happens when these smaller division kids play against D1 kids. Like night and day.
And maybe you need a refresher course on talent, Wendt from shorland plays in a small conference, the same of which BCC plays, played in the allstar game against all those D1 kids that are so much better according to you, and how did he fair? The size of the conference doesn’t matter, the matchup he has to play against does. And there are more D1 recruits in that small conference that BCC plays in than any conference you are referring to. So to put those numbers up against D1 players matching up against you, would be good enough for POY in my eyes.
Williams from Central was a better shooter, passer, defender, and team mate than Hall, period. Maybe that’s why those who selected the All Conference team as well as those who selected the All County team placed Williams on the first team and Hall on the second team.
Berhorst from Lake Geneva Brener from Wilmot, and Easterday from Elkhorn, were on teams that didn’t have much other talent on them. Despite both being face guarded and double teamed every game, and playing against better competition, they all had better numbers than the player of the year.
Burlington Catholic Central people are so funny. They go out and recruit from all over Racine and Kenosha County just so they can beat up on small town schools who barely have 200 kids.
I am curious as far as recruiting how this is accomplished. Who from Catholic Central Recruits? Catholic High School serves numerous area Catholic Grade Schools that make up 95% of it’s enrollment. These Schools lie within Racine/Walworth/Kenosha County borders. These 15 parishes within the borders collectively make up the schools board. That being said I would hardly call a student from one of these Member Catholic Schools “being recruited.”The success the school has had athletically dating back to the mid 70’s is due most in part to the families that have helped support the programs and their dedication and commitment to their children. No different than the dedication and commitment in any other institution (be it public or private).
My son was in grades school BCC recruited 3 kids from his 7th grade Bristol team and 1 kid from Riverview to go to a catholic school in Burlington for their 8th grade year. The varsity boys basketball coach talked to their parents personally. That is called “recruiting”. The starting point guard is from Union Grove Grade School, not a Catholic school. I understand BCC has had much success , dating back to the 70’s, but at least call a spade a spade. BCC is actively recruiting athletes, not Catholics, to try and win a D5 title.
So Bristol and Riverview and these 4 kids “recruited” comprise being “All over Racine and Kenosha County. As far as talking to parents and recruiting, I suppose that depends on who requested the visit
yes, the kids they recruit are from all over Kenosha and Racine County, oh, and Walworth county. And the teams they play against for the most part in Division 5 are small towns with a 1/3 of the kids in their area to pick from.
Your comments show that you know nothing about the game of basketball. And that you have no facts to back them. Hall is the most complete player in this area. And that’s coming from several coaches. From D1 through D3. He showed that against the POY in the conference. And if you know how the conference teams are decided and voted on, u would see how those are a popularity contest.
C’mon now, most complete player in the area? 14.4 ppg, 8.4rpg, and hes a foot taller than most kids he plays against,, and this is the best he does? The conference and the county all voted that he was 2nd team at best. His numbers proved them right.
Let’s look at the conference, not season, numbers to put things in perspective. players all played against the same teams, etc.
Hall- 14.5 ppg, 8.4 rpg
Brener–29.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg
Berhorst–21.2 ppg,5.4 rpg
Easterday- 20.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg
Easthon–17.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg
Saltzmann–17.7ppg, 7.2rpg
Complete?
Just goes to show how little you know about the game. And I’m glad you think highschool kids are 6-4. There is a reason why all of your 1st team all conference players went D3 and were only recruited by D3 schools. You keep telling yourself it’s all about scoring and il keep recruiting kids that can play D first and rebound and make their team better. That’s the problem with today’s kids, they are so worried about scoring, they forget the other things college coaches look for. And if you actually looked at the amount of shots the kids on the 1st team took it may open your eyes as to why they averaged so many points.
Ok, now let’s add assists, and let’s add shots taken, and who each kid guarded on defense. A lot more plays into everything. I have watched who brenner guards. I have watched who Williams guards. I have watched who berhorst guards. I have watched where they play in a zone. I have watched how many times they shoot first pass second. And I have witnessed how many shots they take no matter what. Love to hear the lists of colleges recruiting all the first team kids.
Difference is most kids you mention have options on what schools they will go to because they are students first.
If Hall is such a superior defender, why is it he’s not in the top 10 in the conference in steals? Seems to me Easterday, Berhorst, and Brenner all lit Hall up when they played. Also, Lake Geneva and Wilmot don’t play zone.
Easy to have steals when your guarding the worst player on the team and you get to roam or help. Also how many steals did Hall have since they weren’t reported. He held brenner under his average and man handled him on offense. But your right, stats don’t lie. Lol
I looked it up,,, Brener had 39 points first game and 22 in the second game against Central, which averages out to over 30 points per game, above his 28 point per game average. Also, Hall had steals that were not reported? Why would they not be reported, were they a secret? lol,,,,, you have to love stats.
or Blocked Shots????
If you want to know his accurate stats and all of them, including the ones not posted, I will gladly give them to u and can send the game films to back them. Let me know when you want them and where I can send them. And then you will see how the all conference awards are based on popularity. If one coach doesn’t like you, he can score you low and you can’t get on the 1et team. He has a more complete game than any person on the first team and he showed it when he dominated the POY. And if Williams wasn’t on his team he would have averaged more in regards to scoring.
Thanks anyways Coach, but I have all the stats for this past season,as well as all conference individual, conference team records going back to 1995. Every stat you can imagine, and then some. If Hall didn’t get credit for more blocks or steals on defense, I would think his parents or someone should contact the school and conference officials to report this.