The season is in full swing and talented senior Matthew Thomas, Milwaukee Washington, Germantown, etc. captured headlines again this past week.  We look at that and more in today's news and notes...

HEADLINES
(1)    WASHINGTON DEFEATS MILWAUKEE HAMILTON
While Vincent, Hamilton, and King have garnered most of the headlines and buzz in the City Conference this year, Milwaukee Washington has quietly gone about their business of building a 5-1 record and currently sits in second place right below Milwaukee Vincent in the conference standings.  That was all cosmetic until last Friday night when the Purgolders delivered a huge message with a 67-59 victory over previously unbeaten Milwaukee Hamilton with Coach K sitting courtside.  They’ve already lost to Milwaukee King who has yet to play Milwaukee Hamilton so their game February 1st at Milwaukee Vincent looms large if they can hold serve in their other conference games the rest of the way.  Regardless, their victory Friday night was huge for their program and a solid step forward for first year head coach Freddie Riley.  

(2)    THOMAS STAYS RED HOT
The Iowa State bound talent maintained his stellar pace this season by dropping 50 on Monday in a victory over Tomah, he dropped 25 including the game winning basket in a victory over LaCrosse Central on Friday and then he poured in a 32 piece in a Saturday blowout victory over Linn Mar (IA).  Currently averaging a little over 31 PPG, close to 15 rebounds per game, and a little over 4 assists per contest, Thomas was scintillating last week while helping Onalaska to three more victories.  

(3)    GERMANTOWN HITS NATIONAL STATUS
Last week Germantown checked in for the first time as the #23 team in the ESPN 25 Power Rankings and this week they move up to #21 after rolling past Whitefish Bay last week to stay unbeaten at 14-0 on the season.  They have size, depth, can play in transition, can punish you in half court sets, and are playing excellent basketball right now.  

(4)    VINCENT HOLDS FIRM ATOP THE CITY CONFERENCE
Coach Hines has the V-House back atop the City Conference standings and after defeating Milwaukee King a couple weeks back and rolling past Milwaukee Riverside last week, Vincent is the team to beat in the City Conference right now.  They struggled in a loss on Monday but before that their frontline was really starting to pay big dividends and they are only getting better with each passing week.

(5)    STEVENS POINT SOARING
They haven’t received a lot of attention this year but when you sit at 16-1 with a freshman guard powering your attack at close to 20 PPG in Trevor Anderson you have to get some attention at some point.  Whether SPASH’S success will continue with a deep run at the end of the year or if the fact that they have a young backcourt will hurt them down the stretch, one thing that’s for certain is they are playing excellent basketball and freshman Trevor Anderson has been spectacular so far this season.

RANKINGS
(1)    GERMANTOWN (14-0)
Currently ranked as the #21 team in the country, Germantown has depth, athleticism, size, etc.  They are rolling once again and have shown an ability to win no matter the pace or style of game in convincing fashion.  It will take a team playing at their highest level and given their depth there are only a handful of teams in the state that have the personnel to do it even if they’re playing at their best.

(2)    MILWAUKEE VINCENT (13-2)
Despite their struggles on Monday, Vincent has been playing very well as of late and the frontline of Burton, Singleton, and White has been tremendous.  They punish opposing teams on the glass and the play of junior forward Marcus White has been a huge part of their strong play.  Right now they sit at the top of the City Conference standings with their upcoming games with Milwaukee Washington and Milwaukee Hamilton shaping up as big contests for them this season.

(3)    MILWAUKEE HAMILTON (14-1)
The undefeated Wildcats took a step backward on Friday with a sluggish performance at Milwaukee Washington that resulted in their first loss of the season.  While Friday’s performance cost them a victory, it may eventually help this young squad in the long run and you can expect Coach Diener to take full advantage of the teaching opportunity it generated.  With Kevon Looney and David Burrell they have an exceptional 1-2 punch of talent and athleticism and those two are very difficult covers for any team.  Freshman guard Danya Kingsby has been solid for the most part and this is another team that should continue to improve with each passing week and prove to be a formidable opponent and a serious challenger for a trip to Madison at the end of the year.

(4)    SUSSEX HAMILTON (14-0)
A bit of a surprise this year, Hamilton has quality victories over Wauwatosa East, Brookfield Central, and Marquette on their resume and junior guard Brady Ellingson has been sensational to the tune of almost 23 PPG.  I don’t know that they can match the more athletic deeper teams down the stretch but that’s why they play the games.  They are playing exceptionally well and beating everyone they line up against right now.  

(5)    DE PERE (12-2)
A strong physical squad that has two tremendous guards in senior Adam Beyer and sophomore Brevin Pritzl, De Pere has had a couple of hiccups this season but they also defeated Milwaukee Vincent and even though there was a ridiculous number of free throws in their favor the fact remains that they won the game and proved they could compete with what some project as a viable post season contender.  Beyer is a difficult cover at his best and Pritzl can fill it up as well.  They have some nice balance, a bit of experience, and are a tough matchup whenever they take the court.  In a season where teams have been a bit up and down, De Pere like Sussex Hamilton project to be the most difficult Sectional challenges for Germantown right now – Sectional being the key word.

OTHERS TO WATCH:  Milwaukee King, Stevens Point, Brookfield Central, Madison Memorial, Sun Prairie, Seymour, Onalaska, Dominican, Little Chute, LaCrosse Aquinas, Lodi

PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH
(Note – Listed in Alphabetical Order)
DEONTE BURTON – SF – MILWAUKEE VINCENT
Burton is averaging over 18 PPG and close to 11 RPG for Vincent who sits at 13-2 on the season.  He’s been solid across the board, unselfish at times, and delivered some consistently strong and dominant performances while showcasing his versatility and leadership in the process.   

LUKE FISCHER – F/C – GERMANTOWN
He’s been the best player on the best team so far this season and the Indiana bound big man continues to evolve and showcase his improved athleticism and skills.  Averaging over 21 PPG and over 10 rebounds per game, Fischer has been exceptionally dominant and consistent for an undefeated Warhawks team currently ranked in the top 25 nationally.

NICK FULLER – G/F – SUN PRAIRIE
The Nebraska bound wing is having a terrific senior campaign averaging close to 27 PPG.  He has delivered prolific scoring numbers with consistency and helped Sun Prairie to a solid 12-2 mark so far with excellent efforts all season long.  

BRONSON KOENIG – PG – LA CROSSE AQUINAS
The Wisconsin bound senior has Aquinas off to a strong 13-2 start behind 14 PPG per year.  He’s showed solid leadership on the court and made his team better by delivering solid passes and knocking down some big shots when it mattered.

MATT THOMAS – SG – ONALASKA
The Iowa State bound Thomas has delivered some huge performances this season and is currently averaging over 31 PPG, close to 15 RPG, and a little over 4 APG.  He’s dropped a 50 piece, knocked down game winners, and been sensational all season long.

DUANE WILSON JR. – PG – DOMINICAN
The Marquette bound guard is averaging close to 25 PPG for Dominican who sits at 11-3 on the season and is the favorite for the Division 4 state championship.  Wilson has had a number of electric performances this season and has shown an ability to score in bunches and step up in big games.  

GAME OF THE WEEK
GERMANTOWN @ DOMINICAN – JANUARY 26, 2013
The Germantown powerhouse heads to Dominican on Saturday to take on Dominican in a game set to feature a number of top prospects in the state.  Indiana bound Luke Fischer and junior guard Lamonte Bearden lead the Warhawks attack which also features talented juniors Jake Showalter and Even Wesenberg amongst others.  Dominican counters with Marquette bound senior Duane Wilson Jr. and highly coveted sophomore big man Diamond Stone.  Definitely a must watch game this week.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SWISH N' DISH SPRING WARM-UP - #SND2K13
The annual travel school exposure bonanza returns April 5-7, 2013 to the greater Milwaukee area.  Annual regarded as one of the premiere tournaments in the country each year for 9u-17u travel programs, the Swish 'N Dish will once again feature a 3 game guarantee with 1st and 2nd place teams receiving customized individual trophies/medals and t-shirts.  Last year's tournament was coverage by recruiting services across the country including, but not limited to, the likes of NY2LASPORTS.COM, SCOUT.COM, ESPNU.COM, RIVALS.COM, 247SPORTS.COM, ETC. and the 2013 installment promises much of the same with teams already committed from coast to coast once again.  The tournament alumni are a who's who of current NBA stars and collegiate standouts with alumni that includes the likes of Evan Turner (Philadelphia 76ers), Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors), Bradley Beal (Wisconsin Wizards); Marquis Teague (Chicago Bulls); Wayne Blackshear (Louisville), JP Tokoto (North Carolina), Trent Lockett (Marquette), Jamil Wilson (Marquette), Brandon Dawson (Michigan State), Glenn Robinson Jr. (Michigan), Mitch McGary (Michigan), Johnny O'Bryant III (LSU), Perry Ellis (Kansas), Paul Jesperson (Virginia), Myke Henry (Illinois), Travis Trice (Michigan State), Adreian Payne (Michigan State), Aaron Craft (Ohio State), Sam Thompson (Ohio State), etc.  The tournament alumni also includes many of the top high school prospects in the country annually.  The tournament will be covered online at NY2LASPORTS.COM as well as our middle school affiliate at GENERATIONNEXTBASKETBALL.COM and our Wisconsin affiliate at 414HOOPS.COM. It will also have video highlights and recaps at NY2LAHOOPS.TV.  For more information including registration forms CLICK HERE

NY2LA SPORTS SPRING EXTRAVAGANZA - #NY2LAEXTRAVAGANZA2K13
The annual travel school exposure tournament returns April 19-21, 2013 to Minneapolis, Minnesota and is once again eligible for certification by the NCAA.  The tournament was certified for Division 1 College Coaches to attend this past year and the tournament saw over 150 schools in attendance during its first year as teams from across the country took part in the 1st year event.  The 2013 installment is once again eligible for certification and will offer up 15u-17u divisions with 1st and 2nd place teams receiving customized individual trophies/medals and t-shirts.  Programs from California, Texas, Nevada, Utah, Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin are already confirmed to attend what is shaping up to be another spectacular event.  The tournament will be covered online at NY2LASPORTS.COM as well as our middle school affiliate at GENERATIONNEXTBASKETBALL.COM and our Wisconsin affiliate at 414HOOPS.COM. It will also have video highlights and recaps at NY2LAHOOPS.TV.  For more information on the 2013 NY2LA Sports Spring Extravaganza including registration forms CLICK HERE

NY2LA SPORTS INVITATIONAL - #NY2LAINVITE2K13
The annual hoops gala returns to the courts once again May 17-19, 2013 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for 9u-17u boys teams.  The tournament is annually one of the premiere tournaments in the country to close the spring travel season and the 2013 campaign promises much of the same as a host of strong programs are already confirmed to be in attendance.  The tournament will once again offer up a 3 game guarantee with 1st and 2nd place teams receiving customized individual trophies/medals and t-shirts along with solid exposure from a number of recruiting services who annually attend this event.  The tournament will be covered online at NY2LASPORTS.COM it will also have video highlights and recaps at NY2LAHOOPS.TV.  For more information on the 2013 NY2LA Sports Invitational including registrations forms CLICK HERE