Recruit Review: April '10

With Mundelein's Ben Brust almost certainly out of the picture, Wisconsin's 2010 class size might be set at three players. That leaves another scholarship to possibly add to the 2011 class, which has two important pieces already starting another summer travel season. Here's how each Badger recruit finished up the high school portion of the year ...

2010

:: Though Duje Dukan could conceivably arrive in Madison as the lowest-rated prospect in Wisconsin's 2010 class, he is undoubtedly the incoming freshman about whom Badger fans are most excited. Dukan averaged 22.9 pts and 9.3 rebs this season to lead Deerfield (Ill.) High School to a share of the Central Suburban League title.

Deerfield's Dukan led the Warriors (25-4) on an remarkable 18-game winning streak that peaked when Dukan scored 19 straight second-half points to beat Riverside-Brookfield on Valentine's Day. The very next game, Glenbrook North basically had to throw the Jordan Rules at Dukan to halt the streak. Fresh off scoring 32 points against Conant, Dukan next capped a furious rally with a game-tying 3-pointer to send the Waukegan game to overtime, but Illinios recruit Jereme Richmond's squad prevailed, 93-87.

There was more. Deerfield's second round state tournament opponent, Libertyville, got "Dukan-ed" when the senior scored the final 12 points of the opening quarter. He finished with 28 of Deerfield's 56 points in an easy win. However, Schaumburg ended Dukan's senior season unexpectedly in the sectional semis despite his 22-point, 12-rebound effort.

In addition to earning Second Team All-State laurels, Dukan was invited to the Nike Hoop Summit on April 10 as a part of the World Select team. Though he struggled in the team's loss [box score], Dukan was honored to participate [practice video]:

"Any time you are mentioned as one of the better players in the world, in your age group, it's just incredible. Being able to represent Croatia is very special. As a whole, being able to compete with the top players in America will help prepare me for the Big Ten."

:: Port Washington's Josh Gasser piled up plenty of honors of his own at the conclusion of his prep career. The 6'4" combo guard just missed his third straight season averaging a double-double, posting career high averages in scoring (23.9) and assists (4.8) to go along with 9.8 rebs and 2.7 stls per game. Following in the footsteps of Ben Averkamp, Kwamain Mitchell and Tim Jarmusz, Gasser was named Wisconsin's 2010 Gatorade Player of the Year for his contributions on and off the court.

The Pirates (19-5) went 6-2 in February to clinch a share of the mighty North Shore Conference crown, as Gasser continued to make a killing from the charity stripe. The team won its final regular season game with Gasser on the sidelines nursing an ankle injury and set out to return to the state tournament. After a bye, Gasser returned to score 33 points as Port advanced to the regional finals, but his state title dream ended with 26-point showing in a tough loss to Whitefish Bay.

:: The jump in Evan Anderson's production never really materialized under the new coaching regime at Eau Claire North, but Anderson did set a personal best in averaging 10 ppg (up from 8 ppg last season). Anderson, who was Honorable Mention All-State, has become a capable passer out of double-teams but needs to work on keeping the ball high and away from smaller guards.

His Huskies began February with a loss before winning eight in a row, including two games to win their WIAA tournament regional as the #5 seed. North (18-7) bowed out to top-seeded Antigo as Anderson was held to two points.

Anderson headlines the recently announced North roster for the WBCA All-Star game to be held June 19 at the UW Fieldhouse, where he will go head-to-head with state champion seven-footer Ben Mills of Arrowhead.

2011

:: February and March were not kind to Bolingbrook. The Raiders started off well, winning two games to extend its streak to four wins in a row. Junior forward Devon Hodges used a big second quarter to power the 'Brook into a tie for the conference lead on Feb. 5, but the team would get no closer to the Southwest Suburban Conference title.

The following game Hodges put together a monster game with 25 pts, 9 rebs and 2 blks. But Bolingbrook was unable to take advantage and was upset by Kankakee. The loss started a season-ending six-game losing streak from that point on culminated in a crushing defeat in the Class 4A regional semifinal. Hodges did lead the team in scoring that game with 10 points, adding a couple rebounds.

Bolingbrook posted a 13-13 record this year. Hodges was named Third Team All-Area by the Chicago Sun-Times and head coach Rob Brust called him "a walking double-double." Hodges will play some AAU tournaments with the Full Package Elite 17U team this summer.

:: After regaining his health at the end of January, George Marshall helped Brooks Prep to six straight blowout wins spanning the city playoffs and the start of the state tournament, including revenge against Carver. But Marshall managed only two free throws as the Eagles (24-8) fell to Crete-Monee to end the high school season.

Once the travel team season began, Marshall started making headlines along with his new teammates on the Mac Irvin Fire. The Fire list Marshall at 6'2" and 190 lbs. but that's probably a result of the standard "program height" boost.

Recruit Review: Jan '10

Since the month of January is officially in the books, what better time to post the first Recruit Review of the season? Wisconsin has a total of five committed players (three signed, two verballed) coming to Madison in the next two classes, and they stack up nicely position-wise.

Two of the seniors look particularly strong and all the players are enjoying some level of team success coming into the home stretch of the high school season.

2010

:: You could put the senior season Duje Dukan has had so far up against any one in Illinois right now. Deerfield (18-1) finished the month of January on a 14-game winning streak, aided by Dukan's 33 points -- 16 in the third quarter -- against Hershey recently. The 6'8" Dukan averaged over 24 points and 10 rebounds for the month.

"We told him before the season, 'You're going to be a marked man in every game,' " Deerfield coach Bret Just said. "But he likes challenges, comes up big. Always. He causes problems for defenses, doesn't he? He can handle the ball, post up, hit three-pointers. We're lucky to have him."

Dukan has come up big in a few crucial games for the Warriors. He pulled down 25 rebounds in Deerfield's sweep of rival Highland Park this season and his 22 points, 11 rebounds and clutch free throws helped beat Central Suburban League powerhouse Glenbrook North, 56-52, on Jan. 14. Needless to say Dukan is the biggest reason Deerfield now sits atop CSLs' North division standings. The senior has thrown his hat into the ring for Illinois' Mr. Basketball as well as proving he can be a serious scorer down the road for Bo Ryan's Badgers.

:: Josh Gasser is averaging nearly 24 ppg this season for Port Washington (12-2), which is clinging to a one-game lead in the North Shore conference after Friday night's two-point setback at Germantown. The loss snapped an 8-game winning streak. Just a week prior, Gasser scored 28 pts in three quarters of play against Grafton, part of a four-game stretch last month when averaged over 30 ppg.

Gasser projects as a combo guard at the next level. He still loves getting to the line and remains one of the state's top free throw shooters. Gasser has posted three 30-point nights this year. He has positioned himself to make a run at Wisconsin's Mr. Basketball award if the Pirates play deep into the state tournament, despite playing in Division 2.

:: The Eau Claire North Huskies (10-5) have struggled through a mediocre start to the new year, dropping four of their last eight games. Evan Anderson is averaging around 10 ppg so far, with his season-high of 19 points coming way back in the first game of the season. The Huskies already trail Eau Claire Memorial by several games in the Big Rivers Conference. Returning to the state tournament will be a tall task.

By now everyone has given up on Anderson dominating high school force. He dropped off the Rivals150 list last fall and you would probably get 1:1 odds for Anderson redshirting next fall at Wisconsin. The big man continues to block shots on defense, but still struggles to produce against the junk defenses thrown at him on offense. Still, he will likely finish with the highest scoring average of his career. New head coach Aric Carpenter has slowly opened up North's offense and his team exploded for a 76-46 win over Rice Lake last week. Anderson scored the game's first eight points.

2011

:: Wisconsin's most recent commitment came from point guard George Marshall, who has been compared to VCU great Eric Maynor. You usually find Marshall scoring in the teens and playing some pressure defense. The junior has missed all but two minutes of his squad's last three Chicago Public League Red-South games with a hip injury. He returned to action with nine points on Saturday to lead his Brooks Prep mates to a 23-point drubbing of Von Steuben.

Facing high preseason expectations, Brooks (18-7) stumbled out of the gates this year and the team struggled with turnovers at times. Two weeks ago, Brooks beat Nicolet in the NY2LAsports.com Extravaganza thanks to the Marshall's own game-winner in the final 20 seconds. After a 12-game January, the Eagles now prepare for the tough CPL playoffs.

:: After transferring from Romeoville to nearby Bolingbrook this season, Devon Hodges sat out a few of his team's early games. He helped push the 'Brook past his former teammates in his second game even though he was not starting yet. Since then, Badger fans should be happy to hear that Hodges has made some steady improvement in his game, not the least of which is some consistency.

Hodges has had good games in defeat (19 pts, 12 rebs vs. Hales) before, but lately has picked up his scoring to help the Raiders snap a 4-game skid. In back-to-back wins against Hillcrest and Joliet, Hodges averaged 18 pts and 10 rebs for Bolingbrook. The wins put the Raiders (11-7, 4-2) back in the Southwest Suburban Conference Blue division race.

Sign of Things to Come?

Eau Claire North opened its 2009-10 season with an 11-point victory over undersized New Richmond. Wisconsin recruit Evan Anderson scored 19 pts and grabbed 6 rebs in the win, the first for the Huskies under new head coach Aric Carpenter.

The program has been notorious for winning in a very deliberate manner under Pat Hammond for the past few decades. Badger fans have been interested to see what effect the coaching change will have on Anderson -- in particular what defense the team runs. I have not heard yet if Carpenter abandoned the trademark zone defense, but hopefully Anderson's good outing is the first of many this year.

Links:
- Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reviewed the increased viewership of the Big Ten Network during football season. Expect this trend to continue through the basketball season too.
- The New York Knicks had pinned 100 points on Phoenix by the end of the third quarter on Tuesday, which meant plenty of 4Q PT (12 mins) for Alando Tucker. And he put the biscuit in the basket to the tune of 12 pts.

On The Stove Top: 6/9

Evan Anderson has been invited to the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp that will take place next week (June 17-21) in Charlottesville, VA.

Anderson is among 11 centers (as designated by Scout.com) from the Class of 2010 to attend and one of five such big men that have verbally committed to a college program. Other schools to already have a premier big man lined up include Ohio State, Baylor, Villanova and Illinois.

This is the same camp that Evan Turner attended a few years ago that he says helped tip him in favor of the Buckeyes over the Badgers, since he played alongside three other incoming OSU recruits during the event. Of course now Turner is one of a select few players who will try out to make Bo Ryan's Team USA squad this summer. The junior-to-be was extremely complimentary of Bo in that same interview.

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Speaking of the Buckeyes, Thad Matta nabbed yet another top 100 recruit for his outstanding 2010 class in point guard Aaron Craft, who will assume Cam Wright's vacated scholarship. While this would appear on the surface to squeeze out a fellow like J.D. Weatherspoon, the Buckeye faithful fully expect to have their lost APR scholarships reinstated in time to add another player in the class with the prospect of Turner going pro after next year nearly a foregone conclusion.

But with Craft landing in Columbus, perhaps some other point guards in the Midwest could be looking elsewhere, opening the door for Wisconsin to fill it's remaining 2010 opening. Chicago's Lavonte Dority, for example, was a possible Ohio State target and has been mentioned with in the same breath with Wisconsin, though it's unclear how interested the staff is at this time.

Recruit Review: Feb '09

Today is the last day of February, which means the high school basketball regular season is over in Wisconsin. State tournament seeding is set in Wisconsin and Illinois and soon to follow in Minnesota.

A lot has happened in the last six weeks, so catching up on the action for all the Badger recruits is a daunting task. I did a bit of research and humbly offer some quick recaps below.

2009

:: Though senior Diamond Taylor scored only eight points back on Jan. 17 when Bolingbrook (IL) lost to St. Ignatius and another potential Badger recruit Nnanna Egwu, 66-63, he bounced back with 19 points in an overtime loss to Homewood-Flossmoor. Since then, the Raiders have not lost, starting their streak by blowing out Andrew, 84-50. Yet Taylor has struggled somewhat in that time. After fighting off an illness earlier this month, Taylor's missed front end of a bonus free throw situation nearly cost his team a victory in one game.

More recently, the 6'3" guard scored a game-high 14 points and 11 points, respectively, as Bolingbrook clinched the SouthWest Suburban Blue Conference title last weekend. A #3 seed in the Oswego (East) Sectional was the team's reward. Bolingbrook (18-6, 7-1) beat Stagg by 24 on Saturday, when Taylor chipped in nine points.

:: Henry Sibley (MN) forward Mike Bruesewitz is chugging along since his team dropped two games to a pair of elite Midwestern squads (Hopkins and Memorial). Bruiser hit the game-winner for his mates versus Kaukauna in the 2009 Wisconsin vs. Minnesota Border Battle. He averaged over 18 ppg for the month of January. The Warriors have rarely been challenged at all in conference and they recently clinched their second-straight league crown. Behind Bruiser's 19 points, they destroyed Hill-Murray to start February and Bruesewitz was soon named to the final 15 for Minnesota's Mr. Basketball.

Opposing coaches appear to be throwing junk defenses at Sibley to prevent Bruiser and his front line teammates from getting revved up. This trend has limited Bruesewitz's scoring. He averaged nine ppg in a recent three-game stretch, but bounced back with 16 points in Sibley's win on Tuesday to end a nice stretch of home games (7 of 8). The Warriors (22-2, 14-0) dominated South St. Paul, 77-27, and have two remaining road games before tournament play begins in Minnesota, where Hopkins is the heavy favorite in Sibley's division.

2010

:: The sight of Vander Blue attending Marquette games and rumors of him wavering in his verbal commitment to the Badgers seem like distant memories now. Though Blue had a relatively quiet night, Madison Memorial (19-1, 17-1) wrapped up another Big Eight Conference title by beating Madison East, 56-45, Thursday night in the biggest city basketball game in years.



After slipping against East back in January, the Spartans reeled off nine straight wins -- only one of which was by less than 20 points. A month ago Blue exploded in the second half against Verona to lead the team with 22 points in 57-34 win. That has been the lucky number for Blue, as he scored 22 points against crosstown rival LaFollette and another 22 when Memorial pinned 98 points on Madison West. The Spartans then came from behind to beat Beloit, 66-58, with Blue scoring 13 points. He followed that up with another 21-point performance the next game out. Blue's season-long streak of double-digit scoring games came to an end last Tuesday when the bench was emptied early in a rout over Janesville Parker. Memorial is currently ranked #20 and #24 by a few national polls and earned the top seed in its sectional.

:: Big man Evan Anderson returned from injury to Eau Claire North's lineup with a bang against Rice Lake the last week of January. Anderson scored 14 points -- including two important free throws -- in nearly 30 minutes of the 55-48 win. The Huskies next blasted New Richmond, though Anderson made little more than a whimper (2 pts). Anderson was then limited to three field goal attempts as North was officially unseated as conference champs by Hudson. So it's no surprise that as a #5 seed, North's road to State would have to go through top-seeded Hudson squad in a regional final.

Opposing defenses tend to collapse on North's huge front line, which seems to have been effective. The best case scenario for Anderson in a Wisconsin uniform is looking more and more like a Stiemsma-like impact. Not bad in the end, but also a few years of not much as his college game develops. The Huskies (13-7, 9-4) have won three games in a row, starting with wins last Thursday and on Monday, to run their record to 5-2 since Anderson's return. Last night, North defeated River Falls as Anderson scored 11 in the second half.

2011

:: From the tone of the article, it sounds like Devon Hodges fouled out of a game earlier this year that featured a preposterous 87 free throw attempts. Romeoville made 22 of 37, while surrendering 37 points from the stripe to Plainfield North. Like Taylor, Hodges also missed a game recently when he sat out with the flu. However, the lanky sophomore was a terror on defense while leading the Spartans with 17 points in a 76-74 overtime loss to Plainfield South.

It's unclear whether Hodges was one of the Spartans who missed last Tuesday's game for missing a practice. More likely, Hodges just had an off night and was not mentioned in the article. Either way, Hodges was back in time to grab 12 rebounds in Romeoville's latest set back to Plainfield Central. Romeoville (11-14, 7-7) grabbed a #12 seed in the middle of the Frankfort (Lincoln-Way North) Sectional for the upcoming state tournament before its seniors carried the team to victory in the regular season finale versus Minooka.

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Links:
- The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel just did a nice story on the progress of Wisconsin's two 2009 recruits.
- For the second time ever, not a single McDonald's High School All-American is headed to a Big Ten school this fall. The last time the Big Ten got shut out was 2005.

Recruit Review: 1/12/09

Now seemed like as good of a time as any to recap the weekend for those soon-to-be Wisconsin Badgers still playing at the high school level. Hopefully this can become a regular addition to the site, much like the Recruiting Roundup over at UMHoops.

For more details on each recruit, seek out the Prospect Profile pages in the recruiting sidebar. The collection of news, videos, stats and pictures opens up once a player has verbally committed to Wisconsin. Four such players donned their school colors this weekend, with mostly positive results ...

2009

:: Diamond Taylor led Bolingbrook to a 68-40 win against a depleted Romeoville squad in the second head-to-head meeting between future Badgers this season. The Raiders (10-4) were not impressive during a four-game losing streak earlier in the year, but it is good see Taylor leading the team back. The senior guard scored 19 points and was instrumental in a 10-0 first quarter run that gave Bolingbrook control. The most recent Wisconsin recruit, sophomore Devon Hodges, paced Romeoville with 10 points.

:: The recent Twin Cities battle in which Hopkins topped Henry Sibley, 77-65, has already been documented here. Standout forward Mike Bruesewitz did not have his best game, but got to the line and was his usual self on the boards (10 rebs). Bruesewitz continues to show off his versatility against the toughest competition. With Sibley's guards unable to handle the pressure imposed by Hopkins, Bruesewitz took over some of the point guard duties in the second half for the Warriors. The previous week, Bruesewitz had 20 pts, 11 rebs and 5 assts in a tough loss to Madison Memorial before posting 20 & 12 in a win over Tartan. Sibley (8-2) will try to bounce back Tuesday night against North St. Paul.

2010

:: Madison Memorial traveled out of state yet again this past weekend. The Spartans (9-0) took care of business, too. Jeronne Maymon's monster game led Memorial past the Lafayette (Mo.) Lancers, 65-62, in a St. Louis-area invitational on Saturday. Lafayette features senior forward Tyler Griffey, a well-regarded Illinois recruit, and just recently dropped out the area's top ten rankings. Memorial junior Vander Blue aided the winning effort with two more 3-pointers en route to 17 points. Blue's outside shooting ability was one question mark about his game coming into the season, but he is systematically removing that criticism with each passing week, hitting multiple treys in six of nine games so far. A well-rounded Blue will be much more valuable on the perimeter for Bo Ryan's offense once he hits campus in the 2010.

:: Eau Claire North took its first loss in the Big Rivers Conference last Thursday, 47-44, as it continues to wait for center Evan Anderson to return from his ankle injury. The 6'11" Anderson is expected to return at the end of the month, but will probably be eased back into the lineup.

2011

:: See above. I hope to have an interview with Devon Hodges on Hoops Marinara in the near future. Stay tuned.

Anderson and Adidas Nations

Since noting that Evan Anderson was invited to the adidas Nations Experience as a member of the 2010 team, I had not heard anything that confirmed he made the trip until now.

DraftExpress posted its first evaluation of Anderson after following the adidas event extensively. The author, Jonathan Givony, did not have anything unusual to say, but at least understood the "intrigue" regarding Eau Claire's big man. The article praises Anderson's frame and defensive instincts but labeled him a project worth monitoring at this point. Keep in mind that DraftExpress evaluates prospects based on their pro (draft) potential.

One thing the article touched on that I also noticed this summer -- looking at any AAU box scores I could get my hands on -- was the volume of free throw attempts Anderson generates. At this point, Anderson seems to get the majority of his points from the line and apparently he could have shot a little better on freebies during the competition.

Anderson and his Class of 2010 mates actually chewed up the competition, beating their older brethren from the Class of 2009. Ohio State-bound Jared Sullinger again proved to be the real deal at the 4-spot.

As long as we're talking recruiting once again, Rivals just released an updated Top 150 for 2009 prospects. The Big Ten checks in third on the list, with 15 commitments, behind the ACC and Big East. It's too early to tell, but maybe the region is beginning to see a small renaissance of talent. Among member states, Illinois leads the way with eight players on the list.

Individually, Wisconsin's two verbals sit outside the top 100. Diamond Taylor, continued his "slide" from #67 overall (4 stars) last year to #118 (3 stars) currently. I will be interested to see how playing his senior season for his father at a new high school will affect his perceived value. Meanwhile, Mike Bruesewitz maintained his relative position, though Rivals reclassified him as a power forward this time.

On the Stove Top: 5/29

Prospect Profile pages have been added to Hoops Marinara for several Wisconsin recruits. The goal is to track some of the links, press and stats of those future Badgers who have verballed, but have not yet signed a LOI. For instance, the first two pages up are for the Class of 2009: Mike Bruesewitz and Diamond Taylor. Class of 2010 is on its way shortly. Reader comments are encouraged and the posts will be constantly revised to hold the most up-to-date material.

NBA trade talk heats up as draft approaches
The Michael Redd trade rumors are swirling. I have been saying for a year and a half that it would be in Milwaukee's best interests to get some value for Redd in a trade and it looks like now might be the time.

With Milwaukee GM John Hammond clearly open to any possibilities that will improve the Bucks and the Cavaliers still in dire need of a move to capitalize on LeBron James while he's around, Cleveland fans are clamoring for Redd, just as they did three years ago. The Bob Boozer Jinx blog at the Sports Bubbler is all over the Bucks fans' perspectives.

Now that Scott Skiles is at the helm, you can almost see the end of the road appearing on the horizon for one of the great pure shooters of the decade. I don't think the new coach/GM will tolerate Redd's inability to either make those around him better or play consistent defense. He is a great scorer and a reliable free throw shooter, but had a surprising knack for ill-advised shot attempts. Maybe Redd will throw some Joni Mitchell in our face when he does leave, but Milwaukee is going nowhere with Redd on the roster and that's the bottom line.

The Bratwurst speculated on recent comments by Charlie Villanueva indicating he might be the one moved this off-season. Brett Boyer discusses a wide range of trade options, some far more likely than others. In any event, the Bucks could easily decide to move it's upcoming first-round draft pick (#8) or swap with a trading partner. Since Brook Lopez' stock is plummeting, Boyer and others now see Russell Westbrook as a logical #8 pick due to his athleticism and defensive potential. But Boyer has advocated Alabama' junior Richard Hendrix as a big-time sleeper in this year's crop, someone the Bucks could target if they moved down in the June 26 draft.

The 6'8" Hendrix, who has not hired an agent, can rebound, block shots and shot a high percentage last season. He was one of several players who has impressed onlookers already at the Orlando pre-draft camp. No mention of Brian Butch, which could be a positive or a negative depending on your personal bias. It surprised a few people that Butch was invited to the camp, but the Polar Bear has at least continued to rebound.

Thoughts on the Maymon press conference
After all that has been said during the recruitment of Jeronne Maymon, it was refreshing to be able to watch video of him making his announcement and draw my own conclusions. A few things stood out:

- EDITED: Apparently my hearing was pretty bad last week. I listened to the audio several times before I posted and still couldn't figure out whether Maymon said he had been text messaging Wesley Matthews and Bob Gibbons for info on Buzz Williams. When I listened again, he was pretty clearly just talking about Matthews (see comments), which is a relief. In true NCAA fashion, I have applied a self-imposed slap on the wrist as punishment for my error.

- "If I stay my whole four years ..." Ugh. That's the antithesis of a Bo Ryan mantra in a nutshell. The posse, the family, the person--something--has made Maymon a big believer in himself. Thinking positively, that attitude probably has helped his game develop, knowing he the people around him have faith in his ability. But you certainly get the idea that he and his father feel spurned by Wisconsin and cannot wait to play against the Badgers.

- I honestly got the impression that Maymon put a lot of thought into this decision, but still really had no idea what to do. Maybe even as late as the morning of the announcement. Since this is a 17-year-old kid we are talking about, I am a big believer in Freudian-slip type statements and how Maymon spoke of text messaging Vander Blue was telling.

That uncertainty probably grips a lot of youngsters, so setting an arbitrary deadline might keep them from wasting more time agonizing over the decision that in many cases is win-win. Marquette expressed desperate interest and offered a location close to home and that was enough.

- The dad is ridiculous and holding up that "Jeronne + Marquette" sign was hilarious. Jeronne knows it too.

Elsewhere:
- Speaking of Bob Gibbons, his All Star Report website reports that Evan Anderson was named to the 16-U All-Tournament team at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions this past weekend. They agree with me that Anderson could be a combination of some very recent UW big men:

"... Anderson (Eau Claire North, Eau Claire, Wis.) has a bit of Brian Butch’s skill set mixed in with Greg Stiemsma’s raw physicality. The end result could be the best big man to come out of Wisconsin in quite some time. Anderson did a great job finishing strong around the basket, controlling the glass, and knocking his opponents around defensively."

Evan Anderson's Decision Wraps Up 2010 Class

With Vander Blue committing to play for Wisconsin earlier in the week, Evan Anderson snapped up the last tentative scholarship for 2010 by verballing in favor of the Badgers late Saturday night.

Only a sophomore, Anderson was already one of the most sought after high school players from Wisconsin in years, rivaled only by Brian Butch and 2009 prospect Jamil Wilson in terms of national interest. Anderson reportedly chose Wisconsin over programs like Kansas, Kentucky and Boston College. An impressive score for Bo Ryan ...

The Badgers have had the luxury over the past four years of being one of the larger teams in the nation, with numerous players like Butch, Greg Stiemsma, Jason Chappell, Jon Leuer and J.P. Gavinski all standing 6'10" or taller. Because several of those players (add Dave Mader to the list) were not real threats offensively, people don't realize how fortunate UW has been just having those options out on the floor. By adding Anderson to 2008 signees Jared Berggren and Ian Markolf, Wisconsin ensures that this facet of its roster remains strong.

Anderson can be a defensive presence in the middle, a la Stiemsma, and develop his go-to post moves in the next two years. He will never be a Polar Bear-level outside shooter and he knows he needs to work on his perimeter game. Think of Anderson as a combination of several recent Badgers: the shot-blocking ability of Stiemsma, knowledge of some moves on the block (Gavinski) with athleticism closer to Chappell. That's pretty decent for a player not yet a junior in high school.

Amazingly, with the recruiting classes pretty much set for the following three seasons, Wisconsin has a glimpse of what a Badger starting lineup could look like four years down the road. Both Anderson and Blue fill big areas of need in their class and figure to be prominent pieces for UW as early as 2011.

Potential starting lineup, 2011:
PG - Jordan Taylor, Vander Blue
SG - Diamond Taylor, Wilson, Blue
SF - Robert Wilson/Ryan Evans
PF - Mike Bruesewitz, Berggren, Evans
C - Jared Berggren, Evan Anderson, Ian Markolf

Prospect Profile: Evan Anderson

Evan Anderson, C
6'11" :: 250 lbs.
Class of 2010
Eau Claire (WI) North HS
AAU: Wisconsin Playground Warriors

::: CONTENT UPDATED JUNE 23 :::
Rankings
Scout: 4 Stars * * * * (#16 C)
Previous: 5 Stars (#2 C > #3/#13 overall > #6/#17) > 4 Stars (#8 C/#45 overall > #10/#70 > #13 > #14/#90 overall)
Rivals: 3 Stars * * *
Previous: 5 Stars (#5 overall > #2 C/#21 overall) > 4 Stars (#3 C/#37 overall > #11/#96) > 3 Stars (#149 overall)
ESPN/Scouts, Inc. grade: 93 (#8 C/#100 overall)
Previous: 90 (#2 C/#14 overall) > 86 (#3/#24) > 97 (#5 C > #4/#29 overall) > 93 (#6/#84)

Honors
2010 Honorable Mention All-State (Div. 1, WBCA)
2010 First Team All-Big Rivers Conference
2008 Second Team All-Big Rivers Conference

Recent Press
6/19: Middleton's Everson delivers South a win at the line - WiSJ
7/3: Recruit continues summer offensive - JSOnline
6/30: Evan Anderson: Future Badger Big Man - Box of Mess
12/14: Anderson out 4-6 weeks with ankle sprain - Eau Claire Leader-Telegram
11/26: 2010 recruit Anderson still growing as a player - WiSJ
8/20: Adidas Nations Experience: 2010/11 High School Prospects - DraftExpress

The Verbal
Eau Claire North's Anderson gives verbal commitment to play for Wisconsin - Wishoops.net (5/3/08)
Anderson commits to UW: 'I knew what I wanted' - Cap Times (5/4/08)
UW lands big catch - JSOnline (5/4/08)

The Hype
Real Deal 2010 standouts - Rivals.com (4/28/08)
Marquette, Wisconsin make cut for Eau Claire North's Anderson - Wishoops.net (9/13/07)
The next big thing - JSOnline (4/15/06)
AAU Player Profile - WI Playground Warriors (2006)

Video
Highlights: SportScene 13* (1/22/10) - WEAU *FF to 2:55 mark
Game: Wausau West 50, Eau Claire North 38 (12/30/09) - Wishoops.net
Interview: 1 on 1 with Evan Anderson (8/09) - Full Court Preps
Interview: Evan Anderson Interview (8/7/09) - Wishoops.net
Interview: Anderson on the road to recovery (12/15/08) - WEAU
Highlights: Evan Anderson Highlights 1 (5/20/08) - Rivals
Interview: One-On-One with Evan Anderson (5/11/08) - WEAU
Interview: Eau Claire North HS project (2007-08) - YouTube (ed: goofy)

Stats
Senior: 2009-10 (North) - Wishoops.net
Junior: 2008-09 (North) - Wishoops.net
AAU: Mr. Basketball Invitational (July 3-6, 2008) - WI Playground Warriors
AAU: Reebok Summer Championships (July 22-26 , 2008) - WI Playground Warriors

Additional Info
2009-10 Schedule :: Leader-Telegram :: WEAU Prep Sports

Photos

Evan Anderson Working To Solidify His Status

These days, the "summer" basketball circuit heats up right after the high school season is over. Since Wisconsin has tied most of its scholarships up already, most of the coaching staff's interest in AAU tournaments will move to the younger players, with no secret that Eau Claire North's Evan Anderson is a top priority.

It's already been a week since Real Deal on the Hill tournament concluded at the University of Arkansas, but recruiting websites are still pulling out the names of various prep hoopsters to tout. Anderson got some love from Rivals.com, who proclaimed that he "cemented himself as an elite level player" in the Class of 2010. If you've seen Anderson play, there's nothing surprising here--Anderson can block shots and finish at the rack. It is exciting to hear that he continues to do so against the best competition in the country. His list of suitors is a "Who's Who" of collegiate elite.

Badger fans should be happy that UW is the clubhouse leader to sign Anderson, if for no other reason than to erase memories of Brian Butch struggling with bunnies.

Wisconsin has apparently been keeping tabs on another 2010 prospect, this one in Ohio State's own backyard. J.D. Weatherspoon is a very athletic forward out of Columbus, OH, who is starting to show some versatility.

Here is what Rivals had to say about Weatherspoon after the King James Shooting Stars Classic event:

"Anchoring the other side of the blocks was bouncy 6-foot-7 forward J.D. Weatherspoon. He was one of the more intriguing players in the 16 and under division. Known primarily as a pure athlete in local circles, Weatherspoon showed more than just being a play above the rim guy. He hit three three-pointers as a pop out post man. He's super intriguing and it's easy to see why West Virginia, Miami, Akron (offer), James Madison (offer), Wisconsin and Xavier are involved early."

The same author also reported that Weatherspoon fought off foul trouble to score 11 points as his AAU team won the 16U division title at the tourney. Speaking of Ohio, the article also made it clear that Rob Wilson's teammate, Carl "Tay" Jones, is finally starting to blow up nationally after leading Garfield Heights in scoring this season. In attempting to dig up info on Wilson this past season, Jones' name was always present in the headlines. Apparently Michigan is one program showing increased interest.

Last week, the same source was on top of Jeronne Maymon and Mike Bruesewitz as tournament "surprises." I have only heard good things about Maymon so far this spring, who now plays with the Madison Gators AAU team rather than the Madison Spartans club that Vander Blue plays for. It's only a matter of time before more offers come rolling in for Maymon ... probably just as soon as the magic ACT/SAT/GPA numbers get high enough.

And then on the other hand, there are also examples of why all these recruiting reports cannot be trusted. Another Rivals article mentions Chicago point guard Darius Smith and says he has heard from Wisconsin, among others. Since I have been following recruiting much more regularly with the launch of Hoops Marinara, my estimated guess is that Smith heard from Wisconsin over a year ago. I've kept an eye out for Smith's name since then and he hasn't been connected to the Badgers since then.

Hey, if continuing to name-drop Wisconsin helps the kid land a solid gig, I am all for it. In fact, I almost get a warm, fuzzy, proud-parent feeling that UW's program has reached that status. As if my loyal cheers have had anything to do with it ...

WIAA - Thursday Session Updates

Live stats :: Streaming audio (ESPN 1070)

11:59 p.m. - Just a quick note on Evan Anderson from tonight: As we know, he is not dominant in any way; he's just too young and too raw still. I would not go as far as saying that he impressed me, but he made an impact defensively with several blocks and was able to be a go-to guy on some possessions for Eau Claire North. At nearly seven-feet-tall, Anderson does not have much trouble getting a shot off at this level. The Huskies, however, got zero points from their bench and fell to a superior Wauwatosa East team, 50-38.

The Red Raiders, who count Devin Harris and Jerry Smith as alumni, will play Brookfield Central (as expected) in tomorrow's late game.

5:45 p.m. - Ridiculous finish to the second D1 quarterfinal. I couldn't resist and listened to the entire second half, with the accompanying live stats, which were actually running about 10-15 seconds ahead of the audio.

As I suspected, 3-point shooting was the key. Nick Doedens in particular kept Germantown in the game, going 6-of-10 on treys to keep the Warhawks in the game. Bowers then hit the game-tying 3-pointer with two seconds left in regulation. Overtime began tied 58-58.

In the end, however, Germantown also died by the three. It was a vicious cycle, as the Warhawks settled for threes, only to see Oshkosh West's big boys snatch all the rebounds. Shoddy free throw shooting by the Wildcats kept this close, as Averkamp's 3-pointer rimmed out on the final play. Germantown's big man had a quiet game down the stretch, neutralized by Benkoske and Anderson. Oshkosh West advanced again with the 66-63 win.

West's zone could pose a problem for Memorial in the semifinals. A lot of its offense is predicated on penetration and with two 6'8" players waiting for the Spartans in the lane, nothing will come easy out of an offensive set, even for Maymon. It will be an interesting clash in style; braun versus full-court pressure.

The next game (Bay Port vs. Brookfield Central) does not thrill me, so it's time for a dinner break. Make sure you catch tonight's game, though, to get a glimpse of Eau Claire North's 6'11" sophomore, Wisconsin Badger recruit Evan Anderson. I'm admittedly excited for that because I have not seen him play live yet. The Huskies run up against a darn good team in Wauwatosa East -- a team definitely capable of winning it all.

4:30 p.m. - Germantown--my darkhouse pick of the D1 tournament--is now trailing two-time defending champion Oshkosh West 41-37 after a flurry of action at the end of the third quarter. By the way, have you noticed how everyone on ESPN is now referring to halftime as "recess" these days. I feel like I missed a memo or something ...

Regardless, this game features some serious height. The Warhawks feature 6'7" junior Ben Averkamp, but West counters with 6'8" twin towers: senior John Benkoske and sophomore David Anderson. All three of the talented young big men are attracting significant collegiate interest. Averkamp has an impressive 118 blocks on the year entering the contest and the radio guys cannot stress that enough apparently. He's blocked a few so far, but foul trouble has again limited the star players in this game. Guard Ricky Bowers and the outside shooters from Germantown could be the difference because you know the Wildcats will want to pack it in defensively with their 2-3 zone.

Speaking of blocked shots, Maymon totaled a D1 tounrey record eight blocked shots in Memorial's 79-63 win earlier today. The junior's stat line was sickening -- including 28 pts, 12 rebs, 5 stls & 4 assts. I hope Maymon can get his academics in order at a junior college and find his way into a D1 college program. I would hate to see all that talent go to waste.

2:07 p.m. - The morning session concluded a few minutes past noon at the Kohl Center, with the Division 3 semifinals kicking things off. Fouls down the stretch against Eau Claire Regis allowed Iola-Scandinavia to complete a great comeback in the first game.

We already have an "upset" of the day, as LaCrosse Aquinas started and finished strong to beat D3 favorite Whitefish Bay Dominican. Both Jerel Harris and Kwamain Mitchell [listen] fouled out for the Knights, squashing any hopes of a comeback. Rising star Jimmy Whitehead led the Blugolds with 17 points.

Madison Memorial ran out to a nice lead in the first Division 1 quarterfinal to start the afternoon session. Just a few minutes ago, Jeronne Maymon picked up two quick fouls and went to the Memorial bench with the team leading 28-16, giving Lake Geneva Badger some life. The Spartans were playing an inverted triangle-and-two defense during this period, in which the Badgers closed the gap to 34-29 at the half.

Since I cannot really follow along on radio consistently right now, I am also checking the March Blogness posts off the Wishoops.net's state tournament coverage page.

2008 WIAA Boys Basketball Tournament

My exposure to high school basketball in Wisconsin has been minimal this year, but that does not make tourney time any less exciting. Finally, it's that time of the year when you can cheer on your alma mater or just support your local teams. We get to marvel at the most talented players in the state and in some cases, future collegiate stars.

The WIAA boys basketball tournament kicks off around the state once again on Tuesday, Feb. 19 with first-round regional action. The Division 1 bracket features some familiar names back in positions of power, like Madison Memorial, Verona, Kaukauna, Sheboygan North, Brookfield Central, Wauwatosa East, Milwaukee Vincent and undefeated (20-0) and top-ranked Milwaukee Washington.

Over the last five years in Division 1, an average of five #1 seeds advanced to the 8-team state tournament at the Kohl Center each season. In fact, 37 of the last 40 participants at State have been at least a 3-seed. There are exceptions, however, as evidenced by the 2007 results which saw both a 4-seed (Milwaukee King) and an 8-seed (Kimberly) crash the party. The seedings also were changed last year to award only nine #1 seeds rather than two in each sectional. (Sectional 1 has had two #1 seeds the past two seasons for some reason.).

History tells us at least two of these top seeds will not make it to State: Eau Claire North/Wausau West (Sec. 1), Bay Port, Madison Memorial, Sheboygan North, Germantown, Verona, Racine Horlick, Milwaukee Washington. An experienced Wausau East team could knock off the co-top seeds in Sectional 1 and Vincent looms as the 2-seed in Germantown's sectional. Defending champion Oshkosh West is seeded fourth in Sectional 4 (featuring Sheboygan North) and the always tough Milwaukee King is also a 4-seed in Washington's sectional.

Locally, undefeated Waunakee (20-0) seems like an unlikely underdog. But the Warriors are only four years removed from Division 2 and find themselves stuck in the same sectional as Madison LaFollette (#2) and Memorial.

However, I've always had a soft spot for Janesville Craig and I will be rooting for them to reach a face-off with top-seeded Verona in Sectional 6. Coach Bob Suter has a nice collection of long, inside-out players on the team -- one of the few teams I have been able to watch this year -- and you know Craig will be well-prepared. Verona has a great program but lacks the marquee firepower of recent Wildcat teams (edit: 6'4" junior Jason Ziemer actually led the county in scoring at over 21 ppg). I see the Cougars taking out the Wildcats to end Verona's last season in the Badger South Conference.

The state tournament also provides some great memories of individual players. I can recall Alex Compton draining threes for Madison West's 1992 champions ... burgeoning thug Sam Okey destroying everyone in Division 4 en route to back-to-back titles with Cassville ... Kyle Weaver strapping his Beloit teammates on his back in 2004 before running out of gas against a Memorial team that featured three current or future Mr. Basketball winners (Michael Nelson, Welsey Matthews and Keaton Nankivil) ...

Since Wisconsin's 2008 recruiting class does not include any homegrown talent, Badger fans will have to hope for a few upsets to see some of the top college-bound seniors play at the Kohl Center. Milwaukee Pius XI, featuring Michigan State signee Korie Lucious, is a 6-seed in the Milwaukee-loaded Sectional 8. Lucious fired a 30-foot strike at the buzzer to beat Catholic Memorial a week ago to give the (14-6, 12-2) Popes a share of the Classic Eight Conference title. Whitefish Bay Dominican's Kwamain Mitchell hopes to lead his squad to another Division 3 championship before heading off to St. Louis University. In Division 2, seventh-seeded McFarland will go only as far as UW-Milwaukee recruit Riley Walker, a 6'6" forward, can take the Spartans in the Sun Prairie Sectional.

While it might be your last chance to catch those players on the high school level, even bigger names litter the rosters of some more talented teams. This group of younger players has the chance to grab the spotlight right away. Junior All-Everything Jamil Wilson led Racine Horlick to a top seed this year, so failing to make State would be a disappointment. If the Rebels can get past Brookfield Central, Wilson and Co. should be on a collision course for the Washington Purgolders in the semifinals.

Many other have "Madison or Bust" expectations. Big man Evan Anderson transferred to Eau Claire North for the better competition and now has to prove his team's top seed in Sectional 1 is no fluke. Jeronne Maymon and Vander Blue earned another #1 seed for Madison Memorial (Sec. 3), while Germantown's Ben Averkamp helped the Warhawks notch a top seed after last season's #2 seed. Superstar sophomore Flavien Davis has fourth-ranked Wisconsin Lutheran positioned for a run as a 1-seed in D-2.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee Bay View will struggle to get out of the first round as a 12-seed despite an impressive roster led by Marquette target Johnnie Lacy. Explosions from Nate Zastrow, Luke Russell and Marquis Mason are the only hope Manitowoc Lincoln (#7), Menomonee Falls (#6) or Madison East (#11) has in picking up more than one or two wins.

2008 Boys Brackets [pdf]:
Division 1 : : : Division 2 : : : Division 3 : : : Division 4

If you are interested, there is a lot of historical tournament data available at the WIAA's website as well. Also, the esteemed Mark Miller will be making predictions on every game in every division on Wishoops.net.