Boys Basketball Division 1 Preseason Top 10

Wisco is back-to-back state champs, winning the title in Division 2 in 2023-24 and then taking home gold last season in Division 1. Losing a few core guys from that group will be tough, but head coach Ryan Walz has plenty to look forward to with this season’s group led by Northern Iowa commit Zavier Zens. A trio of Knueppel brothers, Kager (2027), Kinston (2028), and Kash (2029) are near the top of their respective classes in the state and have plenty of IQ and playmaking ability. Coach Walz’ son Riley is a junior that will step into a bigger role with the Vikings this season, and is another high IQ ballhandler in the rotation. Last season the Vikings were one of the best teams in sharing the ball and creating offense with off-the-ball movement. That system and pedigree is in place once again and a big reason why Wisco is a favorite to make a run back to the Kohl Center. Coach Walz has non-conference games scheduled against Slinger, Germantown, Nicolet, Brookfield Central, Homestead and a handful of out-of-state competitions that will go far in preparation for March.

When talking about individual talent on a roster, West Allis Central is up there as one of the top teams in the state. Iowa State commit Yusef Gray Jr. is one of the top combo guards in the entire state and leads a group that features next level recruits in Kevin Pittman, Max Jones, Isaiah Fox, as well as a few others. The Bulldogs will move over to the East side of the Woodland conference this year, but will still have Wisconsin Lutheran in its sectional. Head coach David Mlachnik will field a high octane roster that is chalk full of experience and playmakers. He has scheduled Nicolet, Juneau, Brookfield East, Arrowhead, and a handful of stiff out-of-state games to challenge the Bulldogs throughout the season.

The Greater Metro is a tough conference top-to-bottom that will have ranked teams throughout the season in Division 1 and 2. Germantown is one of those teams. Head coach Kyle Fueger will roster one of his best teams yet, led by a strong nucleus of seniors. Cahlil Jones is the go-to scorer on this Warhawks roster as he averaged over 20 points per game a year ago. JJ Walters and Darrius Peete both effect the game on both ends of the floor and are versatile in the lineup. A mixed group of experienced players and newcomers will provide the Warhawks rotation with plenty of size and length, allowing that versatility of matchups on either end of the floor. On top of a Greater Metro conference slate, Germantown has Waterford, Wisconsin Lutheran, and Pewaukee to headline the non-conference slate.

Memorial was in contention for the Big Eight title all last season and returns one of the deeper groups in Division 1 this season. Senior twins and Bradley baseball commits Ezra and Caleb Liggon are equally impressive on the hardwood. The 6-5 twins do everything a coach could ask for at a high level and with a great work ethic. Steven Collins enters year 27 at Madison Memorial and is 8 wins shy of 400 in his illustrious career. Collins is one of the most respected coaches in the state and has a senior-led group back in 2025-26 that will defend at a high level and play fundamental basketball offensively.

Head coach Chris Kellett returns nearly his entire roster from last years’ 18-win squad, including a handful that have been on the varsity roster for 2-3 years previous. Senior Nathan Ramus is heading to Division 2 Northern Michigan while his classmate Grant Hardy will head to Division 2 Winona State. Fellow seniors Will Sweeney and Ben Zdzieblowski have lower level offers while sophomore Matt Rosplochowski was one of the top freshmen in the state last season, averaging 9.8 points at the varsity level. The makeup of the roster makes the Lightning hard to scout as the five starters are all capable of taking over on any given night. North will compete in the always difficult Fox Valley Association, but also have non-cons with Bay Port, Homestead, and Winneconne.

Arrowhead is the favorite in the Classic Eight and have a strong junior class with plenty of depth back for head coach Craig Haase, who will surpass the 450 win mark in year 26. Trey Resch is a hard-nosed guard that can score at all three levels while his junior classmate Blake Basich can score it from deep, but shines in facilitating for his teammates. Theo Toepel is the third from the Class of 2027 that averaged double-digit scoring for the Warhawks as a sophomore. The schedule will do a great job of preparing this Arrowhead squad as non-con tilts with new Berlin West, Franklin, Slinger, Homestead, Wisconsin Lutheran, and West Allis Central provide a gauntlet.

East was in the race for the Greater Metro most of last season and will do so one again in 2025-26. Head coach Joe Rux returns all but two contributors from last season, which accounts for 85% of the scoring. Seniors TJ Platz, Zeke Sawall, Grant Kooyenga, Ronje Horton, Carter Mantei, and Owen Counsell are six seniors who have developed together, battled injury, and have the cohesive maturity that is a head coach’s dream. Going through the Greater Metro league schedule will be challenging, as will non-league games with Neenah, Franklin, Homestead, and West Allis Central.

Despite the fact that Homestead loses three starters, five contributors, and two next level athletes, head coach Sean Crider has a good group back with talent in a number of classes. The junior guard combo of Oliver Belot and Michael Rogers Jr. might be the best  perimeter shooting duo in the state, as the duo combined for 129 triples, each shooting over 40%. The talent in the lower classes will add to the varsity depth this season, as the group will continue to develop under Coach Crider competing in a tough North Shore with non-conc games with Brookfield Central, Fond du Lac, Appleton North, Arrowhead, Wisconsin Lutheran; and that’s just the tip of the out of conference schedule iceberg.

Head coach Lee Rabas is one of the best in the state at preparation, getting the most out of his student-athletes, and having fundamentally sound teams on the floor. It’s his 11th season at the helm with Neenah, and he’ll return a group mixed with experience and promising newcomers. Seniors Nick Schultz, Roan Koeper, and Cal Juckem will provide the leadership that so many of the Rockets teams have excelled at over the years. Coach Rabas’ squads have been the model for “great teams are led by the players”, making Neenah a consistent contender come March. Neenah will have non-con matchups with De Pere, Marshfield, and Brookfield East on top of its FVA conference slate.

Bay Port is still playing football and could very well do so the first week into the season. Success breeds success, and the success on the gridiron could carry over onto the hardwood. On top of that, there’s a lot to be excited about with Nate Rykal’s Pirates. Senior Sawyer Durkee is back to lead a squad that does have to replace four starters. However, a trio of new players that moved into the district give Bay Port a big bump. Brother JJ (6-10 senior) and JT Meyer (6-9 junior) come to the Port from Monroe and senior guard AJ Ivy comes in from Romeoville, Illinois. Bay Port has a lot of size on its roster that could pose as a big matchup problem for its opponents. Non-cons with Appleton North, Fond du Lac, and Kimberly are good measuring stick contests, along with the tough FRCC opponents they’ll play twice a year.

Colton Wilson serves a contributor and member of Bound Wisconsin. Wilson has worked in high school sports for 10 years, covering the state of Wisconsin in various sports. He has had roles in content creation, boys basketball coverage, director of events, and data management. Wilson is a graduate of Richland Center High School where he will currently serves as the Varsity Reserve boys basketball coach, entering his eleventh year coaching at the high school level. Wilson also has officiated basketball and organized youth tournaments for multiple years. You can follow him on Twitter at @ColtonWilson23 or reach him at [email protected].