Boys Basketball Division 3 Preseason Top 10

Racine Lutheran was one game shy of the state tournament last year and returns a group that, simply put, is scary. Sam Pitrof is one of the better athletes in the entire state and has improved his skillset year after year, molding into one of the top players in the Class of 2026. Six more players return for head coach Justin Hullum that averaged four or more points per game, including second team all-league selection Bryce Austin. The Crusaders have plenty of length, ball handling, and put non-stop pressure on opposing teams with a full court defense and a downhill attack on offense. The Metro Classic will do a great job of challenging the Crusaders all season as will non-conference matchups with Franklin, Racine Case, Wauwatosa West, and others.

Racine County is full of state contenders and St. Cats is right there at the top of the list with Lutheran. These two teams are loaded with talent, are well-coached, and have an otherworldly senior guard leading their team. LaMont Hamilton Jr. recently committed to Minnesota for football but is one of the top returning players in the state in hoops. He’s one of the top guards, arguably the top point guard. AC Ward, Eddie Vinson, and Antoine Ozier are a trio of returning seniors that have plenty of experience on the hardwood while junior Jayden Phillips has taken great strides in becoming another serious threat for the head coach Ryan Thompson. The Metro Classic battles will prepare the Angels for postseason play, but Coach Thompson has also scheduled Milwaukee Academy of Science among others to make for an overall difficult schedule.

In many seasons, Oostburg would be the preseason favorite with the talent that is back for head coach Kevin Bruggink. Cade Dirkse is a two-time conference Player of the Year and a Division 2 Hillsdale commit while his senior classmate JJ Zavatchin will head to Bethel University next year. Both have a chance at surpassing the 2,000 point mark in their careers this season and bonafide game changers on the offensive side of the ball. Westin Zavatchin averaged over seven points a game as a freshman and will be a third high level scorer. The experience for this Flying Dutchmen squad will be key, especially with one of the returning starters missing the year due to injury. Beaver Dam, Lomira, and Plymouth headline Oostburg’s non-conference slate.

The Irish were Division 3 state runner-ups a year ago and return one of the best players in the state in 6-9 junior Donovan Davis. With multiple Division 1 offers, Davis isn’t just a playmaker, he’s a game wrecker on both sides of the ball. Two other starters return for head coach Andrew Gibbons, Kaden Vandenberg and Owen Henkel. The depth overall will be a positive for Freedom despite losing a few contributors to graduation. With depth and a star player, Freedom will be the favorite to get to state out of sectional and get to the Kohl Center. The non-conference schedule is no joke for the Irish with tilts against Lake Mills, Brookfield Central, and Slinger, to name just a few.

Seymour won 19 games a season ago and returns nearly the entire roster from that squad, including five players that averaged over nine points per game. Kyler Marks is a 1,000 point scorer and the leader for the Thunder. Senior Xavier Salzman and Isaac Feske are experienced players for head coach Bobby Kuchta while Jordan Krause, Teage Cornell, and Greg Salzman are a trio of sophomores that were major contributors at the varsity level as freshmen. Seymour will be balanced and hard to defend as they’ll have five players who can score the ball on the court at once. That versatility paired with a tough defensive mindset, makes Seymour one of the top picks in Division 3.

The Blugolds move into Division 3 due to the tournament performance factor after they captured a state title in Division 4 last March. Head coach Brad Reinhart lost three starters to graduation, but has plenty of talent back led by senior Logan Becker, a steadying and experienced guard that contributes to wins in a handful of ways. Junior Calvin Bahr is a strong wing that does a bit of everything while senior Finley Strom is poised for a breakout season in La Crosse. Competing against Division 1 and 2 schools in the Mississippi Valley Conference has always battled tested Aquinas for the drop down come playoff time, and that will be no different this season. Coach Reinhart has built a winning culture with Aquinas and challenges his teams in non-conference action each season. This year the Blugolds have Little Chute, Regis, McFarland, and a few Minnesota schools that will prove stiff competition.

The Indians won 18 games a year ago and return a senior heavy group with experience up and down the roster. Junior Brayden Reinke and senior Treve Stoffel are game changing forwards that do everything on the court to effect the game in a positive way while possessing relatively high IQs. Head coach Matt Lindsey will field a group that has leadership and connectivity on the court. Senior Carson Balgord and Sebastian Anderson both were all-league selections, further establishing the depth in the Indian rotation behind the top two scorers. Coach Lindsey is doing his due diligence preparing for a playoff run with non-con matchups with New London, Golda Meir, Xavier, Little Chute, Seymour, and D.C. Everest.

Lake Mills fell to Milwaukee Academy of Science in the Division 3 state semifinals a year ago in a thriller of a game. That group graduated four major contributors, but there’s plenty of talent back for head coach Steve Hicklin. Junior Tyler Wollin nearly averaged a triple-double last season and is one of the most steadfast players on the court while senior Brady Benish is one of the top three-point shooters in the entire state. The L-Cats do have holes to fill in the lineup but Hicklin’s system puts his athletes in positions to succeed as he’s done a great job of emphasizing ball movement, making the extra pass, and getting the best shot. Lake Mills has Seymour, Freedom, Marshall, and Edgerton on the non-conference schedule.

The Lightning have done a great job of creating a winning culture within the program and continue that as former assistant Zach Jahns takes over the head varsity role in 2025-26. Lake Country Lutheran won 22 games a season ago and returns two starters in Jake Burow and Ethan Hans; both double-digit scorers. Jahns will fill out his roster from players from lower levels that went a combined 40-1 a year ago. Defensive fundamentals and shooting have been positives for this program over the years and that will be true once again in 2025-26. The Lightning will also challenge themselves during the regular season, this year scheduling Lakeside Lutheran, New Berlin West, and Catholic Memorial outside of the league slate.

Nolan Graff has done a great job of building a consistently competitive group at Northwestern, having won 16 or more games every year since his first in 2018-19. Though two starters are lost to graduation, the pair of Kam Kroll and Tysen Teal were double-digit scorers as sophomores a season ago. A year of progression both physically and in skill development will make that duo even better. The returning Tigers have come up in a winning program, having been taught the right things to compete for late playoff pushes every season. Prescott and North Crawford headline the non-conference slate for the Tigers.

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].