Boys Basketball Division 5 Preseason Top 10

Belmont likely exceeded expectations a year ago as a team that could have broke out this year, did just that last. The Braves are junior dominated with big man Thomas Freeman, Wyatt Temperly, and Boone Havens forming one of the top trios in Division 5. Head coach Beau Buch’s team will have a plethora of players that are coming off a state championship game team (outcome TBD), and riding that high straight into practice number one. Belmont has non-con games with Cuba City and Mineral Point as well as playing in the competitive Six Rivers conference.

Crawford is coming off a year where they lost in the sectional semis to eventual state runner-up Southwestern. Chris Wettstein has a skilled and deep group back in 2026-7 with likely the most balanced rotation in all of Division 5. Zack Bender, Landry and Sawyer Stluka, and Damien McCormick are all play makers with the ball in their hands. Add in guard depth behind that quartet and Crawford has a plethora of ball handlers that can put pressure on defenses. Non-con games with Southwestern, Northwestern, and Westby will pit the Trojans up against other talented teams outside of the Ridge & Valley and test the resolve of Crawford throughout the season.

The Dons have always played really good basketball under head coach Joe Konieczny. Nearing 450 wins coming into this season, Coach Konieczny returns a very solid group with some intriguing younger players ready to step into big roles. Ben Weiland and Carter Sommer are one of the better inside-out combinations in the Division and Ray Becker adds another solid senior guard on the perimeter. As always, the Dons will play a challenging out of conference schedule, with games against Tri-County, Pacelli, and Amery on the docket.

The Crusaders once again played at the Kohl Center this past season, losing to cross-conference foe Reedsville in a semifinal thriller. Coach Verhagen has been consistent in his approach with Lutheran and that has yielded great results year after year. Four starters return from last year’s group; Oliver Leibham, McCoy Michael, Ben Verhagen, and James Schulze. That amount of experience in a starting rotation is crucial for a team looking to get back to Madison. On top of that, the Crusaders play Oostburg and Kohler twice as well as non-cons with Living Word Lutheran and St. Thomas More to name a few.

Dropping down from Division 4 to Division 5 this year, the Warriors are primed for a deep playoff run with a great group back. Jason Sargent enters year 25 of coaching with three double-digit scorers back from a season ago including the reigning Player of the Year in the Dunn-St. Croix Caleb Arcand. Max Everts and Miles Johnson give Coach Sargent size and scoring ability on the wings. The Warriors will play mostly Division 4 teams in the DSC though they’ve also scheduled non-cons with higher division teams such as Fall Creek, Baldwin-Woodville, and Somerset.

The entire starting five is back for Pacelli this year along with a handful of newcomers that will add depth and internal competition for John Schurk’s squad. Jake Williams, Bryce Flaker, Jaden Garski, Crew Rebholz, and Harry Vogel started for the Cardinals a season ago and there is no understating the importance of that experience and consistency in a high school team’s rotation. Add in some talented incoming freshman and the Cardinals are the favorites in the CWC-South and a team to reckon with in Division 5. Non-cons with Wabeno/Laona, Columbus Catholic, and Adams-Friendship are great measuring stick games for this Pacelli team in 2026-27.

The Pirates are two years removed from a run to the state tournament with many of their seniors having been contributors or bench players for that squad. Jesse Cyrus’ team are always strong up and down the roster as CFC is proficient on the gridiron as well. Aidan Lisowski, Mavrik Ehrat, Dylan Hager, and Kaleb Tollefson are all back from last year’s 20-win squad and that experience and toughness are big reasons why the Pirates are a team to watch to make a deep run come March. Luther and Colfax highlight the non-con schedule.

Elkhart strings together wins in the Big East-North, but play in a conference with a mix of Division 4 and 5 schools. The Resorters, coached by Mike Koehler, have a talented group coming into 2026-27 as Brayden Smith is one of the top shooters and overall players in Division 5 while Brighton Webb is considered by many one of the top freshman overall in the state. Soren Holzward and Evan Conrad return as starters as well. The Resorters have won back-to-back regional titles and are looking to break that seal come sectional play.

The Challengers are two years removed from back-to-back trips to the state tournament and a a few players from that squad are seniors now. Head coach Mike Thies has his son and senior Nick Thies back along with starters Moe Aeschlimann and Evan O’Brien to form a strong nucleus going into 2026-27. Three straight regional titles have been won by Abundant Life with a fourth and possible deeper run in them this season.

The Vikings of Pecatonica will be a team to watch this year after a disappointing end to their 2025-26 campaign, losing in regional play. Scott Noll enters his third season at the helm and his son, and senior, Griffin is one of the top senior guards in Division 5. Three starters return alongside Griffin inlcuding Marty Anderson, Luke Leonard, and Bob Stateler. The Six Rivers-East is improved from a season ago, but Pec will also play non-conference contests with Abundant Life, Pardeeville, and Southwestern.

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].