The second annual Deer District Prep Showcase will be held this Saturday at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, featuring a top-notch lineup of teams and games at the state's preeminent arena.
The twelve participating schools feature an average record of 10-3, as eight are ranked in the latest Bound Wisconsin/Zaleski Sports Boys Basketball Media Poll.
2026 DEER DISTRICT PREP SHOWCASE SCHEDULE
10 a.m. – The Prairie School vs. Seymour
12 p.m. – West De Pere vs. Racine Lutheran
2 p.m. – Lodi vs. Mount Horeb
4 p.m. – Kaukauna vs. Oregon
6 p.m. – Freedom vs. Slinger
8 p.m. – Arrowhead vs West Allis Central
General admission tickets are $20 and valid for all matchups. Fans can purchase a courtside seat for one game for $50, or all six games for $75. Tickets are on sale now at www.fiservforum.com.
Parking is available in the 5th Street Parking Structure and Highland Garage. Door open at 9:30 am at the atrium entrance, with re-entry allowed for this event.
Fan seating will be in Sections 116-118 as well as Courtside. Concessions will be available at Section 118 Johnsonville and Just Walk Out stands.
If you are unable to attend, all five games will be broadcast live on Zaleski Sports.
The Match-Ups
10 am: The Prairie School (8-4; UR) vs. Seymour (12-0; D3 #2)
The Prairie School is coming off a Cinderella run to last year’s Division 4 state title game, and the Hawks are off to a strong start to the 2025-26 season. Playing in the tough Metro Classic Conference, head coach Jason Atanasoff and company are 8-4 overall, with an impressive record in close games this season. Four players average at least eight points, led by senior Nolan Greb at 13.4 per game. Seymour is undefeated and ranked second in the latest Bound Wisconisn/Zaleski Sports Division 3 Media Poll, leading the Bay Conference. The team is an offensive juggernaut, coming off a 109-85 win over Winneconne last Friday, as the Thunder average just shy of 80 points per game. Senior Kyler Marks is an extremely efficient scorer, averaging 24 points per game, while junior Isaac Feske, sophomore Jordan Krause, and senior Xavier Salzman also average in double figures.
12 pm: West De Pere (10-1; D2 #5) vs. Racine Lutheran (10-2; D3 #5)
A couple top five teams in their respective divisions square off in this one, with Division 2 West De Pere taking on D3 Racine Lutheran. The Phantoms from West De Pere enter with a 10-1 record behind a balanced group that features several players that were key parts of last fall’s state title football team. Carson Samon, Erik Bouchard, and Patrick Greisen are leaders for head coach Todd Deschane. Racine Lutheran shared the Metro Classic Conference championship last year and is contention in the very challenging league once again. Sam Pitrof is one of the state’s top players, averaging 27 points and 11 rebounds per game, with juniors Bryce Austin and Deeon Brumby playing key roles as well.
2 pm: Lodi (7-4; UR) vs. Mount Horeb (9-4; UR)
These teams take their frequent non-conference matchup to FiservForum, as both teams are looking to get on track after a few more struggles than expected this season. Lodi has dropped three straight highly competitive conference games coming into the week, but the Blue Devils have an experienced group that should be able to get things turned around and compete strongly down the stretch. Senior Theo Traeder is the leading scorer at 21 points per game, while juniors Bennett Nyquist and Kale Schneider are solid players as well. Mount Horeb will be without senior Josh Manchester, one of the state’s top scorers who went over 2000 career points earlier this year but is sidelined for several weeks by a shoulder injury. Still, there are a lot of talented and experienced players for head coach Todd Nesheim who have seen a lot of success, ready to keep them in the mix.
Kaukauna just suffered its first loss of the season at the Midwest Players Classic, falling to a very good Marshfield team. The Ghosts are nonetheless 11-1 and ranked fifth in Division 1, sitting atop the brutally tough Fox Valley Association. 6’10” senior Andrew Jensen is a force inside, averaging 17 points and 12 rebounds per game, while sophomore Tyler Schwalbach provides a well-rounded game for head coach Ryan Bowers. Oregon is still finding its way without Vaughn Karvala, who transferred out of state in the off-season. The Panthers just posted an impressive win over a solid DeForest squad and have an experienced senior group that has faced a number of challenging environments over the years. Senior Brayden Hermsdorf leads the team in scoring and rebounding.
These teams are in different conferences and different divisions, but this marks the third time they’ve played in the last 14 months. Last year, they split a pair of games, and both return loads of talent this season in what is a marquee matchup in the state this year. Both teams just got quality wins at the Midwest Players Classic, with some significant collegiate talent on both sides. Freedom features junior Donovan Davis, an impressive 6’9” forward who can play inside and out, with offers from colleges around the country. Speaking of college talent, the Slinger brother combination of junior Jack and sophomore Joey Kohnen is as good as they come. Both have offers from Wisconsin, amongst others. Both teams have solid supporting groups around their star talent.
8 pm: Arrowhead (11-3; D1 #10) vs. West Allis Central (12-1; D1 #2)
A premier large-school game caps off the 2026 Deer District Prep Showcase, featuring teams each ranked in the top ten of the Bound Wisconsin/Zaleski Sports Media Poll. West Allis Central has been dominant, especially lately, with a 122-40 win over Brown Deer on Friday featuring a quadruple-double from junior Isaiah Fox, along with an 83-65 dismantling of a very good East Ridge (MN) team on Saturday at the Midwest Players Classic. Senior Yusef Gray is a strong contender for Mr. Basketball, but the Bulldogs have a strong group that just keeps attacking relentlessly. Arrowhead features a strong duo in Blake Basich and Trey Resch, along with several key contributors that will look to handle the West Allis Central onslaught.
Travis Wilson serves as the Bound Wisconsin Manager. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisBound or reach him at [email protected].