Midwest Player's Classic Recap

The 2026 Midwest Player's Classic was held Friday and Saturday, January 16th and 17th, at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse. Bound Wisconsin was on hand for all 14 games (13 boys, 1 girls) throughout the weekend and was the presenting sponsor for the Player of the Game.

A big thank you to Brad Reinhart, the director, for the hospitality shown and for putting on such an incredibly well-run event.

Below we will recap all the games, with just a commentary for the games not attended Friday.

North Crawford was coming off an emotional double-overtime loss to rival Kickapoo the night before, and there was a thought that might have an effect on the legs and stamina of the Trojans. Not so fast. Crawford buried 11 threes in the first half and exuded the same amount of fire as the night before. All five starters finished in double figures for Crawford which proved to be too much for the Mustangs.

Cullen Jacobus, North Crawford, sr.: The senior does everything for North Crawford, including leading the break, facilitating at a high rate and rebounding despite his shorter stature. He finished with 18 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds.

Brooks Cowley, Melrose-Mindoro, soph: Cowley is a strong athlete and just a sophomore with the Mustangs. He has good rebounding instincts and is quick vertically in the pop-up zone. He finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds.

Landry Stluka, North Crawford, soph: Stluka has a bright hoops career ahead being a sophomore on a Crawford group that has plenty of underclassmen that are major contributors. He’s a strong and athletic 6-1 wing that finished with 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists in this one.

It was too much defensive pressure from the Blugolds in this one as they built an early lead and didn’t look back. Dave Donarski’s squad plays physical and fast on the defensive side and that leads to scoring opportunities in the open court on the other end. Aquinas had 20 steals and attempted 72 shots in this one.

Samantha Davis, Aquinas, sr: Davis was relentless on defense and offense in this one finishing with 28 points and 14 rebounds. She played the top of their zone press and had close to double figure deflections. Offensively she showcased her ability to score at all three levels.

Alaina Elias, Aquinas, sr: Elias is one of the faster end-to-end girls basketball players I’ve seen on the court. She can chase down anyone in the open court, while also pulling away from defenders with the ball in her hands.

Guard play was the difference in this one as G-E-T buried ten shots from deep in comparison to just four made threes for the Panthers. The Red Hawks shared the ball well as Mason Brone and Talon Fabian penetrated the defense and found open shooters or slashers throughout the night.

Talon Fabian, G-E-T, soph: Fabian does a good job of getting to where he wants on the court with the ball in his hand, but also is a deadly spot-up shooter. He buried three triples in this one on catch and shoots and finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Travis Theisen, G-E-T, sr: Theisen is long, lanky and can stretch the floor with his perimeter scoring prowess. On top of that he was tasked with guarding SCC big man Tanner Grinnell (6-9) and held him to just four points. Theisen finished with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and three made threes.

Matyas Larson, Saint Croix Central, sr: Larson is a great athlete that is was one of the better players at getting downhill and scoring off the bounce on Friday. At 6-4, he’s also extremely versatile as a defender and keep up with the smaller guards while bodying up bigger post players. Larson finished with a team high 16 points for the Panthers, most coming off the dribble penetration.

Aquinas is a balanced group with playmakers at the top of the rotation that make it difficult to defend for 36 straight minutes. The Blugolds can win it from the perimeter shooting the ball, but also are aggressive off the bounce and finish well around the rim. On top of that, Aquinas plays really stout and physical in their half court defense, which slowed down the Regis’ guards early in this one.

Calvin Bahr, Aquinas, jr: Bahr is a walking double-double and with his passing ability, can approach a triple-double on a nightly basis. It’s apparent he’s also worked on his body since last year as he’s quicker and has grown a few inches which has aided his explosiveness with the ball in his hands. Bahr had 18 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 assists.

DJ Cooper, Regis, soph: Cooper was a big catalyst to each Regis attempt at getting back into this one. He’s a skilled ball handler that made some incredibly difficult shots down the stretch to keep Regis within striking distance, including burying five threes. Cooper finished with a game high 24 points.

Logan Becker, Aquinas, sr: Becker does a bit of everything for the Blugolds, including defending the opposing teams best player. In this one he made shots difficult to come by for Blake Risler while adding 16 points on offense, including a few threes that were from well beyond the arc.

Finley Strom, Aquinas, sr: Another Blugold that has progressed year after year, Strom showcased his ability to score from anywhere on the court in this game, finishing with a team-high 19 points while adding 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Already a great shooter, Strom has worked on his game at getting to the lane, drawing contact, and making it pay at the free throw line.

This one was close most of the game, but big shots by Keaton Dempsey and Drew Ashliman closed it out for the Pointers in the end. The dribble drive offense created scoring opportunities aplenty for the Pointers, despite Fall Creek big man Miles Schmidgall denying four shots at the rim.

Drew Aschliman, Mineral Point, sr: Not only did Ashliman lead the Pointers with 17 points, but he was tasked with guarding Schmidgall, giving up 4-5 inches in height. He held his own and did a good job of making sure Miles was catching the ball off his spot and further away from the rim. Offensively he scored both at the rim and from deep.

Miles Schmidgall, Fall Creek, jr: A player that appears to continue to grow into his body, Schmidgall’s ceiling has yet to be reached. At 6-7, he runs the court well and has great defensive instincts. Offensively, his skillset continues to develop. He finished with 15 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

Keaton Dempsey, Mineral Point, sr: Dempsey was quiet most of this game until it really mattered. Late in the game, he had eight points including burying two threes with hands in his face and ice in his veins.

The Riverhawks put on a defensive clinic in this one, really impressing in the way they limit opposing offenses touches in the paint with the pressure they force on the perimeter. Little Chute never got comfortable on the offensive side as Central, who doesn’t have a lot of size, created forced shots and dribbles with their ability to pressure the ball. On top of the that, Gave Servais and Gander Conrad combined to hit 11 shots from deep.

Gabe Servais, La Crosse Central, jr: Servais was one of those guards that buys into the defensive side of things for head coach Todd Fergot. Offensively he diced up the Mustangs zone, finishing with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists, including making six shots from beyond the arc.

Gander Conrad, La Crosse Central, jr: Catch and shoot. Something Conrad did exceptionally well in this one, finishing with 15 points, all from the three-point line.

Trevor Verhagen, Little Chute, jr: Verhagen was the engine for the Mustangs for most of the night, leading the break, running the offense, and leading the team in scoring with 13 points.

Amery was in control much of the game, leading 40-33 at halftime. The Warriors led most of the second half as well, but Holmen got hot late behind Alex Berget and Jayden Bartels, putting pressure on Amery. The Warriors missed free throws, committed turnovers, and took some poor shots in the closing minutes, which allowed Holmen to rally for a 79-73 victory.

Jayden Bartels, Holmen, jr: Bartels was big in the second half, helping the Vikings rally for the victory. He knocked down five, three-pointers in the game, finishing with 19 points.

Keaton Wollan, Amery, jr.: The Holmen defense struggled to contain the physical Wollan, who used skill and aggressiveness to get get inside with great frequency. He did as much as he could, finishing with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists in the loss.

Alex Berget, Holmen, sr: Berget was a key part of the rally for Holmen, scoring most of his 19 points in the second half. The talented senior guard would add five assists for the Vikings as well.

This one was competitive throughout, with the teams going back-and-forth in the first half before Tomah grabbed a 34-30 lead at the break. The Timberwolves still led in the latter stages of the second half, but Altoona went on a strong run late to secure the victory. Junior Owen Gunderson had 15 points in the second half for Altoona.

Graysen Becker, Altoona, jr.: Becker was outstanding throughout, scoring 22 points in the first half before finishing with a game-high 28 points. He was able to score in multiple levels of the offense and create opportunities for others.

Jacob Kelbel, Altoona, fr.: Kelbel did most of his damage from deep, as the freshman sharp-shooter finished with 16 points for the Rails, providing key scoring punch in the first half while the rest of the team outside he and Becker took a bit to get going.

Silas Cram, Tomah, jr.: Cram was impressive for the Timberwolves, using his length and skill to score at a high cliip. He finished with a team-high 23 points for Tomah.

Prescott jumped out to a hot start, leading 14-5 less than seven minutes into the game, still holding a 30-25 advantage at halftime over the top-ranked team in Division 3. Prescott senior Kobe Russell, a North Dakota State football recruit, picked up his fourth foul early in the second half, and that really hurt the Cardinals, who saw Freedom go on a 23-1 run to open the second period. Freedom junior standout Donovan Davis started to take over, and the solid group around him did their thing to lead Freedom to a convincing victory.

Donovan Davis, Freedom, jr.: Davis took over in the second half with 15 points after the break, helping Freedom rally for a win. He flashed his boundless potential numerous times on both offense and defense, finishing with 22 points and 13 rebounds, including some highlight dunks and blocks.

Cal Calhoon, Freedom, jr.: Calhoon was a strong compliment to Donovan Davis, as the junior guard made all the right plays en route to 16 points and a strong overall floor game.

Kobe Russell, Prescott, sr.: Russell displayed his outstanding athletic ability, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds despite battling foul trouble much of the game.

Kaukauna entered undefeated and ranked second in the Bound Wisconsin/Zaleski Sports Division 1 media poll, but after a hard-fought overtime victory against Oshkosh North on Friday night, the lengthy trip to La Crosse on Saturday combined with relentless effort from Marshfield led to the first loss for the Ghosts. It was a signature win for Marshfield, who also played Friday night, defeating Wausau West 55-39.

Chris Pohl, Marshfield, sr.: Pohl displayed a strong floor game and All-State ability as the best player on the floor Saturday. He led the way with 25 points for the Tigers, adding nine rebounds as well. He scored inside, taking it at the Kaukauna bigs, and also showed he can knock it down from the perimeter.

Valin Ramberg, Marshfield, sr.: Ramberg was a perfect compliment to Pohl, flashing the ability play and finish inside against length and also attack downhill from the perimeter.

Tyler Schwalbach, Kaukauna, so.: Schwalbach led the Ghosts with 20 points, adding four assists, three steals, and three rebounds.

Andrew Jensen, Kaukauna, sr.: Jensen is a talented big man who is an intimidating presence inside. He had some big-time swats as part of four blocks, adding 15 points, seven rebounds, and three assists as well.

West Allis Central has shown to be one of the elite teams in the state this season, and have further proven that with wins over powerful Minnesota teams Wayzata and now East Ridge. West Allis Central just kept pouring it on with pressure on both ends of the court, and were too much for East Ridge. The balance for the Bulldogs was on full display, as they have multiple players who are able to impact the game in a big way.

Isaiah Fox, West Allis Central, jr.: Fox posted a quadruple-double Friday night, and continued his strong run on Saturday. He had 16 points and a number of rebounds, steals, and assists as well as part of West Allis Central’s dominance.

Max Jones, West Allis Central, jr.: Jones had an excellent all-around game, especially in the second half. He’s under control but aggressive, leading the team with 18 points.

Yusef Gray, Jr., West Allis Central, sr.: Gray, Jr. battled some foul trouble and didn’t have to carry things with so many WAC players playing at a high level, but he flashed the skills and abilities that have him committed to Iowa State, scoring 14 points for the Bulldogs.

Kevin Pittman, West Allis Central, sr.: Pittman is a force inside for the Bulldogs, and converted several inside dishes and lobs for dunks. He had 12 points, all right at the rim.

Cedric Tomes, East Ridge, sr.: Tomes is committed to the University of Minnesota and showed his lightning quickness, getting to the hoop frequently where he is a creative finisher. He uses his athletic ability to create openings on the perimeter as well.

Slinger was in control throughout and the result never really in doubt, as the Owls cruised to a 75-39 running clock win over a Benilde-St. Margaret’s team that is in rebuilding mode. The Brothers Kohnen put on a show, especially older brother Jack, helping Slinger move to 11-3 on the season.

Jack Kohnen, Slinger, jr.: Kohnen did a lot of everything well, showing off his versatile skillset and why he’s one of the state’s most coveted players in a loaded 2027 class. He finished with 22 points on just nine field goal attempts, as he was able to gett to the line with regularity, knocking down 11-of-13 from the charity stripe. He finished with 22 points, 14 rebounds, seven blocks, and three assists for the Owls.

Joey Kohnen, Slinger, so.: Kohnen had a big first half and was able to sit back and let older brother Jack carry things late. He had 12 points, six rebounds, and three assists,

Noah Pressley, Slinger, fr.: Pressley was a very efficient scorer for Slinger, as the talented freshman scored 11 points on six field goal attempts. He connected on two-of-three shots from behind the arc and added three rebounds as well.

Onalaska remained undefeated as the Division 2 top-ranked Hilltoppers had little trouble with Caledonia (MN) in the penultimate game of the Midwest Players Classic. Onalaska led 43-25 at halftime behind a relentless offensive attack, and closed things out in a big way.

Tyler Kowal, Onalaska, so.: Kowal hit five, three-point baskets in the first half of the game and finished with a game-high 26 points. He showed his toughness with 10 rebounds as a 5'11” sophomore guard.

Brendan Chenault, Onalaska sr.: Chenault is a bit undersized as a 6’3” forward, but he plays with great effort, aggressiveness, and explosion to impact the game on both ends. He had 15 points and five rebounds for the Hilltoppers.

After several blowouts in a row, it was a very competitive game in the finale at the Midwest Players Classic. The teams battled hard in the first half, though Lomira was able to push to a 34-25 lead at halftime. The Lions extended that to an 18-point advantage early in the second half, but Ellsworth wouldn’t go away. The Panthers came all the way back to tie things at 58, but Lomira did just enough down the stretch to hold on for a 65-62 victory.

Blake Steger, Lomira, jr.: Steger was outstanding in the first half especially, as Lomira built a nice lead. he helped the Lions hold on for the victory, scoring a game-high 16 points as he’d also pull down nine rebounds with four assists.

George Rohl, Ellsworth, sr.: Rohl is a Minnesota football recruit but also does a nice job on the hardwood. He battled hard inside and was able to make an impact.

Jake Broeske, Lomira, sr.: The 6’9” Broeske didn’t shoot it great, but still managed to contribute 12 points and seven rebounds as the Lions came away victorious.

Charlie Cole, Lomira, jr.: Cole played an excellent all-around game, with 10 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and three steals in the win.