Each week we are going to preview the best matchups, storylines, etc twice a week for the entirety of the boys basketball season. Monday we will preview the games played Monday-Wednesday, then on Wednesday we'll preview Thursday-Saturday's slate.
See below the best matchups for Thursday, February 12 through Saturday, February 14.
Don't forget to use the hashtag #wisbb when talking about any Wisconsin high school basketball stories, scores, and big performances this season.
Click the links for the games and see the preview of each game with a tale of the tape in terms of numbers, stat comparison, and other info on Bound.
Follow Colton on ‘X’ for more basketball content throughout the year.
Thursday, February 12
Can Bonduel stay undefeated and clinch at least a share of the CWC-East league title on Thursday night? To do so, the Bears will have to beat a 16-win Chargers team for a second time. The first matchup was a rout in the favor of Bonduel, as the Bears limited Wittenberg to 28% shooting and 16% from three.
This game could likely determine the winner of the Midwest Classic Conference as both are undefeated in league play and it’s the only matchup between the two on the season. Though both will have a handful of conference games left after tonight, this one has the most importance. The rest of the league is at least four games behind in the standings to this point.
New Glarus went 5-0 in the first half of the league schedule and sit one game ahead of both of these two teams at the time being. A loss by either Marshall or Cambridge will all but eliminate them from the conference title race. Cambridge won the first matchup 75-62.
The two teams tied atop the standings in the Badger-Small will do battle for the second time of the year with the winner sitting alone atop the standings with just three league games left each. McFarland took the first matchup 72-55 behind 20 points for Eli Krueger and 16 from Garrett Crull.
Despite Nicolet being just one game over .500, this matchup is still one of the best in the state. The individual talent of Nicolet is still incredible with Rashaad Davis and Deuce McDuffie leading a Knights squad that has played some very tough opponents on a nightly basis. Slinger has challenged itself equally as much and is looking to hold its one game lead in the North Shore standings.
Others to Watch
Friday, February 13
Notre Dame is a half game back of De Pere in the FRCC standings and looking to keep pace with just a few games left in league play. Bay Port is two games back, but is coming off a 30-point win over that De Pere squad last week.
With a win in this one, Waterford would clinch at least a share of the Southern Lakes conference title as they currently are one game up on Beloit Memorial. These two played back on January 8 and the Wolverines won it 64-53. Waterford shared the ball well with 18 assists on 24 made field goals, and contained the high power Purple Knights offense.
Tosa West is on a roll right now, coming into this game on a six game win streak and sitting just half a game behind East in the Greater Metro standings. Brook East has gone .500 in their last six games after going 13-1 to start the year. Both are playing without their talented freshman as Logan “Bear” Collins of Wauwatosa West and Max McMullen of Brookfield East have been battling injuries.
With River Falls’ loss to New Richmond last week, Hudson comes into this one a game up in the Big Rivers standings with just two games left after Friday night. A Raiders win clinches a share of the Big Rivers crown. A Wildcats win brings things even. Since River Falls won 79-64 over Hudson back on January 9, Hudson has rallied off nine straight wins and playing extremely well.
Marshfield suffered its first conference loss in over three years last week to D.C. Everest, who also knocked off Stevens Point. The Tigers are tied with the Evergreens in the WVC race while the Panthers are a game back. This game is huge in regards to those conference implications. The first matchup went to Marshfield 54-47 as Marshfield was 12 of 17 from the free throw line in comparison to Stevens Point going just 0 for 2.
Whitefish Bay is directly in the North Shore conference title race, sitting just one game behind the Owls with two games to play. The Blue Dukes would need to win out and get a little help from either a Nicolet or Grafton upset win over Slinger to close that gap. Hartford has a 14-5 record, and sits third in the league at 5-4. The first matchup between these two was a dog fight with Whitefish Bay coming out on top 60-56. Both squads are also jockeying for playoff positioning.
Others to Watch
Saturday, February 14
The Slam at the Dam was originally scheduled to be played over the Thanksgiving weekend, but due to weather it did not happen. Miraculously all 12 teams in the event had this weekend open and the entire event was moved to this Saturday. All seven matchups are good, so get over to Beaver Dam this Saturday.
Matchups
Watertown (5-14) v Waukesha South (5-13)
Monona Grove (11-8) v Hartford (14-5)
D3 #4 Lake Mills (17-1) v D3 #1 Seymour (19-0)
D2 #1 Slinger (16-3) v Waupun (2-16)
D3 #2 Freedom (18-1) v Lakeside Lutheran (14-5)
Monroe (14-5) v D2 #6 Beaver Dam (14-4)
Others to Watch
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].