Previewing the Best Boys Basketball Games for February 19-21

These are two of the teams vying for the Middle Border title. Saint Croix currently sits two games ahead of Altoona and Prescott, but just one of Osceola. A Panthers win secures a share of the conference crown. An Altoona win muddies it up once again. Saint Croix Central has great size. Altoona has great guard play.

This game has conference implications in the Scenic Bluffs. Bangor is tied at the top with Royall, both sitting one game ahead of Hillsboro. If the Tigers win on Thursday night, it pulls them even with Bangor in second with a Bangor/Royall game next week having even more implications on whether the Scenic Bluffs will see a outright conference champ, or a three-way tie.

Two of the top teams in Division 2 square off in this non-conference matchup and a marquee one at that on the west side of the state. Not only is this a great test before the post season begins, but it has serious seeding implications. Both the Hilltoppers and Panthers are in the same half sectional come playoff time, and the winner will likely earn a better seed come Sunday’s selection show.

Though the Mississippi Valley conference title may be out of reach as Onalaska is one game up on both of these teams with just Tomah left on the schedule, this game is a rivalry game and one of the better ones at that. Todd Fergot and Brad Reinhart are two great coaches in our state and lead two of the better programs not just on the western side of the state, but in the entirety of it.

This matchup will likely determine how the EWC conference title ends. Roncalli is a game behind and both will have one more game following this. A Brillion win means an outright conference title for the Lions. A Jets win will likely lead to co-champions. The Jets are playing without senior lead Donovan Cowley and will be looking to avenge a 14-point loss from earlier in the year to split the season series.

Though Crawford has stumbled here with a few losses of late, and Kickapoo has already clinched the Ridge & Valley conference title outright, there is no doubt the brevity this game has between these two communities. Living in Viola myself (Kickapoo school district), there is a buzz, especially after the first matchup went into double overtime to determine the winner.

On a loaded night of hoops, this one might stand above them all. Two of the best teams in Division 5 will square off for a second time this season with the Cloverbelt-East conference title on the line. The first matchup was a two-point win for Loyal in a barn burner of a game. The matchup is likely to be just as competitive.

With McFarland falling to Fort Atkinson earlier this week, the Badger-Small conference title got that much more interesting. The Spartans are tied with Sauk Prairie at the top while Mount Horeb sits just one game back. With a healthy Josh Manchester, the Vikings are a tough matchup for anyone while McFarland is led by the junior duo of Garrett Crull and Eli Krueger. If Mount Horeb comes away victorious, Sauk Prairie will have the opportunity to clinch the title outright with wins over Reedsburg and Portage.

This is the second game of a gauntlet of a trio of games for Notre Dame who is in search of an FRCC conference title. After knocking off West De Pere earlier in the week and a matchup with De Pere later in the week, this one is equally challenging and important. Notre Dame and De Pere are tied atop the FRCC standings and though Bay Port is still in it, a win here is more likely a bigger boost for seeding purposes.

If Columbus Catholic v Loyal is the marquee game on the schedule, this is certainly the co-headliner. The two teams tied in the loss column atop the Big East-North standings. Reedsville has sputtered losing two straight to cross-conference teams Howards Grove and Oostburg. SMC fell in their last to Cedar Grove-Belgium. If the Zephyrs win, the Big East-North title is theirs outright. A Reedsville win puts the Panthers in the lead with still a game left on their schedule. Reedsville won the first matchup between these two behind a near triple-double from Ben Prochnow.

An Edgerton win leads to clinch of a share of the Rock Valley-Rock title. A Turner win means Edgerton would have more work to do. The first matchup between these two was a seven-point victory for the Crimson Tide, holding the Trojans to just 4 of 25 shooting from beyond the arc.

Both of these squads are jockeying for position in their sectionals and this is the last chance to get points towards that. Owen Ayite-Atayi and Will Stremlow lead a very good Verona squad that has challenged in the Big Eight, while Sean Crider’s Homestead team is led by the dynamic guard duo of Michael Rogers Jr. and Oliver Belot.

A great non-conference ranked matchup on one of the last regular season weekends is a treat for those of us who love basketball in our state. Middleton is is excelling this season and right in the thick of the Big Eight title race, while the same can be said for De Pere. These are two programs that are just that, good programs. Head coaches Brian Winchester and Kevin Bavery have built these programs up to stay competitive despite the losses of talented individuals to graduation year upon year.

Mosinee has not been shy about challenging itself in the non-conference, as the Indians have played Seymour and D.C. Everest in February and now this matchup with a very talented Nicolet team. One day before the seeds are released, this game could be a booster for either squad if they are close to moving up a seed or not.

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