These two teams are contenders in their respective divisions, led by upperclassmen, and have done a good job of challenging themselves to this point. Lake Country Lutheran is led by senior forward Jake Burow and junior guard Ethan Hans, two heady players that play with plenty of poise. The Vikings can light it up from deep led by junior Jayce Cook and senior Evan Kern.

The Metro Classic is deep this season with six of the eight teams over .500. Shoreland Lutheran currently sits seventh in the standings despite the fact the Pacers are 9-2 overall and on a six game win streak. St. Cats is riding a seven game win streak coming into this one and 10-1 overall. This is a great measuring stick for Shoreland Lutheran within the league, while St. Cats is trying to stay at the top and continue its momentum.

Waunakee is 4-1 in th Badger-Large. Monona Grove is 3-2. Jockeying for position the league is up for grabs in the first meeting between these two squads. Sophomore Evan Luchetti has stepped up in a big way for the Silver Eagles, after his older brother Austin went down in the team’s scrimmage with a leg injury. He leads MG with 14.5 points per game. Waunakee is consistently a contender in the league and this year junior Wes DuCharme and sophomore Jacob Muniz are the leading scorers for the Warriors in 2025-26.

Two of the top teams in the Badger-Small will face off as McFarland is looking to stay undefeated and atop the standings, while Mount Horeb is looking to even the playing field. Juniors Garrett Crull and Eli Krueger lead the way for McFarland, as the duo has played extremely well with each other. Josh Manchester is still one of the top scorers in the state for Mount Horeb, and containing him is a full-time job on the court.

This is one of the most highly anticipated games in my neck of the woods in recent memory, and very likely the highest anticipated game in Ridge & Valley history in boys hoops. These two are ranked 1 and 2 in Division 5 and are conference rivals. Kickapoo is led by a talented and balanced senior group, highlighted by 6-7 forward Arlon Walter. Crawford has talent in every class, is deep, and has the steady hand at the top of the roster in senior Cullen Jacobus. If you’re around the Kickapoo Valley on this Thursday night, get to the North Crawford high school and take in this basketball game.

These two squads should be motivated coming into their Thursday night showdown, as both are coming off losses in the most recent game. Ben Prochnow leads a Reedsville group that has put up points this season, but hasn’t been challenged consistently until as of late. The Zephyrs also score the ball at a high rate and thrive from the three-point line. This game also has Big East-North standing implications.

The two remaining unbeaten teams in the South Central will do battle for the first time as both are looking to get that leg up going into the second round of conference games. Sophomore Jase Navis has showed his playmaking skills for the Golden Eagles, while freshman Andrew Dillin has impressed through the first 11 varsity games of his career. Friendship is led by a sophomore duo of Caleb Decorah and Nolan Bork, both of whom average over 20 points per game.

Another solid North Shore showdown on a Friday night as Hartford is looking to staunch a two-game losing streak. The Highlanders of Homestead are coming off a win over ranked De Pere last Friday and have had a week to prepare for this league matchup. Hartford defends at a high level. Homestead scores at a high level. Which dam will break first could determine the outcome of this one.

The matchup in the Great Northern that’s been the most anticipated of the season. The Indians and the Hodags are both undefeated in league play and have been contending for the league crown for the past few seasons. Brayden Reinke is a junior forward with Mosinee that has great footwork and high basketball IQ and paired with senior Treve Stoffel, form a very good front court duo. Rhinelande'r’s group can shoot it from deep led by senior sharpshooter Devon Feck.

Seymour has looked the part of the top team in the Bay conference this year and one of the contenders for a state run in Division 3. Winneconne however is coming off a one possession win over Xavier and looking to ride that momentum. Kyler Marks and Isaac Feske are the tone setters for Seymour while seniors Parker Ingles and Brody Schaffer as well as freshman Drew Lenz all averaged over or right around 20 points per game for the Wolves.

Wisconsin Lutheran has looked the part of the most dominant team in the state, sitting at 12-0 while playing one of the most challenging schedules in the state. What’s more? The Vikings are blowing out other really good teams. Enter a Brookfield Central squad that is equally battle tested to this point and a very talented and well-coached opponent. Dan Wandrey and co. will look for the chink in the armor of Wisco and keep this one within reach as the game progresses.

A very good North Shore v Greater Metro showdown will be the second-to-last game at Brookfield Central on Saturday night. Homestead will be playing in second challenging game in as many days, following a conference tilt with Hartford on Friday. East is coming off a win over Brookfield Central on Tuesday and has been one of the more consistent teams in the state in Division 1.

Franklin is better than the 6-5 record they sport at this juncture. Senior Jacob Misslich can take games over for the Sabers with his playmaking and scoring ability. Greendale is off to its best start in a while, and winning games in blowout fashion, close victories, and even a buzzer-beater. Zavier Castillo has been one of the biggest break out players in the state, as he’s averaging nearly 30 points per game in his senior year to this point for the Panthers.

This game was postponed to Saturday from earlier in the year and has Cloverbelt-East conference implications. Spencer is coming off its lone loss of the year, a single-digit defeat to Owen-Withee. Columbus Catholic has rattled off three straight wins since the turn of the year and are back to rolling into January.

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