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 Monday, January 19 through Wednesday, January 21.
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.
Tuesday, January 20
The two top teams in the Cloverbelt-East and both ranked in Division 5, this matchup is one of five ranked games in the state tonight. Columbus Catholic has just two losses on the season, both two bigger schools over the holiday break. Loyal has been dominant outside of the lone loss to Spencer. Mac Konieczny and Ben Weiland are the catalysts for the Don while the trio of Reed Stieglitz, Cain Toufar, and Bryce Deegan have been leaders in the Greyhounds locker room for three years.
Southwestern is a Division 5 team competing in a primarily Division 4 conference that historically is one of the better small-school hoops conferences in the state. Aiden Keleher and Carsen Splinter both average over 20 points per game for Southwestern. Darlington is loaded with athletes and top-tier playmakers in Broker Buschor and Zeke Zuberbuehler.
The first time these two squads meet, the Phantoms escaped with a two-point victory and bragging rights. Now the two will meet for a second time and with an ability to separate in the FRCC standings. Nearly 60 free throws were shot in the first matchup between these two squads as 47 fouls were called. It was a physical contest and one reason why this matchup is the marquee one in the northeast side of the state.
The final two remaining undefeated teams in the Woodland-West do battle in this ranked matchup. For Greendale, the Panthers are looking to slow down what appears to be an unstoppable force in our state in Wisconsin Lutheran. The Vikings have the best résumé in the state and have been dominant, blowing out some of the best teams in Wisconsin. Can Greendale compete? Or is this another prove-it point for Wisco?
Another banger of a matchup in the Mississippi Valley, this game pits two teams with one league loss against one another as they try to keep pace with undefeated Onalaska in the standings. Both of these teams defend extremely well on the perimeter, where every dribble drive is contested, and perimeter shots are difficult to come by. Both teams also are guard heavy and utilize the dribble attack, so it leads to an intriguing matchup.
These two squads come into this one riding waves of momentum and vying for the top of the Big Eight conference. Middleton is a week removed from wins over Verona and Madison West, having suffered just one loss on the year to a ranked Kaukauna squad in mid-December. Madison Memorial’s lone loss came to Verona, but the Spartans have rattled off ten straight victories since. This one has Big Eight standings implications, as both teams finish their years against one another on February 26.
A very solid non-conference matchup takes stage on a night where league battles are all the noise. Marathon has been a little under the radar at 11-0 this year, but has won games handily. The Red Raiders don’t have the 20-point scorer, but are a very solid and well-coached team. Mosinee has the twin towers in Brayden Reinke and Treve Stoffel and can score on teams in a plethora of ways. These two teams are very evenly matched if you look at the numbers, which makes for a great competition come Tuesday night.
Potosi/Cassville is the last unbeaten in the Six Rivers-West despite having a 7-4 overall record. Belmont is a group led by a trio of sophomores in Thomas Freeman, Wyatt Temperly, and Boone Havens and appear to be a year ahead in their development/contendership. Potosi was a co-winner in the league last year and a group that is led by juniors and seniors. It’s the first of two matchups between these squads and one that has conference implications down the road.
These two teams met in early December as Seymour took home an 82-69 victory. The Thunder have rolled all year, having gone halfway thru its regular season without a blemish on the record. Xavier is well-coached, has a good guard leader, and has the motivation to get a win tonight. Seymour will look to keep its winning ways behind one of the better rotations in Division 3.
Others to Watch
Wednesday, January 21
These former Southeast rivals will square off as non-conference opponents for the first time, though I’d imagine the rivalry is still lit between these two squads. Jacob Misslich has been one of the better playmakers in the Southeast conference, while freshman Cooper Foeckler continues to get better each and every game. The Knights have struggled in league play in the competitive Classic Eight but are led by a quartet of players averaging double-digit points.
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].