Southern Lakes Conference Preview - Boys Basketball

Below is a boys basketball conference preview. Included in each preview is the previous year standings, review, returning all-conference players, projected standings with writeup, a sleeper team, top players to watch, conference break out candidates.

Beloit Memorial and Waterford shared the conference crown a season ago, splitting their season series. The conference as a whole had a good showing come playoff time as Waterford advanced to the sectional finals, losing to eventual Division 2 champ Whitefish Bay. Both Burlington and Beloit Memorial won regional championship, with Burlington falling to Waterford int he sectional semis. Badger nearly scored the biggest upset of the playoffs, losing to Division 1 State runner-up Madison Memorial in double overtime in a regional final. A lot of talent graduated from last season, with zero first or second team all-conference players back in 2026-27.

Head Coach: Kyle Scott - 4th year (115 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Matthew Burkhart, Cole Walby, Grant Sulik,
Returners: Vincent Kendall, 6-3, jr; Emmett Munson, 6-4, jr; Joshua Tomczyk, 6-0, jr; Wesley Bauman, 6-0, jr; EJ Horvath, 6-2, jr; Nate Burkhart, 6-1, jr;
Newcomers/New Contributors:
Breakout Candidate: Emmett Munson

Outlook: Despite losing three starters from a season ago that advanced to the sectional semifinals, Burlington is our pick as the favorite going into the 2026-27 season. A big reason why is the junior class for the Demons that played a load of varsity minutes and gained invaluable experience. Vincent Kendall and Emmett Munson are game changers on the wings and set the tone on both ends of the floor for Coach Scott. As the junior class continues to grow, that chemistry will prove to be a key strength for Burlington as they look to capture the league crown.

Head Coach: Ben Roettgen - 4th year (24 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Griffin Schultz, Kellen Vermeer, Jack Braun, Cade Sherwood
Returners: Tyler Johnson, 6-5, jr; Justin Williamson, 6-3, sr; Quinn Schultz, 6-1, sr; Colten Tajnai, 6-2, sr; Caden Tajnai, 6-1, jr; Finn Jacobs, 6-3, sr; Jacob Goessl, 5-10, jr; Colt Danielson, 5-10, jr; Evan Northup, 6-2, sr;
Newcomers/New Contributors:
Breakout Candidate: Caden Tajnai

Outlook: The Broncos finished tied for sixth in the league a season ago but in 2026-27, there are three starters back, plus a handful of rotational players. Tyler Johnson is one of the best players in the conference and a true difference maker for Ben Roettgen. Quinn Schultz and Justin Williamson were regular starters a season ago while brother Caden and Colten Tajnai also started a few games. The Broncos have a balanced roster and likely to be in the mix for a league crown as the season wears down.

Head Coach: Braden Tice - 2nd year (32 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Brock Walser, Brody Skates, Keith Nurnberg, Andrew Braden, Bradley Hart
Returners: Weston Jooss, 5-10, jr; Quentin Spiegelhoff, 6-4, sr; Ben Nielsen, sr; Colton Jooss, 5-8, jr; Blake Braden, sr; Isaiah Hovden, 5-8, sr; Aiden Deane, sr; Kal Hladik, sr
Newcomers/New Contributors: Juan Cruz, Jaxson Murray, Jack Booth
Breakout Candidate: Colton Jooss

Outlook: Badger played extremely well down the stretch last season and lost in one of the best playoff games in the state. Losing three starters and over 50 points per game is not an easy task to tackle for second year head coach Braden Trice. He will have junior guards Weston and Colton Jooss to take up the mantle in terms of ball handling and command of the offense. Quentin Speigelhoff adds size for a team that may be lacking in that department. Shooting and depth are two strengths for the Badgers.

Head Coach: Nick Roeglin - 7th year (96 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Caden Gustafson, Jayce Brechtl, Colin Lepisto, Chris Tessmer, Gavin Roeglin, Beau Veit, Kaden Schicker, Caiden Dessart, Reid Biermann
Returners: Matthew Lojeski Jr, 6-2, jr; Andrew Weber, 6-1, sr
Newcomers/New Contributors: Graeme Sosinski, 6-4, jr; Cameron Dibb, soph
Breakout Candidate: Matthew Lojeski

Outlook: A very strong group graduated from a team that came one game shy of making it to the Kohl Center last year, including all five starters. It will be a new year and new team for head coach Nick Roeglin as Matthew Lojeski and Andrew Weber are the two with the most experience back. Lojeski can become one of the better players in the conference and with the expanded role, he’ll get to showcase that skillset. Filling the roster behind that duo may take time for the Wolverines to gain that chemistry on the court.

Head Coach: Eric Larsen - 4th year (38 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Luke Paddock, Evan Heindselman, Brian Renteria, Romeo Morales-Paz, Ryan Bollinger, Kona Eby
Returners: Daschel Stallings, 6-2, jr; Tyler Nelson, 6-2, sr; John Zambito, 6-5, jr; Jackson Brazer, 6-0, sr; Matthew Rudolf, 6-4, sr
Newcomers/New Contributors: Wade Hartmann
Breakout Candidate: Daschel Stallings

Outlook: Elkhorn finished with just three conference wins a season ago and have to replace six players who played more than ten minutes a game. Eric Larsen will look to Daschel Stallings, Tyler Nelson, and John Zambito as the main returnees to lead the way. There is good size for the Elks, whereas experience will be a key weakness. Coach Larsen will need to look at players from the lower levels to step into larger roles come this year.

Head Coach: James Hyllberg - 12th year (201 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Camden Oppenneer, Christian Dryer,
Returners: Tristan Pisano, 5-10, sr; Lucas Edwards, 5-9, jr; Mitchell Olson, 6-2, sr; Brady Schmalfedlt, 5-11, sr; Jacob Lubkeman, 6-2, sr; Kyle Yehle, 6-3, sr; Cooper Ruffner, 6-2, sr;
Newcomers/New Contributors:
Breakout Candidate: Lucas Edwards

Outlook: The Falcons finished fifth in the conference a season ago and despite losing two starters, a strong senior group is back to lead the way for head coach James Hyllberg. Kyle Yehle is the top returning scorer and biggest in stature and experience of that senior group. Lucas Edwards is a quick junior guard that is poised to break out and step into that primary ball handler role. The Falcons could be a sneaky team to watch in the Southern Lakes with the amount of returning players.

Head Coach: Todd Marks - 5th year (295 career stats)
Lost Contributors: Amare Hereford, Brock Hodges, JJ Martin, Armon Leavy, Treviaun Jordan, James Ford, Tayvon Cates, Vinny Phiffer, Braylen Huebbe
Returners:
Newcomers/New Contributors: Johnny Brice Jr, 5-7, sr; Collin Keraka, 6-5, sr; Braylen Huebbe, 6-2, sr; Wesley Watkins, 6-0, sr; Carlos Martinez, 6-1, jr; Caden Weston, jr; BJ Routen, 5-7, jr; Terrell Parks, soph; Sharome Crawford, 5-9, frosh; My’lek Reynolds, frosh; Zion Paine, frosh
Breakout Candidate: Johnny Brice Jr.

Outlook: It will be a year of transition in Beloit as Todd Marks has a whole new roster to get ready for the 2026-27. Over 90% of production graduated from the co-champion Purple Knights squad from a season ago. That leaves a lot of question marks for an all new roster. Coach Marks has been doing this a long time however, so though the roster will be new, the work ethic, expectations, and culture will stay consistent.

Head Coach: Jake Erbentraut - 15th year (164 career wins)
Lost Contributors: Bobby Raymond, Owen Selchan, Jack Gartner, Michael McCormick, James Kunz, Emonee Ide
Returners: Carson Cox, 5-11, jr; Carter Schuh, 6-0, jr; Zachery Strudeman, 6-5, sr; Owen Petska, 6-0, jr
Newcomers/New Contributors: Anthony Starcevic, jr; Cam Square, soph; Cody Hawkins, sr; Dom Fisher, jr; Collin Jacobsen, sr; Nate Jacobsen, soph, Will Lee, jr
Breakout Candidate: Zachery Strudeman

Outlook: Wilmot will have a lot of production to replace from last season as the top five scorers graduated. Head coach Jake Erbentraut enters year 15 with a lot of holes to fill as Carson Cox is the top returning scorer having averaged 2.7 points a season ago. Players from the lower levels will need to step onto the varsity team and into large roles quickly. That transition will take time for the younger athletes to acclimate to.

Westosha Central is an intriguing team in the Southern Lakes this season. The Falcons return a solid squad with experience. Head coach James Hyllberg has over 200 career wins and knows how to get the best out of his teams. That’s why Westosha is a sleeper to not just play spoiler, but finish higher than the projected standings here.

Lucas Edwards, jr, Westosha Central
Edwards can get it going from deep where he’s unafraid to launch from nearly anywhere behind the arc. As a sophomore he averaged 8.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Edwards is shifty and has a quick first step, which he uses to create scoring opportunities against bigger defenders.

Tyler Johnson, jr, Union Grove
Johnson earned honorable mention all-league honors a season ago after he averaged 14.4 points and 7.5 rebounds. The 6-5 forward has a great mix of size, strength, and athleticism which makes him a handful to contain for opposing defenses.

Weston Jooss, jr, Badger
Joos is one of just four returning all-league players from a season ago as he earned honorable mention laurels. He averaged 11.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game and will be relied upon at an even higher rate in his senior year.

Vincent Kendall, jr, Burlington
Kendall averaged 11.7 points per game a season ago and is a huge piece of the talented junior group at Burlington. The 6-3 combo guard is primed to put his imprint on the 2026-27 season in the Southern Lakes.

Matthew Lojeski Jr, jr, Waterford
Lojeski may be the biggest breakout candidate in a conference that will have a handful of them in 2026-27. Earning significant minutes as a sophomore on a sectional final team, he averaged 4.5 points per game. Lojeski has solid size, athleticism, and with his added scoring ability, he’s a player to watch in the junior class.

Emmett Munson, jr, Burlington
Munson is a versatile forward that, at 6-4, can defend multiple positions and offensively take advantage of mismatches on the perimeter or near the rim. As a sophomore he averaged 9.6 points and 5.2 rebounds and we’ll likely see an uptick in those numbers during his junior campaign.

Daschel Stallings, jr, Elkhorn
Stallings is one of the mainstays back in the conference as he was an honorable mention all-league performer a season ago. He averaged 9.5 points and 4.0 rebounds as a sophomore and has had a good offseason stepping into a larger role.

Kyle Yehle, sr, Westosha Central
Yehle is the last of the four all-conference players back in 2026-27. He was an honorable mention selection after he averaged 11.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. The 6-3 wing can beat teams from deep on spot up shooting, or get to the mid-range and hoop via the dribble.