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Here are 5 of the best Milwaukee-area storylines to follow in the 2023-24 boys basketball season

zac bellman, milwaukee journal sentinel
·4 min read
Nick Janowski averaged 23.2 points per game last season and helped Pewaukee win a third consecutive WIAA state title.
Nick Janowski averaged 23.2 points per game last season and helped Pewaukee win a third consecutive WIAA state title.

As the high school boys basketball season gets rolling, here are five storylines to follow among area programs:

Pewaukee seeks historic four-peat

The Pewaukee Pirates beat Whitnall 71-54 in the Division 2 title game in March to achieve a feat only eight teams had done before them, win three straight WIAA state boys basketball titles. As they tip off the 2023-24 season, the journey begins toward building upon that history.

A pivotal part of the run so far for Pewaukee had been 2023 Gatorade Player of the Year and co-Mr. Basketball Milan Momcilovic setting the pick in the pick-and-roll, but the 2023 grad is now playing at Iowa State. Nebraska commit Nick Janowski (23.2 points per game last season), the slashing senior guard orchestrating the pick-and-roll, is one of three starters from last seaon's team who've returned. Joining him are juniors Isaiah Robinson (6.7 ppg) and Luka Momcilovic (8.4), Milan's younger brother.

Pewaukee would be just the third school to win four straight WIAA titles in boys basketball. Randolph won four from 2002-05, and Dominican is the only school to achieve five straight with a run from 2012-16.

More: Pewaukee leads preseason boys basketball rankings as it chases four-peat

Kettle Moraine's Drew Wagner was a first-team all-Classic 8 Conference selection last season when he averaged 18.4 points per game.
Kettle Moraine's Drew Wagner was a first-team all-Classic 8 Conference selection last season when he averaged 18.4 points per game.

Kettle Moraine looks to maintain momentum under new leadership

Kettle Moraine experienced some tumult after a historic first appearance at the state tournament in the spring.

Second-year head coach Trevon Hughes was let go just three weeks after the season concluded with a 55-44 semifinal loss to eventual Division 1 champion De Pere. Assistant coach Brian Richert was promoted in May, bringing 32 years of experience that includes a 2006 state tournament appearance with St. John's Northwestern Academies.

Richert leads a program returning four starters: first-team all-Classic 8 Conference senior point guard Drew Wagner (18.4 ppg), second-team all-conference senior shooting guard Will Stuckey (12.2), junior wing Ben Bestor (6.0) and junior wing Roman Thompson (5.2). The Lasers have upperclassmen depth as well, which is why Kettle Moraine remains a significant conference title and playoff threat.

Wisconsin Lutheran guard Kon Knueppel has committed to Duke.
Wisconsin Lutheran guard Kon Knueppel has committed to Duke.

Wisconsin Lutheran's Kon Knueppel leads early contenders for Mr. Basketball

The Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association's Mr. Basketball Award was split between Pewaukee's Milan Momcilovic and De Pere's John Kinziger last season. The award, given annually to the state's top senior, could have a couple of intriguing area contenders this season.

At or near the top of that list is Wisconsin Lutheran's Kon Knueppel II (19.7 ppg). Knueppel, who committed to Duke, is the lone returning starter from a team that reached the Division 2 sectional finals before falling to eventual champion Pewaukee. The matchups of those two Woodland Conference teams will undoubtedly be looked at as factors in the candidacies of Knueppel and Pewaukee's Janowski for the award.

Other seniors from the area to watch are Arrowhead's Bennett Basich, Brookfield Central's Jack Daugherty, Marquette's Nolan Minessale, Pius XI's Jaquan Johnson and St. Thomas More's duo of Amari McCottry and Sekou Konneh.

Salam forward Ahmad Badwan led the state in scoring last season with 35.4 points per game.
Salam forward Ahmad Badwan led the state in scoring last season with 35.4 points per game.

Salam's Ahmad Badwan looks to build on 2022-23 scoring title

A breakout junior campaign for Salam's Ahmad Badwan saw him increase his sophomore year scoring total of 13.5 ppg to a surprising 35.4 last season to pace the state. The Stars finished 14-8, reaching the Division 5 regional finals with two playoff wins in a historic season for an emerging program. Salam's fast break gets down the floor quickly, and Badwan especially does not hesitate when given an open look in transition.

The Stars won the Lake City Conference outright in 2022-23 after splitting the title the year before.

Reigning Milwaukee City Conference leaders look to repeat

The 2022-23 season saw several notable performances for Milwaukee City Conference programs, including Gold Division champion Carmen Northwest (20-4), Milwaukee Audubon Tech (17-4), Blue Division champion Milwaukee Marshall (13-6) and Milwaukee Hamilton (21-7), which reached the Division 1 sectional finals.

Also poised to be in the mix this year is Milwaukee Vincent, which is returning all-City Blue first-teamer James Adams Jr. and second-teamer Jaleel Moore. Carmen Northwest returns all-City Gold honorees Dupree Fletcher Jr., the reigning conference player of the year and a Grambling State signee, and second-teamer Javante Edwards. Hamilton lost a stellar pick-and-roll duo of Simeon Murchison (UW-Milwaukee) and Demarion Burch (Bradley) to graduation, but returns third-leading scorer Ky'Moni Hunt. Audubon Tech graduated player of the year Jaylen Woodland but returns second-team all-City White honoree Isaiah Woodland and third-teamer Andre Moore.

More: Who is the Milwaukee-area high school Leafguard Athlete of the Week for Nov. 13-18?

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 5 Milwaukee-area WIAA boys basketball storylines for 2023-24 season