Classic 8 boys basketball race tightens, a St. Thomas More duo stand out and WBCA honors are announce
Classic 8 race tightens after battles of leaders
A three-team race at the top of the Classic 8 among Arrowhead, Muskego and Kettle Moraine saw a little movement as Kettle Moraine split road matchups with the two teams it trails in the standings.
On Tuesday, Muskego handed Kettle Moraine a second conference loss in a hard-fought 53-50 game. Warriors seniors Aiden Krause and Kater Seawright and junior Milosh Angrick each scored 12 points. At risk of slipping out of contention with another conference loss, KM held Arrowhead to 19 second-half points in a 53-48 win. A career-high 22 points from junior Roman Thompson included four-of-seven shooting from beyond the arc to lead the effort. The loss snapped a 15-game winning streak for Arrowhead, including a 10-0 start in the conference.
A matchup Friday between Arrowhead (10-1) and Muskego (8-2) at Arrowhead will be a key one to watch as KM (8-2) catches up in conference games by playing Oconomowoc (7-5) Tuesday, Waukesha North (2-9) Friday and Catholic Memorial (5-6) Saturday.
More: Kettle Moraine boys and girls basketball teams thriving under new leaders
Dominant duos shine in St. Thomas More's win over Dominican
The area's premier matchup of the week featured the top two teams in the Metro Classic Conference, as St. Thomas More defeated Dominican, 112-96, Tuesday.
Although they lost, the Knights got strong performances from senior Jaiden Martin (29 points, nine assists, five rebounds) and junior Aaron Womack III (28 points, 14 rebounds, two assists). STM left little doubt, however, as to who has the best duo in the conference, if not the area. Cavaliers seniors Sekou Konneh (36 points, 13 rebounds, two assists) and Amari McCottry (35 points, 10 rebounds, six assists) led a 62-point second half with a blistering fast break and high-flying transition finishes.
St. Thomas More also received critical complementary scoring from junior Kenari Parr (12 points) and seniors Evan Oleson (13) and Kyle Alivo (10). The Cavaliers (10-0) entered Saturday's matchup with Racine St. Catherine's (6-4) with a two-game lead over Dominican (8-2). Barring a couple of upsets down the stretch, St. Thomas More, which also won its first meeting with Dominican this season, has all but wrapped up a conference title.
Milwaukee well-represented by WBCA honors
Over the past week, the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced 2024 Hall of Fame members and finalists for Mr. and Ms. Basketball. The release Tuesday of Hall of Fame candidates was highlighted by the inclusion of three current and former area coaches – Arrowhead boys coach Craig Haase, Oak Creek girls coach Steve Hluchnik and Marshall/Racine Horlick's Jason Trutelaar – among a class of 10 high school coach inductees.
Also in that high school coaching class were: St. Mary's Catholic/Hortonville's Jeff Chew, Black Hawk's Mike Flanagan, Fond du Lac's Ed Furth, Washburn's Duane Gasperini, Kewaunee's Lynn Geier, Almond-Bancroft's Curt Lamb and West Salem's Mark Wagner.
The Hall of Fame class also included the following coaches, contributors and players:
College coaches
John Tharp, Hillsdale College
Assistant coaches
Bill Mitchell, Mineral PointBarney Slowey, Phillips
Friends of the game
Matt Lepay, MadisonDan Valentyn, Freedom
Referees
Denita Lee Johnson, MilwaukeePaul Szelc, Wauwatosa
Girls players
Jolene Anderson, South ShoreMynette (Clark) Oliver, Racine CaseHelen Johnson, Milwaukee WashingtonBreehan (Kelley) Chancellor, Three LakesSteph (Krumrei) Dragani, Oshkosh LourdesNicole (Soulis) Kulkarni, Bay Port
Boys players
Terry Benka, CudahyReece Gaines, Madison WestTerry McKissick, Milwaukee MadisonLatrell Sprewell, Milwaukee WashingtonGreg Stiemsma, RandolphJJ Weber, Kettle MoraineTerry Youngbauer, Sussex Hamilton
The Hall of Fame Banquet will take place Sept. 29 at the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells.
The six finalists for Mr. Basketball were also announced Thursday, and all six are from the Milwaukee area. A winner will be announced the week of the boys state basketball tournament between: Carmen Northwest's Dupree Fletcher, Homestead's Tim Franks, Pewaukee's Nick Janowski, Pius XI's Jaquan Johnson, Wisconsin Lutheran's Kon Knueppel and St. Thomas More's Amari McCottry.
Look for a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel breakdown of the candidacy of each player coming next week.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Classic 8 tightens; Thomas More boys impress; WBCA honors announced
