Brookfield Central star is on another late run
Brookfield Central boys basketball coach Dan Wandrey thought back over the past two years and wondered about standout senior David Joplin.
“I'd love to see his numbers in February and March over his sophomore, junior and senior years,” he said.
Wandrey knew the numbers would be good. What we found is a player who has elevated his play at the most important time of the season year after year.
As a sophomore Joplin averaged 18.8 points and 10 rebounds in the final 13 games and helped Central win the Division 1 state championship. That stretch included seven double-doubles. Take away that end-of-season run and he averaged 15.3 points and 8.2 rebounds.
Last year he averaged 28.4 points and 12.7 rebounds from February to the end of the season and 20.1 points and 9.7 rebounds the rest of the year.
This year the Texas recruit is on a similar arc. In February he is averaging 29.4 points and 12 rebounds compared to 24.1 points and 10.5 rebounds prior to that point. Wednesday he had 30 points on 11-for-18 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds in a win over Waukesha West. Thursday he posted 39 points on 12for-23 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds in a victory over Menomonee Falls.
“It's a little bit of a security blanket for all of us to know that he's there,” Wandrey said.
Joplin's play is one of the reasons Central (17-5) is an intriguing team heading into the postseason. After a slow start in the Greater Metro Conference – the Lancers were 4-3 at one point – the team entered play Saturday needing a win over West Allis Hale to clinch a tie for second in the conference with Brookfield East.
With a veteran at point guard who also is a Division I recruit in Ben Nau (St. Thomas, Minn.) and another Division I prospect in junior guard Andrew Rohde, the Lancers appear to be hitting their stride just in time to play in arguably the toughest regional in the state.
They'll open the tournament at Brookfield East on Friday with the winner probably headed for a showdown with Greater Metro champion Wauwatosa East the next day. All three teams are ranked in the top five of the Associated Press Division 1 state poll.
POY for Milan?
Pewaukee wrapped up the overall Woodland Conference title with a 68-54 victory over East Division champion Whitnall on Wednesday on the road. That win coupled with a 12-0 record in the West Division means we're most likely going to see a lot of Pirates on the all-Woodland West team.
Expect Milan Momcilovic to be at or near the top of the list. The best player on the best team always gets serious consideration for player of the year.
Momcilovic, however, might have found himself in that position without Pewaukee's team success. The 6-8 forward averaged 19.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in division games. His shooting was lights out, 63.4% (85 for 134) overall and 58.9% (33-56) from three-point range. His league scoring average was almost two points higher than his overall average.
“He's a great shooter. He makes great decisions, so just by definition he becomes an efficient player,” Pewaukee coach David Burkemper said. “He's got a lot of good players around him, so he rarely feels the need to force a shot”
Despite the team's balance, Momcilovic has been not only the most productive but also the most consistent player. And as a captain he is already displaying the intangibles that coaches appreciate.
“The teammates vote for the captains, so he's one of three,” Burkemper said. “In practice he's vocal. He's taken an active role in getting guys going, getting guys motivated.”
Big win for the Blackshirts
Waukesha South clinched its first winning season in the Classic 8 in 10 years Thursday when it defeated Arrowhead, 74-64, in the regular-season finale.
Sophomore guard Tyran Cook led the Blackshirts with 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting. Brady Henes, a junior guard, added 15 points and made five of seven shots., while junior forward Tommy Glenn added 14 points and made five of eight shots.
South (13-7, 9-7 fifth Classic 8) entered the year with a 61-game losing streak. Whenever its season ends it will be a team to watch in 2021-22. Cook (18.8 ppg) is the team's leading scorer and just two of its top seven players are seniors.
Playing it safe with Hunter
If you follow Racine St. Catherine's, you know all-state guard Tyrese Hunter returned to the court on Monday, getting six points, two rebounds and six assists in a 69-33 win over St. Thomas More. Thursday, however, the Iowa State recruit was absent from the lineup against Catholic Central.
It was a wise move considering the lack of the game's importance, especially with the postseason on the horizon.
St. Catherine's postseason debut comes Friday against the winner of Kenosha Christian Life-Shoreland Lutheran. Assuming the Angels advance, they'll face the winner of the Kenosha St. Joseph-Racine Lutheran regional semifinal.
“Hopefully he can play,” Angels coach Nick Bennett said in a text message. “We are not rushing with his future. Just testing and getting him a ready as we can.”
North Shore streak ends
Thursday night Cedarburg and Whitefish Bay tied for the North Shore Conference title, a first for that league since the 2009-10 season when Port Washington and Germantown tied for the crown. That 11-year run was the longest without a co-champion for any area conference.
The North Shore is the only conference of the eight in the area that had conference play this season to end in a tie, quite the contrast from what we saw on the girls side where six of those league produced ties for the championship.