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Preview: Wisconsin Playground Club 17U UAA

By Justin R. Mallett, 04/17/19, 12:00PM CDT

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Preview: Wisconsin Playground Club 17U UAA

#1 JR Cison, 6-0, G, Class of 2019, Lake Zurich, Ill. -- "A smart pass-first point guard. He was asked to take on the scoring load for his Lake Zurich team this past season and did so at the tune of over 20 points per game. He will definitely push the pace for us when he is in the game and his passing and vision is a strength we were missing on this team much of last season. We are very happy to have him on our team and in the Playground program."

#2 Trey Zastrow, 6-0, G, Class of 2020, Manitowoc Lutheran -- Begins senior season with 1,418 career points at Manitowoc Lutheran ... Two-time unanimous first-team all-league pick in the Big East Conference ... Averaged 24.0 points and 3.2 assists as a junior while helping the Lancers to a 13-11 record ... Shot 86 percent from the foul line and 47 percent from three-point range, making 70 of 150 attempts ... Won the WIAA Three-Point Challenge as part of the 2019 WIAA State Tournament ... Older brother, Nathan, played at North Dakota State and father, Gordy, is the head coach at Manitowoc Lutheran ... "The Zastrow family (Gordy and Jamie) have had a son in our program for 20 straight years. Trey is a great shooter, probably hands down the best shooter in the state of Wisconsin. Trey has gotten more confident in bringing the ball up the court and that will help us immensely given the pressure we will face in the Under Armour Association. He will continue to develop over the season and will be a major contributor to our team."

#3 Mason Madsen, 6-3, G, Class of 2020, Rochester, Minn., Mayo -- "Mason is a 4.0 student and a gym rat. Mason is a tough lead guard. He can also get rolling on offense, but his toughness and will to win is what he will bring to our team this season. We have been talking about Mason being a leader and making the players around him better. That is a primary goal for him this season. If I were going into a tough game, I definitely want a kid like Mason beside me."

#4 Johnny Davis, 6-5, G, Class of 2020, La Crosse Central -- Super aggressive wing guard who has excellent length and athleticism ... Averaged 23.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game as a junior for a La Crosse Central squad that went 24-3 and qualified for the WIAA Division 2 State Tournament for the third straight season ... Finished with 31 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in a 72-71 loss to Milwaukee Washington in the D2 state semifinals as a junior ... Chosen Player of the Year in the Mississippi Valley Conference in 2018-19 ... "Johnny is the face of the PGC program in 2019. He is as advertised and he plays his butt off every game. He has earned everything he is getting and he will get more this season. I love his mid-range game and I love the fact he can play lock-down defense on an opposing teams best player. In our opinion, he is the best individual defensive player in the state of Wisconsin. I think NCAA Division I schools are really starting to notice this as well. I would like for him to work on his leadership as well and making sure our guys are always playing at a high level that is required for us to be successful in the Under Armour Association."

#5 Gabe Madsen, 6-6, WG, Class of 2020, Rochester, Minn., Mayo -- "Gabe is a great basketball player. He can get hot really quickl and have 40 points in a heartbeat. He has been working on other parts of his game and it showed as he has had multiple games of triple doubles for the Rochester Mayo team this past winter. He does have to continue working on his defense, but he definitely has the look and skill set to be a high-major NCAA Division I player."

#6 Jordan Davis, 6-4, G, Class of 2020, La Crosse Central -- A good perimeter shooter who averaged 12.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 2.1 apg as a junior for La Crosse Central, which went 24-3 and advanced to the WIAA Division 2 State Tournament for the third straight season. Led the Red Raiders in made three-point field goals with 52. Twin brother of Johnny Davis and son of former NBA forward Mark Davis ... First-team all-Mississippi Valley Conference performer as a junior ... "Jordan is our jack-of -all- trades player. He can do many things on the court. He can play lock-down defense, but he can bring the ball up as well as knock down shots. He is the glue to this team. I would like to see him become more aggressive when he is playing, and I know he will attract some additional interest from NCAA Division I programs this season."

#7 Carson Arenz, 6-5, G/F, Class of 2020, Onalaska -- Skilled wing forward with deep shooting range and the ability to attack the hoop off the dribble. Earned first-team all-league honors in the Mississippi Valley Conference as a junior after averaging 15.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg and 2.2 apg and helping Onalaska to a 20-5 record ... Scored a season-high 26 points in victories over La Crosse Logan and Sparta ... "We have been practicing since mid-March and Carson is night-and-day better than he was last year. He is just a cerebral basketball player who gets the job done and does what is asked of him. I really feel he is going to open some eyes with his overall skill set and talent. He is going to be a major contributor to this team this season as well."

#9 Jacob Ognacevic, 6-8, F, Class of 2020, Sheboygan Lutheran -- Versatile forward prospect who can score around the basket and from the perimeter ... Highly efficient and productive player who averaged 30.5 points and 15.5 rebounds as a junior and earned unanimous first-team all-league honors in the Big East Conference ... Helped Sheboygan Lutheran to a 27-2 record and the WIAA Division 5 state title in 2018-19.  "Jacob is easily one of the most improved players in the state of Wisconsin over the past 9-10 months.  He is capable of scoring with his back to the basket and is also very comfortable facing up as well.  He competes on every possession and we will need that from him in order for us to achieve maximum success in the Under Armour Association.  His ability to defend and rebound will be instrumental to our squad throughout the upcoming spring/summer season."

#10 Alex Antetokounmpo, 6-7, F, Class of 2020, Dominican -- Younger brother of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo ... An emerging wing player with good size, athleticism and versatility ... Can score in the lane and from three-point range while also filling the lane and dunking in transition ... Averaged 19.2 points and 8.2 rebounds as a junior at Dominican and earned first-team all-league honors in the MetroClassic Conference ... "Alex is a dynamic player who can do a lot of things on the court and brings some additional versatility to our team. He is very long so that helps on both ends of the court. He can score at a very high rate and when he is going downhill, his body and frame allows him to score consistently. I would like for Alex to become more aggressive on the defensive end of the court. I have loved not only his skill set, but the energy he brings to the game. Alex joins his older brother Kostas choosing to develop and play for our program and if he plays how I know he can, we will be very successful on the UA circuit this season."

#11 Marcellus Taliaferro, 6-7, F, Class of 2020, Milwaukee Lutheran -- Averaged 7.9 points per game as a junior at Milwaukee Lutheran, helping the Red Knights to a 20-4 record under coach Marcus Jackson ... Scored a career-high 17 points in a triumph over Menomonee Falls ... "Marcellus has a big, wide body and he will help our team on the interior. He is a capable scorer and continues to work hard on his offensive game. We expect him to be able to defend bigger players on the interior as he is so strong and physical. I look forward to working with Marcellus this season as he embraces his role on our team in helping us win basketball games."

#12 Terrance Thompson, 6-7, F, Class of 2020, La Crosse Central -- Physical power forward who averaged 7.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a junior ... Earned second-team all-league recognition in the Mississippi Valley Conference while helping La Crosse Central to a 24-3 record and a spot in the WIAA State Tournament for the third straight year ... "Terrance is a post player with the ability the stretch the floor. He has a strong body and when his body is square with the hoop, not many players can stop him. He is a strong rebounder and, in my opinion, a very underrated defender. I do feel that he needs to be more aggressive on both ends of the court. This is a big season for him. If he can show his ability to be aggressive, score on the block and dominate the glass, I believe our team will be very successful and he will garner a plethora of attention from NCAA Division I programs."

#13 David Skogman, 6-10, F, Class of 2019, Waukesha West -- First-team all-Classic Eight Conference performer as a senior ... Led the league in rebounding at 12.7 rebounds per contest ... Also averaged 18.3 points, 2.1 assists and 3.2 blocked shots while helping Waukesha West to a 22-4 record and the league title ... Finished prep career with more than 1,000 points ... Can score in the paint and from the perimeter ... "David is a versatile player who can score in the paint as well as beyond the arc. He continues to work on all aspects of his game and has gotten stronger the past six weeks. He is an adequate passer and has good feet, which allows him to guard both fours and fives in the Under Armour Association. While he rebounds well, we would like to see him make rebounding more of a focus, particularly on the defensive end of the floor. His willingness to play aggressively on that end will be a major asset to our squad. David has fit in nicely with our team and we believe he will enhance his opportunities to play at the next level."

 

Team Notes (from coach Justin R. Mallett): "Overall, this team is very talented as evidenced by seven players having received NCAA Division I scholarship offers. We have talent at every position and we have multiple players who have scored more than 1,000 points in their high school career. I am not worried about our team offensively, but I would like to see them bring the same energy on the defensive end that they all do on the offensive end of the court. It will come down to the little things this season with this group. They are not used to losing games and that is a great thing, but if we are not willing to do the little things like talk, rebound and scrap that could change this year at 17U while competing in the Under Armour Association and on the Prep Hoops Circuit. I love our personality and I am excited to work with this group during their final AAU season."