Norse return starters from state team
While the highest scorer in the history of the program graduated, the Whitehall boys basketball team is returning two starters from last year’s team that qualified for the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association State Basketball Tournament.
Devon McCune scored more than 1,400 points in his career and averaged about 17 per game to lead the Norse to the state tournament last year. He departs the program along with third-leading scorer Luke Beighley and leading rebounder Colton Pank. However, the rest of Whitehall’s roster will return.
Senior Brayden Lisowski will likely be relied on to score more this year. Lisowski has been on varsity for three seasons and was second on the team, averaging 12.6 points per contest.
Lisowski and classmate Seth Lambeck were the team’s top outside shooters last year as the former made 52 three pointers and the latter 38. Lambeck averaged 7.6 points per game last year.
The team returns two more players who were key reserves last year in Preston Schroeder and Grant Olson. Schroeder averaged 8.4 points per contest last year — the fourth-best mark on the team — and Olson scored 3.3 per game. Of players with at least 20 attempts, Schroeder shot a team-best 43.6 percent on three pointers last season.
Other players who saw some varsity action last year and are expected to return to the Norse include CJ Johnston, Mason Pientok, Aydan Semb, Dan Soderberg and Demetrius Hodges.
In addition to qualifying for the state tournament, the Norse won the Dairyland Conference Large Division, something they’ve done three out of the last four years
While the Norse have plenty of guards, they’ll be looking for players to step up in the post. McCune, Beighley and Pank were the team’s three leading rebounders last year.
Whitehall’s season began with a game at Independence/Gilmanton on Monday and they’ll host Eleva-Strum on Thursday for the first of four straight home games. Whitehall will play Colfax this coming Monday and Melrose-Mindoro next Friday.
