As the high school basketball season winds to a close this week with the WIAA Boys State Tournament, it's time to look all the way back to November and see how my predictions ultimately worked out this year.
First, for the girls. I listed the following top five teams: Oak Creek, Brookfield Central, Muskego, Cudahy and Whitnall, with New Berlin Eisenhower, New Berlin West, Franklin, Nicolet and South Milwaukee as teams to watch.
In that group, Brookfield Central, Muskego, Whitnall, Eisenhower and Nicolet all won or shared conference or division titles. Central made it to the state tournament, while Oak Creek, Muskego, Cudahy and Franklin all lost in sectional play.
For the boys, the top teams as of November were Wauwatosa East, Germantown, Brookfield Central, New Berlin Eisenhower and Whitefish Bay, with Whitnall, Nicolet and Menomonee Falls as teams to watch.
Eisenhower, Bay and Whitnall all claimed conference or division titles. Germantown is going to the state tournament, while Tosa East, Bay, Whitnall and Falls all played into the sectionals, and all four lost to an eventual state qualifier.
Except for the South Milwaukee girls, who lost their leading scorer to injury, and the Brookfield Central boys, it appears I was fairly accurate in picking out the best teams.
Now for even more of a challenge.
Like Dick Vitale does every year, I will attempt to pick next season's top five teams (and I don't have to factor in players going pro early).
BOYS: 1.Menomonee Falls, 2. Whitefish Bay, 3. Whitnall, 4. Germantown, 5. Wauwatosa East. Teams to watch: New Berlin Eisenhower, New Berlin West, Greenfield.
GIRLS: 1. Muskego, 2. Brookfield Central, 3. Nicolet, 4. Oak Creek, 5. New Berlin Eisenhower. Teams to watch: Whitnall, Franklin, West Allis Central.
I can't wait until they tip it off again in November.
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Speaking of hoops predictions, here is a guess about the NCAA men's Final Four:
MIDWEST: My choice: Louisville; darkhorses, Wake Forest, Southern California
WEST: My choice: Memphis; darkhorses, Purdue, California
EAST: My choice, Pittsburgh; darkhorses, Villanova, VCU
SOUTH: My choice, North Carolina, if Ty Lawson can play effectively; if not, Syracuse; darkhorses, Butler, Western Kentucky.
