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UwRitchie Davis has been a busy coach this week at the AdidasInvitational in Indianapolis. When the coach of Wisconsin Playground Warriors isn’t talking upSheboygan Lutheran’s Sam Dekker as a McDonald’s All-Americancandidate, he’s watching a veritable Who’s who of college coacheslining up to check out La Crosse Aquinas’ Bronson Koenig’sgames. “We’re lucky in our state right now,” Davis said. “I don’t carewhere they choose to go to school, you have those two kids alongwith (Menomonee Falls’) J.P. (Tokoto) playing high schoolbasketball in Wisconsin. “So for anybody who likes the game and is a fan, it’s a treat tohave them around.” Dekker, a 6-foot-8 senior from Sheboygan Lutheran who has orallycommitted to play for the University of Wisconsin, has been one ofthe most-watched prep players in the country by recruiting analystsso far this year.


Davis said a McDonald’s All-America representative talked to himand UW coach Bo Ryan about Dekker this week. “It sure would be awfully interesting in Chicago next spring (atthe McDonald’s game) if all of a sudden there’s a kid fromSheboygan Lutheran in the game,” Davis said. But Dekker will have everyone’s respect because they know he canplay. In fact, it’s likely Dekker will end up higher on the recruitinganalysts’ rating charts than Tokoto, who has orally committed toplay at North Carolina. “Sam can put it on the floor, he shoots it, he gets to the rim.In 15 years I’ve met a lot of types of players, but I haven’t had akid equated with the whole package like he has and in terms of whathe brings


Davis said. Meantime, Koenig, a 6-2 junior, now has coaches from Dukewatching his games — but he hasn’t been offered a scholarship bythe Blue Devils … yet. If they do offer Koenig, they’ll join UW, Kansas, North Carolinaand UCLA among others in the recruiting battle. Some players whom the UW coaching staff has looked at, or willlook at, during the July evaluation period include 6-1 Onalaskaguard Matt Thomas, 6-5 Chanhassen (Minn.) forward Zach Stahl, 6-9Champlin (Minn.) forward Kyle Washington and 6-11 Sioux City (Iowa)center Adam Woodbury. Woodbury is the lone senior among that group. the rest arejuniors.

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