Alright folks, grab a coffee, ’cause today I dove deep into trying to predict next year’s Wisconsin high school hoops champs. Feels crazy trying to call 2025 already, but hey, gotta start somewhere, right?
Getting the Ball Rolling
First thing, I sat down with my laptop feeling totally lost. Like staring at a blank screen wondering where to even begin with next year’s tournament. Obviously, this ain’t some NBA level stats we got here. Started simple: opened up a fresh spreadsheet. Just typed out last year’s final bracket winners and runners-up. Gotta know who was on top before speculating who stays there.
Diving Into the Data Mess
Figured I needed more than just gut feeling. Went straight down the rabbit hole:
- Scoured last season’s local news archives. Like, really dug through those tiny school sports blogs and regional recaps looking for any mention of standout seniors leaving. That gutted Brookfield Central’s chances hard in my head – their star point guard is graduating.
- Hunted down forums and Reddit threads. Sounds silly, but honestly? Those high school sports fanatics know their stuff. Found a thread debating underclassmen in Middleton – seems their coach’s kid is lighting up JV. Took notes.
- Compiled a stupidly long list. Started listing teams with known returning starters, added notes about coaches talking big about JV moves, any whispers about transfers in or out. My spreadsheet looked like pure chaos.
Making the “Formula” (More Like Guessing)
Here’s where it got shaky. Decided to ditch pure stats ‘cause it’s impossible. Went personal:
- Gave weight to teams with key players coming back. Like Marquette University School – their center is a beast and only a junior. Automatic boost.
- Knocked points for losing too many seniors. Sorry, Germantown. Loved you last year, but you bled talent.
- Added a wildcard slot. Remembered Kettle Moraine had that crazy Cinderella run two years back. Reserved spot for chaos.
- Got stuck on injuries. Heard rumblings about Onalaska’s shooting guard having knee issues? Couldn’t confirm, tossed it into a “maybe worry” column.
Building the Bracket (And Second Guessing)
Started slotting teams into those sweet sixteen spots based on my messy notes. Kept rearranging:
- Almost put Sun Prairie top dog, then remembered their tough district. Pushed them down one seed.
- Argued with myself about whether Eau Claire Memorial had enough depth. Felt like betting on thin ice.
- Ended up shuffling teams like a terrible poker hand for like an hour straight. Seriously, pros make this look easy.
The Final(ish) Calls
After spilling coffee on my notes – classic – forced myself to pick.
My early Final Four guesses:
- Marquette University School (That giant kid? Yeah. Enough said.)
- Kimberly (Always disciplined, always deep. Coach works magic.)
- Waunakee (Returning nearly the whole squad. Boring pick? Maybe. Safe bet? Probably.)
- And my chaos pick: Milwaukee Riverside. Heard whispers about a transfer guard making waves. Gut said go bold.
Championship Pick: Look, I’m probably gonna eat my words, but I landed on Marquette University School. Size wins tournaments sometimes, especially high school. Feel like Kimberly pushes them hard though.
Wrapping Up This Mess
So yeah, that’s my practice run for predicting 2025. It’s mostly gut, rumors, and hoping teams don’t get surprise transfers or injuries. Definitely not some fancy AI model. Just me, some caffeine, and a whole lotta hope I don’t look like a total fool next year. Remind me to check back then!