Generals' future appears bright

Madison During the press conference following the WIAA Division 1 state basketball championship game, Rufus King Coach Jim Gosz would only take a moment to discuss the future.

"We'll be good, but I just don't want to worry about next year or the year after," he said. "I'm just tickled pink with the present right now."

Whenever Gosz does start thinking about next season, he should feel pretty good. The loss of this year's senior-dominated group will be tough, but the play of some of the team's younger players during the state tournament and a strong junior varsity program leave the impression that the Generals won't fall completely off the list of basketball heavyweights.

Junior Biaya Kadima will bring the most experience to next year's squad. This year, the 5-11 guard provided offense off the bench and at times hit some big baskets for the Generals.

In December, he hit a game- winning 3-pointer to push King past Tech. At state, he drained a 3-pointer in the first half against West Bend East that put King ahead for good.

The tournament also served as an arena for sophomores Damien Ninkovic and Michael Wilks to display their talents.

Ninkovic, whose brother Dayon was named first-team all-state by the Associated Press last season, displayed strength on the boards and a nice touch around the basket. The 6-7 center can also hit free throws, sinking 9 of 13 in three state tourney games, including a 6-for-6 effort in the championship game.

Wilks, a 5-8 guard, was more of a defensive presence, but he did hit a 3-pointer that gave King a seven-point lead against Watertown with three minutes left in the game.

"They stepped up and they've been stepping up all season," senior Corey Reed said. "When they got moved up to varsity it really helped them out a lot because they started playing with seniors and getting more maturity."

Here is a peek at how some teams from the southeastern part of the state may look next season:

Greendale: With three starters and two other players in their rotation returning next season, the Panthers hope they won't have to wait too long to return to state.

Among those returning will be the team's top two scorers, juniors Steve Malkowski and Brian Dorrington, two second-team all- Woodland Conference selections. Malkowski, a 6-2 forward, led the team with 15.8 points and four rebounds a game. Dorrington, a 5-10 guard, added 12.4 points and 3.8 assists.

The toughest spot to replace will be point guard, where Mark Loughrin showed he was more than a tennis star playing basketball to pass the time. The two- time state tennis champion averaged 8.2 assists a game and led the Panthers in scoring in the Division 2 semifinals and final.

The team's other major losses will be starting forward Mike Karolewicz and reserve guard Mike Domanik. Karolewicz led the team in rebounding.

Tech: The Trojans are always competitive, but there will be a lot of holes to fill next season.

Troey McEuens, an All-City first-team pick, will be gone. So will the quick backcourt duo of Montrell Ross and Jamous Powell.

Ray Perine will be the team's only returning starter. The 6-2 senior played the center spot for the Trojans, averaging nine points and four rebounds.

One player who could see more minutes next season is Ryan Michalak. The 5-9 guard came off the bench and dished out three assists in the Trojans' quarterfinal win over Janesville Craig.

Watertown: With the success they enjoyed in the tournament, the Goslings will surprise no one next season.

The team loses Cale Vogel and Jeff Oiler, but Coach Bill Lechner should have plenty of familiar faces to place in the lineup. The most obvious are juniors Nathan Suhr and Ryan Lessner, who were both named to the Associated Press all-tournament team.

Suhr, named first-team All-Little Ten Conference, averaged 18.6 points in three tournament games, shooting 43% (19 of 44). Lessner struggled in the championship game, but in the quarterfinals and semifinals averaged 15.5 points a game. In the three games at state, he shot 10 of 24 from 3-point range.

Junior point guard Jeff Martin held out considerably well against King's defense, and 6-4 sophomore Mike Oiler came off the bench and gave the Goslings good minutes.

West Bend East: The Suns are in for a major rebuilding job. They started five seniors and didn't go too deep.

The most obvious losses will be Little Ten Conference player of the year Mark Thomson and all- conference first-team pick Adam Falkner. The two will head to Minnesota Duluth next year and take more than 33 points of per-game offensive production with them.

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