State Basketball Roundup: Crowder named Big East player of the year

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NEW YORK CITY - Marquette University forward Jae Crowder was named the Big East men’s basketball player-of-the-year last night.

The 6-6 senior was the first Golden Eagle to receive the honor since the school joined the Big East in 2006. Dwayne Wade was the last Marquette player to get the top honor in his league – and that was in Conference USA in 2003. Jim McIlvanie is Marquette’s only other player-of-the-year recipient. That was in the Great Midwest Conference in 1994. Crowder averaged 18 points in Big East regular season games, the fourth-highest in the league. He also tied for first in steals with just under three per night. And he was sixth in field-goal percentage and ninth in rebounding with just over eight boards per contest. Cincinnati coach Mike Cronin said Crowder quote, “affects winning more than anyone in our conference.” Marquette coach Buzz Williams said he couldn’t argue with that. Also yesterday, Crowder was named one of 15 finalists for the John Wooden award as the nation’s top men’s player. Stan Heath of South Florida was named as the Big East coach-of-the-year, and Moe Harkless of Saint John’s was named the league’s top rookie. The awards were announced at the conference tournament in New York. Marquette has a double-bye, and will open with a quarter-final contest tomorrow.

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The Milwaukee Bucks will try to avoid losing an extra road game tonight, when they host the Chicago Bulls. The Bucks have not forgotten what happened on February fourth – when Milwaukee’s Bradley Center had 70-percent Bulls’ fans, and Chicago’s Derrick Rose brought them to a fever pitch by scoring 16 of his team’s first 18 points. The Bulls’ fans chanted “MVP” as Rose and his team won in an easy rout. The Bulls have sold out their last 69 home games – and for many fans, making the trip to Milwaukee is the only way they can see their team in person. Coach Scott Skiles says the Bucks’ job will be to silence the Chicago crowd by keeping the Bulls out of the game. He said the Bucks cannot quote, “be back on our heels and commit fouls – We’ve got to ready to compete.” Calling it an extra road game might be harsh, but Bucks’ guard Mike Dunleavy says it’s like a road game in some respects. He said the important thing is to deal with it and play good basketball. Dunleavy said the Bucks’ fans who show up do a good job of cheering – and Skiles says it’s up to the team to play better so more fans will buy tickets. The Bulls have beaten Milwaukee seven straight times, and they have the NBA’s best record at 32-8. The Bucks are 15-23. But they did gain a half-game in the playoff race after New York last night. The Bucks are now three games behind the Knicks for the final playoff spot in the East.

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There were relatively few surprises last night in the opening round of the girls’ state high school basketball regionals. Of the 153 games that were played, 20 lower-seeded teams pulled off upsets. The highest-seed to go down was a Number-six, and three of those teams lost – Elmwood, Lena, and Siren, all in Division-Five. One of the five defending champions from 2011 played last night. Division-Three titlist Altoona had no trouble defeating Ellsworth, 58-37. The only Number-One seeds to play were in Division-Five, and all four of those teams were victorious – Owen-Withee, Goodman-Pembine, Chippewa Falls McDonell, and South Wayne Black Hawk. The other 32 top-seeds had byes, along with 135 other schools. They’ll play their tournament openers on Friday. Defending champions Glendale Nicolet, New London, Eau Claire Regis, and Wausau Newman were among the teams which had last night off. Sixty-four teams are still alive in each of the five divisions.

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WIAA girls' high school basketball regional scores

Division 1

Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln Sectional 1

Eau Claire Memorial 59, Hudson 36

La Crosse Central 41, Wausau East 24

Neenah 56, Appleton West 38

Sheboygan North Sectional 2

Germantown 44, Waukesha North 35

Green Bay Southwest 38, Green Bay East 29

Waukesha South 65, Mequon Homestead 31

Sun Prairie Sectional 3

Beloit Memorial 68, Burlington 40

Kenosha Tremper 59, Kenosha Bradford 16

Sun Prairie 69, Madison East 47

Watertown 49, Madison Memorial 19

Whitefish B aySectional 4

Brookfield Central 68, Milwaukee Ronald Reagan 15

Milwaukee Pulaski/Arts 53, Milwaukee Hamilton 49 2OT

Milwaukee South 44, Racine William Horlick 27

West Allis Central 56, Brookfield East 34

West Allis Hale 50, Milwaukee Madison/Northwest 41

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Division 2

Marshfield Sectional 1

Hortonville 60, Mosinee 37

Menomonie 48, New Richmond 45, OT

Onalaska 53, Tomah 30

River Falls 60, Sparta 51

Waupaca 43, Shawano 32

Fond du Lac Sectional 2

Cedarburg 55, West Bend East 47

Kaukauna 47, Marinette 28

Menasha 64, Green Bay West 37

Port Washington 46, Kewaskum 39

Janesville Craig Sectional 3

Monroe 51, Portage 45

Mount Horeb 47, Sauk Prairie 27

Oregon 49, McFarland 42

Stoughton 64, Westosha Central 37

Waukesha South Sectional 4

Milwaukee Lutheran 65, Wauwatosa East 58

Shorewood 50, Milwaukee Messmer 43

Waukesha Catholic Memorial 78, Milwaukee Bay View 15

Whitnall 60, Greendale 52

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Division 3

Chippewa Falls Sectional 1

Altoona 58, Ellsworth 37

Amery 46, St. Croix Central 29

Baldwin-Woodville 50, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau 25

Black River Falls 31, Prescott 25

Osceola 45, Maple Northwestern 43

Somerset 67, Cumberland 18

Spooner 58, Unity 49

West Salem 47, Viroqua 19

Ashwaubenon Sectional 2

Little Chute 53, Peshtigo 31

Mishicot 68, Two Rivers 43

Northland Pines 63, Tomahawk 38

Oconto Falls 61, Clintonville 40

Southern Door 66, Valders 48

Sturgeon Bay 52, New Holstein 41

Weyauwega-Fremont 46, Winneconne 41

Wrightstown 34, Chilton 23

Waunaukee Sectional 3

Clinton 67, Beloit Turner 41

Dodgeville 47, Wisconsin Dells 32

Evansville 63, Walworth Big Foot 58

Jefferson 68, Orfordville Parkview 41

Lake Mills 63, Palmyra-Eagle 32

Mauston 67, Wautoma 31

Prairie du Chien 43, River Valley 23

Platteville 34, Westfield 31

Cedarburg Sectional 4

Kiel 67, Milwaukee Thomas More 35

Milwaukee Languages 52, Milwaukee St. Joan Antida 38

North Fond du Lac 48, Poynette 40

Omro 43, Watertown Luther Prep 35

Racine St. Catherine's 82, Milwaukee North 21

Sheboygan Falls 47, Milwaukee University School 31

St. Francis 46, Campbellsport 37

Winnebago Lutheran 40, Mayville 13

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Division 4

Osseo-Fairchild Sectional 1

Athens 50, Abbotsford 49

Chequamegon 49, Clear Lake 36

Fall Creek 50, Thorp 27

Flambeau 58, Webster 27

Glenwood City 66, Phillips 39

Grantsburg 58, Spring Valley 32

Spencer 62, Cadott 28

Elk Mound 59, Stanley-Boyd 48

Waupaca Sectional 2

Marathon 81, Three Lakes 33

Menominee Indian 45, Manawa 38

Oconto 70, Crivitz 27

Shiocton 49, Gillett 44

Menasha St. Mary's 56, Iola-Scandinavia 47

Stevens Point Pacelli 43, Rosholt 22

Stratford 70, Plainfield Tri-County 34

Mauston Sectional 3

Bangor 79, Necedah 31

Blair-Taylor 50, Riverdale 15

Boscobel 45, Iowa-Grant 32

Darlington 60, Waterloo 8

Belleville 46, Lancaster 44

Onalaska Luther 64, Pittsville 48

Pardeeville 49, Mineral Point 48

Whitehall 61, Melrose-Mindoro 57

Waukesha North Sectional 4

Milwaukee Destiny 48, Milwaukee Hope School 36

Eastbrook Academy 48, Milwaukee Salaam School 19

Fond du Lac Springs 58, Dodgeland 17

Horicon 50, Ozaukee 46

Laconia 47, Reedsville 31

Cedar Grove-Belgium 45, Montello 31

Random Lake 70, Beaver Dam Wayland Academy 41

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Division 5

Spooner Sectional 1

Clayton 41, New Auburn 22

Frederic 79, Bayfield 25

Greenwood 66, Bruce 19

Lake Holcombe 52, Rib Lake 24

Loyal 28, Wisconsin Valley Lutheran 27

Luck 48, Siren 39

Marshfield Columbus 43, Cornell 35

Mellen 56, Butternut 26

Owen-Withee 88, Granton 23

Prentice 57, Gilman 23

Shell Lake 50, Drummond 38

South Shore 81, Solon Springs 42

Turtle Lake 48, Prairie Farm 23

Washburn 76, Birchwood 45

Winter 83, Mercer 24

Pulaski Sectional 2

Almond-Bancroft 35, Gresham 27

Elcho 61, Bowler 39

Elkhart Lake 51, Niagara 28

Florence 48, Lena 34

Goodman-Pembine 46, Sevastopol 26

Green Bay NEW Lutheran 57, Suring 38

Hilbert 50, Gibraltar 35

Laona 47, Port Edwards 33

Marion 59, Northland Lutheran 41

Oneida Nation 57, Wausaukee 48

Sheboygan Lutheran 50, Marinette St. Thomas Aquinas 36

Stockbridge 44, Kohler 30

Tigerton 47, Oshkosh Valley Christian 14

Wabeno 43, Phelps 19

Wisconsin Rapids Assumption 64, White Lake 24

La Crosse Central Sectional 3

Alma/Pepin 66, Brookwood 43

Belmont 64, Cassville 13

Cashton 52, Benton/Shullsburg 41

Chippewa Falls McDonell 74, Gilmanton 35

Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran 70, Cochrane-Fountain City 44

Eleva-Strum 68, Augusta 47

Hillsboro 59, Elmwood 48

Ithaca 38, La Farge 26

Kickapoo 44, De Soto 26

New Lisbon 64, Alma Center Lincoln 32

North Crawford 59, Wauzeka 45

Potosi 63, Weston 26

River Ridge 63, Southwestern 62, 2OT

Royall 40, Independence 22

Wonewoc-Center 46, Plum City 34

Fort Atkinson Sectional 4

Madison Abundant Life/Madison Country Day 54, Trinity Academy 51

Barneveld 67, Cambria-Friesland 15

Fall River 70, Albany 38

Highland 55, Princeton 42

Hustisford 46, Hartland University Lake 16

Juda 46, Argyle 36

Lake Country Lutheran 59, Sheboygan Christian 32

Living Word Lutheran 80, Milwaukee Academy of Science 8

Monticello 46, Oakfield 42

Racine Lutheran 80, Johnson Creek 28

Randolph 54, Pecatonica 30

Rio 59, Waupun Central Wisconsin Christian 47

Black Hawk 49, Green Lake 33

Williams Bay 33, Williams Bay Faith Christian 32 OT

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