Top of the Key (Dec. 2)

In the same vein as my weekly football roundups, I'll try my hand at weekly hoops roundups highlighting some of the biggest games in the area.

Local angles

Arrowhead boys 59, Milwaukee Washington 58. Unquestionably the outcome of the week in the Lake Country area, as Washington entered the season among the state's top-ranked teams. The Warhawks are now as high as No. 2 in some polls after the victory at the City vs. Suburban Classic, held at Wisconsin Lutheran college. Ben Mills (pictured) gave everyone an early glance as to why he's a Division 1 recruit, finishing with 23 points -- including two with the slam dunk in the picture.

Pewaukee boys 58, Wauwatosa West 56. The Pirates are supposed to be in somewhat of a down year after graduating five seniors, but it's clear the expectations and level of success will remain fairly high. Tosa West is one of the favorites in the Woodland Black, and the Pirates nonethless held on for an enriching victory against a team with three returning starters.

Menomonee Falls boys 88, Oconomowoc 39. Cooney was missing some players due to suspension, so this wasn't really a fair fight. The Indians are supremely talented and had their way with a team that still expects to make noise in the Wisconsin Little Ten.

Mukwonago boys 70, Hartford 60. Ty Bauschek will be a force to reckon with in the Classic 8 all season long, and his 27 points helped the Indians defeat the Orioles for the second straight year. MHS fell by a lopsided margin to Washington in the season-opener, but there isn't much shame in that -- this win demonstrates they really have a strong team.

Mukwonago girls 40, Brookfield Central 33. It's back to the top of the heap for the MHS girls basketball team, as the "upset" of Brookfield Central re-affirms their status as a state powerhouse. The Indians have loaded up the schedule this year to get as many tough looks as possible, and Central figured to be among the toughest in the early season. MHS will get input from returning veterans as well as quality freshmen and sophomores.

Muskego girls 50, Kettle Moraine 36. Like Mukwonago, the Lasers have a schedule packed with challenging opponents -- including six games against teams ranked in the state's preaseason top 10. Muskego was the highest-ranked of the lot and proved too tough to handle behind seven 3-pointers from Katie Ellerson. The Lasers are pretty deep, though, and will be battle-tested by year's end.

Big games

Milwaukee King boys 65, Menomonee Falls 62 (OT). The recruitment of sophomore JP Tokoto has already become something of a circus, and one has to wonder if the young talent can maintain an elite level of play with the bullseye so completely on his back. Traditionally strong King got the upper hand here in the City vs. Suburban Classic, with Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan in attendance.

Dominican boys 58, Catholic Memorial 55. A late charge by Dominican netted 22 fourth-quarter points and tripped up the Crusaders in the battle of strong private-school programs. Both of these teams will be discussed a lot in the coming weeks, both as contenders for elite status and as examples in the ongoing debate over a fifth division and the "urban vs. rural" private-school debate therein. Derek Schell led CMH with 22 points.

Milwaukee Vincent girls 40, Divine Savior Holy Angels 37. The three-time defending state champs had their hands full with the Greater Metro heavyweight but persevered in the NY2LA Classic at Milwaukee Pius. A 54-43 win over Nicolet the following day proved to harbor less tension. Tynika Rodgers hit the game-winning 3-pointer with one second left.

Surprises

Nicolet boys 62, Marquette 43. Nicolet, led by Myles Henry, is a very nice team, but I definitely didn't foresee a blowout against one of the favorites in the Greater Metro.

New Berlin Eisenhower girls 63, Cudahy 38. Likewise, the outcome isn't as much of a surprise as the score. Eisenhower has a lot of talent, but Cudahy sophomore Taylor Gradinjan (14 points) might be one of the best players in her class in the state. She couldn't prevent a lopsided loss, however.

Nicolet girls 59, Muskego 57. I have to admit, I had never heard of Nicolet's Ashley Green until this game. She dropped in 34 points and instantly put herself on the state radar by helping the Knights knock off one of the preseason favorites to win the gold ball -- a team that went 16-0 in conference last year.

Buzzer beaters

Martin Luther boys 54, Union Grove 53. Nathan Wingfield jumper wins it.
Milwaukee Vincent girls 40, Divine Savior Holy Angels 37. Tynika Rodgers hits 3-pointer to win.
West Allis Central boys 64, Kettle Moraine 55. Pat Zemanovic of KM forces overtime with layup.

-- did I miss anything? E-mail me at jradcliffe@jcpgroup.com and straighten me out!