
NOW's JR Radcliffe takes a weekly look at the top five boys and girls teams in the NOW coverage area and ranks the schools, updated every Sunday.

NOW's JR Radcliffe takes a weekly look at the top five boys and girls teams in the NOW coverage area and ranks the schools, updated every Sunday.
Germantown, 16-0; Last week: 1
A 90-54 win over Whitefish Bay on Jan. 27 gave Germantown its 13th performance scoring 70 or better and fourth showing in the 90s. Zak Showalter continued his offensive showcase, bringing in 31 points and helping his team to a 33-4 lead after the first quarter. Jake Showalter, Dan Studer and Evan Wesenberg also found double figures. Now at 10-5, it's not like Whitefish Bay is a slouch, but the Warhawks are unstoppable right now.
Dominican, 12-1; Last week: 2
Duane Wilson wasn't in the box score, but that didn't matter when Dominican took down St. John's Northwestern Military Academy on Jan. 26, 78-48. Jamall Taylor and Diamond Stone were again over the 20-point plateau. With Aquinas (an opponent Feb. 11) at 7-7 and losing standout Bronson Koenig to injury, it's possible the only real remaining test on the schedule is a Feb. 18 battle against 9-4 Madison Edgewood.

Homestead, 13-2; Last week: 4
Homestead gets a bump up in the rankings this week after a Brookfield Central loss, while the Highlanders took down Nicolet, 68-54. Jake Laihinen scored 23 points and Luke Worthington added 14, and the Highlanders have a couple winnable games upcoming in the North Shore. Homestead meets Menomonee Falls on Feb. 7.
Brookfield Central, 13-3; Last week: 3
Menomonee Falls turned a 56-43 upset against Central on Jan. 27, which would have put the Lancers' hold on the Greater Metro Conference top spot in jeopardy had Wauwatosa East not also incurred a loss this past week to West Allis Central. (Pictured: Seth Mortag)
New Berlin Eisenhower, 13-3; Last week: 6
The Lions registered one of the season's biggest wins last week by topping Whitnall, then took care of business against Wauwatosa West on Jan. 27. Eisenhower has long been one of the frontrunners in the Woodland Conference, and the program is in position to grab yet another league title.
New Berlin Eisenhower, 14-0; Last week: 1
Standout Nicole Bauman was absent from the lineup, but the Lions were their usual dominant selves in blowing out Whitnall and Wauwatosa West last week, with Jenny Weiland and Katie Lang reaching double figures both times. The Lions have big battles ahead with Pewaukee, nonconference foe Brookfield Central and a South Milwaukee team that presents essentially the lone threat in the Woodland Black.
Nicolet, 14-0; Last week: 2
We'd love to know who would win in a battle between Ike and Nicolet, but it may never come to pass, though the two teams could brush shoulders in between state championship games later this winter. A win over Homestead was the latest notch in Nicolet's belt on their path toward perfection. (Pictured: Courtney Smith)
Dominican, 10-1; Last week: 3
St. Joan Antida was no match for the Knights on Jan. 28 in a 69-26 blowout, which actually looked like a competitive battle compared to the 105-13 showing from one week earlier. With senior Deysha Smith-Jenkins on the shelf with injury, three players (Allazia Blockton, Dilonna Johnson and Mishayla Jones) rank among the area's scoring leaders.
Whitefish Bay, 13-1; Last week: 6
Defense continued to be the centerpiece of the Whitefish Bay attack, holding two foes to an average of 37 points this past week. A great gauge for the Blue Dukes arrives Feb. 7, when the team travels to face Greater Metro Conference frontrunner Divine Savior Holy Angels.
Sussex Hamilton, 10-2; Last week: 4
The arrival on the Roundball Rankings was a bad luck charm for the Chargers, as the team incurred its first two losses of the season and went from league frontrunner to a tie for second place with Menomonee Falls. A setback against DSHA was the spotlighted game Jan. 24, but the team followed with a one-point loss to West Allis Central on Jan. 27.

Photo by Peter Zuzga
New Berlin Eisenhower's Reed Timmer tries to gain control of a loose ball while Wauwatosa West's Steffan Brown zooms in during the contest Jan. 27. Eisenhower won the Woodland battle.

Girls
Boys
Averages are taken from the Wissports.net online database. Adjustments will be made only if submitted by that player's coach to JR Radcliffe at jradcliffe@jcpgroup.com. Averages through Jan. 28. NOTE: Dominican, Cudahy, Thomas More, Martin Luther, St. Francis, South Milwaukee, Sussex Hamilton and Brookfield Academy belong to NOW's extended coverage zone and are not part of primary weekly sports coverage in NOW Newspapers.
Current active leading scorers among all NOW-area high schools. All seniors, unless noted.
Boys
(pictured)Girls
* juniors in 2011-12
Stats accumulated from Wissports.net database through Feb. 2.
Several NOW teams have popped up on the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association rankings (through Feb. 2).
Division 1 girls
1. Nicolet (15-0)
13. Sussex Hamilton (11-2)
14. Menomonee Falls (14-3)
Division 2 girls
2. New Berlin Eisenhower (14-0)
4. Whitefish Bay (15-1)
7. Cudahy (13-2)
Division 3 girls
3. Dominican (11-1)
Division 1 boys
1. Germantown (17-0)
10. Homestead (14-2)
15. Brookfield Central (13-4)
Division 2 boys
8. Whitnall (14-2)
12. Wauwatosa East (12-5)
14. New Berlin Eisenhower (14-3)
Division 4 boys
1. Dominican (13-1)
Rating the rest of the boys teams:
Wauwatosa East, 12-4
Whitnall, 13-2
West Allis Central, 11-4
South Milwaukee, 11-4
Thomas More, 11-4
Franklin, 7-8
Brown Deer, 11-5
Whitefish Bay, 10-5
New Berlin West, 12-4
Menomonee Falls, 7-7
Brookfield East, 7-9
Sussex Hamilton, 7-9
Brookfield Academy, 10-5
Shorewood, 8-7
Greendale, 5-10
Others (alpha): Cudahy, 3-11; Greenfield, 1-14; Martin Luther, 4-10; Muskego, 4-11; Nicolet, 2-13; Oak Creek, 5-9; St. Francis, 0-15; Wauwatosa West, 2-13; West Allis Hale, 3-12
Last update: Jan. 29
The NOW/Lake Country commercial from Time-Warner's Sports32.
Rating the rest of the girls teams:
Menomonee Falls, 13-3
Cudahy, 12-2
Franklin, 9-5
Oak Creek, 11-4
Muskego, 9-5
New Berlin West, 10-5
South Milwaukee, 9-3
West Allis Central, 5-10
Whitnall, 8-7
Brookfield Academy, 9-3
Wauwatosa West, 5-8
Brown Deer, 5-10
Greendale, 5-10
Wauwatosa East, 4-9
Others (alpha): Brookfield East, 3-13; Germantown, 4-8; Greenfield, 3-12; Homestead, 2-11; Martin Luther, 2-11; Shorewood, 4-11; St. Francis, 3-13; Thomas More, 2-12; West Allis Hale, 2-12
Last update: Jan. 29
It would take a little research to find the year West Allis Central last won a high school boys basketball league championship.
Fortunately for sports historians, Najeal McMillian already has done the work.
Mehryn Kraker of West Allis Central reached a personal milestone Jan. 24 against Wauwatosa East when she cleared 1,000 points for her career, leading her squad with 25 points. She was the leading scorer again Jan. 27 with 16, while teammate Claire Hankins played the hero by hitting a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs an upset win over Sussex Hamilton. Central has played a brutal schedule this year, and it's paying off to the tune of four straight wins.
Previous winners:
Feb. 3: Divine Savior Holy Angels at Menomonee Falls girls. The Dashers now find themselves in first place in the Greater Metro, but the Indians can get themselves back in the conversation by repeating what they did earlier this year in a 64-61 win against DSHA.
Feb. 3: West Allis Central at Brookfield Central boys. The Bulldogs have been playing tremendous basketball lately, topping the elite teams in the Greater Metro Conference and suddenly looking like a very real threat for the league title. Brookfield Central will try to hold off WAC and re-claim sole possession of first place.
Feb. 4: New Berlin Eisenhower at Pewaukee girls. The Lions have passed every test thus far, but this game has been circled since the start of the year, though Pewaukee hasn't always looked as powerful as expected. Regardless, it should be a big-time showdown between Woodland schools from opposite divisions.
Feb. 7: Menomonee Falls at Homestead boys. Especially after Falls upset Brookfield Central, this nonconference pairing promises its fair share of intrigue. The Highlanders boast a tremendous record and are looking to solidify their place among the area's elite boys teams.
Scoring leadersCheck out our interactive map for a look at the all-time scoring leaders of boys and girls basketball teams at high schools in the suburban Milwaukee area.
The WIAA will use the five-division system for the second time this year. A look at the sectionals for teams in the NOW Newspapers coverage zone:
Division 1, Sectional 2: Arrowhead, Bay Port, DePere, Germantown, Green Bay East, Green Bay Preble, Green Bay Southwest, Hamilton, Hartford, Homestead, Kimberly, Manitowoc Lincoln, Menomonee Falls, Sheboygan North, Sheboygan South, Waukesha North, Waukesha South, Waukesha West
Division 1, Sectional 3: Badger, Beloit Memorial, Burlington, Franklin, Janesville Craig, Janesville Parker, Kenosha Bradford, Kenosha Tremper, Kettle Moraine, Madison East, Madison LaFollette, Madison Memorial, Madison West, Middleton, Mukwonago, Muskego, Oconomowoc, Sun Prairie, Verona Area, Watertown
Division 1, Sectional 4: Brookfield Central, Brookfield East, Greenfield, Marquette, Milwaukee Bradley Tech, Milwaukee Hamilton, Milwaukee King, Milwaukee Lifelong Learning/Ronald Reagan, Milwaukee Pulaski, Milwaukee Riverside, Milwaukee South, Milwaukee Vincent, Oak Creek, Racine Case, Racine Horlick, Racine Park, South Milwaukee, West Allis Central, West Allis Hale
Division 2, Sectional 4: Brown Deer, Catholic Memorial, Cudahy, Greendale, Messmer, Milwaukee Bay View, Milwaukee Lutheran, Milwaukee Madison, Milwaukee Northwest, Milwaukee Morse/Marshall/Juneau, Milwaukee Washington, New Berlin Eisenhower, New Berlin West, Nicolet, Pewaukee, Pius XI, Shorewood, Union Grove, Waterford, Wauwatosa East, Wauwatosa West, Whitefish Bay, Whitnall, Wisconsin Lutheran
Division 3, Sectional 4 (south regional): Campbellsport, Kettle Moraine Lutheran, Kiel, Milwaukee Custer, Milwaukee North, Milwaukee School of Languages, Oostburg, Racine St. Catherine, St. Francis, St. Thomas More, Sheboygan Falls, University School of Milwaukee
Division 4, Sectional 4 (south regional): Brookfield Academy, Destiny, Dominican, Eastbrook Academy, Hope Christian, Kenosha Christian Life, Kenosha Reuther, Kenosha St. Joseph, Martin Luther, Milwaukee Career Academy, Salem School, Shoreland Lutheran, The Prairie School
Division 1, Sectional 2: Arrowhead, Bay Port, DePere, Germantown, Green Bay East, Green Bay Preble, Green Bay Southwest, Hamilton, Hartford, Homestead, Kimberly, Manitowoc Lincoln, Menomonee Falls, Nicolet, Sheboygan North, Sheboygan South, Waukesha North, Waukesha South, Waukesha West
Division 1, Sectional 3: Badger, Beloit Memorial, Burlington, Franklin, Janesville Craig, Janesville Parker, Kenosha Bradford, Kenosha Tremper, Kettle Moraine, Madison East, Madison LaFollette, Madison Memorial, Madison West, Middleton, Mukwonago, Muskego, Oconomowoc, Sun Prairie, Verona Area, Watertown
Division 1, Sectional 4: Brookfield Central, Brookfield East, Divine Savior Holy Angels, Greenfield, Milwaukee Bradley Tech, Milwaukee Hamilton, Milwaukee King, Milwaukee Pulaski, Milwaukee Riverside, Milwaukee Ronald Reagan/Lifelong Learning, Milwaukee South, Milwaukee Vincent, Oak Creek, Pius XI, Racine Case, Racine Horlick, Racine Park, South Milwaukee, West Allis Central, West Allis Hale
Division 2, Sectional 4: Brown Deer, Catholic Memorial, Cudahy, Greendale, Messmer, Milwaukee Bay View, Milwaukee Lutheran, Milwaukee Juneau/Morse/Marshall, Milwaukee Washington, New Berlin Eisenhower, New Berlin West, Pewaukee, Shorewood, Union Grove, Waterford, Wauwatosa East, Wauwatosa West, Whitefish Bay, Whitnall, Wisconsin Lutheran
Division 3, Sectional 4 (south regional): Campbellsport, Dominican, Kettle Moraine Lutheran, Kiel, Milwaukee Custer, Milwaukee North, Milwaukee School of Languages, Oostburg, Racine St. Catherine, St. Francis, St. Joan Antida, St. Thomas More, Sheboygan Falls, University School of Milwaukee
Division 4, Sectional 4 (south regional): Brookfield Academy, Destiny, Dominican, Eastbrook Academy, Hope Christian, Kenosha Christian Life, Kenosha St. Joseph, Martin Luther, Salem School, Shoreland Lutheran, The Prairie School
NOW teams in bold