High School

Unstoppable Kettle Moraine Basketball Eyes Perfection in WIAA Playoffs

Top-Ranked Lasers (26-0) Continue Historic Championship Quest in Sectional Semifinal vs. Sun Prairie East

Jeff Hagenau

Kettle Moraine's Roman Thompson (23) elevates for a shot during a home game against Classic 8 rival Arrowhead on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.
Kettle Moraine's Roman Thompson (23) elevates for a shot during a home game against Classic 8 rival Arrowhead on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. / Scott Ash / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The high-octane Kettle Moraine High School boys basketball team is striving to achieve perfection this season.

The No. 1-ranked, highly-touted Classic 8 Conference champion Lasers remain undefeated with a statement-making 26-0 overall record. The top-seeded team's quest for a Wisconsin (WIAA) Division 1 state championship continues with tonight's sectional semifinal showdown versus fifth-seeded Sun Prairie East, 20-6, at Mukwonago High School at 7 p.m.

It's been an impressive winning streak for battle-tested Kettle Moraine, which has maintained a 51-4 overall record over the course of the last two seasons under the disciplined guidance of energetic, veteran head coach Brian Richert (Classic 8 Coach of the Year).

Kettle Moraine is the second school in WIAA Division 1 (since 2020-2021) to complete a 24-game regular season undefeated.

The Lasers' last loss came at the hands of eventual D1 state champion Marquette in the humbling, season-ending state semifinals March 15, 2024.

That stinging memory of walking off the court at the University of Wisconsin's Kohl Center following the opening-round setback has proven to be a valuable motivator.

Kettle Moraine has been powered by an aggressive, balanced scoring trio consisting of 6-foot-5 senior wing Roman Thompson (20.5 points per game), 6-4 senior shooting guard Zach Froemming (14.5 ppg.), and 6-foot senior guard Ben Bestor (14.1 ppg.).

Thompson, the Classic 8 Conference Player of the Year and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire recruit, eclipsed the prestigious 1,000-point career milestone in the team's energized 90-54 home-court regional semifinal victory over 16th-seeded Watertown on March 7.

Another critical aspect of Kettle Moraine's success can be attributed to a tenacious, collective season-long defensive effort, holding the opposition to 55 points or less in 20 victories. Froemming, a St. Norbert College recruit, was named the Classic 8's Defensive Player of the Year. Bestor also earned first-team league defensive honors.

A shining example of the team's ability to keep high-powered playoff teams in check came in Saturday's 66-48 home-court regional final victory over eighth-seeded Middleton. The Lasers limited the Cardinals to a season-low point total and imposing 7-foot senior center Will Garlock, a University of Wisconsin recruit, to 11 points.

Second-seeded Waunakee will face third-seeded Verona in tonight's other sectional semifinal at De Forest at 7 p.m.

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-- Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com

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Jeff Hagenau
JEFF HAGENAU

Jeff Hagenau has been a sports writer in southeast Wisconsin for the past 28 years, covering at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. He graduated from Carroll University with a degree in journalism and has showcased his versatility by reporting on a wide array of sports over the course of his memorable career.

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