GAME OF THE WEEK (Nov. 26–Dec. 2)
BOYS BASKETBALL: Cuba City (0–0) at Pecatonica (1–0), Saturday, 2:30 p.m.
Jerry Petitgoue, Wisconsin’s all-time winningest boys basketball coach, and his Cuba City Cubans open the season Saturday afternoon at Pecatonica.
The Vikings (1–0) opened the season with a 60–44 non-conference victory over visiting Belmont Tuesday night. Six-foot-5 junior forward A.J. Hendrickson scored a game-high 18 points for Matt Fink’s team in the win. Hendrickson is averaged 22.7 ppg as a sophomore. Senior guard Brooks Chandler added 11 points, while Kole Kent and Logan Green each scored nine in the win. Pecatonica went 19–6 a year ago and won the Six Rivers East title, going 11–1 in conference play.
The Cubans are coming off a 19–6 season and must replace first-team All-SWAL selections Zachary Gaines (13.1 ppg) and Preston Droessler (11.9 ppg). Senior guard Chris Moor (8.3 ppg) and 6’4” wing Benjamin Burkholder (8.1 ppg) are Cuba City’s top returning scorers.
BOYS BASKETBALL: Barneveld (0–0) at Darlington (0–0), Monday, 7:30 p.m.
Darlington, after just four days of practice for the full team due to the state final run by the football team, will host Barneveld Monday night to begin the 2015–16 boys basketball season. Barneveld head coach Jim Myers moves to the boys’ team after posting a state-record 699 wins with the Lady Eagles over the past 33 seasons, including back-to-back state title runs in 2014 and 2015. Junior guard Matthew Myers, the coach’s son, is the Eagles leading returning scoring at 13.1 points per game. Barneveld went 14–10 a year ago.
Darlington returns first-team All-SWAL junior guard Hunter Johnson (10.9 ppg), and honorable mention pick junior Will Schwartz (7.2 ppg). Darlington went 19–4 overall and finished second in the SWAL at 11–3 under head coach Mike Hopkins.
Here are this week’s other area boys’ basketball games.
FRIDAY, NOV. 27
Oregon at Platteville (at UW–Platteville), 7:30 p.m.
Barneveld at Fennimore, 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOV. 28
Young Coggs Prep at Platteville (at UW–Platteville, 6:15 p.m.)
MONDAY, NOV. 30
Highland at Fennimore, 7:30 p.m.
Monticello at Belmont, 7:30 p.m.
River Ridge at Seneca, 7:30 p.m.
Cassville at Wauzkea–Steuben, 7:30 p.m.
TUESDAY, DEC. 1
Dodgeville at Iowa–Grant, 7:30 p.m.
Westby at Richland Center, 7:30 p.m.
Potosi at Argyle, 7:30 p.m.
Scales Mound at Shullsburg, 7:30 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL:
FRIDAY, NOV. 27
Argyle at Benton, 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOV. 28
Black Hawk at Belmont, 7:30 p.m.
Potosi at Galena, 7:30 p.m.
MONDAY, NOV. 30
Potosi at Albany, 7:30 p.m.
TUESDAY, DEC. 1
Benton at Platteville, 7:30 p.m.
Lancaster at Boscobel, 7:30 p.m.
Dodgeville at Darlington, 7:30 p.m.
Southwestern at Cassville, 7:30 p.m.
Mineral Point at Barneveld, 7:30 p.m.
Iowa–Grant at River Ridge, 7:30 p.m.