High School

Wisconsin Lutheran Boys Basketball Team Remains On Mission For Second Straight WIAA State Championship

Top-seeded Vikings riding momentum of eight-game winning streak heading into Friday's Division 1 state semifinal matchup with fourth-seeded Oshkosh North

Jeff Hagenau

Wisconsin Lutheran Vikings players display the WIAA Division 1 sectional championship plaque after beating West Allis Central on Saturday, March 15, 2025 at Waukesha South High School.
Wisconsin Lutheran Vikings players display the WIAA Division 1 sectional championship plaque after beating West Allis Central on Saturday, March 15, 2025 at Waukesha South High School. / Zac Bellman - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Disciplined teams often have the uncanny ability to work through the stress of a long, demanding season, consistently elevate their game to a higher level, and peak at tournament time.

The top-seeded Wisconsin Lutheran High School boys basketball team has clearly exhibited that confident, hungry, heavyweight swagger heading into the WIAA Division 1 state tournament.

It will be the fifth state tournament appearance for the Vikings, 26-2 overall, who are slated to face fourth-seeded Oshkosh North, 19-9, in a state semifinal game at the University of Wisconsin's Kohl Center on Friday night at 6:35 p.m.


Wisconsin Lutheran won the highly competitive Woodland Conference West with an 11-1 record and punched its ticket to Madison with a dominant 72-53 sectional final victory over second-seeded West Allis Central at Waukesha South High School on March 15.

The Vikings are a combined 56-2 overall over the course of the last two seasons and riding a red-hot eight-game winning streak into the tournament.

Wisconsin Lutheran is coming off last year's memorable, highlight-reel season of perfection in which it captured the Division 2 state championship (capped with a victory over three-time defending champion Pewaukee) to complete a rare, undefeated run with a record of 30-0 overall.

The battle-tested team remains on a determined mission to reassert itself as a state powerhouse and legitimate contender after being moved up to D1 this season.

It's been an intriguing, exciting challenge for head coach Ryan Walz's squad as it has diligently attempted to fill the large void created by the graduation of star 6-foot-7 guard/forward Kon Knueppel II. Knueppel was selected 2024 Mr. Basketball by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), Wisconsin Associated Press Player of the Year, and Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year. As a senior, he averaged 25.9 points per game, 8.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. He finished his high school career as the school's leader in points (1,978), rebounds (808), and assists (398).

Knueppel, a standout college basketball freshman for No. 1-ranked Duke University, was recently named Most Valuable Player of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament, and has garnered praise as a potential lottery pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft.

The Blue Devils defeated Louisville 73-62 in the championship game.

Duke is top-seeded in the East Region and will face 16th-seeded Mount St. Mary's in the NCAA Tournament at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. on Friday at 1:50 p.m.

Wisconsin Lutheran is led by the strong, effective scoring trio of 6-7 junior small forward Zavier Zens (22.3 ppg.), 6-8 sophomore small forward Kager Knueppel (13.7 ppg.), and 6-1 senior guard Isaiah Mellock (11.4 ppg.).
The Vikings are currently averaging 75.1 points per contest, eclipsing the 75-point mark in 12 victories this season.

Second-seeded Waunakee, 23-5, will face third-seeded Marshfield, 22-6, in the other D1 state semifinal.

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App

-- Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com

Published
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.

Home/Wisconsin