Photo by Tyler R. Klein
Jack Gohlke
In an era dominated by wealth, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is a rare sporting moment when underdogs take center stage.
Last March, Pewaukee native Jack Gohlke entered the spotlight with his giant-slaying performance for Oakland—racking up 32 points on 10 made threes in an upset win over #3 seed Kentucky.
Will any local players follow Gohlke and flourish this year? As the college basketball season approaches, these are five promising Division I Milwaukee-area hoopers to watch.
Kon Knueppel (Duke)
Not since Patrick Baldwin Jr. has a Milwaukee-area prospect received as much hype as Kon Knueppel. The Duke freshman was ESPN’s 19th-ranked recruit in the Class of 2024 and is Bleacher Report’s projected 12th-overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The Wisconsin Lutheran alum is a silky scorer who brings a high basketball IQ to the Blue Devils. ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony noted that Knueppel was Duke’s best player during the team’s preseason scrimmages.
In a loaded Duke recruiting class headlined by consensus number-one overall pick Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel could be the unsung hero for this title contender.
David Skogman (DePaul)
A successful three-year mid-major starter, David Skogman confronts the challenge of Big East hoops for his senior season.
Before a season-ending foot injury last year, the forward averaged 13.3 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per contest for Davidson—including a 30-point showing against Charlotte. The Waukesha West product has a career 122.3 offensive rating for Davidson and Buffalo and is a 41.7% shooter from three.
DePaul is one of five Division I schools with zero returning players, lending Skogman ample opportunity to succeed as a high-major hooper.
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Leon Bond III (Northern Iowa)
After redshirting his first season at Virginia, Leon Bond III’s second year at Virginia started promisingly.
The Wauwatosa East graduate had 12 points in a season-opening win over Tarleton State. Two games later, he added 16 points in a win over North Carolina A&T.
But as the competition stiffened, Bond’s minutes decreased. By the season’s end, the 6-5 wing was out of the rotation, playing just 19 minutes over the final 14 games.
Bond entered the transfer portal and joined Northern Iowa, adding to the Missouri Valley Conference's distinct Wisconsin flavor. The redshirt sophomore is a projected starter for UNI and has the tools to be a breakout mid-major star.
Alex Huibregtse (Wright State)
Fans of high-scoring basketball: look no further than the Wright State Raiders. The Horizon League squad ranked 33rd among 362 DI teams last year in Ken Pomeroy’s Adjusted Offensive Efficiency.
The Raiders lost their top two scorers but return Alex Huibregtse —one of the country’s most efficient backcourt scorers. The Grafton sharpshooter averaged 12.3 PPG while shooting 42.1% from deep. He also finished third in the Horizon League in offensive rating.
Huibregtse will have an increased offensive role in his final college season as he looks to guide the Raiders back to the NCAA Tournament.
Tyran Cook (Indiana State)
Virginia Military Institute struggled last season, going just 4-28 overall. One of VMI’s few standouts was freshman guard Tyran Cook.
The Waukesha South product averaged 12.7 PPG and performed his best against elite opposition—posting an offensive rating of 108.6 in four contests against top-100 opponents.
One of Cook’s highlights came in an early-season contest against future NCAA Tournament team South Carolina when he recorded 16 points on 6-11 shooting plus three steals.
Cook joins a rebuilding Indiana State program returning 3.1% of its minutes from a 32-win team. He figures to be a key starter on this new-look Sycamores squad.
