These are the Wisconsin-connected players and coaches in the NCAA Tournament
Now that we know where and when everyone is playing to start the NCAA Tournament, take a look at the Wisconsinites (and otherwise Wisconsin-connected athletes and coaches) who will get a chance to dance.
Starters and key contributors in men's tournament
Reece Beekman, Virginia (born in Milwaukee)
Beekman played high school basketball in Louisiana but lived in Wisconsin until he was a teenager, and this is his third season with the Cavaliers, where he leads the team in scoring (14.1 points per game), assists (5.9) and steals (2.1), en route to second-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference. He's not the only Wisconsinite on the roster, either, playing for Wisconsin native and former UW-Green Bay star Tony Bennett.
Patrick Cartier, Colorado State (Brookfield East)
The starting forward averages 11.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per game after transferring from Hillsdale College in Michigan last season. At Hillsdale, he became a first-team All-American in Division II in 2022.
Marcus Domask, Illinois (Waupun)
One of a small handful of players from Wisconsin to score 2,000 college points, Domask has been an important added ingredient for the Illini after four years at Southern Illinois. His 16 points per game are second on the roster, and he's the team's leading passer at 3.5 assists per game, plus 4.9 rebounds for good measure.
Jack Gohlke, Oakland (Pewaukee)
The sharp-shooting senior averages 12.0 points and 4.0 rebounds off the bench for the Golden Grizzlies, the champion of the Horizon League. He was named the league's sixth man of the year after transferring into the program from Hillsdale College, and he put on a show in the league tournament.
Tyrese Hunter, Texas (Racine St. Catherine's)
The guard averages 10.8 points and 4.2 assists for the Longhorns in his second year with the program. In 2022, he had a breakout first-round performance while playing with Iowa State, which then defeated Wisconsin in the second round at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
Jalen Johnson, Grambling State (played at UW-Milwaukee)
Johnson transferred to the Louisiana school after playing one season with the Panthers and started 13 games this year, averaging 8.2 points and 4.1 rebounds. He's not alone among Milwaukee connections on the team.
Terrence Lewis (Milwaukee Riverside) scores 7.9 points per game but shoots a sterling 46.2% from 3-point range with 65 attempts.
Mikale Stevenson (Milwaukee Area Technical College) has started eight games this year and chips in 4.6 points per game, plus he's second on the team in assists and third in steals.
Quintin Murrell (Milwaukee King) has played in 20 games and averages 1.6 points.
Payton Parrish (Milwaukee King) has not seen the floor this year.
David Joplin, Marquette (Brookfield Central)
The junior averages close to 11 points and 4 rebounds for the Golden Eagles, a Wisconsin-based team that doesn't rely heavily on players from inside the state. He was the Big East's sixth man of the year last season. Marquette also has a couple players from local schools:
Jack Riley (Catholic Memorial). The freshman has appeared in 10 games this year.
Jake Ciardo (Germantown). The junior has appeared in one college game at MU.
Max Klesmit, Wisconsin (Neenah)
There aren't many true Wisconsinites on the Badgers roster this season, but they do have Klesmit, who averages 10 points and serves as a regular starter. The transfer from Wofford is in his second season with his home-state team. Other Wisconsinites with the Badgers:
Kamari McGee (Racine St. Catherine's). The backup point guard has been battling injury this season but seemed to take a leap forward in his second year since transferring from UW-Green Bay.
Carter Gilmore (Arrowhead). The reserve big man averages close to 10 minutes a game.
Isaac Lindsey (Mineral Point). He's played in 16 games this season, scoring 0.6 points per game.
Luke Haertle (Lake Country Lutheran) and Isaac Gard (Oregon). The walk-ons have played sparingly this season; Gard is the son of Badgers head coach Greg Gard.
Don McHenry, Western Kentucky (Milwaukee Academy of Science)
The transfer from Indian Hills Community College was among the top scorers in the state during his time at Milwaukee Academy of Science, and he immediately made an impact with the Hilltoppers as a first-team all-Conference USA. pick. He has averaged 15.2 points and 2.4 assists while starting every game and shooting better than 46%. If there's a Wisconsinite who could play a role in a Cinderella upset, this could be your guy.
Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State (Pewaukee)
The freshman won three state titles at Pewaukee and has picked up where he left off with an excellent first season at Iowa State, averaging more than 11 points and 3 to earn a spot on the Big 12 all-freshman team. He's joined on the ISU roster by…
Jackson Paveletzke (Kimberly). He averages 11.5 minutes and 3.7 points off the bench. The sophomore transferred into the program from Wofford after being named Southern Conference freshman of the year.
Andrew Rodhe, Virginia (Brookfield Central)
After transferring from St. Thomas (Minnesota), the regular starter is seeing the floor 26 minutes per game and scores 4.4 points per contest with 2.8 assists. Also on the Virginia roster, we have:
Leon Bond III (Wauwatosa East). The redshirt freshman is averaging a little more than 4 points in 14 minutes per game.
Other Wisconsin-tied players in the men's basketball tournament
Andrew Alia, Drake (Kenosha St. Joseph). He's appeared in 16 games this season for the Missouri Valley Conference champion Bulldogs.
Zeke Blake, Wagner (formerly at UW-Green Bay). He finished third in scoring for UW-Green Bay last year at 8.9 points per game but has been sidelined all season with a knee injury.
Bennett Fried, Drake (La Crosse Central). He hasn't seen the floor this season but has a unique story as a walk-on who joined the program basically as classes began.
Jordan Gainey, Tennessee (Franklin). Gainey, the son of Tennessee assistant coach Justin Gainey, who had previously coached at Marquette, spent his freshman year of high school at Franklin before relocating. He averages 7.1 points off the bench for Tennessee after being first-team all-Big South Conference last season with USC Upstate.
Austin Herro, South Carolina (Whitnall). The younger brother of Miami Heat standout Tyler Herro is in his freshman year and redshirting with the Gamecocks, playing under former Badgers assistant Lamont Paris.
Matthew Mors, South Dakota State (Wisconsin transfer). Mors was in the UW program as a freshman two years ago before departing. He averages 11 minutes and 3.7 points.
Seth Trimble, North Carolina (Menomonee Falls). Trimble averages 17 minutes a game for the Tar Heels, bringing in 5.0 points and 2.1 rebounds. His older brother, J.P. Tokoto, also played at North Carolina after playing at Falls.
William Whorton, South Dakota State (Milwaukee King). The freshman has not seen the floor this season for the Jackrabbits.
Wisconsin-tied coaches in the Big Dance
Tony Bennett, Virginia
Part of a Wisconsin basketball family legacy, his Cavaliers won the 2019 NCAA title. After playing in high school for Stevens Point and Green Bay Preble, he played at UW-Green Bay for his father, Dick, and was then an assistant at Wisconsin on his dad's staff. He took over for his father at Washington State and has been at Virginia since 2009.
Greg Gard, Wisconsin
The native of Cobb and Iowa-Grant alumnus has been head coach of the Badgers since taking over for Bo Ryan early in the 2015-16 season; this will be his sixth NCAA Tournament in eight seasons.
Eric Henderson, South Dakota State
The Nebraska native coached at Burlington Catholic Central and served as the program's athletic director from 2009-14, then joined T.J. Otzelberger (another former Catholic Central coach, and now Henderson's first-round foe) on staff at South Dakota State before inheriting the reins as head coach. He's been in that spot with the Jackrabbits since 2019.
Donte' Jackson, Grambling State
The Milwaukee native was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference coach of the year for leading Grambling State in Louisiana to the regular-season and tournament championships. The Tigers are in their first NCAA Tournament in Division I.
Jackson has been head coach since 2017-18 and led the team to a 24-9 mark last year.
Nate Oats, Alabama
The native of Watertown is head coach at Alabama, which had the No. 1 overall seed in last year's tournament, and the Crimson Tide is back after tying for second in the SEC standings this season.
TJ Otzelberger, Iowa State
The graduate of St. Thomas More in Milwaukee led the Cyclones past Wisconsin two years ago in his first year as the program’s head coach, and now to a third straight dance with a team that can make a Final Four run. Otzelberger's coaching career included a start at Catholic Central High School in Burlington.
Lamont Paris, South Carolina
The former Wisconsin assistant from 2010-17 has turned around South Carolina dramatically and is in the conversation for national coach of the year. He coached Chattanooga for five years, including into the tournament in 2022.
Bruce Pearl, Auburn
The long-tenured SEC coach was at UW-Milwaukee for four seasons, overseeing the team’s dramatic run to the 2005 Sweet 16.
Kelvin Sampson, Houston head coach
The national head coach of the year candidate was an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2008-11. He's now leading Houston, a team with a legitimate chance to win the 2024 championship.
Shaka Smart, Marquette
The Oregon native led Marquette to its first tournament win in over a decade last year, and he's now piloted a squad with a top-three seed to the dance in consecutive years.
Buzz Williams, Texas A&M
The head coach at Marquette from 2008-14 won a Big East regular-season title and led the Golden Eagles to three straight Sweet 16s (and one Elite Eight) before leaving for Virginia Tech in 2014.
Assistant coaches to know with Wisconsin ties
Tony Benford, TCU. Benford served as the assistant and later associate head coach at Marquette from 2008-12.
JR Blount, Iowa State. The assistant coach was a two-time state champion playing for Dominican High School in Whitefish Bay.
Justin Gainey, Tennessee. The assistant coach spent two stints at Marquette, including as an associate head coach from 2020-21, and he's now on staff for the SEC champion Volunteers and one of the best teams in the tournament.
Devin Johnson, Texas A&M. He spent two seasons on staff with Buzz Williams at Marquette, then followed Williams to Virginia Tech and eventually Texas A&M.
Steve Merfeld, Creighton. The Bloomington native and graduate of UW-La Crosse has been with the Bluejays program for more than a decade. He was head coach for Hampton in 2001 when his 15th-seeded squad knocked off No. 2 Iowa State.
Brad Soderberg, Virginia. The Cavaliers director of scouting was a longtime assistant at Wisconsin and took over in 2001 as UW interim head coach.
Starters and key contributor's in women's tournament
Almost the entire UW-Green Bay roster
Nearly everyone on the UW-Green Bay roster hails from a Wisconsin high school, which has been a longstanding ticket to success for Kevin Borseth. Those players include:
Natalie McNeal (Germantown). The team's leading scorer and rebounder brings in 13.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, good enough to represent the Phoenix as a first-team all-Horizon League choice. McNeal hit 15 of 21 shots and scored 32 points in the Horizon championship win over Cleveland State.
Maddy Schreiber (Kimberly). She averages 12.2 points and 4.0 rebounds, good for second-team all- conference.
Cassie Schiltz (Luxemburg-Casco). The redshirt junior averages 10 points with 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
Bailey Butler (Black Hawk). The third-team all-conference choice leads the team in assists (5.3) and steals (2.2) and adds 8 points per contest. She also earned a spot on the Horizon's all-defense team.
Callie Genke (Freedom). The junior shared the Horizon's sixth person of the year honor, coming off the bench to notch 7.4 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.
Jasmine Kondrakiewicz (Milwaukee Pius XI). The 6-foot-1 junior averages 8.2 points and 4.8 rebounds and leads the team in blocks (0.9).
Natalie Andersen (Mukwonago). The IUPUI graduate transfer averages 5.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in just shy of 20 minutes per contest.
Caelan Givens (Chippewa Falls). The junior averages 7.9 minutes, scoring 2.3 points per contest.
Kendall Renard (Green Bay Preble). The 6-3 forward stayed close to home to play at Green Bay and has seen the floor in 16 games.
Megan Schultz (New Berlin West). The 6-4 freshman is redshirting this season for the Phoenix.
KK Arnold, Connecticut (Germantown)
The former McDonald's All-American sees the floor nearly 30 minutes a night for the Huskies as a freshman, averaging 8.9 points, 3.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds, plus a team-best 2.4 steals.
Courtney Becker, Drake (La Crosse Aquinas)
The senior has started every game this season for the Bulldogs, averaging 8.7 points and 7.1 rebounds, all while shooting 46% in her limited opportunities from 3-point range and 59% from the floor.
Hannah Belanger, Iowa State (Grafton)
The senior is averaging 9.6 points and 2.3 assists for the Cyclones while racking up 30 minutes per contest. She transferred in after playing at Division II Truman State. The Cyclones went on a surprise run to the Big 12 championship game in the league tournament.
Lexi Donarski, North Carolina (La Crosse Aquinas)
The transfer from Iowa State is averaging 10.7 points (third on the team in scoring), 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists. At ISU, she was named Big 12 defensive player of the year and freshman of the year.
Maty Wilke, Utah (Beaver Dam)
She's averaging 7.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals this season for the Utes, in her first season with the program after transferring from Wisconsin. She became a regular starter in February.
Other Wisconsin-tied players in the NCAA Tournament
Mesa Byom, South Dakota State (Melrose-Mindoro). Byom has played in 30 games this season, averaging 5.3 minutes and 2.7 points. She hit 4 of 5 shots and scored 11 points in a 67-54 win over North Dakota State in the conference tournament final.
Lily Hansford, Oregon State (Appleton East). She's played in 29 games this season for OSU, averaging 17.2 minutes, 5.1 points and 1.7 rebounds.
Eléna Maier, Kent State (Waunakee). She averages nearly eight minutes per game for the Mid-American Conference champion Golden Flashes.
Ashala Moseberry, West Virginia (Madison East). The junior guard transferred to the Mountaineers after two seasons at South Plains College in the junior college circuit. The former Big Eight player of the year has not seen the floor this season.
Grace Schmidt, Cal Baptist (Watertown Luther Prep). After a freshman season in which she won Women's Basketball Invitational tourney MVP and earned second-team mention in the Western Athletic Conference, Schmidt was off to a strong start this year before undergoing surgery to fix a patellar tendon injury, knocking her out for the rest of the season.
Coaches to know with Wisconsin ties
Nicki Collen, Baylor
The former standout at Platteville High School, nee Taggart, also transferred from Purdue to Marquette and led the Golden Eagles to the NCAA Tournament in two seasons. She's in her third season at Baylor and has spent time as a head coach in the WNBA, earning the league's coach of the year award with Atlanta.
Megan Duffy, Marquette
In her fifth season at the helm, she's now led the Golden Eagles to three NCAA Tournaments, one surefire tournament berth erased by COVID-19 and an NIT run that featured two wins.
Carissa Thielbar, South Dakota State (UW-Superior)
The Minnesota native played college basketball at UW-Superior and is an assistant coach with the Jackrabbits.
Did we miss anyone? Email jradcliffe@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The Wisconsin-connected players and coaches in the NCAA Tournament
