Wisconsin Lutheran is perfect once again to finish three-peat quest
· Yahoo Sports
MADISON — Wisconsin Lutheran boys basketball is perfect for the second time in three years, and a WIAA state champion for the third consecutive year.
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"Each team we've had has been different and unique in its own way, and so I'm just thankful that we've had the opportunity to work with great kids who work really, really hard, and who love basketball, and who listen, and who love each other," coach Ryan Walz said.
"God has really blessed us, so we just want to make sure that we're telling the kids 'Hey, He blesses you for reasons that you can bless other people.' We've got it made, Jesus has taken care of everything for these kids. He's got 'em, so they can just go out and enjoy and play basketball."
The Vikings defeated Madison Memorial, 57-37, at the Kohl Center in the latest display of dominance for a team that has met few equals over the past three years. Senior Zavier Zens showed why he was chosen as the Mr. Basketball Award winner with a nearly perfect night from the field, scoring 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting with six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal to lead Wisconsin Lutheran.
Trailing 22-20 at halftime after the first half was largely drained by Madison Memorial, the Vikings saw Zens step up with a coast-to-coast layup to expand a slim second half advantage to 36-30. Madison Memorial coach Steve Collins admitted that moment was a dam-breaker as his Spartans sought to keep the Vikings contained.
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"Do I believe we should have a shot clock in the state of Wisconsin? Yes, but we don't, so I'm going to use all the tools that are given to me, and they listened to that, and it kind of got their spark moving a bit," Collins said.
"Super competitive first half. We were struggling to figure out how to score against their zone. Their energy was great. They were hitting shots, they controlled the ball, they controlled the tempo," Walz said. "In the second half, I thought [Zavier] really got us going, came up with some big plays, hit a couple big shots, got us going."
Zens scored 10 of Wisconsin Lutheran's first 16 points of the second half, kick-starting a run that ballooned to a 40-30 lead with seven minutes left. Madison Memorial did not climb back within 10 the rest of the way, as Wisco rolled back to the summit of D1.
"I just felt like we as a team started to figure out the zone a little bit better, and I was able to find some spots to get open and made some big shots," Zens said.
Rounding out the statistical leaders for the Vikings were junior Kager Knueppel with 16 points, seven boards and three blocks, junior Jamail Sewell with nine points and four boards, and sophomore Kinston Knueppel with eight points, five assists and two blocks.
The third consecutive title vaults Wisconsin Lutheran into elite company, and perhaps even a class all its own. Seven other teams have won exactly three consecutive titles in WIAA boys basketball history, including Beloit Memorial (1932-34), Germantown (2012-2014), Marathon (1975-1977), Milwaukee Vincent (1996-1998), Pewaukee (2021-2023), Racine St. Catherine's (2005-2007) and SPASH (2015-2017).
With a combined record of 88-2 over the past three seasons, including one loss to out-of-state opponent Breck (MN) in the 2024-25 season, the Vikings have the most wins and highest-winning percentage in any three-year span in WIAA boys basketball history.
Three-peat champions in WIAA state boys history
TeamTitles won (Division)Rec.Win %Wisconsin Lutheran2024 (D2), 2025-2026 (D1)88-297.78Germantown2012-2014 (D1)82-297.61Marathon1975-1977 (Class C)74-297.37SPASH2015-201779-594.05Racine St. Catherine's2005 (D2), 2006-2007 (D3)75-593.75Beloit Memorial1932-1934 (A)53-492.98Milwaukee Vincent1996-1998 (D1)74-791.36Pewaukee2021-2023 (D2)81-990.00*WIAA was one division until 1934Time will tell whether Wisco can join Randolph (2002-2005) among four-peat champions, or even one day Dominican (2012-2016) as the second to five-peat. Randolph went 101-6 over the span of its four consecutive titles for a win percentage of 94.39. Dominican went 128-12 during its run of five straight for a winning percentage of 91.43. Neither team had a three-year run that surpassed Wisconsin Lutheran's in winning percentage. The Vikings now hold two of the three 30-0 seasons in WIAA history, with De Pere in 2023 being the only other to accomplish the feat.
With the Wisconsin Lutheran JV and freshman teams each finishing 22-0 this season as well, the pipeline hardly seems to be drying up either.
"We are really blessed. Our youth program has done very well. We have 14 varsity guys, 12 of them played in our youth program. Every one of our kids is from one of our membership schools except for one, so we're a close-knit family right now as a basketball unit.
"We're bringing in the kids that are in our family and the kids who have played with us since third and fourth grade, like these guys. So that just changes things. I always thought public schools have had a great advantage over private schools when you have community, and you have kids that grew up together and lived on the same block and they played together all the way through. That brings a different bond, and we have had that, because our kids have played together for so long," Walz said.
The Northern Iowa commit Zens credited the environment fostered by Walz and his staff for setting he and his teammates on the course that has led them to WIAA history.
"I was able to create really strong relationships with some of my teammates, and the coaches," Zens said. "My coaches taught me how to be a better man, and not only to be a better basketball player, but to grow as a person."
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Lutheran is perfect once again to finish three-peat quest