In part one of January's Recruit Review, we'll get you up to speed on how Frank Kaminsky, Jarrod Uthoff and Sam Dekker are faring at the high school level. All three of these future Badgers have had to adjust to becoming the focal point of opposing team's gimic defenses. While center Frank Kaminsky has been showing off his versatility, Jarrod Uthoff and wing forward Sam Dekker continue to set the nets on fire with record-setting performances.
Class of 2011
The Chicago media seems to have really gotten behind Benet Academy, meaning there has been no shortage of attention on Frank Kaminsky throughout the year. That includes the opponents determined to stop him offensively. Yet Kaminsky's impact has never been greater. With star point guard David Sobolewski sidelined with back trouble, Kaminsky has been directing the offense and hadling the ball against pressure. Take Benet's recent 58-33 win over Oswego. The 6'11" senior finished with 25 points on 12-of-15 shooting -- including 12 in the third quarter -- to go with 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Benet is still undefeated at 19-0, ranked No. 2 in the state.
Led by Kaminsky, Benet continued its early season momentum with a statement win Dec. 10 against a smaller Notre Dame team from Niles, Ill. (see video above). The towering center hit 14-of-16 from the field en route to 32 points, which included stepping back for a three-pointer and hitting some clutch free throws in the 65-58 win. The Redwings moved on to a pair of holiday events. Benet first swept through the round-robin Plainfield North Holiday Tournament, in which Kaminsky earned all-tournament honors. Next came the first true barometer of Kaminsky's progress this season: the Proviso West tournament. The dream matchup of Benet versus Lousiville-bound Wayne Blackshear never materialized as Morgan Park was upset in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Kaminsky sprained his ankle in the semis, but persevered. As a result, the Redwings held up their end of the bargain when a gimpy Kaminsky blocked a late shot to beat Homewood-Flossmoor for the championship.
| Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Points | Rebs | Blocks |
| 12.07 | Naperville North | 62-41 | W | 8 | - | - |
| 12.10 | Notre Dame | 65-58 | W | 32 | 8 | 3 |
| 12.15 | Lockport | 52-38 | W | 18 | 9 | - |
| 12.16 | Lincoln-Way North | 71-49 | W | 16 | - | - |
| 12.17 | Geneva | 57-36 | W | 15 | 10 | - |
| 12.18 | Plainfield North | 62-45 | W | 16 | 8 | 2 |
| 12.27 | Von Steuben | 60-38 | W | 16 | 7 | 6 |
| 12.28 | New Trier | 64-42 | W | 14 | 9 | 2 |
| 12.29 | Hillcrest | 61-48 | W | 5 | 8 | - |
| 12.30 | Homewood-Flossmoor | 54-50 | W | 12 | 9 | 2 |
| 1.07 | Joliet Catholic | 66-40 | W | 11 | 7 | - |
| 1.08 | Carmel | 59-38 | W | 6 | 8 | - |
| 1.13 | Marian Catholic | 71-38 | W | 6 | 9 | - |
| 1.15 | Oswego | 58-33 | W | 25 | 8 | - |
| 1.18 | St. Viator | 48-32 | W | 4 | 3 | - |
Jarrod Uthoff talked this summer about how hard it was for him to gain weight as he was adding another inch or two onto his frame. Boy, he wasn't kidding. Despite his slender build, however, Uthoff has rarely been slowed on the court. Here's a short news clip of the game in which he set the school's single game scoring record (44 points) during a 73-48 win over Marion.
The senior forward followed up that performance with 40 points against Dubuque Hempstead. Along with his scoring, Uthoff is also snatching up rebounds for Cedar Rapids Jefferson at a rapid pace, reaching at least 15 boards three times already. However, intra-city rivals Washington and Kennedy both solved Jefferson's riddle by double- and triple-teaming Uthoff and forcing other players to beat them. This led to Uthoff's two lowest scoring games of the year (17 and 12), which not surprisingly are the J-Hawks (9-2) only losses this season. If it were not for Uthoff's late game and overtime heroics against Iowa City West, Jefferson would have one more loss too.
| Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Points | Rebs | Steals |
| 12.10 | Iowa City High | 70-19 | W | 21 | 11 | 4 |
| 12.11 | Marion | 73-48 | W | 44 | - | - |
| 12.14 | Dubuque Hempstead | 67-47 | W | 40 | 15 | - |
| 12.17 | C.R. Washington | 41-49 | L | 17 | 15 | - |
| 1.04 | Dubuque Senior | 54-34 | W | 24 | - | - |
| 1.07 | Iowa City West | 67-63 | W (OT) | 34 | 10 | - |
| 1.11 | Waterloo West | 72-42 | W | 26 | - | - |
| 1.14 | C.R. Kennedy | 37-44 | L | 12 | 15 | - |
| 1.18 | Davenport Central | 59-56 | W | 23 | 9 | - |
Class of 2012
Sam Dekker has been slamming opponents to the tune of nearly 29 ppg this year. Though he is the youngest Wisconsin recruit, Dekker put on the most dominant display of the season when he dropped 52 points and 19 rebounds in one game at the Lake Country Lutheran Invite. Yet Sheboygan Lutheran lost to The Hope School despite Dekker's half-court shot that sent the game to overtime. The Crusaders (10-3) are a Division 5 team and as you might expect, Dekker must do it all. Often this means relaxing on defense for he can stay out of foul trouble and be the team's primary offense. At 6'7" Dekker is most comfortable on the wing as a playmaker. An under-the-weather Dekker was held to a season-low nine points in his most recent contest, but hopes to be full strength to help Lutheran snap its two-game losing streak.
| Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Points | Rebs | Assts | Steals | Blocks |
| 12.09 | Howards Grove | 52-45 | W | 27 | 20 | - | - | 4 |
| 12.14 | Kohler | 65-36 | W | 22 | 12 | - | - | - |
| 12.17 | Stockbridge | 88-45 | W | 25 | - | - | - | - |
| 12.28 | Lake Country Christian | 73-53 | W | 30 | 13 | 7 | 5 | - |
| 12.29 | The Hope School | 55-64 | L (OT) | 52 | 19 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 1.04 | Sheboygan Christian | 78-61 | W | 27 | 14 | - | 4 | - |
| 1.08 | Random Lake | 78-58 | W | 32 | 16 | 6 | 4 | - |
| 1.13 | Ozaukee | 55-64 | L | 36 | 12 | - | - | - |
| 1.18 | Oostburg | 27-54 | L | 9 | - | - | - | - |
If you have watched any of Wisconsin's recruits play in person, drop me a note via email at hoopsmarinara@gmail.com or on Twitter @hoopsmarinara.