High school boys basketball was alive and well in the city of Sun Prairie in the winter of 2023-24. The Cardinals of East and the Wolves of West were the two best teams in the vaunted Big Eight conference. West won the conference, the Wolves’ first in their two-year history, with a 15-3 record. East finished as runner-up at 13-5.
West went on to win a Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) regional title as the No. 3 seed in Sectional 3 of Division 1. While East was upset in the first round, the Cardinals were still the No. 6 seed in the same portion of the bracket.
The top contributor from each team received statewide recognition for their efforts. The Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) released its Division 1 all-state team on Tuesday, March 19. Sun Prairie West junior Chris Davis Jr. was named to the first team while Sun Prairie East senior Gavin Van Wie was named honorable mention.
Davis Jr. was a natural choice for first team all-state honors. It’s another accolade in his trophy case from his transcendent 2023-24 season after also being named first team all-conference by the Big Eight as well as conference Player of the Year. He was also a first team all-conference selection the year prior.
He had the stats to make him a worthy recipient. Davis Jr. averaged a ridiculous 40.8 points per game this season. Counting his scoring accolades takes a long list. He eclipsed 40 points in 13 separate games, including high marks of 61, 54, and 51. One of those performances came in Sun Prairie West’s regional title games, a 43-point outburst to push the Wolves past Verona.
Davis Jr. knocked down 108 three point shots on a 46% shooting clip and attempted an incredible 226 free throws, of which he made 186. More than just a devastating scorer, Davis Jr. also collected 4.9 rebounds, dished out 2.2 assists, and recorded 2.6 steals per game.
As for Sun Prairie East, the Cardinals deployed a bit more of an even offensive attack. Still, Van Wie was at the center of it. His step up into this leadership role earned him honorable mention all-state honors from the WBCA. He was their go-to for buckets in 2023-24 as he led the team in scoring with an average of 18.2 points per game. This was boosted up by his team-high 53 three point makes. Far from just a scorer, Van Wie also ripped down 5.5 rebounds and dished out 2.5 assists per game.
His crowning achievement in his senior campaign came in the last game of the regular season, a trip to Sun Prairie West on Feb. 20. Van Wie went shot-for-shot with Davis Jr. and helped lead the Cardinals to an 87-86 win with a team-high 31 points. This was East’s first win over the Wolves in program history.
Van Wie made a tremendous jump between his junior and senior seasons. He averaged only 9.3 points per game in 2022-23. His transformation into the weapon he was as a senior marked his first career all-conference nod, first team in the Big Eight, to go along with this all-state recognition.
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2023-24 WBCA Division 1 all-state selections
FIRST TEAM
Bennett Basich, senior, Arrowhead
Stevie Clark, senior, Oshkosh North
Brady Corso, senior, Neenah
Jack Daugherty, senior, Brookfield Central
Chris Davis Jr., junior, Sun Prairie West
Tim Franks, senior, Homestead
Brooks Hinson, junior, Marshfield
Will Hornseth, senior, De Pere
Zach Kinziger, junior, De Pere
Nolan Minessale, senior, Marquette
Xzavion Mitchell, junior, Oshkosh North
Manasseh Stackhouse, senior, Kenosha Indian Trail
HONORABLE MENTION
Termarion Brumby, senior, Racine Case
Grant Chandonais, junior, Stevens Point
Will Garlock, senior, Middleton
Jace Gilbert, senior, Arrowhead
Amare Hereford, sophomore, Beloit Memorial
Lukas Hoffman, senior, Oconomowoc
Ky’moni Hunt, senior, Milwaukee Hamilton
Cooper Jesperson, junior, Eau Claire Memorial
Cahlil Jones, sophomore, Germantown
Aidan Konop, senior, Sussex Hamilton
Joe LaChapell, senior, Appleton East
Drew Murphy, junior, Verona
Trevor Polite, junior, Homestead
Will Stuckey, senior, Kettle Moraine
Keegan Van Kauwenberg, junior, Kaukauna
Gavin Van Wie, senior, Sun Prairie East
Keaton Frisch, senior, Waunakee
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