Journal Times
ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-STATE TEAM: Wonderful Wilson
Horlick forward earns first team AP All-State honor
BY PETER JACKEL
Journal Times
Monday, March 10, 2008 11:47 PM CDT
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If you’re wondering where Jamil Wilson will be playing college basketball, you’re going to have a long wait. The Horlick High School junior doesn’t plan to announce his decision until next March 8, which is his late mother’s birthday.
In the meantime, here’s something to hold you over for now on the Wilson front: He has become the first Horlick player to earn first-team Associated Press All-State honors since Robert Berryhill, Racine County’s version of Michael Jordan, in 1986.
The team was selected Sunday in Madison by a board of seven sportswriters representing different regions of the state. The Journal Times was a member of this year’s board.
Racine County players joining Wilson on the all-state team are Case senior Stephen Jaskulske, who earned third-team honors and Park senior PJ Lockridge-Beverly, who was honorable mention.
Gregory Shaver Journal Times Horlick’s Jamil Wilson, shown against Burlington Feb. 12, was named to the Associated Press All-State first-team. Wilson averaged 18.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.1 blocks and one steal per game.
Wilson was honored despite not getting the exposure of playing in the WIAA Division 1 State Tournament. But Wilson certainly did his part to try to get Horlick to Madison with a career-high 37 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks, three assists and two steals in the Rebels’
72-68 sectional championship loss to Brookfield Central.
“Most of the first-team All-State members are from teams that actually made it to state,” Wilson said. “Of course I’m happy. I told my sisters, I told my dad ... it’s a good feeling.”
It’s hard to ignore Wilson’s numbers. He averaged 18.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.0 steal a game. With his 37-point effort against Brookfield Central, he exceeded 1,000 points for his career.
“He can do everything,” said Jaskulske, who played against Wilson the last two seasons. “He can shoot, he can post up, he’s probably one of the most athletic players ... he’s the best player in the county and probably in the state.
“He’s really good. There’s nothing else you can say.”
While Horlick didn’t make it to state, Case (13-10) barely broke .500.Nevertheless, Jaskulske’s averages of 17.8 points and 14.1 rebounds simply couldn’t be ignored during the voting process Sunday afternoon.
Nor could some of his performances, which included 31 points and 18 rebounds against South Milwaukee and a combined 53 points and 41 rebounds in two games against Park. Jaskulske had double-doubles in 21 of Case’s 23 games and he never failed to grab at least 10 rebounds.
“Actually, what I care about the most is rebounding,” said Jaskulske, who has signed with UW-Parkside. “Somebody’s got to do it is the way I look at it. I think anyone who is 6-7 should be averaging 10-plus rebounds a game.”
Wilson likened him to a Racine County version of former Boston Celtics All-Star Kevin McHale.
“When you pick that category (rebounding), there’s not enough I can say about Steve,” Wilson said. “He’s a great rebounder all the way around. He has long arms. My dad (James) said he always reminds him of Kevin McHale with his long arms, he knows how to keep the ball up and he’s always boxing somebody out and has a body on someone.”
Lockridge-Beverly went out with the finest game of his career, finishing with 36 points and 23 rebounds in a stunning regional semifinal loss to Milwaukee Hamilton.
But he was outstanding most of the season, averaging 18.8 points and 10.7 rebounds and shooting 54 percent from the floor.
In every full game he played this season, Lockridge-Beverly scored in double figures.
“I think he’s a very underrated player,” Wilson said. “I just thought PJ was the drive and the fire for that team.
“It was his senior year and he played like a champion both times that we played them.”
AP All-State team
The 2008 Associated Press Wisconsin boys basketball all-state team, as determined by a statewide media panel:
FIRST TEAM
Jamil Wilson, Horlick, 6-7 Jr
Jeronne Maymon, Madison Memorial, 6-5 Jr
DeMarcus Phillips, Milw. Washington, 6-2 Sr
Korie Lucious, Milw. Pius, 5-10 Sr
Kwamain Mitchell, Whitefish Bay Dominican, 6-0 Sr
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