March 8, 2023 at 12:56 p.m.
Gretzinger named Hodag hoops MVP
Gretzinger named Hodag hoops MVP
Gretzinger was one of several players honored during the team's season-ending awards banquet held Sunday in the RHS commons.
Awards were voted on by the players. In addition to Gretzinger, the team selected junior James Heck and sophomore Seth Nofftz as co-most improved players, junior Will Quinn as Mr. Defense and senior Kaleb Winter as Mr. Hustle. Heck, Quinn and Winter also shared the team's Hodag Award.
Gretzinger, who earned second-team All-Great Northern Conference honors this year, led the Hodags averaging 15.0 points per game. He was the only player on the team to finish the year averaging in double figures. Additionally, he led the team in total 3-pointers (69), 3-point percentage (.354) and rebounding (4.6 rpg).
"He had a big task this year and really started to get a lot of notice from other teams," Hodag coach Derek Lemmens said during the banquet. "He really started getting defended with a heavy focus. Teams threw a lot of players at him and a lot of different things to try to stop him. Despite still being a little undersized, he still found ways to score and help his team."
Heck was one of only two players, along with Gretzinger, who started all 25 games this season for an injury-riddled squad. As Rhinelander's lone true big man at season's end, Heck averaged 3.6 points and 3.1 rebounds a game.
"At the start of the year, the basket seemed very small and there was a lot of time put in before practice and after with coach (Brandon) Karaba, really working on things and taking every bit of coaching he could get and running with it and just making some huge strides this year from being a big body that we needed to fill a space, to being a big body that's finishing and doing more and more offensively every single game," Lemmens said.
Nofftz, meanwhile, worked his way from a split-time junior varsity/varsity player to someone who worked into the rotation down the stretch. He averaged 2.7 points per game in 15 appearances.
"He just continued to improve. He shot was looking better and it seemed like every single day he was getting better and better and demanding more minutes with his play," Lemmens said.
In addition to being Rhinelander's top assist man at 3.4 helpers a contest, Quinn was also one of the team's peskiest defenders. He averaged 2.7 deflections and 2.2 steals per game, both of which led the team.
"This individual stood out with the way they just disrupted some really good guards, especially in our conference," Lemmens said. "When (Northland Pines') Nolan Lurvey stepped on our court, I've never seen Nolan Lurvey struggle the way that he did. He's probably going to play college basketball. He's a 1,000-point scorer and he wanted no part of the basketball when he was on him. That goes for others like (Mosinee's) Keagan Jirschele, the Fox Valley guards, the amount of the deflections and steals he got on a guard-heavy team just speaks volumes for what he does."
Winter, unofficially listed at 5-8, was one of only four players to appear in all 15 games for Rhinelander - joining Gretzinger, Heck and Quinn. He averaged 3.3 points and 1.7 rebounds a game.
"We had a lot of guys who worked hard but, when it comes down to it, this player really didn't have a choice," Lemmens said while presenting Mr. Hustle to Winter. "If he doesn't bring it and bring his absolute best effort, there's nothing else he can really stand out, especially being about 5-4."
Lemmens applauded his team's class and dignity throughout the season, noting that a number of coaches and fans from Fox Valley Lutheran commended the Hodags on their respectfulnesss and effort following a season-ending 72-38 loss to the Foxes in the regional semifinal round of the WIAA tournament.
He also mentioned that eight players on the varsity roster - Heck, Winter, Gretzinger, Nofftz, Quinn, Truman Lamers, Kyle Brown and Max Ratty all had GPAs of 3.5 or higher.
Those pillars factored into the Hodag Award, which Lemmens said had a number of nominees. Ultimately, Heck, Quinn and Winter were the top three vote-getters.
"This award really encompasses a lot of things," he said. "Are they really good students? Are they high-character people? Are they coachable? Are they doing all of these things that you don't have to be a great basketball player to do, it's just things that everyone should be able to do and they exemplified that."
Additionally, Rhinelander recognized Brown, Winter and Gretzinger as this year's team captains.
The Hodags went 9-16 overall this season, and 6-6 in a Great Northern Conference Lemmens called as good as it has been in his 13 years at RHS - with Medford, Northland Pines and Mosinee all turning in strong seasons.
The Hodags also struggled with injuries and a lack of size much of the season. Junior Garrett Younker missed the entire 2022-23 season after injuring his knee in the fall during the soccer season. Ratty played in only six games before a lingering knee injury shut him down.
"Then just the number of injuries that occurred after there - whether it's a tooth knocked out, rolling ankles, hurting knees - it just seemed like one thing after another," Lemmens said. "It was really special to see that next man up mentality and guys stepping up.
"It seemed like what we had to do every single game. Someone new had to step up because someone new was out. Guys always responded to that challenge."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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