Seven Wisconsinites in NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball having strong starts

The NCAA basketball season may only be in its earliest stages, but the impact of players from state high schools continues to reverberate, including at spots beyond the Midwest.

Though March Madness may be too far in the future to ponder, keep these names in the back of your mind:

Men's basketball

Patrick Cartier (Brookfield East), Colorado State

The undefeated Rams are ranked No. 13 in the nation, and Cartier's 12.3 points per game are third on the team. He's hit 10 of his first 19 three-pointers and shoots 91% at the free throw line. His 19 points Wednesday led the team in a 90-80 win over Denver, moving the Rams to 9-0.

Marcus Domask (Waupun), Illinois

The No. 20 Fighting Illini have lost only once (to Marquette), and that includes a win over No. 11 Florida Atlantic on Tuesday in which Domask scored 33 points in the 98-89 win, hitting 15 of 21 field goals. Domask, who played his first four years at Southern Illinois, is second on the team in scoring at 12.1 points per contest.

Tyrese Hunter (Racine St. Catherine's), Texas

Hunter struggled back in his home state Wednesday, going 0-for-6 from the field and finishing with three points in a lopsided loss to Marquette. But he's still averaging 10.6 points per game for a team that entered the week No. 12, with 4.1 assists in his second season playing for the Longhorns. He's shooting a career-best 44%.

Kobe Johnson (Nicolet), USC

He averages 13.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for the Trojans, though the squad is just 5-3 with conference play still to begin.

Milan Momcilovic (Pewaukee), Iowa State

Just a freshman, the three-time state champion at Pewaukee has started every game, averaging 13.6 points per game while shooting 45% from three-point range. He's the team's third-leading scorer.

Andrew Rohde (Brookfield Central), Virginia

There are no shortage of Wisconsin connections on Virginia; second-leading scorer Reece Beekman didn't play high-school ball in the state but was raised in Wisconsin, coach Tony Bennett is part of Wisconsin basketball royalty, and Wauwatosa East's Leon Bond averages 7.3 points per game and 4.2 rebounds, all off the bench. Rohde, a transfer from St. Thomas, only averages 6.9 points but also 3.1 assists and has started every game for the Cavaliers, an 8-1 squad that has suffered its only loss to Wisconsin.

Jaeden Zackery (Westosha Central), Boston College

The starter leads the team with 4.9 assists per game and averages 12.3 points, good for third on the team. The team has opened the year 6-3.

ONE MORE: David Skogman (Waukesha West), Davidson. He's the leading scorer (13.1 ppg) and nearly leading rebounder (5.6 rpg) for the 6-3 squad in the Atlantic 10.

In-state success

• Max Klesmit (Neenah) has started every game for the nationally ranked Badgers, scoring 7.9 points per game. He hit five three-pointers and scored 21 points in the first half during his team's win over Marquette.
• David Joplin (Brookfield Central) has started every game for No. 8 Marquette, scoring 8.2 points per game with 3.1 rebounds.
• Preston Ruedinger (Oshkosh Lourdes) is a regular starter for 4-5 UW-Green Bay, averaging 7.0 points per game and 3.2 rebounds.

Women's basketball

KK Arnold (Germantown), Connecticut

The gold standard of women's basketball is ranked unusually low at 17th in the most recent poll after starting 5-3. The freshman is averaging 7.4 points and 3.0 assists per game, mostly off the bench.

Tori DePerry (Shawano), South Dakota

The transfer from Saginaw Valley has helped the Coyotes to a 6-3 start and is second on the team in scoring (10.8 points) and rebounding (4.9 boards).

Lexi Donarski (La Crosse Aquinas), North Carolina

The 6-3 Tar Heels are ranked No. 24 in the nation, and the transfer from Iowa State has been a bit part of the puzzle. The regular starter averages 10.6 points per game and 2.1 rebounds, plus 1.2 assists.

Grace Grocholski (Kettle Moraine), Minnesota

As a true freshman, she has started all nine games and averaged 11.4 points per game, with 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals. The Gophers are 8-1 playing for coach Dawn Plitzuweit, a West Bend native.

Caitlyn Harper (Arrowhead), Purdue

The regular starter has scored 10.4 points per game for a balanced Purdue squad (6-3), with 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals per contest.

Leilani Kapinus (Madison Memorial), Penn State

At 7-2, the Nittany Lions find themselves at 25th in the most recent poll, playing for former Marquette women's head coach Carolyn Kieger. Kapinus has started all nine games, with 8.7 points and a team-leading 6.2 rebounds per game, plus a team-best 1.6 blocks per game. She has 1.4 steals and 2.0 assists per contest, for good measure.

Shemera Williams (Milwaukee Academy of Science), Southern Illinois

One of the top scorers in state history, she's only played in three games this year but has averaged 19.0 points in those contests, with 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals. The Salukis have opened the season 4-4.

ONE MORE: Nakiyah Hurst (Milwaukee Academy of Science), North Dakota. She leads the team with 7.4 rebounds and averages 14.6 points per game.

In-state success

Maddy Schreiber (Kimberly), Green Bay. Her 12.1 points per game lead the Phoenix, and she's tied for second on the team in rebounds at 4.3, though per usual, it's a team effort for the 5-3 Phoenix. Natalie McNeal (Germantown), and Cassie Schiltz (Luxemburg-Casco) also score in double figures, and Bailey Butler (Black Hawk) leads the team in assists.

Kamy Peppler (Hortonville), UW-Milwaukee. She has 13.2 points and a team-best 5.9 assists per game for the Panthers, who have opened the season 5-4. Angie Cera (Mukwonago) also scores in double figures at 10.6 points per game.

Natalie Leuzinger (Black Hawk), Wisconsin. She's started all eight games for the Badgers, averaging 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.