Milwaukee, WI
Homestead’s big week leads off Milwaukee-area girls basketball takeaways
Catholic Memorial vs Arrowhead girls basketball video highlights
Arrowhead girls basketball defeats Catholic Memorial, 78-55, on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025 at Arrowhead.
By this time next weekend, the anticipation for the WIAA girls basketball tournament brackets will be at a fever pitch.
For some, the first goal is checked off the list with conference titles. For others, it’s going to take a couple more victories to bring some hardware home this season.
In this week’s takeaways, we take a look at a trio of teams that have clinched conference titles, who is close to winning their own titles, and one of the hottest teams in the area capping a big week with a personal milestone.
Homestead vaults itself into thick of North Shore title race
They still need some help to preserve their North Shore Conference title streak, but what a week for the Highlanders.
Not only did Homestead hand Hartford its first conference loss in yet another thriller between the two programs, the Highlanders moved their winning streak to seven with an 84-46 rout of Slinger on Friday night to sit at 12-2 in NSC play with four games left. After a stretch where the Highlanders lost four of five games from Dec. 21 to Jan. 14 against stellar competition, they all of a sudden look like a dangerous team that will be tough to eliminate in a few weeks.
Hartford (13-1), Whitefish Bay (12-2) and Homestead (12-2) all have four conference games to play, with a Valentine’s Day matchup between the Blue Dukes and Highlanders coming next week. If Hartford handles its business against Grafton, Cedarburg, West Bend East and Slinger, it is the outright NSC champion. But, if the Orioles slip in one of those four games, the door swings open for both the Blue Dukes and Highlanders in the title chase.
On top of a crucial week, senior guard Grace Zortman also joined the 1,000-point club Friday night. She became the third player on the current Homestead roster (Madison Fitzgibbon and Natalie Mueller) to score at least 1,000 points in a career.
The Prairie School, Salam and Union Grove clinch conference crowns
The Prairie School (Metro Classic) and Union Grove (Southern Lakes) officially clinched outright conference titles with victories Friday night. The Hawks cruised past a streaking Racine St. Catherine’s side with a 74-45 victory to move to 18-2 (12-0) on the season. It’s the fourth straight season the Hawks have either captured a split or the outright MCC title and they moved to 18-0 against in-state competition this season.
In the Southern Lakes Conference, it’s Union Grove’s world again. For the sixth straight season, the Broncos have captured at least a share of the SLC title. The Broncos (19-2, 11-0) dispatched Elkhorn in a 75-41 blowout for their fifth straight victory and the 10th in their last 11 games to win the outright title. Coincidentally, the lone loss came in a 67-61 defeat against The Prairie School on Jan. 18.
Despite a 37-30 loss to Kenosha Christian Life on Friday night, a 49-34 victory over University Lake/St. John’s earlier this week clinched the outright Lake City Conference title for Salam (16-3, 13-0) with three conference games to play. The Stars raced out to a 32-16 halftime advantage and put it in cruise control for their third straight conference title.
Other title races that could come down to the final week of the season
Classic 8 Conference: Muskego (11-1, two conference games left), Arrowhead (11-2, one conference game left), Catholic Memorial (8-3, three conference games left).
East Central Conference: Kettle Moraine Lutheran (9-0, three conference games left), Winneconne (9-1, two conference games left).
Greater Metro Conference: Wauwatosa East (13-1, two conference games left), Brookfield East (13-1, two conference games left).
Midwest Classic Conference: Lake Country Lutheran (12-0, four conference games left), Watertown Luther Prep (10-1, five conference games left).
Milwaukee City (Blue) Conference: Milwaukee Bradley Tech/Arts (11-0, three conference games left), Milwaukee Vincent (8-2, two conference games left).
Milwaukee City (Gold) Conference: Milwaukee Golda Meir (11-0, three conference games left), Milwaukee King (9-2, three conference games left), Milwaukee School of Languages (9-3, two conference games left).
Southeast Conference: Oak Creek (11-0, three conference games left), Kenosha Bradford (9-1, four conference games left).
Woodland (East) Conference: Whitnall (10-0, two conference games left), Greenfield (9-1, two conference games left).
Woodland (West) Conference: Pewaukee (10-0, two conference games left, plus a crossover game), Pius XI (10-1, one conference game left, plus a crossover game).
Other happenings around the area
- With its 59-47 victory over Shorewood on Friday, Whitnall (17-2, 10-0) stayed perfect in Woodland East play behind a 27-point performance from senior star Riley Ward. The 17 victories are the most for the program since the 2008-09 campaign, when the Falcons won the Woodland East title with a 17-5 overall mark and a 9-1 record in conference play.
- In the 35th Street rivalry, Oak Creek (13-7, 11-0) continued to roll with a 46-31 victory over Franklin, moving one step closer to the Southeast Conference title. The win marked the seventh victory in the last eight contests for the Knights, who still have matchups with Racine Case and Park next week before a Feb. 18 matchup against Kenosha Bradford that could decide the SEC champion. The Red Devils kept the heat on the Knights with a dominant 77-24 victory over Racine Horlick on Friday to move to 18-2 (9-1) on the season.
- There’s just two undefeated teams remaining in the state and one of them resides in the Milwaukee area. Milwaukee Bradley Tech/Arts moved to a perfect 17-0 (11-0) on Friday night with a 59-32 win over Milwaukee South. Out of its 17 wins this season, 13 have come by double digits for the Trojans. With three wins next week against Milwaukee Pulaski, Madison and North, the Trojans could finish the regular season at a flawless 20-0.
Milwaukee, WI
Same name keeps coming up in mock drafts as possible Bucks selection
Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam talks greater involvement, Giannis future
Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam says that he will have a greater involvement with the team and that includes the decision on if to re-sign Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Milwaukee Bucks know their placement in the 2026 NBA Draft, slotted No. 10 for their first lottery pick in a decade. Who are some of the possible selections at that spot when June 23 rolls around?
Check out what the first post-lottery wave of mock drafts has to say, most of them pointing to same prospect, that being Nate Ament of Tennessee, a 6-10 freshman small forward.
Nate Ament, forward, Tennessee
From Spencer Woo of ESPN: “While Ament’s stock has slipped from an early top-five projection, he had productive stretches this season within a tricky team context and has room to help himself in workouts. Although scouts are split on whether he has star potential or projects better as a long-term supporting player, there is still plenty of intrigue around Ament in the lottery. As a tall skill player with shotmaking upside, Ament fits a player archetype that teams often love to swing on. As Milwaukee considers a post-Antetokounmpo future, a malleable upside swing such as Ament could be a fit.”
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo! Sports: “The Bucks should take a swing to jump-start their new era, whether or not Giannis Antetokounmpo is part of it. Players who can handle, shoot off the dribble, and stand at 6-foot-10 don’t grow on trees. This physical foundation kept Ament in lottery consideration even after a dreadful start to his freshman season when he struggled to score efficiently and make an impact defensively. But over the second half of the year for Tennessee, he flipped a switch and shots began to fall. He averaged 23.8 points over a six-game stretch in January and February that reminded everyone why he was a top recruit in the country. Then he dealt with an ankle injury that ruined his momentum entering March and he severely struggled during the tournament. Bucks general manager Jon Horst has never been afraid to take risks though. If Ament pans out, it could look like a stroke of genius.”
Gary Parrish of CBS Sports: “Ament had an up-and-down freshman season for the Vols – but the upside isn’t hard to spot. Less than a year ago, the 2025 McDonald’s All-American was considered a possible top-five pick. So getting Ament here would be nice for a Bucks franchise that seems on the verge of rebuilding after presumably trading Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason.”
The Ringer: “Barring some transactional magic, this could be Milwaukee’s best bite at the talent apple in the draft for a while. The Bucks don’t currently have control over a first-round pick until 2031. If Giannis Antetokounmpo decides it’s time to move on, this roster will be rudderless and talent-deprived. If Giannis decides not to move on, it’ll have a rudder but still won’t go anywhere. Less than ideal, but that makes this a ‘best player available’ scenario, or rather ‘best wager available.’ There are definitely more stable options in this range, but Ament’s higher possible outcomes justify this pick. Ament fell short of expectations this past season, and he slid from top-five consideration as a result, but the jumbo-sized, smooth-moving ball handler is still a worthy bet here. Handling the ball at 6-foot-10 is an intriguing enough skill to instill some belief that he could develop into a quality asset. And the Bucks can take the risk given their circumstances.
Adam Finkelstein of CBS Sports: “Ament is a polarizing prospect with a wide range of outcomes on draft night. A late-blooming 6-foot-10 combo-forward who is fluid, has touch, and skill, he’s also inconsistent and needs to get stronger. While his freshman year was up and down, Ament’s overall arc has been linear, and there’s still glaring potential. That upside makes him a logical choice for a Milwaukee team that has a very uncertain future ahead of them.”
Brian Lewis of New York Post: “After the run on guards, taking an upside swing on a gifted developmental player here seems like a worthy gamble for a Bucks team that could be in full-on rebuild in a post-Giannis era.”
Two other names mentioned
From Eric Nehm of The Athletic: “This was an incredibly difficult pick to make without knowing what the Bucks are going to do with Giannis Antetokounmpo. If the 10-time All-Star forward remains in Milwaukee, it might make more sense to look at someone like Yaxel Lendeborg, who could make an impact right away and give the Bucks more size and skill. Instead, though, I went with Philon, who has a lot of offensive upside and could be protected on the defensive end by Ryan Rollins. Philon is an electrifying offensive player who shot 50 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3 while averaging 22 points, 3.5 rebounds and five assists per game last season.”
From Kurt Helin of NBC Sports: “The Bucks need all the backcourt help they can get, and Burries may not be flashy, but he does a lot of things well — he can play on and off the ball, can knock down catch-and-shoot jumpers but also attack closeouts, and he gets downhill off screens and has a midrange pull-up game.”
Milwaukee, WI
Brad Paisley to perform at BMO Pavilion in Milwaukee on Sept. 4
Brad Paisley (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE – Brad Paisley is scheduled to perform at the BMO Pavilion in Milwaukee on Sept. 4.
Ticket information
What we know:
The ticket pre-sale for Brad’s fan club members, Paisley Nation, begins on Tuesday, May 12 at 10 am. All tickets available at BradPaisley.com.
The tour will also offer a variety of VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Packages vary but include premium seats, a guided backstage tour, VIP-exclusive gift item, early entry & more. VIP package contents vary depending on the selected offer. For more information, visit VIPnation.com.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by Live Nation.
Milwaukee, WI
WSJ: Billionaire Milwaukee Bucks co-owner targeted in extortion scheme – UPI.com
Billionaire Wes Edens, co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA club, is shown at Sun Valley, Idaho, on July 9, 2015. The Wall Street Journal on Sunday identified Edens as the victim of a billion-dollar extortion plot allegedly hatched by an ex-lover. File Photo by Andrew Gombert/EPA
May 10 (UPI) — Wes Edens, the billionaire co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and an owner of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, was the target of a billion-dollar extortion scheme allegedly perpetrated by an ex-lover, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
A spokesman for Edens, 64, confirmed to the newspaper that the financier is the unnamed alleged victim in a federal indictment brought against Changli “Sophia” Luo of New York City.
Edens, one of world’s most successful global investment management firm leaders with Fortress, has developed and owned businesses in real estate, transportation, infrastructure, health care, financial services, media and entertainment.
He is also a high-profile sports team owner, including the Bucks and soccer club Aston Villa of the English Premier League. He is credited turning the Bucks from a perennial cellar dweller into a champion squad over a five-year span, culminating in the 2021 NBA championship.
But he also fell victim to a lurid alleged “sextortion” scheme, his spokesman confirmed to the WSJ, admitting the Edens is the unnamed “Victim 1” cited an indictment filed last year in Manhattan federal court against Luo.
The indictment reportedly accuses her of trying to extort Victim 1 of more than $1 billion by threatening to release videos and photos of them engaged in sex. Prosecutors alleged Luo also threatened to contact the victim’s family members and business partners in a threat to destroy his fortune if he did not pay up.
According to the indictment, Luo was arrested June 14 at JFK International Airport as she tried to board a flight to China, the New York Post reported.
“Mr. Edens will be making no comment on the case as the indictment speaks for itself with respect to the charges against the defendant,” his spokesman told the Journal. “Mr. Edens expects to testify under oath at the upcoming trial.”
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