Milwaukee, WI
Matchups of top teams highlight Milwaukee-area boys hoops takeaways
Highlights from Wisconsin Lutheran’s 73-45 win over Greendale
Highlights from Wisconsin Lutheran’s 73-45 win over Greendale on Jan. 20, 2026, led by 17 points from Riley Walz and 14 from Zavier Zens.
School closures for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and subsequently Jan. 23 as temperatures dropped put a tighter bookend on the week in boys high school basketball, but there were still some premier matchups in the Milwaukee area.
Among those games that went on as scheduled were two meetings of top-four area teams entering the week, as well as a smattering of other conference and nonconference affairs as well.
Here are takeaways from the week in Milwaukee-area boys high school basketball.
Wisconsin Lutheran knocks down Greendale despite strong start
The No. 4 Greendale Panthers saw a strong 12-0 start to their season come to a screeching halt over the past week-and-a-half with losses to Franklin (72-64 on Jan. 17) and area No. 1 team Wisconsin Lutheran (73-45 on Jan. 20). Greendale coach Ryan Johnsen said the team is still optimistic and eager to improve over the latter half of the season while sitting now at 12-2.
“I think a lot of the teams in the state would take that,” Johnsen said of his team’s record after the loss to Wisco. “Our roster is really well connected. We’ve got great chemistry, kids understand their roles.”
Taking on a new role as top scoring option this year is 6-foot-6 senior guard Zavier Castillo, who has seen his scoring average climb by 15 points from his 11.9 points per game average as a junior. Rather than one area of improvement leading to that increase, Johnsen said he sees steady improvement across the board in ball-handling, shooting, strength and buy-in on defense.
“When your best player sort of sets the tone at [defense], everybody else kind of falls in line,” Johnsen said.
Rounding out a Panthers lineup also featuring 6-2 senior guard Brandon Harper (14.0 ppg) and 6-3 senior guard Tyler Roche (12.5 ppg) are a pair of juniors making the leap to varsity this year in 6-4 guard Korben Pfeifer (5.9 ppg) and 6-foot guard Grady Smith (9.5 ppg). Castillo said the difference for the team this year has been in its selflessness, which he has tried to help set the tone in as well.
“We’ve got to make sure everyone eats for sure, and in practice we’re just doing all the little things to make sure everyone gets better,” Castillo said.
Johnsen also had high praise for the Vikings, who moved into Max Preps’ national top 10 ranked teams this past week.
“They’re so talented, they’re so well-coached, they’re so long and play so well as a team,” Johnsen said. “No matter what five guys they have on the court, they’re all five difficult to guard. Obviously they have the high, high-level guys, but some of the guys that you don’t think about, they’re still really, really good basketball players. [Riley] Walz knocked down some big shots. I think [Tristan] Hahn hit some big shots. They’re a really strong team. I know Zens and the Knueppels get a lot of notoriety, but they got a special group there. They’re well-coached, it’s just really hard to defend.”
Highlights from West Allis Central’s 91-56 win over Brookfield East
Highlights from West Allis Central’s 91-56 win over Brookfield East on Jan. 22, 2026, led by Iowa State recruit Yusef Gray Jr.
Yusef Gray Jr. talks Iowa State commitment after 42 points in win
Two days after Wisconsin Lutheran and Greendale held their battle of top area teams, No. 2 West Allis Central (12-1) and No. 3 Brookfield East (13-1) met in a similarly high-stakes matchup.
An ultimately short-handed Spartans squad was routed at home, 91-56, as Iowa State recruit Yusef Gray Jr. scored 42 points to lead a runaway victory. Coach David Mlachnik lauded Gray’s improvement through his high school career leading up to what has been a stellar senior campaign.
“Ball-handling, playmaking, shooting, he always had that stuff, but he just continues his work every day. He puts a ton of time in, plus if you take a look at body strength, he put a lot of time in the weight room and that’s paying off,” Mlachnik said. “Just a great kid that just works his tail off.”
An attendee of the Jan. 22 game was already sporting a “Gray Jr.” Iowa State No. 3 jersey that Yusef signed after the game. Gray admitted it was not his first as a few relatives and teammates have been taken care of, but it was nevertheless an exciting sign of the things to come.
“It’s a blessing. Just not looking too far ahead. I’ve got a long season ahead, but it’s most definitely a blessing,” Gray said. “Seeing all these people showing me love and stuff I prayed for, and I just want to give all glory to God.”
The 6-5 West Allis Central guard is far from the first local product to choose Iowa State in recent years, as coach T.J. Otzelberger and his staff have made a point of seeking out recruits in the same metro area Otzelberger once roamed as a student at St. Thomas More. Gray said it is an intentional and genuine approach that has attracted himself among other recent Wisconsin signees like Pewaukee’s Milan Momcilovic, Milwaukee Academy of Science’s Jamarion Batemon, Brookfield Central’s Anthony Rise as well as Oshkosh North’s Xzavion Mitchell.
“They’re doing a really good job at that, and it’s ultimately working,” Gray said.
The Bulldogs are collectively focused on the task ahead, however, and have a senior-heavy lineup acting with urgency as they have largely rolled through their competition all year long.
“We’re going into every game like it’s a state championship game, not looking at teams no different, just giving our all every game,” Gray said.
Brookfield East without top freshman entering critical conference stretch
One development that put the Spartans at a disadvantage headed into the loss to West Allis Central was an apparent right lower arm injury to breakout freshman Max McMullen. The 6-foot guard was seen with a cast on his right wrist on Jan. 22 for an undisclosed injury that coach Joe Rux said will keep him out for “a little bit,” though he anticipates McMullen will return this season.
In addition to missing McMullen’s scoring (18.3 ppg), Rux said the freshman’s ability as a facilitator was badly missed against West Allis Central.
“I don’t want to put him in Yusef’s category because Yusef is a senior and he’s really good. Max is going to be really good obviously, but very similar in terms of where Yusef is at right now. They’re very similar in finding solutions. They’re not, ‘I’m only going to score’ you know. ‘I’ll score if that’s the right solution,’ ” Rux said. “We’re trying to figure it out right now and trying to figure out who can take the reins.”
Seeing increased minutes in McMullen’s stead were sophomore 6-1 guard Davian White and senior 6-foot guard Owen Counsell, while starting senior 5-9 guard Ronje Horton Jr. saw increased duties facilitating from the perimeter. While admitting it had been a short turnaround for his team to find solutions without that second guard adept at putting pressure on opposing defenses, Rux was candid in his assessment of his team’s response Jan. 22.
“We didn’t respond. That’s how we responded,” Rux said. “Obviously WAC is really good, so not taking anything away from them by any stretch. Yusef Gray is – if not the best player in the state – I don’t know who is.”
With or without McMullen for the foreseeable future, Rux’s immediate takeaways from the loss were his team needed to compete, box out and defend at higher levels.
“There’s a lot to learn from this game about who we not only are when Max is here and where we had to get better then, but when Max is gone. Maybe some of those errors [were] masked a little bit, now they’re glaring,” Rux said. “Max will come back at some point, obviously our offense will look a little bit more like it has, but that’s not an excuse. Giving up 90 points is not acceptable whether it’s WAC or Brook Central or whoever it might be.”
The Spartans entered Jan. 24 with a half-game lead in a competitive Greater Metro Conference race (6-1), but know there is work to be done quickly to fend off the likes of Germantown (6-2), Brookfield Central (6-2), Wauwatosa West (4-3) and Menomonee Falls (4-4).
Xavier Allen hits career scoring milestone
Milwaukee Lutheran 6-foot guard Xavier Allen reached 1,000 career points while scoring 25 in an 80-75 win over Shorewood on Jan. 21. The senior is averaging 25.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game this year for the Red Knights (9-4), who ended the week sitting a game back of West Allis Central in second in the Woodland East Conference.
July 3 drone show at McKinley Beach
Watch the first-ever July 3 drone show at McKinley Beach in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee County will again opt for drones over fireworks for its Independence Day festivities this summer.
The county had its first-ever Fourth of July drone show in 2025, with officials saying at the time that drones would be better for the environment, safer and less costly than fireworks.
The show costs about $150,000 less than fireworks, Milwaukee County officials told the Journal Sentinel this week.
“Milwaukee County is at its best when we come together to create memorable, inclusive experiences for everyone,” County Executive David Crowley said in an April news release. “This drone show is another example of how we’re investing in our parks, our neighborhoods and our shared sense of community pride.”
How did residents react to last year’s drone show?
Milwaukee County Parks Executive Director Guy Smith said in a news release last year the show is “an exciting and environmentally conscious way to celebrate our community.”
“Unlike traditional fireworks, drone shows reduce noise and air pollution while still delivering an unforgettable experience,” Smith said. “It’s about making memories and ensuring everyone feels welcome in these shared spaces.”
But the Journal Sentinel polled readers after last year’s show and a majority responded that they would prefer the county bring back fireworks.
This year’s show will debut pyrotechnic drone technology, adding spark effect for an “even more dynamic and visually stunning performance,” the news release says.
How long is the Milwaukee drone show?
The show is 45 minutes long and features 900 drones, county officials said. It is scheduled for 9:15 p.m. July 3 along the lakefront at McKinley Beach.
Milwaukee police audit shows Flock camera uses
The Milwaukee Police Department released a sample Flock camera audit showing outlier uses tied to serious crimes as scrutiny continues over officer misuse and community privacy concerns.
MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Police Department is giving the public a closer look at how officers use license plate reader cameras, part of an effort to be more transparent about how the technology affects community safety.
What we know:
For the first time, FOX6 got a look at a sample of audit results from the MPD involving the license plate reader system, also known as Flock.
The transparency effort comes after former officer Josue Ayala was charged with using the license plate readers to track someone he was dating and that person’s ex. Earlier this month, the department said a second officer was under investigation for possible misuse of the Flock camera system.
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On Thursday, May 28, FOX6 obtained MPD’s Flock audit report from April. It is something the department does every month.
In the report, MPD shared 24 “outlier uses” of the system. Those are possible red flags. The list is not all of them, but it gives a glimpse into how MPD uses the Flock system and how the department checks for misuse.
Of the 24 outlier uses, some plate numbers were associated with a wanted homicide suspect, a felony narcotics trafficking suspect and a suspect vehicle used in the abduction of a 5-year-old. According to the audit, that vehicle was located, the child was returned safely and a suspect was arrested.
The audit also listed a homicide investigation in which detectives developed plate numbers for both a suspect and victim, as well as a plate connected to a person wanted for second-degree sexual assault who was later arrested.
What they’re saying:
“Those audit logs are what was used to hold the officer accountable,” said Paris Lewbel, Flock Safety spokesperson.
Lewbel said Flock Safety is partnered with 220 law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin.
“We think it is important that communities are talking about their technology and how they use it,” Lewbel said.
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The company does not release how many cameras there are, but Lewbel said there have been fewer than 15 misuse cases across the country among the 140,000 users on the platform.
“Within the FLOCK system from day one, we built an immutable audit log in the system that allows law enforcement command staff and internal affairs in these cases to be able to see exactly what is being searched in the law enforcement system and FLOCK system specifically,” Lewbel said.
Dig deeper:
In Milwaukee, license plate readers have faced pushback from people who fear the data could be misused. Critics have called the system an invasion of privacy, saying it tracks innocent people as the debate over how the cameras are used continues.
FOX6 asked the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office on Thursday whether the second officer under investigation had been charged. The office replied, “not at this time.”
What you can do:
The full list of outliers from the audit is available on the FOX Local app.
The Source: FOX6 obtained the Milwaukee Police Department’s Flock audit report and utilized prior coverage.
Every week, Milwaukee With Kids answers a simple question for families across the area: What are we going to do this weekend? From indoor activities to outdoor adventures, we’ve got you covered. For the full weekend list, make sure to visit the Milwaukee With Kids website.
Featured event
Summer Reading Kickoff
Milwaukee Public Library | Central Branch
May 30 | 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Kick off a summer of learning with hands-on activities for kids and teens, special exhibits and early registration for the summer reading program. Special guests and partners include Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, Discovery World, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Public Museum and Urban Ecology Center.
Up close with animals
Summer Exhibit: Powerful Pollinators
Milwaukee County Zoo
Through Oct. 4
Explore life-sized animatronic pollinators and discover how the Zoo helps protect them through native gardens, honeybee hives, and conservation initiatives. Entry fee: $4 after general zoo admission.
Raptor Encounter
Schlitz Audubon Nature Center | Bayside
May 30 | 1-2 p.m.
Come to the Great Hall to see two birds from the nature center’s raptor program. During this meet-and-greet experience, you can talk with raptor handlers about the specific skills, traits and adaptations that are unique to that bird. The program educates about raptor ecology, conservation and these birds’ important roles in the ecosystem, with an emphasis on hawks, owls, eagles and falcons, plus an American Crow. Free with membership or admission.
Strong body, strong mind
MKE REC Family Day of Play
Wick Playfield
May 30 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Families are invited to enjoy 10+ engaging activities, including an obstacle course, bubble bash, lava land, crafts, games and various types of sports equipment available for free play. The day also features delicious food available for purchase, raffle drawings for amazing prizes and live music filling the air. You’re welcome to bring a picnic lunch, but a limited number of tables and chairs will be available, so bring your own if you have them.
Moms Mental Health Initiative Summer Social
Wilson Park
May 30 | 9 a.m.-Noon
The fifth annual event doubles as a celebration of MMHI’s 10 years supporting the strength of the organization’s participants and the immeasurable power of togetherness. Funds raised from the silent auction, pluck-a-duck, raffle and donations will allow MMHI to continue offering hope and help to perinatal people struggling in Southeast Wisconsin and Dane County.
Music and movement
MSO Sensory-Friendly Concert: Musical Influencers
Bradley Symphony Center
May 31 | 2:30 p.m.
Good times and great music will be trending as onstage influencers from Pink Umbrella Theater introduce you to some of the most influential composers of all time. This special performance is designed for people of any age on the autism spectrum or with a sensory sensitivity and their families, but all are welcome!
Concert modifications include dimmed house lights remaining on during the performance, flexible seating, relaxed house rules, on-stage hosts, available sensory kits, noise-reduction headphones, quiet areas, concert social narratives and more. Patrons are encouraged to come early and enjoy an hour of special pre-concert activities.
Kid Boogie Down
The Cooperage
May 31 | 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Get your groove on as DJ Lukewarm introduces young audiences to genres ranging from classic disco and funk to modern hits synced with matching music videos. Plus, you’ll enjoy lots of kid-friendly fun: music, foggy bubbles, videos, temporary tattoos, a ring toss, snacks, cotton candy, and a vintage clothing and toy pop-up shop. Grab a four-pack of tickets for a $10+ discount.
Ferns, fossils and trees
FernGully: The Last Rainforest
Oriental Theatre
May 30-31 | Noon
Enjoy this family-friendly classic as Milwaukee Film wraps up its “Ani-May” movie series. When a sprite named Crysta shrinks a human boy named Zak down to her size, he vows to help the magical fairy folk stop a greedy logging company from destroying their home: the pristine rainforest known as FernGully. Zak and his new friends fight to defend FernGully from lumberjacks and the vengeful spirit they accidentally unleash after chopping down a magic tree.
Tree Climbing Festival
Riveredge Nature Center | Saukville
May 30 | 10 a.m.-Noon
Encounter the giants of the forest and explore trees from a new perspective as you climb into the canopy under the guidance of trained facilitators. Adults and children ages 7+ are invited to ascend to the top, swing from a branch or try a “bat hang.” Registration for this event includes 20 minutes of climb time, a scavenger hunt along the trails a naturalist-led hands-on nature investigation and access to picnic areas for lunch (please pack a lunch and be mindful of single-use plastic waste).
Family Fossil Hunting
Kenosha Public Museum
May 30 | 10 a.m.-Noon
Join Nick Wiersum from the Dinosaur Discovery Museum to explore the local fossils of Kenosha’s lakeshore. Meet at the museum to learn about the prehistoric life that called this area home and discuss how to locate fossils, then head out to the Simmon’s Island beach house to collect fossils of your own! The museum will provide you with any tools you will need, including a collection bag, fossil guide and magnifying glass.
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