After finishing 16-9 and claiming the Bay Conference title last season, the West De Pere Phantoms return with a new challenge: competing in the Fox River Classic Conference for the first time.
And with several key pieces gone, they’ll be relying on a mix of returning contributors and emerging upperclassmen to keep the program trending upward.
The Phantoms graduated a strong senior core, including Bryce Borowicz (UW–Eau Claire), Collin Jindra, Riley Kraft (St. Ambrose), and Easton Deschane.
They also lost their leading scorer, Tref Rademaker (18.8 ppg), who transferred to a prep school despite not graduating until 2027.
Kraft (8.3 ppg), Deschane (6.4 ppg), and Borowicz (11 ppg) all leave behind big minutes and production to replace.
Still, West De Pere isn’t starting from scratch.
Junior Carson Samson, who averaged 6.5 ppg, is expected to take a major step forward, while junior shooter Cooper Borowicz returns after hitting over 50% from three.
Senior Patrick Griesen, a standout in football, also brings athleticism and playmaking to the lineup.
Head coach Todd Deschane said he likes the chemistry and work ethic he’s seen so far. “I’m looking forward to the growth as a group that they have had… the bond between them is going to be good. They are just a great group of young men. They work hard, they got great attitudes, this summer during our contact days they brought great effort and attitudes every single day, so that’s important for the development of the group.”
Replacing last year’s leaders will be one of the biggest hurdles. “We lost our seniors from last year, that was a core group of guys… they were exceptional people and great leaders. And we lost Tref, obviously… his point total and rebound total is a big number, but I am excited for the opportunities it will present to the other guys.”
However, West De Pere isn’t short of players like Samson, Borowicz, and junior Jack Wilichowski, who are ready to step into larger roles.
Wilichowski said, “I’m ready to take a step forward… I’ve been working on getting stronger and playing faster. Me and Cooper were coming off the bench last year, and it’s important for us to play fast, play smart, and play together.”
Samson also pointed to Borowicz and Wilichowski to have standout seasons. “Cooper is about to step into a big role… and Jack is going to step up as our main big man, and he can do it. We believe in him.”
Deschane echoed the boy's statements and complimented Samson’s leadership. “Carson has been pretty steady throughout so now it is time for him to really step forward and take on a whole new kind of leadership role.”
As for play style, Deschane said two areas of improvement stand out: ball movement and shot selection. “I thought we struggled a little bit last year with movement of the basketball and taking what I would call quality shots on a consistent basis. We really stressed that this summer in the off season about getting great shots compared to just good shots and getting great ball movement. I am excited to see how we play, because we want to play fast and be up tempo and all of those king of things but we also are going to work to get a great shot too, and so I am excited to see how these guys share the ball with each other this year.”
Defensively, the Phantoms could actually be better than last season. “We are going to have guys that can guard one through five… they know our expectations defensively… Instead of rebuilding, we’re just kind of replacing and moving on.”
As for expectations heading into the season, Deschane said, “(We) always have a goal and expectation that when they step out on the court they know that as a Phantom basketball player their effort is always going to be at their best, their attitude that they bring to the court and daily life has to be great.”
Carson Samson said the chemistry of the upperclassmen should help smooth the transition to a new conference. “A lot of the juniors and seniors are really close… we will have good chemistry with that.”
He expects the team’s defensive mentality to change, especially without Rademaker inside.
“We will be playing way more aggressive than we have in the past years. We will have to pick it up, because we don't have Tref in the paint, so we will have to pick it up everywhere on defense.”
Jack Wilichowski echoed Samson on the team’s chemistry and summer progress. “We’ve been building upon last year… we are really getting along. For a lot of us, this is multiple years together.”
He said the team is motivated after last year’s first round playoff exit. “Obviously we lost in the first round and we want to get past that.”
He sees shooting and defense as major strengths. “I’d say one of our biggest strengths is shooting… and playing defense. If we can start the way we finished defensively last year, I think we’ll do a great job.”
For Wilichowski, success in the FRCC is simple: “Playing hard and ultimately winning games… we are going into a new conference and it’s important to set the tone right away.”
Despite seeming to lose key pieces, West De Pere isn’t looking to rebuild, rather, continue growing.
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