MADISON, Wis. - Edgewood College men’s basketball coach Todd Adrian is proud to announce six high school seniors who have committed to attend Edgewood College and become Eagle student-athletes next fall. Mike Gehring (Iron Ridge, Wis.), Max Franklin (Marshall, Wis.), Travis Schaaf (Verona, Wis.), Michael Janusek (Cartersville, Ga.), Tommy Norton (Morris, Ill.) and Jordan Knutson (Holmen, Wis.) each plan to join the Eagles, who won the Northern Athletics Conference North Division title last season.
“I really like the size and athleticism of this class. I think they’ll immediately give us depth and create great competition in practice,” said Adrian. “These guys come from very successful programs. They’re winners. Probably the thing I like the most about this group is that they’re all good quality kids who succeed on the court and in the classroom.”
Gehring, a forward, was a three-year letterwinner for Hartford Union High School. He earned second team all-Wisconsin Little Ten Conference honors during his senior year, averaging 10.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. At 6-6, his inside-outside abilities provide match-up problems for opponents as Gehring hit 40 percent from the three point line last season. An accomplished football and track athlete, he was a conference champion and placed in the top seven at the WIAA Division 1 state track championships in both the 110 meter hurdles and the 300 meter hurdles. Gehring is a national honor society member and served as either president or vice-president of his class through all four years of high school.
Franklin is the younger brother of current Eagle junior Casey Franklin. At Marshall High School, Franklin’s 2007-08 and 2008-09 teams both claimed the Capital Conference South championship with the 2008-09 team reaching the sectional finals. In his two years on varsity, the Cardinals accumulated a 33-15 record. The 6-3 wing player, also played tight end on Marshall’s conference champion football team.
Schaaf started at point guard for Verona Area High School which went 15-8 in their first year in the Big 8 Conference. He earned honorable mention all-conference for the Wildcats, and holds both the career and single season school records in assists. Schaaf, who stands 5-11, averaged nine assists and three steals per game for Alan Buss’s squad during his senior year. He graduated from Verona with a 3.4 grade point average.
Janusek will become Edgewood College’s first ever men’s basketball student-athlete from Georgia when he takes the court next fall. Janusek, a 6-2 guard from Woodland High School in Cartersville, Ga., averaged 10 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while racking up 98 assists in 24 games. The Wildcats went 14-10 his senior year and reached the second round of the regional playoffs. Janusek earned second team all-Bartow County honors and was the Northwest Georgia Tipoff Club Player of the month for December of 2008. He was an A-B Honor Roll student every semester of high school and a quarterback for the football team.
Norton, a 6-6 forward for Morris Community High School, may look to fill the role vacated by Jon Ciche, Edgewood College’s career leader in blocked shots. Norton, who was named most improved on his team his junior year, set the school record for blocked shots with 69 during his senior year. He also played for AAU basketball for the Illinois Red Raiders who placed 12th at the national tournament in 2008. He earned a 4.711 (out of 5) grade point average and has extensive experience in drama and music.
Knutson, played two season of varsity basketball for Steve Blank at Holmen High School. The 6-4 guard averaged 11 points and seven rebounds per game in the 2008-09 campaign. He was team captain during both his junior and senior years and earned honorable mention all-Mississippi Valley Conference honors and was named to the all-conference academic team twice. The National Honors Society member aspires to get a business degree from Edgewood College.