Heffner stands out in talented NSC

It took Division 1 talent to be selected to the North Shore Conference first team for boys’ basketball this season, and Grafton High School senior Brock Heffner fit the bill.

Heffner, a 6 feet, 7-inch forward who could dominate the inside and developed an outside shot, averaged 21.6 points per game, second in the league, and was among the conference leaders with 9.2 rebounds per game.

He was named to the first team after earning second-team honors last season, when he averaged 17.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

Coach Damon James said Heffner got a wake-up call early in this season. While he drew defensive attention last year, his teammate, NSC Player of the Year Alex Huibregtse, was the main focus of opponents.

“I don’t think he really knew what to expect coming in,” James said of Heffner. “He knew teams would focus on him but until it really materialized and smacked him in the face — being double and triple teamed — he realized, wow, this is hard.”

Once Heffner hit his stride, he flourished.

“He really figured things out, how to pick his spots and how to score,” James said, “and he started to shoot the ball extremely well from three. It made him a more complete threat from all three levels (inside, mid-range and outside).”

The statistics followed.

“He was close to averaging a double-double,” he said.

Heffner became the Black Hawks’ go-to player in crunch time. He drained a three-pointer late in a home game against Nicolet, only to have the Knights’ star answer with a game-winner, and he made two of three free throws with 2.8 seconds left to tie a playoff game against Brown Deer, which the Hawks lost in overtime.

“When the clock is ticking down, it becomes real. It could be his last high school game ever,” James said. “He became determined and hungrier and tried to rally his teammates around that.”

Heffner next year will play basketball at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

“Coach James and coach (Vance) Burnside helped me literally complete my dreams of playing Division 1 basketball and everything else,” Heffner said.

“I came from eighth grade, 6-3, like no chance of even playing basketball at the next level. Come in here, coach James and coach Burnside ­— they just changed me. I can’t be more thankful for them and everyone else in that locker room.”

“I’m happy he has the chance to go on and have that opportunity to play at the next level,” James said.

The rest of the NSC first team will also compete in Division 1 at college.

Player of the Year Jayden Jackson, a 6-3 guard from Whitefish Bay, has committed to Northern Arizona. He averaged 19 points and 5.3 rebounds and three assists per game.

Nicolet’s Kobe Johnson, a 6-3 guard who led the league in scoring with 26.7 points per game, has committed to the University of Southern California.

Cedarburg’s Logan Landers, a 6-10 forward who can shoot outside, plans to attend Kansas State. He averaged 19.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

His teammate Drew Biber, a 6-5 guard/forward, had offers from Division 2 schools but plans to play wide receiver at Purdue next year.

With the entire first team all seniors and only three underclassmen on the second and third teams, James said, “The league will be a lot different in the coming years.”

One of those underclassmen already making an impact is Grafton freshman guard Michael McNabb, jr.. He made the third team after instantly making a splash on varsity.

McNabb was 10th in the NSC in scoring at 12.6 points per game, and shot 58% from the field (58-for-100).

He grabbed 4.8 rebounds per game and had 1.9 assists per game.

“We knew he would come in and do some good things,” James said.

“His freshman year is about him progressing. Like any freshman, they hit those snags. What stood out is Mike is a super competitor. He never shied away from the moment.”

McNabb shot 23-for-65 on three-pointers and has a bright future.

“He shot the ball pretty well from beyond the arc and he was always aggressive attacking the hoop,” James said.

“Add a mid-range game and by the time it’s all said and done he could be unguardable at this level.”

Senior J.P. Benzschawel, Grafton’s other 6-7 forward, earned honorable mention for the second straight season.

He averaged 10.1 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game. He shot 63% from the field, going 91-for-145.

“The last month and a half his level of play is the best that he’s played in his four years. He became such a force on the block and such a force rebounding offensively and defensively,” James said.

“He never wanted to come off the floor and that was great for us because we didn’t want him off the floor.”

Foul trouble was the only thing that sent Benzschawel to the bench. James sometimes chose to keep Benzschawel in the game with a few fouls.

“That was his growth and maturity,” James said.

Benzschawel is slated to play offensive line next season for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.