Diciaula made drastic improvement
Postseason honors recognize players' hard work
Brookfield Central's Alex Diciaula shoots over Hamilton's Brian Gryszkiewicz. Photo By PETER ZUZGA
Most every year on most every high school basketball team, a player is named the most improved. But this year, Brookfield Central senior guard Alex Diciaula went one better.
"He was our most improved player - ever," veteran coach Mark Adams said. "He is self-made. He went from the end of his junior season - not being totally happy with his playing time - and worked as hard as we have had anybody work in the offseason to not only become a better basketball player, but a better athlete."
Diciaula, the only senior on this year's Central team, averaged 18.5 points per game this season. That's the third-best average in the NOW coverage area. His inside-outside game was a nightmare for several teams - he put up 20-plus points on nine occasions, including six games in which he scored more than 25.
He led the Greater Metro Conference in scoring, averaging 19.4 points per conference game, and made 45 percent from the 3-point line, leading the area with 69 3-pointers. He was consistent, scoring in double figures in 24 of 25 games. Last year he scored 2.1 points per game.
As a result, Diciaula was named to the 10-man NOW All-Suburban Boys Basketball Team for his efforts.
"I smiled right away; I was real happy," Diciaula said of learning of he honor. "I was proud of myself. I wanted to be first-team all-conference, all-suburban and all-area. This is very satisfying.
"It's good to have all the sacrifices pay off, giving up this to do that. All that work was all worth it now."
Brookfield East coach Andy Farley, whose team had to face Diciaula three times this season, called him "easily the most improved player in our league.
"You can tell he worked extremely hard over the summer at his game and became a deadly shooter as a result. He is one of the most consistent shooters I have seen in high school basketball in my seven years as head coach.
"I hope people appreciate the work ethic Alex displayed throughout the offseason; his preparation clearly developed his confidence."
Diciaula also received high praise from Wauwatosa East coach Tim Arndorfer.
"He is an excellent scorer and a great shooter," Arndorfer said. "But what impressed me the most is that he let the game come to him. I really don't remember him forcing the issue, which when you consider his average, is all the more impressive."
Being the only senior on the team, Diciaula knew his time was running out at the end of the season, something his teammates didn't focus on since there was always next year for them.
But they caught on to what he was going through, and the Lancers put together a good streak down the stretch, winning five straight and seven of their final nine games.
"We finished strong," Diciaula said. "(I was) waiting for that to happen all year long. … Then the last month, we got some wins and some momentum and started to believe in ourselves."
"He was totally committed to not only getting to be a starter," Adams said, "but a captain-leader and a difference-maker for this year's team."
NOW ALL-SUBURBAN
Player of the Year: J.P. Tokoto, Menomonee Falls
Coach of the Year: Wauwatosa West staff
Team members and point totals: Tokoto (66); Nick Romanowski, Franklin (62); Will Pelkofer, Whitnall (51); Alex Diciaula, Brookfield Central (44); Chad Mathwig, New Berlin West (42.5); Mitch Sperka, New Berlin Eisenhower (41); Sam Krenzien, Wauwatosa West (38); Alec Molter, Greenfield (36); Zak Showalter, Germantown (33.5); John Johnston, Whitefish Bay (29)
High honorable mention: Myles Henry, Nicolet (25); John Laihinen, Homestead (24); C.J. Gregg, Brookfield East (19); Coy Smith, Homestead (14)
Honorable Mention: Conor Cassidy, Menomonee Falls; Christian Griggs-Williams, Nicolet; Deion Jackson-Body, Shorewood; Jamon Jackson-Wilson, Brown Deer; Jake Lehman, Whitnall; Austin Malone-Mitchell, Shorewood; Alex Olson, Brookfield Central; Jacob Pope, Muskego; Stephen Pelkofer, Whitnall; Jonathan Phillips, Menomonee Falls; Adam Rubatt, Menomonee Falls; Nick Stout, Oak Creek
Fan vote totals: Diciaula scored 328 and Gregg had 77, the second- and sixth-best totals.
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