Tyler Herro, Tyrese Haliburton, Jordan Poole, Wesley Matthews: Before the NBA, these players starred in WIAA basketball state tournament

Oshkosh North senior Tyrese Haliburton had a game-high 30 points on 5 of 10 shooting and 18 of 18 from the free-throw line in his team's 61-44 win over Brookfield East in the Division 1 state championship game in 2018. He's a two-time all-star with the Indiana Pacers.

Patrick Baldwin Jr. scored a team-high 22 points as a freshman for Sussex Hamilton in the Chargers' 57-56 loss to Oshkosh North in a Division 1 state semifinal game in 2018. He was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 2022 and now plays for the Washington Wizards.

Sam Hauser led Stevens Point Area Senior High School to Division 1 state championships in 2015 and 2016. His team in 2015 defeated Germantown to end the Warhawks' run of three straight championships. In 2016, Hauser scored a game-high 23 points in the Panthers' 89-64 win over Muskego. Hauser is in his third year with the Boston Celtics.

Whitnall senior Tyler Herro scored 20 points in the Falcons' 62-59 loss to Waunakee in a Division 2 state semifinal game in 2016. Herro is in his fifth season with the Miami Heat.

Diamond Stone was a beast for Whitefish Bay Dominican in four Division 4 state championships from 2012-15. As a senior, he scored a game-high 23 points in the team's 75-49 win in the 2015 title game over Mineral Point. As a junior, he had a game-high 28 points in the 2014 title game win over Blair-Taylor.

Kostas Antetokounmpo, the younger brother of Bucks superstar Giannis, scored four points off the bench in Whitefish Bay Dominican's 75-49 win over Mineral Point in the Division 4 state championship game in 2015.

Jordan Poole scored eight points off the bench in Milwaukee King's 77-60 loss to Germantown in a 2014 Division 1 state semifinal game. Poole won an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2002. He's in his first season with the Washington Wizards in 2023-24.

Henry Ellenson scored a game-high 21 points in Rice Lake's 61-46 loss in the 2014 Division 2 state championship game.

Onalaska's Matt Thomas played in two state tournaments. He led the team to the state title in 2012 as a junior, scoring 30 points in the Division 2 championship game. Thomas and Onalaska got back to state in 2013, losing in the semifinals. He had a game-high 25 points in an overtime loss to Pulaski.

Sam Dekker scored 40 points and the game-winning three-pointer with about 4 seconds left in Sheboygan Lutheran's dramatic 67-66 victory in the Division 5 boys state championship game in 2012. Dekker scored 12 points in the game’s closing 50 seconds to lead the comeback win in one of the greatest performances in state tournament history. His 75 points in his two tournament games are the most ever in Division 5.

Kevon Looney played in the state tournament as a freshman in 2011 with Milwaukee Hamilton. Looney, seen here as a senior, scored 11 points in the Wildcats' 55-45 loss to Madison Memorial. Looney is a three-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors.

Vander Blue starred on three state tournament teams from 2008-10 with Madison Memorial. As a junior, he scored 19 points in Memorial's state championship win over Racine Horlick in 2009.

Wesley Matthews led Madison Memorial to the 2005 Division 1 state championship. He scored a game-high 29 points in the title game against Milwaukee Vincent. This followed a 32-point showing in the semifinal. His 85 points in the tournament are sixth-most all-time in Division 1 in the previous three-game format. His team was the 2004 state runner-up. Matthews is in his 16th season in the NBA in 2023-24. He had two stints with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Marcus Landry led Milwaukee Vincent to the Division 1 state championship game in 2005 as a senior. He scored a team-high 21 points in Vincent's 63-55 loss to Madison Memorial.

Kyle Weaver had 11 points in Beloit Memorial's 59-55 loss to the Wesley Matthews-led Madison Memorial Spartans in a 2004 Division 1 state quarterfinal game.

Greg Stiemsma started on three state championships with powerhouse Randolph (2002, 2003 and 2004). He had three double-doubles across his six tournament games. They came in Randolph's Division 4 state semifinal victory over Seneca in 2002 (10 points, 14 rebounds), the Rockets' semifinal win in 2003 over Marshfield Columbus (a team-high 19 points and 15 rebounds), and as a senior in the 2004 state semifinal victory over Maranatha Academy (11 points, 10 rebounds). His Randolph team went undefeated in 2004. Stiemsma played four seasons in the NBA.

Steve Novak competed in the state tournament in 2002 with Brown Deer. He scored 13 points in the Falcons' 47-39 loss in a Division 2 state semifinal game. Novak played 11 seasons in the NBA and finished his career with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Carl Landry (far right) came off the bench on Milwaukee Vincent's 2001 state title team. That was the Vikings' second straight championship and fifth gold ball in a six-year span. Landry then started the following season when Vincent suffered its first loss of the season in the state quarterfinals to Wauwatosa East. He had 10 rebounds in that game. Landry played 11 seasons in the NBA.

Travis Diener started as a freshman on Fond du Lac's state tournament team in 1998. Diener, seen here as a senior, had four points in the team's 53-49 loss to Waukesha West in a Division 1 state quarterfinal game. Diener played five seasons in the NBA.

Reece Gaines scored a game-high 28 points in Madison West's 60-52 loss to Wauwatosa East in a Division 1 state quarterfinal game in 1997. Gaines later played with the Milwaukee Bucks for two years (2004-06).

Jim McIlvaine was a part of two WISAA championship teams with Racine St. Catherine's in 1992 and 1993.

Nick Van Exel starred on two WISAA state tournament teams in the late 1980s with Kenosha St. Joseph.

Tony Bennett scored a game-high 17 points in Green Bay Preble’s 45-39 loss to Stevens Point in a Class A quarterfinal game in 1988. Bennett played three seasons in the NBA from 1992-95 with the Charlotte Hornets.

Wauwatosa East's Tony Smith helped lead the Red Raiders to the state semifinals in 1986. Smith scored 16 points in the team's Class A semifinals. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1990 and played 10 seasons in the NBA.

Joe Wolf had one of the greatest high school careers in state history. He did his best work at the state tournament. He had a game-high 34 points on 16 of 28 shooting in Kohler’s 61-56 win over Thorp in the 1982 Class C Finals. That performance came after a 24-point game in Kohler’s 67-54 victory over Washburn in the semifinals. Wolf’s 58 points were the most in the Class C tournament that year. He also starred on Kohler’s state title team in 1980. Wolf was the 13th overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers in 1987. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, including one year with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1996-97.

Wayne Kreklow (in an updated photo) starred on two state tournament teams for Neenah in 1974 and 1975. He led Neenah to the 1975 state championship team, scoring a team-high 19 points on 7 of 12 shooting in the Rockets’ 64-55 win over Milwaukee Washington in the Class A title game. Kreklow was selected in the third round (53rd overall) by the Boston Celtics in the 1979 NBA draft. He was part of the Celtics' 1981 NBA championship team. That team had a lineup that featured four future Naismith Hall of Famers in Nate “Tiny” Archibald, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.

Fred Brown was a scoring machine for a Milwaukee Lincoln program that won back-to-back state titles in 1966 and 1967. His 30 field goals in 1967 are 10th most ever in the Division 1 state tournament (three-game format). Brown had a game-high 28 points when Lincoln scored a state record 109 points in its quarterfinal win in 1967.