Madison Memorial has long been considered a powerhouse in Wisconsin’s first division, but the team hadn’t made it to the state tournament in nearly a decade. That changed last weekend when they beat conference foe Verona in a gritty sectional final game that led to their 10th state tournament appearance in school history.
While the team doesn’t necessarily have just one clear-cut star to point to, they play with a trusting synergy, execute confidently, and are well-coached. All ideal conditions for developing talented young players long term.
Enter Lavonte Johnson, a 6-foot-4 freshman guard who was coveted by many schools in the area and beyond prior to this season. He is also set to suit up for Ayo Elite on the MADE Hoops Circuit this spring and summer. Johnson has quickly made a two-way impact as a key reserve, averaging 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
“He does an incredible job disrupting the offense with deflections and steals,” Memorial assistant coach Nate Olsen said.
The nephew of University of Dayton wing Keonte Jones, a former Madison East High School standout, it’s not lost on Johnson how special of a moment he’s living.
“Getting to state as a freshman is a blessing, man. Nobody ever did it in my family, so it’s a big deal,” he told MADE Hoops.
Johnson was confident in his team’s ability to get this far, but stayed level-headed and focused on the little things. When speaking on the keys to Memorial’s sectional final victory, he pointed to the team’s fundamentals.
“Keys to today’s win were rebounding, protecting the ball to not turn it over, playing solid defense and hitting shots. That was really it,” said Johnson.
Being an underclassman in the Spartans’ system comes with a steep learning curve, and Johnson took it in stride as he improved the game around his creative scoring and space creation skill set throughout the year.
“I got a lot better at making my teammates better, and creating off of plays and our system,” he said. “I had to learn to let the game come to me.”
Johnson’s measured outlook is one reason he has been a part of Memorial’s success so far. He and the Spartans will need that brand of composure as they seek to continue their success as they take on De Pere in the quarterfinals of the state tournament this weekend. The schools are no strangers to one another historically, as they met in a three-overtime buzzer-beating thriller that saw Madison Memorial win the 2011 state championship.
Ngijol Songolo has been with MADE Hoops since February 2025. Currently based in Wisconsin, previous experience as a professional player in Europe helps inform his focus on Wisconsin and international markets. Find him on Twitter at @5ongolo.
