PGH Top250 Expo: Top Underclassmen
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Beginning a long line of recaps about the recent event in Appleton I want to start with the underclassmen. These players excelled in their own way against the older, more experienced competition. Some of these players have not even seen…
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Continue ReadingBeginning a long line of recaps about the recent event in Appleton I want to start with the underclassmen. These players excelled in their own way against the older, more experienced competition. Some of these players have not even seen a great deal of playing time if any yet for their high schools. I personally enjoy looking at the future of the game and doing my best to identify talent and follow their journeys. This list of players is in no particular order.
Brynn Kirch Brynn Kirch 5'6" | PG McFarland | 2024 State WI -5’7 G-’24-McFarland: Kirch played with an extreme amount of poise, and overall had a great showing in Appleton. She was constantly moving on offense and made open shots that her motion off of the ball created. McFarland last season used Kirch in a small role, which isn’t too uncommon for freshmen. For a player who simply makes good decisions on and off the ball, offensively and defensively, It wouldn’t be a surprise to see her role see a significant increase this coming season.
Katelyn Odem Katelyn Odem 5'8" | SG Homestead | 2024 State WI -5’8 G-’24-Homestead: Odem really shines in a few areas, one being the willingness she has as a passer, the other being her awareness. Her ability to pass can really cause problems for defenses because she is very quick and decisive in her decision-making. Her awareness becomes more evident the more you watch her play, she consistently finds herself in the right positions even if the play doesn’t end up involving her. Like Kirch, as a freshman, she saw a little playing time but nothing really substantial. Over her next three seasons, she has the ability to become a real issue for opposing teams in the state and on the grassroots circuit.
Natalie Mueller Natalie Mueller 5'6" | SG Homestead | 2025 State WI -G/F-’25-Homestead: Maybe my personal favorite watch of the entire day, if she isn’t at the top of the list she’s extremely close. The one game I saw of hers in person Mueller was playing out of her mind. For an incoming freshman, she had no fear of the moment of doubt in her game. Possibly my favorite moment of the day was Mueller spotting up for an NBA distance three and enticing a pump fake out of her defender, only for a few minutes later for her to take an even deeper three and drain in with ease. This season she may run into the same issues of playing time Odem did a season ago, but in a few years, I’ll be curious to see where Homestead is overall in the state.
Ava Brandenburg Ava Brandenburg 5'10" | CG Evansville | 2024 State WI -6’0 G/F-’24-Evansville: I’ve been an admirer of Brandenburg’s game since one of my early articles where I looked over her film from her freshman season. She is a bigger wing with forwards size and a guard’s handle. She has the ability to guard 1-5 on most teams because of her mobility and strength. The Evansville sophomore is a fluid athlete who has the ability to shake off defenders with her dribble or simply overpowering them. Brandenburg pairs that with a smooth perimeter game and she shot the ball well in Appleton. The one thing that was more evident in person, however, was her competitiveness, she plays as hard as she can all the time and that’s admirable, to say the least.