Uri’s Kettle Moraine Thanksgiving Showcase Stock Risers

The Kettle Moraine Thanksgiving Showcase was a great way for talent across the state to show their improvement over the course of the offseason. It’s also a great way to show that we over here at Prep Girls Hoops Wisconsin fudged our ranking and that certain players should definitely receive a boost in due time. Here are my stockrisers of the showcase: [player_tooltip player_id="156073" first="Sammi" last="Beyer"] -- Appleton East -- Class of 2023 -- #21 Overall Recruit #9 Combo Guard On a court featuring seven ranked prospects including the 2022 #1 and #3 recruits, Beyer looked like the best player. Against Verona, she firmly placed herself in the conversation of best shooter in the state. The combination of a tight handle and elite off-ball movement led to six first-half threes, each more devastating than the one before. And while being flanked by [player_tooltip player_id="155421" first="Emily" last="La Chapell"] and [player_tooltip player_id="132371" first="Lily" last="Hansford"] -- the aforementioned #1 and #3 overall recruits in the class of 2022 -- certainly helps, it’s hard to imagine many other 2023 CGs pulling off moves like this regularly: https://youtu.be/39KpeR410xM But on top of the phenomenal shooting, what stood out most was her ability to play the role of a pure point guard. When faced with a man-to-man press, she didn’t fiddle with the ball or look discomforted by the pressure. She faced it head-on and displayed really keen court vision in route to alleviating that pressure. Though her current ranking is no insult, I expect another year under the tutelage of La Chapell and Hansford will take her ceiling to a whole other level. [player_tooltip player_id="206584" first="Marie" last="Outlay"] -- Sun Prairie -- Class of 2023 -- #29 Overall Recruit #12 Combo Guard Outlay has looked like the best player in the Big 8 conference through Sun Prairie’s first three games. And while this may be the result of small sample size, it’s hard to ignore just how potent her all-around game has been. In SP’s game against Oak Creek, the combo guard went scorched earth. Six first-half three-pointers (eight overall), stacked on top of her flourishing playmaking ability and always-savvy cutting, has made her one of the most well-rounded weapons in the conference, and one of the best performers at the Showcase. There have always been flashes of Outlay’s high IQ but this season that potential has come to fruition. She’s playing with much more freedom and a much <em>much </em>greener light than ever before and is taking full advantage of the opportunity. Her top-30 ranking will certainly receive a boost if she keeps up this level of play heading into the heart of the conference schedule. [player_tooltip player_id="204151" first="Brynn" last="Fuerstenberg"] -- New Berlin Eisenhower -- Class of 2022 -- #46 Overall Recruit #4 Shooting Guard To the coaches and frontcourt players reading this: do yourself a favor and watch Fuerstenberg’s game against Hartford. It’s one of the most efficient 23-point games you’ll see all season long. Every movement -- on either end of the floor -- had a purpose. Offensively, she never looked rushed, composed both around the block and along the perimeter. The way she naturally floated to the block opposite of her teammates’ drives opened up lanes for easy drop-off passes. And on post-ups, she didn't just wait for the ball. She constantly shifted to open new passing lanes and get herself the best possible look. All of this before mentioning her moonshot jumper and ability to hit slashers and cutters where they need to go. While she doesn’t possess elite lateral quickness, her length and defensive positioning make her a pest at the very least. She drew a tough matchup against a perimeter-oriented [player_tooltip player_id="338945" first="Makena" last="Christian"] but kept her at bay while still defending the rim when need be. Her top 50 ranking for the class of 2022 should touch the top 30 by the end of the season. Rainey Welson -- Hortonville -- Class of 2025 -- Unranked Wing A freshman makes the cut! If it’s any indication of how highly the coaching staff at Hortonville view Welson’s ability, both halves against #6 Germantown opened up with Welson Iso’s at the mid-key. She’s explosive, smooth, technical, and already has a series of clean go-to moves. She gets low and rips the ball to the right, detonating to the rack and finishing at tidy angles. Or she can go to a right-to-left cross and attack the paint. Or create space using a double-crossover move. Or snatch a between the legs cross and step back for an open 17-footer. That she has such a deep bag and the confidence to flex it against a G-Town squad with state champion aspirations is as impressive as it gets for a freshman. Defensively, she showed flashes of elite potential. When switched onto UConn commit [player_tooltip player_id="155940" first="Kamorea" last="Arnold"], she held her own and was physical enough to prevent easy penetration. And this is her starting point. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Welson becomes a two-way fiend and one of the best players in the 2025 class. Though not currently on the Prep Girls Hoops Wisconsin class of 2025 watchlist, that’ll change if she holds on to her starting role at Hortonville and plays anywhere near her current level.