Western Buckeye League preview

The Western Buckeye League (located in Northwest Ohio) consists of ten teams who all look to compete for that title in February. Teams in the conference include Lima Bath, Ottawa Glandorf, St. Mary’s, Van Wert, Lima Shawnee, Kenton, Wapakoneta, Elida, Defiance and Celina. Here are some of the players to keep an eye on this season. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: ’arial black’, sans-serif;"><strong>Top players to Watch</strong></span> <strong>Erin Kaufman, 6-0 2022, Ottawa Glandorf:</strong> An outstanding post player who can control the paint with her physical presence. She also has good footwork and is able to step out and defend multiple different positions. A solid next level prospect with good court awareness and moves well without the ball. Is a threat to score from anywhere. <strong>Chloe Glenn, 5-10 2023, Ottawa Glandorf- </strong>Chloe is a gamechanger She is able to play either the guard or wing spot, can handle the ball and create for her team. She also can score from the perimeter, run in transition and finish at the rim. She is a heady, gritty player who does what it takes for her team to be successful. Smart basketball IQ. <strong>Kendall Dieringer, 5-7 2022, St. Mary’s-</strong> Love her game from the guard spot. Kendall is a smart heady guard with a good all around game. She can handle the ball well, is able to create shots for herself or her team, and defensively is able to make things happen for her team. Love her court awareness and court vision. <strong>Sophia Houg, 5-7 2023, Van Wert-</strong> a player who has grown tremendously as a player and leader the past three years. She has the ability to be a spot up shooter, can drive to the rim and finish and create for her teammates. She led the team last season as a sophomore with a 14.3 ppg. average and was two-time all-conference selection so far. <strong>Kyra Welch, 5-6 2023 Van Wert-</strong> She works as hard as anyone on the court in the conference. She has incredible energy and plays at a fast level on the defensive end. She can put pressure on her opponent and that will make her team better and more effective. Bright future as she continues to grow in her game. <strong>Grace Freiberger, 5-6 2024 Lima Shawnee-</strong> Does a great job reading things from the defensive side of the ball. Can play ahead of the game, has quick hands and can push tempo. She is only a sophomore but most of the time she plays much older than that. Can be a leader, control the game and find her teammates. <strong>Zoe Best, 2024, Lima Shawnee- </strong>She is a player who you want on your side. One of the hardest working players in the league, and also one of the best teammates. She encourages her team and works tirelessly to become better. She is strong with the ball and plays good on-ball defense with active hands. Able to get to the rim and finish. <strong>Kyilla Billingsly, 2023, Celina- </strong>A solid player who can do it all for her team, she has shown good leadership with the ability to communicate on the court, and she makes the defenders work at all times when she has the ball. Very good defender who can cause issues for her opponent and opportunities for her team. <strong>Ava Craddock, 2022, Lima Bath- </strong>Saw her this fall at the Northwest Ohio Shootout and she is a very productive athlete. She has high energy and will help her team at both ends of the floor. Strong and athletic, she uses her strength to push the ball in transition and is able to play through contact. Can finish at the rim. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="315019" first="Reagan" last="Courter"], 5-9 2023, Wapakoneta- </strong>Very solid point guard, loved the way she was a leader on the court. She is a challenge for her opponent and can be a mismatch on the court. Physically she is strong enough to be a problem to handle and not only will she handle the ball, she can drop down low and post up and use her physical game to handle her business in the paint. Very smart basketball IQ. <em>(feature photo above)</em> <strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="160420" first="Addisyn" last="Freeman"], 5-10 2023, Elida- </span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">She makes plays on both ends of the court. Defensively, she can read the play well, anticipate and strike for the score. She is long and athletic with a good nose for the ball. She has a really good shot from inside or out, can connect from behind the arc and is a threat in many ways. Defensively she makes a difference in the paint. </span> &nbsp; &nbsp;