Brady’s Observations: Under-the-Radar Point Guards

Brady&#8217;s Observations: Under-the-Radar Point Guards

Brady Peterson December 15, 2021 @ 01:39 PM

With high-end talent all over the state, it’s easy for some kids to get lost in the shuffle. These four players are all good enough to play at the next level, but there’s something "wrong" with them. Whether they’re too small, too slow, have an injury history, or whatever the issue may be in my eyes, these players are still good enough to play at the next level. Julia Kennedy Julia Kennedy 5'6" | PG South Milwaukee | 2023 State WI -5’6 G-’23-South Milwaukee: This is Kennedy’s first-year starting and getting consistent playing time. What you see from her is what any college coach will get. Offensively the junior has some craft to her game to pair with her quick first step. In transition, she doesn’t look like she has a ton of speed until she catches defenders flat-footed and glides by them. The Rocket also has ways to navigate traffic. I have seen her hit a defender with a left-to-right euro and finish with her left hand. On defense, Kennedy plays with freedom. She uses her instincts to leave her assignment and make a play on the ball. Although she’s 5’6, she has excellent timing to contest guards in the paint and blocks more shots than someone may think. Gracie Gopalan Gracie Gopalan 5'4" | PG Waupun | 2024 State WI -5’3 G-’24-Waupun: When I think of players who command the floor, I think of . When Gopalan is on the floor, the other nine players do whatever Gopalan wants. She never turns the ball over and creates passing angles for herself to pass her teammates open. Now I’ve discussed her ability to help her teammates, but I want to talk about her ability to close games out. In a matchup of top-five D3 teams with the Warriors taking on Prairie du Chien, Gopalan did all the things I’ve already talked about for the first 30 minutes. After the Warriors gave up a 20 point lead and the game was tied with under four minutes to play, Gopalan flipped a switch. Immediately following a timeout, Gopalan broke a press and earned a bucket and a foul to take the lead. Following that, she got to the rim again and put the game out of reach. Olivia Close Olivia Close 5'3" | PG Wauwatosa East | 2023 State WI -5’5 G-’23-Wauwatosa East: What caught my eye when I first saw some Close shooting is most of the time, she moves left. I think of that movement being her version of a rhythm dribble. Even with that, her jumper looks good out of her hand. Close’s numbers are down because of the team she’s on. That said, she is constantly making plays to keep her team in games. I’m fully confident in her ability and instincts to play at the next level. Callie Ziebell-5’6 G-’22-Slinger: The question mark on Ziebell coming into the year was, how would she play after her ACL injury. She’s surpassed all expectations. Ziebell has the range to space any offense on her own. Coming back from an ACL injury and not showing any fear to put pressure on that knee shows her mental and physical toughness. I’ve said a lot about this player, and to be abundantly clear, Ziebell is someone who belongs at the next level. The school that comes to that same conclusion will get a kid who wants to play, work incredibly hard, help space out offenses, and bring an edge that not many other kids bring.