Defensive Standouts: Tough Perimeter Defenders
In this article:
When you look at the Oxford dictionary’s definition of toughness, it describes it as “The state of being strong enough to withstand adverse conditions or rough handling.” I think that’s a great way to describe some of the toughest perimeter…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWhen you look at the Oxford dictionary’s definition of toughness, it describes it as “The state of being strong enough to withstand adverse conditions or rough handling.” I think that’s a great way to describe some of the toughest perimeter defenders in Wisconsin too. I’ll only discuss players I’ve seen in person. I only want to talk about players I’ve seen because I can better judge them. The players on this list are in no particular order.
Tess Wiczek Tess Wiczek 5'7" | PG Pius XI Catholic | 2025 State WI -5’7 G-’25-Pius XI: What’s impressed me about Wiczek is that there isn’t much that phases her. The freshman will guard opposing teams’ best guard and not shy away from the competition. I haven’t seen a player quite like her all year. Wiczek plays every second of games with the maximum effort she has. I saw her play Milwaukee Academy of Science and Waunakee in back-to-back games, and those two teams bring very different problems to solve. The Lady Novas have excellent creation, and Wiczek did a great job stifling that when she was on the floor. The Warriors have a ton of size, and the 5’7 guard had no issues keeping their wings on the perimeter and staying in front of them defensively. I adore her game on the defensive end, and her offensive game is slowly rounding into form.
Julia Kennedy Julia Kennedy 5'6" | PG South Milwaukee | 2023 State WI -5’6 G-’23-South Milwaukee: In the one game I watched South Milwaukee play, they played Menominee. What the Mustangs bring that most teams can’t is a massive lineup. When the Mustangs went to this lineup, I worried that Kennedy wouldn’t be able to stay on the floor. I was very wrong. Kennedy had a few moments where she matched up with the extreme size of the Mustangs, but she did a good job cutting their driving lanes off. That game was also Kennedy’s best rebounding performance pulling down five rebounds, which was extremely important to help the Rockets win. Even at the PGH Top 250 Expo in Appleton, she was sticking her chin right into people enough that she took an elbow to the face once. When I think toughness on the perimeter defensively, I think of Julia Kennedy Julia Kennedy 5'6" | PG South Milwaukee | 2023 State WI .
Gracie Gopalan Gracie Gopalan 5'4" | PG Waupun | 2024 State WI -5’5 G-’24-Waupun: The moment I saw Gopalan on the floor, her size was noticeable. She looks a lot smaller than most of the girls she ends up guarding. However, when you see her play, you also feel the pressure she puts on opposing guards. It’s almost incredible how much she dominates the point of attack. Her pressure doesn’t always result in steals. Her pressure usually results in offenses not having any flow. Without flow, teams tend to take bad shots, leading to bad results. Although she may not be the highest recruited player on Waupun, she is the engine that makes the Warriors go.
Lili Hartel Lili Hartel 5'9" | CG Mukwonago | 2023 State WI -5’9 G/F-’23-Mukwonago: It was unfortunate that the one time I saw Hartel play Mukwonago had a rough go of it against Slinger. What I saw was Hartel take on the responsibility of guarding Slinger’s best player. While defending her, Hartel did a solid job of not making anything easy for her. When Hartel was on the bench, the team went into a zone. In that stretch, the Owls put the game away. This season, Hartel will be tested almost every game in the Classic Eight. Any coach looking for a tough, physical, and mobile defender should look at Lili Hartel Lili Hartel 5'9" | CG Mukwonago | 2023 State WI .