Players to Watch: Class of 2023

In the uber-talented class of 2023, plenty of players are worthy of recognition. In all honesty, I could go region to region and highlight upwards of 10 players who deserve recognition. Today is all about highlighting five of those players who I think are better than the consensus. Nothing here is a ranking of those kids, just players to keep tabs on for the next few years. <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="264943" first="Tieryn" last="Plasch"]-5’7 G-Northwestern: </span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">This is a player who’ll translate at the next level. Plasch is always a threat when she has the ball in her hands. The dilemma that defenses haven’t been able to solve is what do you do with a guard that can do it all offensively. The Tiger can shoot from the 3-point line, play in the midrange area, get to the rim and make any pass. I’m a massive fan of Plasch’s game and I got to see her play at the Top 250 Expo in Appleton. When I saw her in Appleton, she made the same reads she has since getting to Northwestern. </span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="206731" first="Lily" last="Truchon"]-5’11 G-South Shore: </span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">It’s not often you find a kid as talented as Truchon in a high school with an enrollment listed as 50. In a way, Truchon is the unicorn of the Wisconsin prep scene. She is from a very remote part of the state that’s as far away from most of the population as you can be. Truchon is a bit of a unicorn because there isn’t much she can’t do on the floor. Truchon can shoot the ball well, but it can look a little funny because it has some sideways movement, but it goes in. She can handle the ball well enough to beat her initial defender off the dribble, and it helps when she gets to the rim, she is an ambidextrous finisher.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="264920" first="Ayianna" last="Johnson"]-6’3 F-Jefferson: </span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Speaking of unicorns, Johnson fits that definition as well. The way that Johnson has started the season, she is close to breaking out. Johnson has been excellent, scoring the ball to open the season, even putting 36 points on Rock Valley Conference opponent McFarland. I’m also not sure what her best positional fit at the next level is, and that’s oddly a good thing. She’s not a shooter, but she can handle the ball. Johnson is big, but she’s uber-athletic. Most of her game doesn’t make sense, but it has worked for her and her team this season. As I said, Johnson is as close as anyone to making a statement.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="156069" first="Brittney" last="Mislivecek"]-5’9 G-La Crosse Central: </span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Mislvecek doesn’t have much film of her, but she has scored a ton to start the season. Scoring about 23 a night is something I have to take notice of her game. From the things I have seen on film, she is a fluid athlete who can get to the rim. She is as mysterious of a player as I’ve seen for a junior, but she has been great to start the year.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="206727" first="Trinity" last="Mocadlo"]-5’9 G-Hortonville: </span></strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Mocadlo is a piece of the Hortonville machine that has dominated every team they’ve seen. Mocadlo gets overshadowed a little bit on her team, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t one of the most talented guards in the state. Mocadlo is more in control of her body than any player I’ve seen. I’ve seen her going almost go full speed, then stop on a dime and knock down a little 10-foot jumper like it’s nothing. As a point guard, she sees the floor incredibly well and always makes the right play. Next season the Polar ears will be in excellent hands once their D1 point guard graduates, and I mean that.</span>