Southcentral Wisconsin Frontcourt Round-Up: Best Unranked Bigs
The anchors. The rebounders. The dirty work doers. In what is a guard-heavy state of Wisconsin, the impact of bigs can fall through the cracks. Not at PGH Wisconsin! In Southcentral Wisco, there are a number of bigs holding down…
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Continue ReadingThe anchors. The rebounders. The dirty work doers. In what is a guard-heavy state of Wisconsin, the impact of bigs can fall through the cracks. Not at PGH Wisconsin! In Southcentral Wisco, there are a number of bigs holding down the fort for their teams. Here are some of the best-unranked bigs in the area:
Annie Tangeman — Stoughton — Class of 2022
Few bigs move as fluidly as Tangeman. She has a knack for reacting extremely well to offensive movements and setting herself up accordingly. When shots go up, she attacks the inside lane and gets herself into great positioning for offensive rebounds and putbacks. When guards and wings drive to the basket, she shifts between the blocks to set herself up for easy baskets. This kind of pesky and efficient play makes her a constant threat and opens up the floor for the Viking’s veteran guards to operate. Her movement is key in Stoughton developing their offense and finding good looks in half-court sets.
Breanna Giasson — Monroe — Class of 2022
Giasson does everything you could ask from a post player for the Cheesemakers. She has a series of go-to moves on either block and has the quickness and footwork to pull them off against bigger defenders. Her one-dribble-to-the-right-turn-over-left-shoulder pop shot is one of the most reliable moves in the Badger Conference. But where she really shines is her decision-making off of double teams. She has the ability to quickly locate where the double is coming from and respond with on-time-on-target passes to open perimeter players for clean looks. This kind of know-how comes from experience and is one of the highlights of Monroe’s offense.
Maia Ellis — Verona — Class of 2024
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Ellis’ game. She does all of the small things that contribute to a winning environment. Verona’s offense flows more cleanly when it runs through Ellis’ decision-making functions. She swings the ball quickly and creates open shots with her passing. But what stands out most about Ellis’ game is her defensive versatility. She’s guarded every position this season and her ability to do so makes sense out of what is sometimes a chaotic Verona defense. Though she could stand to be more impressive in getting her own offense, she’s flashed impressive footwork and finishing ability down low. A great prospect to keep an eye on down the road.
Bryn McBride — Janesville-Craig — Class of 2022
She may not get the recognition as some of her superstar teammates, but McBride is one of the stabilizing forces on the Janesville-Craig Roster. She has an ultra-green light to shoot and a smooth jumper to validate it. And when the stars do need an outlet, her movement acts as a safety valve and cleans up the offense. And while she hits open shots, cuts cleanly, and finds ways to contribute offensively, her greatest value is at the base of JC’s 2-3 zone. Without a true center, McBride has proven to be the best option at rim protector and lead rebounder. The numbers don’t jump out of the boxscore but McBride does everything she can to help get Janesville-Craig defensive stops. The definition of a glue player who makes everyone around her better.