High Level Passers: Class of 2024
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Moving on to the Class of 2024, I’ll begin with some of the best passers in the sophomore class. Passing, to me, has a few important aspects. One is obvious, to make sure your passes don’t become turnovers. The second…
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Continue ReadingMoving on to the Class of 2024, I’ll begin with some of the best passers in the sophomore class. Passing, to me, has a few important aspects. One is obvious, to make sure your passes don’t become turnovers. The second aspect is how much a passer can break a defense. For instance, can a player pass into windows that only they can see, or can they create windows that don’t exist? These four players in the sophomore class aren’t in any particular order.
Samantha Schmitt Samantha Schmitt 5'6" | PG Oregon | 2024 State WI -5’6 G-Oregon: Schmitt is the closest thing to a “traditional point guard” I’ve seen. The Panther does a great job controlling the pace of games and does a good job passing her teammates open. Schmitt may have a higher turnover percentage than I would like on paper but, her turnovers are coming from her being aggressive, not careless so, I can look past it. The sophomore never reacts to things happening on the court. Schmitt always looks prepared for anything, whether that’s a passing lane opening up or reading a pass when she plays defense. Not only is Schmitt is extremely smart on the floor, but she also possesses leadership qualities as a sophomore.
Shae Kelley Shae Kelley 5'9" | PG Brookfield East | 2024 State WI -5’9 G-Brookfield East: There are two things that Kelley does well defend and create. Those two things go hand in hand with the sophomore. When the Spartans press Kelley tends to be the player to end up with the ball on turnovers. When that happens, Kelley gets to attack a retreating defense, and that is when she is particularly dangerous. The sophomore is unique as a creative guard because she’s at her best when the game gets chaotic. Not to say she can’t play in a slower-paced game, but when players get uncomfortable, that’s when Kelley is most comfortable.
Brynn Kirch Brynn Kirch 5'6" | PG McFarland | 2024 State WI -5’6 G-McFarland: Before I knew Kirch as a player, I got to see her play at the Top 250 Expo. Immediately I could tell that the McFarland sophomore was a team-oriented player. Kirch will do anything that gives her team the best opportunity to win. To start, she does simple things, passes up good shots for great shots, makes the extra pass in transition, and communicates well with her teammates. The next-level stuff comes with her sacrificing her game to better the team. She is an initiator, and if someone else can initiate as well as she can, Kirch is willing to defer to her and play as a wing. Getting back to her as an initiator, Kirch has such a good ball handler. The sophomore can get into the middle of almost any defense. When Kirch does that, she can break defenses apart.
Claire Bjorge Claire Bjorge 5'8" | CG De Pere | 2024 State WI -5’8 G-De Pere: The one game I’ll never forget because of how great of a game it was, was Pewaukee and De Pere. That game was one that Bjorge stood out, in my opinion. Bjorge seemed to come up big when it mattered most. Timely shot-making was the part that most stood out in that Pewaukee game. I still remember the leadership Bjorge showed to end that game. In most of the overtime period, Bjorge was the focal point in the offense. In that time, the sophomore excelled. The Red Birds may have lost, but the future looked very bright. The level of scoring and playmaking the sophomore displayed is something to be excited about.