Under-the-Radar: Elite Shooters

<span data-preserver-spaces="true">There are a few different types of shooters. One kind is the spot-up shooters, this type of shooter spaces the floor for more ball-dominant players. Others are pull-up shooters. These kids can create their shot off the dribble. The last kind is kids who constantly run off screens and are never stationary. With the talent in Wisconsin, some of these kids fly under the radar. I want to highlight a few of these kids.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="156066" first="Julianna" last="Ouimette"]-5’10 PG-’23 Lakeland</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">If there was anything to criticize about Ouimette’s sophomore season, it was her 3-point shooting that "weakness" is now a strength. It’s helped that her sister has taken some of the responsibility away from Julianna. That’s helped her play free. A good number to better understand how much Ouimette was doing last season was the number of times she went to the free-throw line. She took 214 free throws. With her talented younger sister on the Lakeland roster now, I feel we’re seeing more of who Julianna is as a player. Ouimette has always been a solid shooter overall. Watching her find space for spot-ups, I feel, will be there wherever she ends up in college, more so than at Lakeland. The jump from a below 30% 3-point shooter to a 47% has been impressive.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Ellie Schiszik-5’5 G-’25-Elk Mound</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Schiszik has endured her ups and downs as a freshman, but at her best, she’s incredible. In some cases, shooters don’t need to have the best percentages to be elite. The Mounder freshman shoots 36% behind the 3-point line, solid but not elite. The guard is currently shooting close to nine 3’s per game. That means two things. Her coaches trust her to make them, and two, her teammates trust her to make them, and there’s good reason to think that. This season, Schiszik made 11 3’s in a game against Spring Valley and took 20 in that game. Elite accuracy tends to get noticed more than kids earning the right to shoot with volume, and Schiszik is a unique case in that sense.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="206574" first="Makenzie" last="Drout"]-5’9 PG-’23-Kimberly</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">The shooting success of the junior Papermaker excites me because I get a good reason to talk about her and because repeating Kimberly’s team name is fun. Before I get to her shooting, I want to say that Drout is excellent at affecting the game, even on the rare occasion her shots aren’t falling. The Papermaker dictates the pace of a game as well as anyone I’ve seen. It may sound contradicting, but she plays with speed and is pragmatic with the ball. Now to her shooting. Drout has shot over 40% from the 3-point line and over 80% from the free-throw line the last two seasons. The Papermaker is still getting used to the higher usage, so there have been some hiccups as a playmaker. The crazy thing is her shooting numbers have improved while demanding more attention from defenses, which is wild. I wouldn’t be surprised if some power-five schools end up talking to Drout this summer.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="262990" first="Abbie" last="Bates"]-’22-Menasha</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Bates has spent her time at Menasha getting better and better. Every season her numbers got better, and now as a senior, she is a 43% 3-point shooter. Bates is now crucial to helping teammate M. Rieder have space to get to the basket. Bates has proven that she isn’t a kid a defense can give any room to, under any circumstance. The senior is also an excellent soccer player, so this could be the last year we see her play. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if a coach or two looking for a shooter put a call in to see if she’s interested in playing at the next level.</span>