Guards I Trust to Close Games
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Today this is a specific list. However, I think this matters for guards because they are trusted with the ball to make decisions and close games out. There are a handful of guards I’ve noticed close games throughout the season…
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Continue ReadingToday this is a specific list. However, I think this matters for guards because they are trusted with the ball to make decisions and close games out. There are a handful of guards I’ve noticed close games throughout the season that I want to highlight. None of these players are committed to schools yet, but I assume that’s only a matter of time.
Bella Samz Bella Samz 5'9" | PG Arrowhead | 2023 State WI -5’9 G-’23-Arrowhead
I didn’t start calling Samz “Big Shot Bella” for no reason. Fear or doubt is not something that enters the Warhawk’s mind on the floor. In a recent game against Germantown, Samz was getting chirped at by Germantown’s student section for starting the game 0 for six from the 3-point line. Midway through the second half, Samz made back-to-back 3’s to end that talk. There are a few specifics I want to highlight in the junior’s ability to close games. For one, Samz doesn’t try to do anything crazy with the ball. She’s not putting on the show with her dribbling. While on the ball, she is one of the strongest kids I’ve seen. It’s impossible to move her off of her base. The other aspect is if her team is trailing, she can shoot her team back into a game, or if her team is up, I trust her to make free throws to close games out.
Tess Wiczek Tess Wiczek 5'7" | PG Pius XI Catholic | 2025 State WI -5’7 G-’25-Pius XI
Wiczek is one of my favorite freshmen to watch. There’s nothing that can rattle the Lady Pope guard when she’s on the floor. I’ve seen her get kneed in the head and get a bloody nose after being elbowed in the face, and then come back into the game and make big free throws to close it out. My favorite aspect of her game is how well she handles pressure. When teams press Pius to try and get back into the game, the freshman seems to have the ball on a string. I don’t think I’ve seen someone take the ball away from her late in games. Wiczek is already great as a freshman, and I can’t wait to see what kind of player she develops into over the next three years.
Gracie Gopalan Gracie Gopalan 5'4" | PG Waupun | 2024 State WI -5’4 PG-’24-Waupun
I’ve seen Gopalan play once against one of the best Division 3 teams in Wisconsin, Prairie du Chien. In that game, Gopalan distributed for the majority of the game. In the end, the sophomore looked like the most dangerous player on the floor. She scored seven points in the last four minutes of the game to help her Waupun team pull away. Over time, I think more and more schools at the next level will realize how talented she is because when the game is in the balance, that’s when she rises to the occasion.
Sydney Cherney Sydney Cherney 5'6" | CG Reedsburg | 2024 State WI -5’6 G-’24-Reedsburg
Cherney is much different than the other guards listed. The Beaver forces her will onto defenses much more than these other guards. Cherney is a kid who refuses to fail or not do everything she can to win. If you take your eyes off of her for two seconds, Cherney might’ve dove on the floor 60 feet from where you last saw her. It feels like she’s everywhere. At the end of games, the sophomore runs right through the defense even presses. It helps that she can hit big free throws at the end of games. Her style is much more aggressive than other guards. That said, when you watch her close games, you appreciate what she does.