Division 1 State Tournament Preview

The final stop on the road to previewing the state tournament is the Division 1 state tournament. Of all the divisions, this one is the most wide open. If I were to predict all three games, I’d get every one of them wrong. Without further ado, I will get right into previewing every sectional winner. <h2>Kettle Moraine</h2> The Lazers made it to the State Tournament in back-to-back seasons in 2003 and 2004 but have not made it back until this season. Kettle Moraine won the Classic 8 with a 15-1 conference record, their only blemish being a home loss to Waukesha West. The Lazers have three players who’ll be at the top of De Pere’s scouting report. [player_tooltip player_id="156050" first="Grace" last="Grocholski"] The future Arizona State Sun Devil has been a natural, efficient scorer since she got to Kettle Moraine. Grocholski has been the conference player of the year in the Classic 8 the last two seasons, with good reason. The junior has a knack to score the ball everywhere on the floor. Since the Lazers aren’t the tallest team in Green Bay, she’ll need to continue to dominate the boards (8.8 career rebounds per game). You will be amazed at how much she does to affect winning. [player_tooltip player_id="156076" first="Braelyn" last="Torres"] The junior wing is one of the best perimeter defenders in the state. Because the Lazers are shorter than most teams, they press. Within Kettle Moraine’s press, Torres is elite. Most of the turnovers they force stem from Torres’ pressure in the backcourt. Entering this season, I hoped that she would be an improved shooter, and she has been. Her defense is college-level, but her offense coming around is a big deal for the Lazers this week and her status as a prospect. [player_tooltip player_id="204131" first="Lily" last="Randgaard"] The future Western Illinois Leatherneck is one of my favorite prospects in the senior class. Randgaard knows how much space she needs to shoot, how to attack every defense, and on top of that, she’s an elite shot-maker. The senior is a 57/47/78 shooter. That’s absurd. If the Lazers need a basket to stop a run, extend a lead, or close a game, Randgaard seems to make things happen. <h2>Brookfield East</h2> The Spartans are making their sixth appearance at the state tournament, looking for their first state title in program history. This team is one of the best defensive teams in the state, and they’ll need to be at their best to slow down a potent Appleton East offense. Some of their early games were against teams who aren’t on their level. The Spartans only allowed 29.5 points per game in their sectional. [player_tooltip player_id="156077" first="Annika" last="Pluemer"] The junior guard is the Spartans’ most consistent source of offense. There isn’t a system that she can’t thrive within. If she has to make seven 3’s to beat a talented Germantown team, she’ll do that. If she has to go one-on-one in the paint against a 6-foot-3 D1 commit, she’ll do that too. Every team outside of Brookfield East currently has at least one Divison 1 commit. Pluemer could be one before she graduates next spring. [player_tooltip player_id="266987" first="Shae" last="Kelley"] When I said that this team is one of the best defensive teams in the state, it stems from what Kelley does at the point of attack. I feel the pressure that Kelley gives opposing lead guards from the stands. I’d assume in their matchup with Appleton East, if they don’t go to a zone, she’ll match up with [player_tooltip player_id="156073" first="Sammi" last="Beyer"]. That is a matchup I can’t wait to watch. Offensively she’s still a work in progress, but she had an excellent 19 point performance against Arrowhead in the sectional final last weekend. Adrianna Alberts The future Marquette Golden Eagle missed last season to focus on soccer, but she’s back and fit right into what the Spartans do best, defend. Alberts’ motor does not stop. Like any high-level soccer player, she can run forever and doesn’t look like she breaks too much of a sweat on the floor, and that’s frustrating for the girls she defends. Every one of the Spartan perimeter players is tough to attack. There is no easy mismatch. Paige Platz The trend of good defenders doesn’t stop here. Platz is a 5-foot-10 athletic wing who does a good job corralling quick guards and battling tall perimeter players, of which Appleton East has plenty. Platz is a confident shooter and will not hesitate if the ball finds her with the game on the line. Maddy McGath Every time I watch McGath, I’m always amazed at how good a job she does to contest without fouling. Because the Spartans are an in-your-face defensive team on the perimeter, they can get beat off the dribble. However, that rarely ever becomes an issue because McGath does an outstanding job staying vertical. Her ability to not foul and change shots at the rim is as key to the Spartan defense as any of their elite perimeter defenders. <h2>Appleton East</h2> When you see the talented players the Patriots have, you’d think they have a storied program. This trip to state is only the third ever in Appleton East’s history, and they haven’t won a game at the state tournament ever (0-2). [player_tooltip player_id="155421" first="Emily" last="La Chapell"] Watching LaChapell play makes me think basketball is easy she makes everything look so simple. The 6-foot wing is a gifted scorer and could be Ms. Basketball in the state this year. When you watch her go to work, she looks the part. In the sectional final against Neenah, LaChapell had an answer for every small spurt of life the Rockets showed and squashed it immediately. [player_tooltip player_id="132371" first="Lily" last="Hansford"] The future Oregon State Beaver is a unique player. Hansford is a 6-foot-2 guard who is a walking mismatch on both ends. Offensively, Hansford will get into the elbow area and elevate over the defense, along with hitting 3’s when she’s in a rhythm. At her best, no singular player can defend her. [player_tooltip player_id="156073" first="Sammi" last="Beyer"] I’m not convinced that [player_tooltip player_id="156073" first="Sammi" last="Beyer"] isn’t a robot. I have not seen a better shooter in this state all season. The part that I enjoy the most is the only person who believes in her as a shooter more than I do is Beyer herself. When you’re a career 44% 3-point shooter, you’re allowed to have the green light she has. However, when teams have had success against Appleton East, they’ve bothered Beyer at the point of attack, so expect the potential Beyer vs. Kelley dual to be crucial in deciding who goes to play for a state title. Josie Neubauer I like what Neubauer brings to this Appleton East team. The senior does all the dirty work that doesn’t show up on stat sheets. Even in the home loss to Hortonville, Neubauer’s ability to attack the offensive boards kept Appleton East within striking distance when they were sputtering offensively. Even if the Patriots’ high-powered struggles to get into gear, Neubauer will earn her team the extra possessions they need to get going. [player_tooltip player_id="204153" first="Logan" last="Lowry"] A future UW-Whitewater Warhawk will provide the spacing the LaChapell-Hansford-Beyer trio needs to maximize this offense. That said, the 6-foot perimeter player is a high-level defensive piece that makes the Patriots scary defensively. Outside of Beyer (5’7), every other Patriot starter is 6-foot or taller, and unless you’ve seen it in person, it’s hard to prepare for in practices. <h2>De Pere</h2> The Redbirds are coming into the state tournament riding the high of avenging a 39-point defeat to Germantown in November. The Redbirds are the only Division 1 team with more than one state title in its history, with three. [player_tooltip player_id="132373" first="Jordan" last="Meulemans"] The future Butler Bulldog is one of the states’ leading scorers this season. The 6-foot guard’s shot is unblockable. If she wants to get a jumper off, she’s getting it up. Meulemans can have a historic scoring game anytime she steps on the floor. She’s that good. [player_tooltip player_id="209605" first="Claire" last="Bjorge"] The Redbirds’ point guard is one of my favorite prospects in Wisconsin. Watching how the 1st team all-conference guard responded to a rough night in November against Germantown with an outstanding game in a loss to Pewaukee made me realize she’s ready for this moment. Watching the rematch with Germantown, you could see every player, coach, De Pere student section, and parent believes in Bjorge when she has the ball, so I do as well. Her mental toughness is second to none, and Kettle Moraine won’t be able to rattle her with their press. Avery Bierowski The senior is the glue that connects everything on this team. The Redbird does a little bit of everything for De Pere. Bierowski is a solid shooter, she’s not afraid to get after people defensively, and she’ll rebound as well. Whenever momentum needs to shift, she’ll be the one making the play. McKenna Ciesielcyzk There is no stopping KK Arnold. However, what Ciesielcyzk did as her primary defender was jaw-dropping. The senior was flying around on the defensive end, putting her body on the line to do everything she could to get her team into the state tournament, and here they are. As far as I know, she’s uncommitted, but after what she did against Germantown, I can’t imagine that schools aren’t interested in her.