Division 5 State Tournament Preview

Today marks the beginning of State tournament week. Over the next three days, I will be previewing all 20 teams who’ll be playing in Green Bay. Today we begin with Division 5 and Division 4, in the order of their seed. <h2>Randolph</h2> The Rockets will walk into Green Bay with a 29-0 record. The Rockets have dominated their opposition all year and are likely the favorite going into the state tournament. [player_tooltip player_id="264942" first="Jorey" last="Buwalda"] The 6-foot junior has had as dominant of a season as anyone in Division 5 this season. The younger Buwalda has scored over 20 per game, pulled down over nine rebounds, dished out two assists, and earned over two steals per game. If anyone wants to beat Randolph, they have to find a way to defend her. Presley Buwalda The elder Buwalda is Randoplh’s initiator. Everything that the Rockets do starts with Buwalda, and what they do has earned them 29 wins in a row. The senior has been through everything at Randolph and will have every right to believe her high school should end with a state title. Abby Katsma The Rocket guard is a wild card on this Rockets team. She is a shooter that oppositions can’t leave or risk getting punished with a barrage of 3’s. If teams double Jorey, look to Katsma to punish them from the 3-point line. Maddie DeVries This forward shares a frontcourt with one of the best talents in D5, in [player_tooltip player_id="264942" first="Jorey" last="Buwalda"]. She plays a supportive role. When teams focus on Buwalda, DeVries is good at finding pockets of space. Buwalda’s passing will lead to DeVries getting plenty of easy looks at the rim/ Mya Moldenhauer The 5-foot-8 guard is a taller wing, and that’s valuable in D5. Not many players will have the size to deal with Moldenhauer on either end of the floor. Moldenhauer’s size will come in handy for the Rockets. <h2>Assumption</h2> The Royals are the defending Division 5 champions and return to the state tournament after beating Wabeno/Laona 40-26. The Royals start three guards Ainara Sainz de Rosas, Iggy Jungwirth, and Kayla Kerkman. All of these guards play aggressively on the defensive end. This Assumption team plays in a 2-3 zone. Within that 2-3 zone, these three put an extraordinary amount of pressure on the ball. They will force mistakes, and the more turnovers or difficult shots they create, the more likely it will be for them to repeat. Ainara Sainz de Rosas The senior has had a solid season for the Royals this season. As the focal point of the Royals offense, she does an excellent job taking care of the ball and shoots the ball at an efficient clip. She has shooting splits of 45/37/74 is the only Royal averaging double digits per game scoring-wise. If Assumption is to go on a run, the senior has to continue doing what she’s done all year. Sarah Shaw The freshman didn’t play until the new year (Not sure why). Since getting onto the floor, she has been an x-factor for the Royals. Shaw has been the most efficient scorer the Royals have. She’s averaging close to nine points per game and shooting 50/37/74. Shaw is an excellent ball-handler in traffic, and I’d trust her late in games to not turn the ball over. Even though she’s young, Shaw could be a crucial piece in a possible state tournament run. Anna Schooley Schooley is crucial to her teams’ success, especially with the smaller lineups Assumption plays. The freshman is the Royals leading rebounder and does the things that don’t end up in a box score. Due to the small-ball lineups, Schooley is crucial to Assumption dominating the paint. She may not block eight shots per contest, but she contests without fouling and boxes out well. Maleia Kolo The junior forward starts alongside Cooley. Kolo has done many of the same things Cooley has been able to do this season. For the Royals to win two games this week, Kolo and Cooley have to make winning plays. Kolo needs to stay out of foul trouble and box out. Assumption’s defense forces offenses to get frustrated and make bad decisions. Kolo needs to be on the floor as much as possible to be a deterrent within the Royals zone. Kendall Duellman The sophomore is the third player on Assumption’s roster to shoot over 35% from behind the 3-point line (Shaw, Sainz de Rozas). Duellman is another shorter guard who shoots at a high level. Although she comes off the bench for Assumption, she could spark a run that keeps her team in a game or extends a lead. <h2>McDonell Central Catholic</h2> The Macks made it to the state tournament in Division 5 last season and narrowly fell to Assumption 46-43 in the semifinals. With a large senior class who has been here before, keep an eye on them as a team who can seal the deal this time around. Lauryn Deetz The senior has been the Macks’ leading scorer the last two seasons and has made the most of her senior season. Deetz averages over 17 points per game, shooting 41/42/79 and grabs over seven rebounds per game. Last season Deetz didn’t have her best performance in the state-semifinal against Assumption, so look for her to do everything she can to end her high school career with a gold ball. [player_tooltip player_id="209585" first="Emily" last="Cooper"] The sophomore guard is the kind of player every coach would love to have. You won’t find many players who don’t have to score to leave their mark on the game. Cooper earns deflections and creates steals in the backcourt constantly. She is part of a select few players in this state who can rip possession away from guards in the backcourt pressing on her own. Cooper will also get creative on the offensive end and find open teammates with a wide range of passes. Basketball nerds will love watching what Cooper brings when she steps on the floor in Green Bay. Marley Hughes The 5-foot-9 wing has the spurt ability to help this Macks team make a run. If they get two good shooting games out of Hughes, the Macks will like their chances to get the job done this week. On Sunday, Hughes seemed to find open space to knock down a big shot when Northwood would make a run. Against Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran, Hughes knocked down all four of her 3-pointers. If she gets into a rhythm early, watch out. Destiny Baughman On a shorter team, you find the kids with the most determination rebound the best. Baughman fits that bill. I guarantee that when the Macks season is over, Baughman will have done everything in her power to win a state championship. It won’t be easy, but having Baughman makes life easier for every other Mack. Aubry Dorn The sophomore is the only 6-foot player that the Macks have. However, she’s much more skilled than you may think. Dorn plays well in tight spaces and excels around the basket. If there’s a sliver of space for Dorn to attack, she’s going to do it and do it well. <h2>Highland</h2> The Six Rivers West Conference champions arrive in Green Bay after beating Bangor 54-49. The Cardinals have gotten further in the postseason every year, culminating in a trip to the state tournament this year. Right now, maybe the Cardinals’ best chance with a heavily senior latent team. Rachel Miller Miller is the Cardinals leading scorer, at over 13 per game. The senior led Highland with 16 points in the Cardinals’ sectional title win. If the Cardinals want to make the most of this opportunity, Miller will need to be at her best heading into the state tournament. Katelyn Essler The 5-foot-11 senior has been effective in every aspect of the game for Highland. Essler will be crucial in the Cardinals’ semifinal matchup against Randolph and J. Buwalda. If the Cardinals win, much of that will be down to Essler’s work down low. Meg Tarrell The senior can win a game on her own. On any night, Tarrell can score 25 points, and there’s nothing that a defense can do about to stop her. If I had to highlight an x-factor in D5, it would be Tarrell. Malayna Fredricks Fredericks is excellent at creating turnovers for her team. The scoring that she brings the rest of the way is a bonus. Every team left has guards that can exploit gaps in the defense, and Fredricks will plug as many of them as possible. Katelyn Mueller The final senior of these five is a creative force. Mueller is safe with the ball and gets her teammates involves. She possesses a positive assist to turnover ratio and earns two and a half steals per game. Mueller is a dangerous player when on the ball on offense or defense.