Brady’s Notes: Midwest Kick Off Day Two

<span data-preserver-spaces="true">On day two of the Midwest Classic, I ventured over to Kennedy to see the Wisconsin teams that played. In the games that I saw there, plenty of kids played well. These players are the ones that stuck out in the games I saw on Sunday. There are more kids from Sunday that I will talk about over the week.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Olivia Pizzi-Team Wisconsin 2023 Murray</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">I got to see Pizzi play twice, and in each game, she did an excellent job controlling the tempo and making shots. Basketball is a make-or-miss game, and it felt like Pizzi made all of her attempts. However, I liked the way that Pizzi led her team’s offense. The River Falls native stood out all day, and I can only assume she did similar things on Saturday. The on-ball defense in her first game is also something I noted because of how disruptive it got in the second half.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Anna McKonkey-Team Wisconsin 2023 Murray</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">The Midwest Kickoff could be the only tournament McKonkey plays with this group all summer, but she made it count. The forward is incredibly effective even though she’s slightly shorter than college coaches prefer. She dominated in the first game of the day around the basket. McKonkey also has the touch to take a 10-15 foot jumper and even stretch to behind the 3-point line. She’s a kid that I will keep an eye on over her senior season coming up.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Ashlynne Schroeder-Team Wisconson 2024 Schmeling</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Schroeder is one of my favorite kind of niche players. The amount of pressure Schroeder puts on the ball is unbelievable. She made some plays on the defensive end that were outstanding. She found ways to get steals that came out of nowhere, and if she didn’t force a turnover, she’d deflect the pass. The Eau Claire native is also comfortable finishing with her off-hand. Schroeder was one of my favorite players to watch in Minnesota due to how many plays she made defensively.</span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="266990" first="Dani" last="Latz"]-Team Wisconsin 2024 Noll</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">When Latz makes a shot, it’s one of the most aesthetically pleasing things to watch in basketball. She has a high release and shoots it with confidence. The other thing about her game I like is her mind. The Bloomer native understands how to move defenders without making contact with them. A moment that exemplifies this was a play in transition. Latz was leading a two-on-one fast break and hit the defender with a pass fake to free up the lane for an easy layup. </span> <strong><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Abby Hollis-Foundation Athletics 16U</span></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Before seeing Foundation play, I hadn’t seen most of their players, including Hollis. The way that Hollis shoots the ball is incredible. Most kids I’ve seen are only comfortable catching and shooting, but the Albany guard has a stepback game that most juniors and seniors would love. Although Hollis is only a freshman, the base she has to build off of over the next three years is as solid as anyone’s, and I’m eager to see how she develops.</span>