2024 Prospects Who Should Be Talked About More

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today, I want to highlight some kids I haven't talked about enough over the summer. That could've happened for many reasons, but there are some kids I feel need to be talked about more, and I want to start with the 2024 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='342361' first='Olivia' last='Grothaus']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Hudson is a skilled kid who doesn't have a clear position. However, I believe that is positive in Grothaus' case. She's too big and strong for a guard to defend her when she gets two feet in the paint, and she's too athletic to have a true forward on her for long stretches. Grothaus is a matchup nightmare for most teams she'll face in high school, and she's more athletic than I think she's given credit for right now.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='266996' first='Keyah' last='Strop']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The River Falls guard will fly under the radar to most of the state because she's not near any of the population centers resulting in people not seeing her often. Regardless, Strop was one of the kids I enjoyed watching the most in AAU. I loved watching her play because of how much energy she played with every time I saw her. When Strop pressures her assignment in half-court straight-up defense, Strop doesn't get discouraged if the guard swipes at the ball and misses. It seems to amp her up and put more pressure on the ball. It's hard not to appreciate how much she puts into every game she plays.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='209602' first='Addison' last='Pytleski']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It took me a while to see Pytleski and her Purple Aces team play this summer, but when I did, she had a flare for the dramatic. She played her role as an off-ball scorer well and defended better than I thought she'd be able to against excellent competition. In back-to-back days against an EYBL team, Pytleski hit a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime in Minnesota, and the day after hit another 3-pointer to cap off an eight-point comeback in four minutes to beat them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='417959' first='Parker' last='Johnson']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I love Johnson's game won't settle for a good shot if she can get a great one. She has the drive to get to the basket and play through contact. Even though she can play with force, there's a general aurora of calm when she gets the ball amongst her team, likely because they know she'll make something positive happen. Johnson will be challenging to defend in her final two years in high school.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->