Players to Watch: Badger-West

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Next up is the Badger-West. Last season, Reedsburg dominated the conference, going undefeated and making it to the Resch Center. This season, the Badger-West should be wide open with a handful of teams capable of competing for the title. Today, we'll look at a few of the best returners.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='209900' first='Sydney' last='Cherney']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The one returning Reedsburg starter is one of the productive guards in southern Wisconsin. Even in the state semifinal against Pewaukee, Cherney finished with 19 points and ten rebounds. She plays hard whenever she's on the floor, and I always tell people if you blink, you might open your eyes and see the rising junior 40 feet down the court and diving after a loose ball. She's a skilled guard who gets overlooked because of her height, but she's one of the best combo guards in Wisconsin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='209909' first='Samantha' last='Schmitt']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Oregon lead guard has always been good at getting her teammates involved. Over the summer, she's improved her jump shot. It looks way better than it did when I last saw her play, and she looks confident when she shoots the ball. Her overall game is better than it was, and she'll build off a first-team all-conference performance a season ago.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='264944' first='Maggie' last='Hartwig']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The recent Evansville commit has a mixture of size, strength, and skill that make her difficult to defend. She flashes to the post with pace and is strong enough to hold her position. Hartwig also has plenty of moves with her back to the basket. She has multiple ways to beat her initial defender and finishes with both hands and through contact. In the conference, there won't be many, if any, one defender who can defend Hartwig on the blocks. I expect her to be a matchup nightmare that'll lead her Sauk Prairie team to victories this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='206580' first='Taylor' last='Jacobson']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jacobson is a perfect example of being able to find talent anywhere. The Monroe product is one of the most athletic kids you'll find, and with her 5-foot-10 size, she's a challenging wing to defend one-on-one. The rising senior garnered a plethora of interest from schools over the summer, and it was easy to see why they had an interest. She's skilled offensively, defended multiple positions, fought for extra possession, and did all those things every time she touched the floor. The Cheesemakers don't have a successful season, but she'll be good enough to keep them competitive in some games. I suggest watching [player_tooltip player_id='206580' first='Taylor' last='Jacobson']. It'll be worth your time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->