Mega Recap of the KM Classic Thanksgiving Classic

Due to my work schedule, I couldn't get anything out from the KM Thanksgiving Showcase yesterday after the event, so I'm doing both today and a team-based article tomorrow. I thought there was talent in every slot when I was there, with plenty of kids to highlight.   [player_tooltip player_id='498932' first='Ava' last='C Hanson']   I thought the Oak Creek forward did plenty of positive things. She moved well for a six-footer and made some plays around the basket. Hanson will be a significant contributor for Oak Creek next season once [player_tooltip player_id='264918' first='Paulina' last='Hernandez'] graduates, but she showed her best feature as a player on Friday, her mobility.   [player_tooltip player_id='264918' first='Paulina' last='Hernandez']   The Cleveland State commit dominated the Knights' game against a young Appleton East team. She's uber-skilled around the basket, and with her height advantage, she punished the Patriots around the basket all afternoon.   [player_tooltip player_id='156073' first='Sammi' last='Beyer']   The St. Thomas commit is one of the most confident kids you'll see play in Wisconsin. You can see the work she puts into her game. When you watch Beyer shoot, it looks like she put in thousands of shots like the one she's taking in the game you're watching, and that probably is the case. In the game against Oak Creek, she got whatever she wanted on the perimeter.   [player_tooltip player_id='338969' first='Lilly' last='Meulemans']   The 2025 guard is getting her first run as a contributor this season, and she looked solid. Meulemans is an elite athlete who excels in soccer and basketball, and the endurance that the sport demands shows up on the court. She has skill on the perimeter and could potentially be a high-level contributor in the FVA in a few years.    [player_tooltip player_id='444780' first='Lucy' last='Leininger']   Over the past 365 days, since I first saw Leininger play against De Pere in the KM Classic last year, I don't think anyone has improved as much as she has. When I first saw her, she was an outstanding defender who struggled to make free throws or do much offensively. Over the past few days, I saw Leininger attack off the dribble, make some jumpers, get into her floater game, and confidently make free throws. If this is where she got in a year, I can't wait to see where she is in another 365 days.   Jaycee Mani   The 5-foot-5 guard is like most kids on the Warhawk roster, young, undersized, and ridiculously competitive. She gets after it defensively and has the entire Germantown bench losing their minds in the second half, making a few 3-pointers and creating some turnovers.   [player_tooltip player_id='155940' first='KK' last='Arnold']   The UCONN commit is a UCONN commit for a reason. Few people can stay in front of her when she decides she wants to get to the basket, and her jumper even looks better this season. However, seeing her on the bench and off the floor shows how elite a teammate and person she is. She loves seeing her teammates succeed and always makes time for people who want a picture with her. There isn't a better face for girls' basketball in Wisconsin.   [player_tooltip player_id='448252' first='Danica' last='Gosz']   The potential for Gosz to rip teams apart was there, even if it didn't happen in either game. She missed a handful of wide-open 3-pointers that I, and Gosz, expect to go through the rim. When defenses inevitably help off her to try and slow Arnold, expect a few silly numbers from Gosz this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='264954' first='Lexie' last='White']   Wausau West didn't play well against Germantown but rebounded well against Hortonville. A significant chunk of that falls onto White being able to stay on the floor after a few unlucky charge calls against Germantown. She racked up three fouls in the first half then the wheels fell off. Against Hortonville for a significant chunk of the game, you could argue White was the best player on the floor. The Truman State commit routinely got hit hard but kept it moving. She's fought through physical play to finish with 21 against a Hortonville team who's on a revenge tour this season and ripped a talented Homestead team apart the day before.   [player_tooltip player_id='342358' first='Kelly' last='Kray']   The Grand Valley State commit is another one who rebounded well against Hortonville. She set the tone early with a few post moves that put West up early against Hortonville. She gave the forwards of Hortonvill problems all night because of her size, strength, and athleticism. This experience was good for her because she'll have confidence going into the postseason, knowing she can do her thing against any team in their sectional. If Kray can stay out of foul trouble, this team can be a handful.   Kenzie Deaton   Even though she's nowhere near 100%, Deaton is an elite competitor. Everywhere except on the floor, she's in a boot. On the floor, she plays hard, flies after every loose ball, and wants to defend the other team's best player. It's hard not to like her as a player. When you see a kid sacrifice like she has to help her teammates, you respect her.    [player_tooltip player_id='206583' first='Molly' last='Anderson']   In the Germantown game, Anderson was one of the few bright spots. Anderson battled on the boards and scored on a handful of putbacks. What she does can't always be quantified, but she'll help this team win games and keep them in a postseason game or two.   [player_tooltip player_id='440847' first='Annyka' last='Hellendrung']   The Oral Roberts commit made shooting the ball look easy against Kimberly. She showed that if given any space, she'll flick that shot up from 30 feet and send it gently through the rim. I thought Friday was a perfect introduction of Hellendrung to a high school audience following an excellent summer.   [player_tooltip player_id='156078' first='Caden' last='Krohn']   Since the calendar flipped to June, Krohn has been on an absolute heater. She's made most of her jumpers and battled in the paint. Krohn did that to the tune of a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double against Kimberly in a win. The Maryville commit seemed to have everything working for her on Friday night.   [player_tooltip player_id='206574' first='MaKenzie' last='Drout']   After a subpar first half for the standard she's set for herself, Drout came out in the second half and ripped apart Waukesha West, finishing with 35 points. Even when she's not at her best, hurt, or in foul trouble, the Appalachian State commit always finds a way to help her team compete. After being down by 20, they had their chances to win it late.   [player_tooltip player_id='338966' first='Bentley' last='Drout']   The younger Drout was the only bright spot in a first half that was dreadful on both ends for the Papermakers. When Drout got in the game, she played with a purpose and consistently beat her initial defender. She got to her little 8-foot jumper and made a few over some Wolverine forwards. I loved what she did with the ball. Drout, as a 5-foot-3 guard, finished with the fourth most rebounds on the team, with five.   [player_tooltip player_id='206727' first='Trinity' last='Mocadlo']   Usually, when you lose Ms. Basketball in the state, you drop off the next season, and it takes a while to recover. That's not the case with Hortonville. Mocadlo came out on Friday against Homestead and set the tone early. She knocked down a few 3-pointers and captained an offense that seemed quicker than the seven seconds or less Suns teams with Steve Nash. She gets after her assignments defensively and has all the confidence in the world. Because she leads that offense, I'm a big believer in that Polar Bear group again.   [player_tooltip player_id='374227' first='Rainey' last='Welson']   You won't find many better 2025s in the region. Welson can get to whatever she wants, whenever she wants. Against two good teams in Homestead and Wausau West, Welson brought questions that defenses couldn't answer. The Polar Bear can be a bowling ball going at the rim and through defenders or rip the nets from 25 feet.   [player_tooltip player_id='266988' first='MiKayla' last='Werner']   On Friday, Homestead couldn't keep Werner off the boards. On Saturday, Wausau West had a hard time scoring around the basket. Her ability to fill the role left by her older sister, along with being able to play on the wing, is ridiculous. Wherever Werner goes winning seems to follow, and it's not a coincidence.   [player_tooltip player_id='209902' first='Kallie' last='Peppler']   Last season, Peppler was incredible against Germantown at this event. This season, she seemed to not be at her best until she needed to be against Wausau West. The Warriors took a second-half lead then the Polar finished on a 33-14 run. In that run, four consecutive possessions went Peppler steal, Peppler 3-pointer, Peppler block, Peppler fastbreak layup. People talk about dominance in basketball in the macro, and never in a sequence like that, but Peppler dominated that second half.   [player_tooltip player_id='421314' first='Kyra' last='Funk']   Funk is one of the new faces in Hortonville's rotation, and her thing is that she can shoot the lights out. You know a kid's feeling it when they start getting slightly extra in their moves. For instance, in the first half, on two occasions, Funk ripped the net on a stepback 3-pointer that she could've probably caught on shot on, but her showing that level of comfort improvising is dangerous for the team's in the FVA.   [player_tooltip player_id='209604' first='Ellie' last='Demet']   The Gosling is unique because she's the opposite of what you'd think a talented guard would be. Her game is based more on what she can do in the paint than on the perimeter, and she made multiple difficult shots with defenders draped all over her. In the first half, Demet kept her team in it, scoring at will, and went into the locker room down 11. Even though Germantown pulled away in the second half, Demet showed she's a handful to deal with, even for a team as talented as Germantown. She got to the free-throw line and took 13 attempts from the stripe, making ten of them.   [player_tooltip player_id='209879' first='Trista' last='Fayta']   After missing the Tritons' opening game on the road at Pewaukee last week, she took their game against Verona over. She played Verona out of a zone in one or two possessions and owned the point of attack. The Illinois State commit made plays she had no business making, like a reverse layup to end the first half around a tall defender. Fayta takes this team to another level. They'll be tough to beat at full strength.   [player_tooltip player_id='209880' first='Gracie' last='Grzesk']   The future Wisconsin Badger had to figure out her 6-foot-2 assignment, and it took a few minutes, but then she got her rhythm on both ends. She took some shots in the post and operated in the middle of Verona's zone at an elite level. The best kids make challenging situations look easy, and Grzesk did that against Verona.   [player_tooltip player_id='338948' first='Peyton' last='Musial']   After seeing Musial twice this season, I'm surprised she has as much juice off the dribble as she does. On the catch, Musial can explode by closing defenders, placing pressure on the rim. She hasn't shot it as well as she did last year yet, but when she does, we can see a three-headed monster from the Tritons' offense once they settle in this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='209882' first='Sydney' last='Whitehouse']   Last season's defensive ace for the Tritons has seen an expanded role offensively. She looks like a different kid offensively, which helps the Tritons create problems most teams won't have enough answers for this year. She's quietly become one of the better two-way kids in the state.   [player_tooltip player_id='157533' first='Hope' last='Barington']   Very rarely will Barington do anything that makes a crowd ooh and ahh. However, Barington will always raise the ceiling of any team she's on. The UW-Oshkosh commit can be trusted guarding scholarship-level talent, can attack the basket, and knock down perimeter shots. She can do a little of everything and fit into any role her team needs her to fill.   [player_tooltip player_id='842199' first='Kaia' last='Waldrop']   I hadn't heard of Waldrop before the Pewaukee game, but she can unlock so much for the Tritons. She can play a conventional five and let Grzesk play her more natural spot at the four. Waldrop is also a physical post that can handle the physicality of scholarship-level posts. She has plenty of room to grow as a player.   [player_tooltip player_id='206577' first='Paige' last='Lambe']   The St. Cloud commit caused the Tritons issues whenever she was on the floor. Lambe was a handful for the Tritons in the paint and battles all night. She showed her ability to score over either shoulder and rebound in traffic. Once this team gets healthy, Lambe will be a significant factor in wins in the postseason.   [player_tooltip player_id='209608' first='Reagan' last='Briggs']   The wing looked extremley aggressive and scored well, especially early on. Briggs has spots she likes to get to and was creative in getting to them. I think she's a more natural off-ball guard, and hopefully, when [player_tooltip player_id='209595' first='Taylor' last='Stremlow'] is back, we'll see Briggs thrive even more than she did yesterday, and she was still good.   [player_tooltip player_id='156057' first='Megan' last='Murphy']   Murphy looked a little overwhelmed by the Tritons press, and most people are, but she settled in well. Once the second half rolled around, Murphy hit her stride. She made a bunch of perimeter jumpers and looked comfortable against one of the best defensive units in the state.   [player_tooltip player_id='533070' first='Allison' last='Jirsa']   I'm not sure what this season holds for Jirsa, but I thought she showed well when she got some run against most of the Tritons starters. She wasn't flustered and knew what to do on the floor. Jirsa also knocked down a corner 3-pointer and got some penetration off the dribble. One to keep an eye on over the next year.   [player_tooltip player_id='189502' first='Allie' last='Ziebell']   Going against one of the best defenses in the state, Ziebell didn't get much space, but she's [player_tooltip player_id='189502' first='Allie' last='Ziebell'], so she doesn't need any space. She scored a seemingly effortless 21 with some of the best individual defenders in the state all over her. Ziebell created and consistently whipped cross-court passes for open 3-pointers by her teammates.   [player_tooltip player_id='533065' first='Rowan' last='Klesmit']   I thought Klesmit did a solid job of doing her thing in her first "big game" in high school. She'll be a secondary creator and attack defenses off the weak side, and she did well. She made some shots, penetrated the Spartan defense, and got her teammates some good looks. We probably won't see her full arsenal for a few years, but she'll help the Rockets win games this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='444784' first='Amaya' last='Jones']   Jones' size and ability to create extra possessions through her offensive rebounding can't be understated. On a few occasions, her offensive rebounds led directly to 3-pointers off her kick-out passes. Not bad for someone who is a standout soccer player and plays basketball as a second sport.   [player_tooltip player_id='156051' first='Sammie' last='Buss']   Although Buss didn't play her best game as a Rocket, even if she played well, it may have been her "worst" game by her early season standards. She's been a kid who's always been a lead guard, but she's thrived as an off-ball guard who's shot the ball at a high level with more space than she had in high school. Adding an elite shooter beside Ziebell is terrifying.   [player_tooltip player_id='400484' first='Ava' last='Kok']   Kok is a lot like Buss in that she can make shots, and with the space, she gets playing alongside Ziebell, she can be dangerous. She scored 21 against Brookfield East and can do that on any night. She'll be crucial come playoff time again.    [player_tooltip player_id='497476' first='Maya' last='Kovacic']   The Spartan freshman was one of the few bright spots in the first half. Nothing seemed to faze her, and she scored the ball well in isolation, transition, and within the offense. Her addition is helpful for a team that has been elite defensively.   [player_tooltip player_id='156077' first='Annika' last='Pluemer']   The Maryville started slowly against Neenah but found her groove. She's a strong kid and can overpower guards in the post and went Neenah's undersized backcourt a few times. I love her ability to score within the offense and make something out of nothing.

Due to my work schedule, I couldn't get anything out from the KM Thanksgiving Showcase yesterday after the event, so I'm doing both today and a team-based article tomorrow. I thought there was talent in every slot when I was there, with plenty of kids to highlight.