Team Takeaways From the KM Classic

After posting the takeaways from the 39 players I saw at the KM Classic, I wanted to talk about some teams. I won't talk about every group I saw, just a few that I found interesting at Kettle Moraine. Let's talk about a few teams and their prospects for this season.   Hortonville   The Polar Bears like to fly up and down the floor and play in transition whenever possible. I don't think there is a better lead guard this team could have than [player_tooltip player_id='206727' first='Trinity' last='Mocadlo'], who's known to sprint everywhere on the floor. When she puts pressure on defenses, it makes the other four players' lives easier. [player_tooltip player_id='421314' first='Kyra' last='Funk'] filled the role as their fifth starter and did her thing both days by making perimeter jumpers and stretching out the defense. [player_tooltip player_id='209902' first='Kallie' last='Peppler'] and [player_tooltip player_id='266988' first='MiKayla' last='Werner'] did an excellent job using their size and athleticism to make plays that most players can't. It also helps when a team boasts one of the most talented 2025s in the region in [player_tooltip player_id='374227' first='Rainey' last='Welson'], who has been on an absolute heater since she stepped foot on Hortonville's campus last season.   Neenah   The Rockets downsized a little by necessity this season with loads of new talented guards. Even though [player_tooltip player_id='189502' first='Allie' last='Ziebell'] isn't as ball dominant as she was a season ago, she's done a lot of creating and got her teammate's open looks around the basket and from the 3-point line. [player_tooltip player_id='156051' first='Sammie' last='Buss'] seems like an ideal off-ball guard to pair with Ziebell because her range is limitless, and the same goes for [player_tooltip player_id='400484' first='Ava' last='Kok'], who poured in 21 points against Brookfield East. [player_tooltip player_id='444784' first='Amaya' last='Jones']' size was crucial, and she is a proven offensive rebounder and created extra possessions all night. The Rockets and Polar Bears feel like they're on a collision course that will come to a head on March. 4th at Appleton East.   Notre Dame   [player_tooltip player_id='209879' first='Trista' last='Fayta'] made a massive difference in their win against Verona. Her ability to create for herself and others can't be understated. She finished the game with 25 points and eight assists, and it felt like more. [player_tooltip player_id='209880' first='Gracie' last='Grzesk'] continued to do what she does best in the post and made some 3-pointers to punish the 2-3 zone. [player_tooltip player_id='338948' first='Peyton' last='Musial'] looked excellent again, and it helped that she didn't have to initiate offense and slid back into a more natural role. I loved watching [player_tooltip player_id='209882' first='Sydney' last='Whitehouse'] expand her game and continue to show her two-way prowess. Every basketball nerd would love seeing [player_tooltip player_id='157533' first='Hope' last='Barington'] continue to make the right decisions with every possession. She's more significant to the Tritons than people would think.   Verona   Although the Wildcats were missing [player_tooltip player_id='209595' first='Taylor' last='Stremlow'], which contributed significantly to the Wildcats not being able to beat Notre Dame's full-court press, I think they're were a fair amount of positives. Regan Briggs looked much better than she did a year ago and seemed more aggressive when she got the ball. [player_tooltip player_id='206577' first='Paige' last='Lambe'] created problems for the Tritons that they never solved throughout the game. Once they got the ball over halfcourt more consistently, I thought that [player_tooltip player_id='156057' first='Megan' last='Murphy'] looked like a kid who could help them win games in February and March. Her shooting and threat on the weakside is legit.   Wausau West   The Warriors two games at KM reminded me of De Pere's last season. They got shelled by a Germantown team that overwhelmed them and put them in foul trouble. However, the following day they came back and battled with an elite team out for blood this season in Hortonville. Even though they lost that game, their main four contributors: [player_tooltip player_id='264954' first='Lexie' last='White'], [player_tooltip player_id='342358' first='Kelly' last='Kray'], Kenzie Deaton, and [player_tooltip player_id='206583' first='Molly' last='Anderson'], all played well. I still believe this team can shock some people in March if they aren't careful. Not everyone can rip off a run like Hortonville did to beat them in the second half.   Germantown   The Warhawks will go through [player_tooltip player_id='155940' first='KK' last='Arnold'] until she graduates, which is fair. However, I thought the "others" played well at KM. Rachel Murphy did a lot of little things to help them gain advantages. Jaycee Mani had the Warhawk bench going crazy against Wausau West. [player_tooltip player_id='444780' first='Lucy' last='Leininger'] looked even better than I saw her last, which seems to be a trend. They'll have to beat some tall FVA teams this spring, but I can't wait to see them lock horns with teams like Kaukauna.   Homestead   I think the loss to Hortonville will be a good thing in the long run for the Highlanders. That was the first legitimate state contender that the 2025 Highlanders have played in high school. That game shows them the level they need to be at to win at the D1 level, and in the long run, it'll get this team to where it can be. It probably hurt for the 24 hours before they played on Saturday, but they know what it takes now.

After posting the takeaways from the 39 players I saw at the KM Classic, I wanted to talk about some teams. I won't talk about every group I saw, just a few that I found interesting at Kettle Moraine. Let's talk about a few teams and their prospects for this season.