Guards Who’ve Stood Out to Me This Season
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After being at 34 high school games, there are going to be plenty of kids who stand out. Today, I’d like to talk about some of the guards that left a good impression after watching them do their thing on…
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Continue ReadingAfter being at 34 high school games, there are going to be plenty of kids who stand out. Today, I’d like to talk about some of the guards that left a good impression after watching them do their thing on the floor. There are four uncommitted kids who I’d like to talk about in particular.
Vanessa Johnson Vanessa Johnson 5'7" | PG Pewaukee | 2026 State WI
Nobody left more of an impression defensively from the guard spot than Pewaukee’s freshman. For someone who just got to high school to read the game the way she does is absurd, and she’s the one who won the Pirates the Notre Dame game. Sure she has room to grow offensively, but the way she creates chaos for opposing guards and makes the right read every time down the floor takes her team to another level.
Natalie Meaux Natalie Meaux 5'5" | PG Franklin | 2024 State WI
The Franklin guard isn’t someone who has explosion off the dribble, but she uses angles and changes of pace well. In a way, it’s almost more challenging to deal with Meaux than some elite athletes. With elite athletes, there will always be help on the backside, or at least there should be. However, with Meaux, it’s all attention to detail, but she learns her defenders’ tendencies and attack weaknesses. If teams don’t communicate, she’s running off screens hard and catches groups with miscommunication. The other thing she does is get to the right spot to fill in the transition to get open shots. I love how ordered she is.
Gracie Gopalan Gracie Gopalan 5'4" | PG Waupun | 2024 State WI
I’ve been saying it since I first saw Gopalan against Prairie du Chien at Beaver Dam last year. Gopalan is who takes this team from elite to juggernaut. She’s so quick and gifted with the ball in her hands. Gopalan makes it hard to get any set defense because she does about everything as a guard. The junior can get to the rim, create for herself, whip passes all over the floor, and push the tempo. She may not be the prototypical kid that every school goes after from day one, but when she gets on someone’s campus, they won’t be able to keep her off the floor.
Lilly Meulemans Lilly Meulemans 5'8" | PG Appleton East | 2025 State WI
A trend with the article today is these guards play hard, and Meulemans fits that bill. The Appleton East guard waited for her turn this year after sitting last year, but she’s taken her opportunity in stride. I didn’t see her best game in terms of offense, but she has a different gear she gets to in transition that only a few others have. All you have to do is watch her chase a kid in transition. She doesn’t give up on plays and plays with passion every second she’s on the floor. Meulemans is a kid who kids will hate playing against, but teammates and coaches will appreciate that she’s on their side.