Standouts From The Last Week of 2022

PGH scouts feature ranked athletes from Kansas.

Brady Peterson January 1, 2023 @ 07:49 PM

This past week, I saw plenty of basketball, and I'd like to highlight some kids from the handful of games I attended. These players are currently uncommitted and could help a team at the next level when the time comes.   [player_tooltip player_id='400484' first='Ava' last='Kok']   When you think about Neenah as a whole, the first thing that comes to mind is naturally [player_tooltip player_id='189502' first='Allie' last='Ziebell'], which is understandable. However, some of the "others" are extremely important, namely Kok. When Ziebell draws all the attention, it feels like her first thought is to find where Kok is and get her the ball. The senior conveys a sense of calm for the Rockets. Even when Neenah trailed 13-0 early against Hortonville, the source of offense wasn't just Ziebell. Kok was a significant part of that recovery in the first half. She made a few big-time 3-pointers to help the Rockets lead going into the half. I'm not sure how interested she is in playing at the next level, but if she is, whichever staff gets her will love what she brings to the floor.   [player_tooltip player_id='338967' first='Meg' last='Decker']   It's always easier to try and slow down a kid who plays at 100 miles per hour than speed a kid up. Now and again, Decker will make an error because she's going too fast, like missing a fastbreak layup, but she'll more than make up for that one miss throughout a game. Whenever the sophomore has a chance, she'll fly after a loose ball, drive to pass to an open teammate, or guard a talented player over six inches taller than her. Decker is a kid who does everything in her power to help her team win games, and that's what she's done since she got to The Prairie School.   [player_tooltip player_id='533057' first='Natalie' last='Kussow']   The Arrowhead freshman is one of the best talents in the midwest. Kussow isn't someone who'll take the game by the horns and dominate for 36 minutes because she's too good of a creator to do that. However, when she does decide it's her time to take over the game, good luck. Against Homestead, there were a handful of possessions where Kussow looked at the person guarding her and decided to take advantage of them and score in any way imaginable. Something about how she plays makes it seem like she's seen just about everything, and she's only a freshman. Nothing fazed her in Mequon against a good Highlander team.   [player_tooltip player_id='533069' first='Presly' last='Samz']   The younger sister of Bella, Presly, has carved out a significant role for herself at Arrowhead this year. Sometimes kids who are as talented as her find it hard to fit into a new environment. She's a natural point guard but doesn't usually initiate the offense. However, she does everything most kids wouldn't want to do, especially as someone who's one of the most talented kids in her class. She's one of the best rebounding guards I've seen this year and isn't afraid to put her body on the line for an extra possession, and she makes all the simple plays. Nothing she does at Arrowhead will jump out at people on a highlight reel, but she's a significant reason the Warhawks went into Mequon and beat Homestead. The younger Samz will be a crucial player for them going into February and possibly into March.

This past week, I saw plenty of basketball, and I'd like to highlight some kids from the handful of games I attended. These players are currently uncommitted and could help a team at the next level when the time comes.