Teams Who Didn’t Go to State Last Season, But Could This Season

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Every year a new cycle of teams leaps into contending for a conference, regional, sectional, or state contention. Today, we'll talk about some groups who fit this bill on the state scale and why they can take home a gold ball this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Prairie School</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Hawks are a relatively new program but have gotten a massive influx of talent over the last few years. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='529543' first='Reese' last='Jaramillo'] can stretch the floor for some guards who love to attack the rim. Sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='374228' first='JJ' last='Glass-Barnes'], and [player_tooltip player_id='338967' first='Meg' last='Decker'] are some of the most athletic kids in their class and make a bunch of plays on the perimeter. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='209599' first='Ava' last='Collier-White'] is one of the most intense perimeter defenders in Wisconsin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Neenah</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Everything the Rockets do starts with UConn commit [player_tooltip player_id='189502' first='Allie' last='Ziebell'], with good reason. The Rockets pulled off the upset last season against Hortonville and were maybe a year ahead of schedule. Now, the Rockets have a few shooters alongside Ziebell, in seniors [player_tooltip player_id='400484' first='Ava' last='Kok'] and [player_tooltip player_id='156051' first='Sammie' last='Buss']. Those two have had excellent seasons due to the amount of attention the 6-foot wing demands from defenses. What helps Neenah go to the next level is junior [player_tooltip player_id='444784' first='Amaya' last='Jones'], her size and fight around the rim help the Rockets get easy second-chance points, which add up in sectional and state games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Turtle Lake</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last season, Turtle Lake had a young group that went out of the playoffs in the regional rounds. This season, the Turtles have one of the standouts in D5, [player_tooltip player_id='521879' first='Mackenzie' last='Tarman'], who reached her 1,000-point milestone as a junior earlier this season and can swing a game in a few possessions. In small school basketball, it takes one kid who can win games for their team, and Tarman can do that as well as anyone. Don't be surprised if the Turtles play deep into the postseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Verona</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Injuries plagued the Wildcats last season. Iowa commit [player_tooltip player_id='209595' first='Taylor' last='Stremlow'] missed her sophomore season due to injury, and she's back. Fellow junior [player_tooltip player_id='209608' first='Reagan' last='Briggs'] is also as dynamic as anyone and can create her shot off the dribble. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='206577' first='Paige' last='Lambe'] and [player_tooltip player_id='156057' first='Megan' last='Murphy'] are kids who've grown through the years and have already made a run to the state tournament as sophomores and have the experience to handle some of the ups and downs that postseason games can bring. [player_tooltip player_id='444787' first='Armaia' last='Ellis'] is a talented defensive wing who could be an x-factor in the Wildcats' sectional.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->