Final Thoughts From Louisville

Brady Peterson May 26, 2023 @ 09:09 AM

There's still a bit to unpack from The Classic down in Louisville, and we're continuing to look at some of the kids who stood out in games I watched this past weekend. Today, I'll continue highlighting kids who had solid showings at games I watched them play.   [player_tooltip player_id='329589' first='Madison' last='Fitzgibbon']   I liked how well Fitzgibbon has slotted into a new role in a new program. Over the past few summers, she's been the main scoring threat and has drawn that level of attention from defenses. Now that she's playing with higher-level talent, she's done a solid job providing a scoring punch off the bench. You can tell she's a selfless kid but understands when it's time to shoot the ball. There were a few moments against Legends U in the 17U title game where she showed how lethal her offensive prowess can be by taking staredown three-pointers against a kid who'll play in the Big Ten.   [player_tooltip player_id='375953' first='Aubrey' last='Leonard']   The Laconia guard plays with a high motor and seems to find every loose ball that hits the floor. Although she plays fast, she never looks out of control. Leonard sees the floor well and utilizes her passing to help keep the flow of her teams offense. I also love her ability to use her first step to explode past her initial defender and force the defense to collapse, only to get the ball to the nearest open teammate.   [player_tooltip player_id='329600' first='Addie' last='Pytleski']   It's never in any flashy way, but Pytleski is always steady on her Purple Aces team. It feels like she'll always make big shots and be a dependable kid on one of the best AAU teams in Wisconsin. I still remember her hitting big shots against Tree of Hope on back-to-back days in Minnesota and Iowa, and this weekend I thought she finished well in traffic and had a few impressive and-one finishes. She's a kid who may never score 20 with this team, but she'll make a positive play whenever the ball gets in her hands.    [player_tooltip player_id='536013' first='Giselle' last='Janowski']   It was unfortunate that Janowski went down with a shoulder injury late in her team's first game, but every time I watch her, I'm amazed at what she can do on the defensive end of the floor. She rarely gets beat off the dribble because she's so laterally quick and has a strong frame that kids bounce off when they go right at her. She's in an elite class of defensive prospects in the state, and even in a shortened live period for her this time, she still showed her quality on the floor.

There's still a bit to unpack from The Classic down in Louisville, and we're continuing to look at some of the kids who stood out in games I watched this past weekend. Today, I'll continue highlighting kids who had solid showings at games I watched them play.