Highlighting Some Kids I Haven’t Seen Play In a While

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we get into May, I want to highlight a few kids I haven't gotten to watch recently for varying reasons like location, separate AAU events, or injury. All the kids I'll discuss this evening are incredibly talented and deserve highlighting for what they bring to the floor. Tonight I'll have two articles for kids that fit this bill.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='209605' first='Claire' last='Bjorge']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're getting close to ten months since Bjorge played in a competitive game, but her return could come in the May live period if everything goes to plan, which hopefully it does for her. That said, now's as good a time as ever to remind you what kind of player she is. The De Pere product is the definition of a combo guard and has been successful playing as the lead ball handler on a team that went to the state tournament and as an off-ball guard in AAU next to [player_tooltip player_id='209879' first='Trista' last='Fayta']. She fits seamlessly into any backcourt pairing and can slide into any role you'd want her to play in the backcourt. She's also one of the craftiest scorers around. Her post-game is excellent for a guard, and anytime she has a size advantage, she'll take advantage of it with her back to the basket. We can't expect her to be back to 100% on the floor anytime soon, but she'll find ways to be successful early on, and wherever she ends up at the next level will be getting a talented kid.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='338969' first='Lilly' last='Meulemans']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Meulemans is another kid who went down with an injury during the high school season and will miss the AAU season. However, there were some things she did when I saw her last season that few others can. For one, there aren't many kids who play harder than Meulemans, and when you watch her, you'll notice how the Appleton East guard flies up and down the floor whenever Meulemans is in the game. Watching her be an athlete is a joy to watch in its own right, and you can tell she's a soccer kid even on the hardwood. However, I believe she's more skilled than you'd think. I've seen her make solid moves around the rim, finish through traffic, and make aggressive passes with the ball. Outside of the clear top-three teams in the FVA, Appleton East scored the fourth most points out of anyone, and Meuelmans' ability to play in transition was a key factor for that.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='509721' first='Vanhi' last='Chava']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some kids are victims of situations they're in at the high school level through nobody's fault. Chava is an example. I believe the Pewaukee guard would play at every other school in the state but doesn't at Pewaukee because of their elite guard talent. Small schools that need a guard who can make shots should watch Chava and her 1-on-1 Milwaukee team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='338951' first='Natalie' last='Mueller']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last summer, Mueller was one of my favorite kids to watch because of how consistent of a shooter she is. She never misses left or right, it feels like all her misses are rim outs, and it's incredible to witness. Although Mueller stands at 5-foot-7, her length is also one of the more impactful things about her game. She moves her feet well on the defensive end, and her range helps her deflect passes or disrupt ball handlers' rhythm. If you watch her and her 2025 Wisconsin Lakers team, you'll have a good time watching that group work.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->