More Notes From Saturday at the Cheesehead Challenge

Brady Peterson June 26, 2023 @ 06:47 PM

On Saturday, I spent time at Center Court for the Cheesehead Challenge. This year saw most of the top independent programs in the state show up, and there were a handful of kids who played well that I'd like to discuss in some depth.   [player_tooltip player_id='474774' first='Leah' last='Nordin']   I've talked about Nordin at length recently. As recently as this week about how she played at the Wisconsin Elite camp. However, her size, athleticism, and skill are noticeable when she steps on the floor. The one thing I like about her game is the lift she gets on her jumper. I'd be curious if anyone in the state could get a finger on the ball when she shoots. Something like that makes her a nightmare when a team needs a stop because regardless of what you do unless you get a hand on the ball on the way up, you have to pray it doesn't go in.   [player_tooltip player_id='209618' first='Gracie' last='Gopalan']   The recent Quinnipiac commit can make anyone around her a better offensive player because she sees everything and does an outstanding job drawing defenders and passing to her open teammates. I don't think Waupun would've won the D3 title in 2022 without Gopalan, and that team had an unreal amount of talent. Her ability to break down defenses is elite, and she did an excellent job distributing on Saturday.   [player_tooltip player_id='209589' first='Taya' last='Fernandez']   I only saw Fernandez sparingly, but I've long admired her ability to create and initiate the offense. Whether with her Let it Rain group or her high school team at Edgewood, her teammates respond to her. When she talks, her teammates listen, which tells me a lot about the respect her teammates have for her. I also love how well she balances her scoring with her distribution, and from what I remember, her shooting in the first game they played helped her team get back into the game after trailing for a significant portion of the game. She's a reliable kid.   [player_tooltip player_id='329600' first='Addie' last='Pytleski']   All the kids on that Purple Aces 17U National team can get lost in the shuffle at times because of the extreme talent in their group. However, all the kids that most people don't think about before playing them can be dangerous. I thought Pytleski was one of the few kids who played well in their second game of the day as the rest of her team tried to acclimate against the zone they were facing. Pytleski brought a sense of calm and was one of the better kids at finishing around the rim all day. I like how well she does at being a chameleon and fitting into any role her team needs for her to win games.

On Saturday, I spent time at Center Court for the Cheesehead Challenge. This year saw most of the top independent programs in the state show up, and there were a handful of kids who played well that I'd like to discuss in some depth.