Notes From Day One of the Badgers Elite Camp (Morning Session)
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Over the past two days, I was at the Kohl Center for the Wisconsin Elite camps. Over 140 kids in the two days attended the events, and plenty of kids stood out over the two days. Today, I’ll go over…
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Continue ReadingOver the past two days, I was at the Kohl Center for the Wisconsin Elite camps. Over 140 kids in the two days attended the events, and plenty of kids stood out over the two days. Today, I’ll go over the kids who stood out to me. Before I dive into Thursday, I’d like to thank the entire staff, support staff, and team managers who allowed me to be there and help me out, giving me an insight into the team, construction at the Kohl Center, and everything else they did.
1v1s
Libby Gilmore Libby Gilmore 5'9" | SG Arrowhead | 2026 State WI
In the 1v1s, offensive players were allowed three dribbles. To play offense, you had to get a stop first. No matter who Gilmore had in front of her, the Arrowhead wing forced a miss or a difficult shot. Gilmore’s one-on-one defense was excellent in that drill, and she had excellent footwork, scoring on a few step-throughs.
Sydney Huber
All Team Iowa kids are drilled well in the fundamentals. No matter which group I’ve seen over the past two years, they never beat themselves. Huber brought that style to the 1v1s. She kept her matchups in front of her and scored efficiently by getting to the rim and creating as optimal a shot for herself as possible.
Amani Jenkins
The 6-2 forward mainly went with an extended post-game in the 1v1s. It worked well, and her length helped her shoot over most of the defenders she dealt with. I didn’t expect how well she moved laterally on the perimeter. I know she’s an athletic frontcourt player, but she kept athletic guards in front of her and stayed disciplined as they tried to shake her with dribble moves was outstanding.
Leah Nordin Leah Nordin 6'1" | PF Shawano | 2026 State WI
I don’t remember who won the 1v1 portion of the camp, but Nordin showed the most varied scoring arsenal. She shot over posts, drove by guards, elevated to finish over other 6-1 athletes, and looked like one of the most confident kids in that aspect of the camp.
Kyrin Lile Kyrin Lile 6'0" | PF Elkhorn | 2026 State WI
One kid who I expected to excel in the 1v1s was Kyrin Lile Kyrin Lile 6'0" | PF Elkhorn | 2026 State WI . Lile likes to attack in isolation anyway, so she was at home. She took kids off the dribble and beat all players off the bounce. She may not be the most athletic kid out there, but she knows how to move kids with her eyes, movement, and dribble, and she’s strong enough to finish through contact or shoot over kids.
Kinsley Ketterhagen Kinsley Ketterhagen 6'0" | PG Oostburg School District | 2028 WI
Ketterhagen was the youngest kid at the Kohl Center on day one. For that, she stood out, but she was excellent at finishing around the rim against D1-caliber players. All summer, she’s been showing flashes of being an uber-talented kid and one to watch when Ketterhagen gets to high school in the 2024-25 season. She also hit an extremely deep pull-up 3-pointer in the camp All-Star game.
Valerie Richardson Valerie Richardson 5'8" | PG Madison East | 2025 WI
Richardson was the biggest surprise to me in the 1v1s. She probably scored on seven straight occasions, and five were because kids didn’t close out fast enough. I thought she proved that she was a kid who could read defenses, make quick decisions, and hurt teams in a hurry.
Nataya Donaldson Nataya Donaldson 5'8" | CG Beaver Dam | 2026 State WI
The Beaver Dam guard’s power at the rim was on full display again. She may be undersized, but she moved people around the basket to create space for her to score at the hoop. I loved what she did at Summer Jam, and she continued to play well at the Badgers Elite Camp.
The KML wing is a talented multi-sport kid, but I thought she was on top of her game on the defensive end. Leffel had a few nice strips on kids going up for shots and had active hands throughout the drill.
5v5s
Ava Van Vonderen Ava Van Vonderen 6'0" | SG Kimberly | 2027 State WI
I’d never seen the soon-to-be Kimberly Papermaker, but Van Vonderen has talent. I thought she shot the ball well and looked like she belonged on the court with kids three years older than her. Van Vonderen is another Kimberly player from their feeder program who has a chance to make a name for herself in the FVA.
Rowan Klesmit Rowan Klesmit 5'7" | PG Neenah | 2026 State WI
I hadn’t seen Klesmit play in some time, and it’s been even longer since she had the freedom to attack with the ball in her hands whenever she saw an advantage. I thought she was the best lead guard in the first 5v5 session. Klesmit did whatever she wanted. She attacked the rim, finished through contact and traffic, got her floater game going, knocked down 3-pointers, passed at a high level, and got after it defensively. I loved what she did.
Corinne Reed
I’ve seen Reed a few times with her Midwest Elite team, and I thought she was the most physical player in the 5v5 session in the morning. She rebounded aggressively, had incredible footwork attacking the rim, and had excellent finishes with both hands. In my opinion, she was among the most impressive players in the morning session.
Kardyn Peppler Kardyn Peppler 5'7" | PG Hortonville | 2027 State WI
The youngest Peppler was fun to watch figure out her matchups in the 5v5s. You could almost see the gears turning every time down the floor when she figured out how to break her defenders down and get easy baskets. She had one of the best defenders in the gym on her, but after maybe, three possessions, she figured out how to get her shot whenever she wanted. Not many kids, let alone an incoming first-year kid, can change their game to help their team get easy looks for herself or others. Peppler will create good scoring opportunities.
Danyella Mporokoso
For Mporokoso, it was simple. She didn’t look to dominate the ball and create. Mporpkoso came down the floor, found a spot in the corners, and made the open shots when her teammates found her. I thought she was reliable, made herself available for her teammates, played solid defense on the other end of the floor, and was vocal all day long.
Arsha Ramlall
All three of the Ramlalls can shoot the ball at a high level. Arsha was the one who stood out the most in the 5v5s by being available for her teammates who had the ball, and she paid off their passing by making some 3-pointers to help her team put points on the board.