Big Rivers Conference Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another day and two more conferences are getting special attention as we await the upcoming high school season. We're starting with one of my favorite conferences in the Big Rivers, then heading back towards the Madison area to peek at the Capitol-North.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hudson</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Raider program is one of the well-run programs in the state. There aren't many places that get a roster talented enough to play in a D1 state title game, then win their conference again two seasons later after the main cast of characters graduated. One of the first things I look for in teams is who's back. I already knew Hudson would get a significant amount of production back in [player_tooltip player_id='520312' first='Olivia' last='Grothaus'] and [player_tooltip player_id='520310' first='Ella' last='Carstensen'], and an increased role for their post, Olivia Pettey. It's that the Raiders get back a portion of their standouts this season because the BRC is one of the most unforgiving conferences in the state. Another key figure this season to watch is newcomer [player_tooltip player_id='751276' first='Olivia' last='LaBlanc']. Adding talent is always helpful, and some may not recognize her name because she played her AAU ball over the border in Minnesota but did win a 14U AAU state title last Spring. If you have time, I can't suggest watching one of their live streams enough. If you can't make the trip to Hudson, they have a broadcast team to make watching them online an excellent experience.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Eau Claire Memorial</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After Hudson went 14-0 in the BRC, the Old Abes of Eau Claire Memorial knocked them off in the Regional Title game and gave Neenah all they could handle in the Sectional Final. However, this will be drastically different from the 22-23 group. B. Cayley was the POY in the BRC last year, and she's off to play at Minnesota State this upcoming season. I look at this team on paper and still believe this group will end up in the top half of the BRC. I thought then-junior [player_tooltip player_id='421305' first='Jordyn' last='Peed'] had an outstanding campaign and helped propel the Old Abes on both ends of the floor, and Ashlynne Schroeder is an excellent energizer on the wing who defends well in space and puts pressure on the ball. Another player I'm intrigued by is [player_tooltip player_id='653806' first='Rayna' last='Welsch']. She's an undersized post at about 5-11 but has excellent touch around the rim. I believe she'll surprise some people this season, now that the Old Abes likely won't play as fast as in the past. Lastly, Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1045830' first='Raya' last='Shaw'] is the kid who could make all my talk of possibly playing a touch slower look stupid. She spent her freshman season coming off the bench and creating with lower volume, but if she hits the ground running, we're talking about three more years of fast guard play at Memorial.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Menomonie</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Don't forget that one of the few teams to punch Notre Dame in the mouth was the 2021-22 Menomonie Mustangs, and there are still pieces who were a part of that group in the program today. The first name I'd like to highlight is senior [player_tooltip player_id='329548' first='Mary' last='Berg']. Whenever people think of good guards in Wisconsin, they'll think of more prominent names in the state, but Berg has been one of the most productive kids in Wisconsin for the past few years. She's as trustworthy as anyone with the ball in her hands and a high 30s percent three-point shooter. A few other names to look for this season are [player_tooltip player_id='342359' first='Sam' last='Jacobsen'] and [player_tooltip player_id='767283' first='Brooklyn' last='Birt'], both of them provide size, physicality and are good athletes, and Jacobsen is among the best pure slashers in the state. The Mustangs are another well-run program that seems to have found ways to compete in the last few seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>New Richmond</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Tigers will start their 23-24 season without their two double-digit and All-Conference performers, Gaby Aune and Brooke Blaszczyk, after they graduated last Spring. I'd expect some regression from this group for that fact alone, but they also lost over half their roster to graduation, which is also a factor. I don't know what to expect from this group next season, but I am excited to see what they roll out in November because it's a true unknown.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Eau Claire North</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Having the leading score and lead guard who finished top-five in assists [player_tooltip player_id='767276' first='Elli' last='O'Keefe'] back is a positive. O'Keefe is a solid ball mover and keeps the pace within an offense. I also love how she battles defensively and doesn't shy away from guarding taller kids. She's a competitor. The Huskies also return four of their top six scorers from last season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rice Lake</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's a chance that this Rice Lake group could be one of the most fun groups to watch this upcoming season. For one, they may have two of the best five athletes in the state in the Sheplee sisters, Ady and Eli. They'll, hopefully, have a healthy season from [player_tooltip player_id='337016' first='Luci' last='Habas'] and an intriguing 6-1 post named Addison Schmidt. I'd guess they're the most improved team in the conference, with the returners' improvements alone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>River Falls</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wildcats have some key pieces back in [player_tooltip player_id='266996' first='Keyah' last='Strop'], Jordan Schwantz, and Emily Van Ausdal. Although they lost two of their top two scorers, Ella Peters and Olivia Pizzi, I'd assume that this Wildcat group will still find a way to compete with most teams in the BRC.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chippewa Falls</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cardinals are a group that struggled last season and will look to continue to improve from within.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">My Predictions</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Hudson</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Rice Lake</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Menomonie</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Eau Claire Memorial</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>River Falls</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Eau Claire North</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>New Richmond</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Chippewa Falls&nbsp;&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list -->