Guards I Enjoyed Watching in Appleton
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There was a fair bit of talent up in Appleton for the Freshman Showcase this past weekend. Today, we’ll start going through some of the kids from the event and continue to dissect the event into September. Kendall Schmitz Kendall…
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Continue ReadingThere was a fair bit of talent up in Appleton for the Freshman Showcase this past weekend. Today, we’ll start going through some of the kids from the event and continue to dissect the event into September.
Kendall Schmitz Kendall Schmitz 5'4" | PG Manitowoc Lincoln | 2027 WI
The Manitowoc native plays extremely hard on both ends of the floor. She’s got a passion for playing the game, which would explain how much energy she puts into every step on the court. I believe she’ll be one of the more annoying players for opposing teams to play against because she’s relentless in defending the ball, and Schmitz sprints down the floor whenever she gets the ball. There may be people who don’t get a chance to see her play at Manitowoc Lincoln but think of her, at least in the way they play, as a 5’4 version of Trinity Mocadlo.
Oriah Harris Oriah Harris 5'10" | SF Abbotsford | 2027 WI
Showcases tend to bring some unknown kids to the forefront, and Harris was the one that fit that bill best in Appleton. The Abbotsford native has a ton of poise and never seemed to shy away from making a play. In a situation when kids tend to do too much with the ball, Harris struck a perfect balance of attacking herself and taking what the defense gave her. Harris filled her lane well in transition, made most of the open three-pointers she took, and showed she could play physically around the rim. I was pleasantly surprised by how well she played and a name I’ll remember.
I’d seen Zehner a few times this past summer, and I thought she did most of the same things in Appleton as she did with her Lakers team this past summer, which is excellent. She’s not a selfish kid. Zehner took and made tough shots, showed aggression going to the basket, and seemed like a versatile kid who could play anywhere from the one to three at the high school level. I also thought she did a solid job playing on-ball defense and making plays on the ball without fouling. She may not be someone who scores in double-figures often at Arrowhead, but she’ll be someone who’ll be in contention for closing lineups because of how many winning plays she makes on both ends of the floor.
Tessa Bryan Tessa Bryan 5'8" | PG Waunakee | 2027 State WI
Bryan has a ton of natural ability. She has such a feel for the game and, at times, makes the game look easy. Even as a newcomer in the Badger Conference this coming season, she’ll be one of the best one-on-one creators the second she steps on the floor for Waunakee. Bryan puts pressure on the defense by constantly running directly at her defender, changing directions on a dime, and simply putting teams in uncomfortable positions. I don’t think anyone puts pressure on opposing teams at the high school level in our state quite like Bryan does.