Class of 2024: New Additions

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A couple of things I work on every time I update rankings are the stock risers and new additions pieces. Today, we'll knock those out, and for the rest of the week, we'll talk about some uncommitted kids who could help programs at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='780361' first='Ayana' last='Bousum']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Admittedly, I didn't see the Playmakers 2024 group in 2022 as much as I should've. I'm adding those kids late. Bousum has been the focal point of a Marshfield team that's been one of the more successful teams in their area and has gone under the radar. Every year, they have solid wins, and Bousum's talent is a significant reason why that's happened for that program for the past few seasons. Her size and calmness are so noticeable if you'd never seen her before, you'd think she was coasting through the whole game. She makes everything look easy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='780363' first='Paris' last='Opelt']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Neillsville has been powered by Opelt's for the better part of a decade now, and Opelt has been the best player in her conference for a while and led that program to a state tournament recently and may do so again this season. She's a skilled 5-11 wing who can score it at a high level. Opelt's from a remote part of the state, and there are plenty of people who've never seen her play before, other than the state semifinal game against Laconia in 2022, and they're missing out. She's a scholarship-level wing who could be a high-level D3 kid in 2024-25.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='780381' first='Erin' last='Knowles']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I love kids who don't fit into traditional molds and roles, which is what Knowles is as a player. She's a 6-1 guard from Boscobel and does things that no other guards can physically do in the state. Knowles can pass over defenses because the Boscobel native is usually the tallest kid on the floor and does an excellent job getting to the rim and finishing over taller defenders. She didn't play in AAU, so even fewer people know about her than other lesser-known kids who did play AAU. I'm not sure how many programs are after her, but I'd assume most coaches would at least find her intriguing and keep tabs on her throughout her senior season. She'll be one of the more unique kids playing in any small-school conference she could play in.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='780388' first='Maddie' last='Murphy']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coaches love players like Murphy because they know what they're getting, even on her worst day. Even if shots aren't falling, and she dribbles the ball off her foot, she gets after it on the defensive end and makes winning plays. Coaches can trust her to make good decisions with the basketball, run the floor, and be the most selfless player. However, she is a solid ball handler and a mid-30s percent shooter from behind the three-point line. Murphy would be a solid piece to add to a small-school program.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->