Saturday Standouts From the Kettle Moraine Thanksgiving Classic
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After a weekend loaded with games at Kettle Moraine, it’s time to look back and talk about some of the top performers I saw on days one and two. I’m sure I didn’t see everyone because it’s impossible to as…
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Continue ReadingAfter a weekend loaded with games at Kettle Moraine, it’s time to look back and talk about some of the top performers I saw on days one and two. I’m sure I didn’t see everyone because it’s impossible to as three courts are going, but let’s talk about some of the best performers over the past two days, starting with Friday.
In Kettle Moraine’s only game of their event, Emily Gomez Emily Gomez 5'5" | PG Kettle Moraine | 2025 State WI was a significant factor from start to finish. She looked confident from the opening tip and made some perimeter shots early on, but I’ve always thought she’s best at getting downhill toward the rim, and she made some “wow” plays in the first half. Gomez attacks the basket with a purpose and can change directions on a dime to get around defenders in the paint, and she does that going full speed. The junior was also heavily involved in the aggressive defense the Lazers deployed and got more than a fair share of steals from it. That was the best all-around game I’d seen her play.
Olivia LaBlanc Olivia LaBlanc 5'11" | PF Hudson | 2027 State WI
I’d known of the reputation that LaBlanc had built in Minnesota with her 2027 Minnesota Fury group and winning the 14U Minnesota State AAU tournament. I’d also seen LaBlanc at the freshman showcase in Appleton, and I had in my mind she was more of a traditional four that looked to get paint touches more than anything, so I was a little shell-shocked when she played like a wing and dominated. It didn’t matter who Hartford lined up in front of her. LaBlanc got good looks at the rim for herself and her teammates every time down the floor. LaBlanc was the most impressive freshman at the event among some of the best newcomers in the state.
Makena Christian Makena Christian 6'0" | PF Hartford | 2025 State WI
When you talk about scoring the ball, Christian can put the ball in the basket from just about anywhere on the floor. She hit a big three in the final minute to give the Orioles a one-point lead they’d never relinquish. I thought she played decent help-side defense, earned herself a few blocked shots, and provided a presence under the basket. Although the game was a little shaky on the Hartford end, they showed a ton of resolve and resilience to pull that game out, and it gave them an early season test that they needed after handily winning the first few games.
Finley Morgan Finley Morgan 5'8" | SG Laconia | 2027 WI
The more I see Finley Morgan Finley Morgan 5'8" | SG Laconia | 2027 WI , the more I like what she brings to Laconia. She’s a different player than her sister in many ways, and one difference is that she wants to get the rim as much as she wants to shoot it. I thought her ability to get to the basket in the Spartans’ half-court offense created a threat that Racine Prairie couldn’t handle for 36 minutes. They’ve had kids who can attack the basket and still do, but the younger Morgan may be the best at finishing in traffic. Her addition to the loaded roster they already had is crazy because they’re a school of just over 300 kids. I thought she was the best kid on the floor for them on Saturday night in a highly anticipated D4 matchup.
JJ Glass-Barnes JJ Glass-Barnes 5'8" | CG The Prairie School | 2025 State WI
I hadn’t seen much of Glass-Barnes since last April, and she’s still the elite kid I remember her being. She’s among the most physical guards you’ll find in the region, and she’s gotten more comfortable shooting the ball as the years have passed. She plays taller than her 5’8 height, and her athleticism and determination make her one of the most challenging kids to defend, even when you focus all your defensive attention on her.
Allie Ziebell Allie Ziebell 5'11" | SG Neenah | 2024 State WI
What more is there to say about Allie Ziebell Allie Ziebell 5'11" | SG Neenah | 2024 State WI ? The Uconn commit scored 39 points against a talented Homestead team and didn’t look like she broke a sweat. I want to talk about everything but her scoring today. What I was most impressed by was her off-ball movement. That kid constantly moves and looks to get seals against smaller kids for easy looks at the basket or open shots, which is like a foot of space. Another aspect that gets overlooked because she scores so much is her passing. She’s as unselfish as any elite athlete to come out of Wisconsin, and you can tell she gets a ton of joy out of helping her teammates succeed, which makes her the best kid in the state. Yes, she scores it at the highest of levels, but she does so much more than that.
Madison Fitzgibbon Madison Fitzgibbon 5'6" | CG Homestead | 2025 State WI
It took Fitzgibbon a few possessions to get going. However, once she did, Neenah struggled to find answers for her. She used a sharp step back to routinely create open looks for herself from behind the 3-point line, which usually resulted in a made three, but from when she was a freshman to where she is now, her vision is a thousand times better than it was then. She hit a backdoor pass that she knew was going to be open before her teammate even cut, and to Fitzgibbon, it probably felt like an hour waiting to hit that pass and made a few passes through the backdoor of Neenah’s defense that turned into open shots at the basket. She could be a top scorer and assister in the North Shore this season. She’s that good of a passer.