Undervalued Winning Players

Brady Peterson November 16, 2023 @ 10:30 AM

I've attended two games this year in vastly different parts of the state and kept up on games elsewhere. Today, I'd like to talk about kids who bring winning qualities without being someone with a reputation that precedes them.   Bella Miller   The Muskego wing's skill is her shooting. I saw her play a few times last year, and her ability to shoot the ball helped her team win games or stay in them when things weren't going their way. The Warriors have multiple kids who can get two feet in the paint to draw help and kick it out to open shooters, and Miller will be the beneficiary of that plenty over their next 23-plus games. If she's hitting shots, it opens up the floor for kids like [player_tooltip player_id='337019' first='Addy' last='Zacher'], [player_tooltip player_id='528116' first='Autumn' last='Dibb'], and [player_tooltip player_id='528122' first='Melena' last='Glysch'], who all can bend defenses when they get in the paint.   Lexi Fuhermann   Yes, Waunakee has plenty of guard and wing talent, but their senior forward brings it all together. Fuhremann does all the dirty work around the basket, and in their opening night tilt with Westfield, she dominated the boards and won the physical battle down there in her minutes. The senior won't often be someone who wins games because she scores 15 or more points, but everyone watching will appreciate what she does.   Molly Duel   What makes Laconia so solid is having kids like Molly Duel come off the bench. Duel is an accomplished multi-sport athlete and used her athleticism against Oostburg this past Tuesday. She was not the primary focus of the Dutch defense because of other talent on the floor, so she utilized her speed and power to get to the rim at will. The sophomore also made inside-hand finishes attacking the basket from the left wing and did change the game in the second half.   Jada Kelliher   Kelliher's versatility on both ends of the floor for DeForest is indispensable. She usually plays as a wing and is more than capable of handling lead guard duties. The Norskie is laterally quick and will draw one of the two best wings as her defensive assignment and hold her own. I love how she slots into a role with other talent. No matter who she's on the floor with. She finds a way to be successful by doing all the things that don't go on stat sheets. People who appreciate kids who can do a little of everything will love Kelliher's game.

I've attended two games this year in vastly different parts of the state and kept up on games elsewhere. Today, I'd like to talk about kids who bring winning qualities without being someone with a reputation that precedes them.