Lady Badger Winter Classic: Under-the-Radar Upper Classmen
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This week, I covered the Lady Badger Winter Classic held at Prescott High School. The tournament featured 16 teams from around the state, representing the 4A to 6A divisions. Participating teams included Highland, Mountain Ridge, Cibola, Mesa Mountain View, Tucson,…
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Continue ReadingThis week, I covered the Lady Badger Winter Classic held at Prescott High School. The tournament featured 16 teams from around the state, representing the 4A to 6A divisions. Participating teams included Highland, Mountain Ridge, Cibola, Mesa Mountain View, Tucson, Mountain Pointe, Paradise Valley, Thunderbird, Mingus, Centennial, Arcadia, Coconino, Bradshaw Mountain, Lee Williams, Kellis, and the host team Prescott.
The tournament showcased a mix of familiar and new faces, with numerous closely contested games and situations that will prove beneficial as each team heads into region play. Ultimately, the competition narrowed down to two formidable teams, Cibola and Kellis, both boasting talented rosters combining youth and star power. In a hard-fought battle, Kellis emerged victorious in this matchup with a final score of 55-47. Meanwhile, in the consolation game, Highland secured a third-place finish by defeating Prescott.
Shanielle Mallory Shanielle Mallory 5'4" | PG Kellis | 2026 State AZ of Kellis took home Tournament MVP honors, leading her Cougar team to an undefeated record throughout the tournament. Additionally, Prescott’s Addie Prisciandaro claimed the “Hot Shot Competition” title, scoring an impressive 37 points in 90 seconds and hitting 9 consecutive 3-pointers at one juncture.
There is no position Madilyn Gewirtz Madilyn Gewirtz 5’11” | SF Highland | 2024 State AZ cannot play, and she excels in each one. Standing at nearly 6’0″ tall, with a long and athletic frame, Madilyn possesses the ability to play and defend all five positions on the court. She demonstrates a high basketball IQ, subtly sliding into undefended scoring areas and delivering timely, well-executed passes to her teammates. Madilyn exhibits an above-average jump shot from beyond the 3-point line, is highly proficient at attacking the basket off the dribble, and excels in rebounding-and-running in the open court. Additionally, Madilyn is highly competitive and willingly takes on the challenge of guarding the opposing team’s best players.
Mariana Vega is an absolute coach’s delight, a tireless worker who competes on every possession at both ends of the floor. Marianna brings physicality to her game most opponents can’t match, while playing with a relentless motor in attacking the offensive and defensive glass. She is the consummate team player who does not necessarily need plays or sets run for her but will absolutely find a way to greatly impact each game by running the floor, defending, and rebounding the ball. Mariana is also very capable of hitting from 15 feet as well.
Avianna Scharfenberger
Avianna Scharfenberger
Avianna plays the game at her speed at all times. Fundamentally sound, she operates with a very high IQ and serves as the clear floor leader for her Panther team. Avianna demonstrates an above average ability to shoot from 15-18 feet and exhibits an above-average float game when attacking the paint and finishing around the basket. Utilizing her size effectively, Avianna excels in hitting the glass and showcases the ability to rebound-and-run, applying instant pressure on defenses. Additionally, she willingly takes on the responsibility of guarding the opponents’ best player, especially in crucial moments.
Alice Kinsey
Alice Kinsey
Alice is as powerful and physical of a post around the basket as they come, continually leaning, nudging, and stepping across defenders to gain a position advantage. Alice’s strength is evident when she powerfully seals unsuspecting defenders around the basket. She anticipates shots being taken and tracks shots coming off the rim very well. She is relentless on the offensive boards, creating stress and foul problems for opponents’ interior players.