State of WIAA D3 Basketball: 30 Days in

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're about 30 days into the regular season, and it's time we take a day and dissect the state of the D1-D2 and D3-D5 heading into the holidays. We'll highlight some standouts, surprises, significant games, and things to watch as we head into the holiday season. We're starting with large schools today and closing with small schools tomorrow and Saturday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Standout Performers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Looking around the state in D3, you'll find kids who've been dominant.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='448244' first='Ameerah' last='Grant'] has been one of the most dynamic guards who hasn't been in the spotlight at Brown Deer, but she can play at a high level. She made perimeter shots and beat her defender off the dribble routinely as a sophomore and has been an elite volume scorer in her first two seasons, and things haven't changed this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='209616' first='Norriah' last='Broomfield'] is another kid who hasn't been in the spotlight of high-level team basketball these past two years at Milwaukee School of Languages, but she's been effective. She's a physical 6-1 post who can finish through traffic. Broomfield should get plenty of touches at MSL, and she's good enough to score at any time in the paint.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='533058' first='Samantha' last='Davis'] has had an intriguing season. She's a 5-10 wing who plays around the basket. She doesn't take many three-pointers but is scoring efficiently.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Checking in at the Top</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are four teams in the top tier of D3, with one more looking to break into that group, in my opinion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Waupun still looks like the team to beat in D3, even with the loss at Verona. There are few teams with a trio at the level of [player_tooltip player_id='209617' first='Kayl' last='Petersen']-[player_tooltip player_id='209618' first='Gracie' last='Gopalan']-[player_tooltip player_id='374233' first='Lydia' last='Aalsma']. Those three also fit well together, built chemistry over the last three years, and are motivated from this past season's loss to MAS.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The only team that can play in a shootout with Waupun is Oostburg. The Dutch have two kids who can initiate and create offense for themselves. Due to that, [player_tooltip player_id='533061' first='Riley' last='Ketterhagen'] and [player_tooltip player_id='533060' first='Ady' last='Ketterhagen'] are more crucial than I can put into words. What makes this team as lethal as they are is the development of Brynn Wisse and Jenna Soren as 5-10 wing/post hybrids who can win the Dutch rebounding battles every night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kettle Moraine Lutheran is one of the most infuriating teams to play against. The Chargers usually don't have size, but all their players are scrappy and take away airspace well. [player_tooltip player_id='448257' first='Makenzie' last='Luehring'] and [player_tooltip player_id='448261' first='Madeline' last='Leffel'] have put together stellar seasons, and having [player_tooltip player_id='419332' first='Taylor' last='Schwalenberg'] back has given them a lift.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's an argument that Edgewood has the most creative backcourt in D3 with [player_tooltip player_id='764918' first='Anna' last='Miller'], [player_tooltip player_id='209589' first='Taya' last='Fernandez'], Zhana Gnewuch, and [player_tooltip player_id='914983' first='Beanie' last='Thompson']. All those kids can make things happen off the bounce and put pressure on defenses. Guard play wins games in March, and the Crusaders have it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who's Been the Biggest Surprise?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The real surprise of D3 has been Catholic Memorial. They've had a turbulent few years but have stability within the program and some talent that's grown together over the last two years. They have seven kids that they can play and get good minutes out of every game. They have kids who can shoot it, like [player_tooltip player_id='337024' first='Olivia' last='Conway'], [player_tooltip player_id='842222' first='Sami' last='Sarner'], [player_tooltip player_id='533059' first='Kelly' last='Boinski'], and [player_tooltip player_id='520097' first='Hallie' last='Koltz']. However, they also have some physical presence who can score around the rim in [player_tooltip player_id='374232' first='Jenna' last='Welsch'] and Izzy McFee. They have a few solid Classic Eight wins thus far and have a chance to make some statement wins in their conference.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->