Underappreciated Talent
I’ve seen dozens of games at this point of the season, and I want to talk about non-premier names that bring positive value to the floor. Most of these kids I’ll talk about aren’t scoring in double figures often, but…
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Continue ReadingI’ve seen dozens of games at this point of the season, and I want to talk about non-premier names that bring positive value to the floor. Most of these kids I’ll talk about aren’t scoring in double figures often, but they help their team compete.
Maren Schmotzer
Rarely do you find a 6’0 or taller athlete who flies under the radar, but Schmotzer does. She’s not a kid who demands the ball in the post or needs to score to be effective. The junior plays a role that includes attacking the basket from around the mid-post, shooting whenever she’s open behind the three-point line, and defending at a high level. Her ability to switch and cause some issues with her length will be indispensable this postseason.
Maddie Stocks
Stocks fits the mold of what Germantown wants from their players this season. She’s a smart kid who can run forever, reads the game well, can force the opposing team into mistakes, is spatially aware, and brings intensity to the defensive end. Inserting kids like Stocks off the bench while not giving anything up is how the Warhawks forced Hudson into over 40 turnovers at Kettle Moraine. Her scoring will come and go this season depending on the game, but her intelligence and understanding of what her coaches want every possession will lead to her getting extended runs throughout the year. Stocks is also a vocal kid on the floor, a trait I adore in any player.
Eva Engel
What separates Laconia from the rest in D4 is they have a kid like Eva Engel, who’d be a prominent player at most D1 or D2 schools, coming off their bench. Engel is a versatile kid who I’ve seen hurt teams from the paint and perimeter, and her coaches understand her ability to exploit mismatches. It’s fun watching her change what she does on a game-to-game basis. She’s an athletic 5-10 wing who sometimes hits three-pointers to grow a lead like she did against Xavier, or sometimes her responsibilities are around the basket, like at state when she grabbed five rebounds in 24 minutes.
Nayeli Kilen Nayeli Kilen 5'3" | PG Milton | 2026 WI
People told me Milton would be better than years past, but they were much better than I expected. If it weren’t for some head-scratching turnovers, the Red Hawks could’ve beaten DeForest at home earlier this season. I was pleasantly surprised by Nayeli Kilen Nayeli Kilen 5'3" | PG Milton | 2026 WI ‘s ability to stretch the defense beyond the three-point line. Defenses respected her, and her presence on the floor opened up driving lines and space for her posts to score under the basket.