Making The Minutes Count
In this article:
In evert contest you watch, there are different types of players with different responsibilities. No matter who the player is or what those responsibilities might be, none of it is going to work out unless role players step up and…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingIn evert contest you watch, there are different types of players with different responsibilities. No matter who the player is or what those responsibilities might be, none of it is going to work out unless role players step up and make their minutes count. In this article, we are going to highlight five different players that have been making the most of their minutes on the floor so far this season.
Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!
Paxton High School has kicked off their season with a 9-5 record throughout their first 14 games. A lot of their success can be attributed to the play and leadership of their upperclassmen group. One of the most important players out of this group being Guard, Abigale Nicholson Abigale Nicholson 5’4″ | PG Paxton | 2024 NE . Nicholson is a quick moving and fundamental player with the basketball. She is the type of competitor that I would ask to pick up her opponent in the full court on defense, creating a lot of chaos and havoc. Her mixture of fast pace and active hands lead to a lot of tips/deflection, which then lead to buckets on the other side of the floor. As of most recent, Nicholson has put together some more consistent games. She is scoring at a high rate on limited shot attempts, while being a willing and able passer in the open court. There is a lot more I could say about Nicholson and this group but I think their game is going to do the talking the rest of the way this season, so make sure you are paying attention.
On Thursday evening, Grenta fell in a close battle to Marian by a final score of 53-44. In this contest, each player for the Dragons scored but it was Point Guard, Ava Boyce Ava Boyce 5’7″ | SG Gretna | 2024 NE , that ended with 13 points to lead her team. In a fast paced game with a lot of guard play, it was the defensive end where the Dragons came up short. They just couldn’t get stops consistently and they couldn’t really get anything to go their way in the calls/loose ball department but no matter, they never gave up and played until the final buzzer. As for Boyce, she was leading the charge from the front with her aggressive play style, while everyone else was following suit. If she doesn’t know it by now, I think it’s time for Boyce to understand that she is going to continue to produce for this team if they want to have success in the long run. Especially considering the fact that they only play 6-7 athletes per contest.
Sara Weisheit
Sara Weisheit
Whenever you hear about McCool Junction, you hear the name McKenna Yates McKenna Yates 5’7″ | PG McCool Junction | 2024 State NE but they have a few other stars on their roster that are very capable of producing at their own rate, one of them being their starting Center, Sara Weisheit. Weisheit would be your typical Post player. An individual that controls the space and play in the lane to a T, while being active on the boards on both offense and defense. This is the first season that I have had a chance to see Weisheit really play and she makes an impact. Her presence is known throughout each contest, even if she isn’t scoring the ball and that speaks volumes. I expect this McCool Junction team to make it to the Playoff’s and go pretty far this post season. If their stars keep on being themselves, there aren’t going to be too many teams in their Class that will be able to stop them.
Omaha Westside High School has some hoopers. A group of players that are going to get a chance to compete at the next level in some facet, have been doing a good job of winning this winter. In their first 15 games, they are sitting at 10-5 with some room to grow. A player that has been interesting to me ever since I saw her compete last year is their 4/5, Sanai Foster Sanai Foster 6’2″ | PF Westside | 2026 State NE . Foster has natural height at 6’2 and agile movement with the ball. She tends to favor jump shots or did last season but recently she has shown me her dominance near the paint a little bit more. Honestly, Foster has the combination that all coaches love. She is tall and athletic. Not to mention, she moves really well and isn’t afraid of contact while attacking her defender. When you combined all that, you get a producer on any type of court. She still has a long way to go but the ceiling is there. She has been consistent this winter but I think she could be even better. Once she gets that self-confidence going, she will be very hard to matchup with.
Isabel Norman
Isabel Norman
Isabel Norman scored 10 of her teams 26 points in their loss on Wednesday night but it all wasn’t bad. From everything I’m seeing, it’s obvious that this Fullerton team is having some trouble in the scoring department this season and that’s okay. They aren’t the first team this has happened to and they won’t be the last. Something or someone, that HAS been a positive for this group is the play of Norman. Norman stands at 5’8 and has been averaging the most minutes for her team this season throughout each game, showing that she is the leader of this team in more ways than one. Her coaches trust in her to make something happen when the offense breaks down and she usually does a good job of production because of that. Fullerton is siting with a 6-9 record, 15 games into this season. If they work off of Norman’s ability and get stops defensively as a group, they could get close to that .500 mark moving into the Playoffs but we will just have to wait and see. As for Norman individually, she is going to go out each game and continue to worry about only what she can control.