Game Observations: Junior Blues and Vickery Continue To Impress

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On February 9, I did something I don't often do and that is watching two teams face off that I had already scouted this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The rivalry game between Hayden and Washburn Rural, however, did not disappoint as the Junior Blues won a hard-fought 46-44 decision in the final seconds of the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is a scouring report on four athletes from Washburn Rural's 6A squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='671505' first='Maddie' last='Vickery']</strong>, 6'1”, F, Washburn Rural, ‘27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rural's freshman can do it all on the court, and has “Go-Go Gadget Arms.” She filled up her stat sheet with a game-high 18 points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots. She is a three-level scoring threat, although I would like to see her be more patient with her shot selection. Too many times she settled for 3-point field goal attempts during a possession. She shot just 5-of-11 from the field but was a clutch 6-for-8 from the free throw line. She made an outstanding drive and bucket with her left to win the game with 2.9 seconds left to play. Vickery is the No. 4 ranked athlete in the Class of 2027 and I am willing to bet she will be ranked No. 1 in her class before she graduates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='616734' first='Kate' last='Hinck']</strong>, 5'4”, PG, Washburn Rural, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hinck continues to show out when I am in the building. She collected five rebounds and scored seven points. Hinck does her best work on the defensive end where she finished with four steals for the Junior Blues.  She is currently ranked No. 23 in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2025 rankings. College scouts won't be impressed with her size, but she plays with a workman-like attitude that will score her big marks on a scouting checklist.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='822628' first='Tenly' last='Bunck']</strong>, 5'6”, F, Washburn Rural, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bunck had a much better game against Hayden than she did against Lawrence earlier in the season. She is a gritty player who likes to spot up and shoot from 3-point range. She finished with five points and two steals in Rural's victory. She is quick and plays solid defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='766599' first='Madison' last='Lemke']</strong>, 5'10”, PF, Washburn Rural, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another Rural player who looked way better in this game was Lemke. She is essentially the first forward off the bench for Kevin Bordewick's club. She will fight for the tough rebound. Lemke recorded five rebounds and scored six points. She made her first two field goal attempts in the game and converted on both free throw attempts. Lemke does play with a heavy-duty knee brace, so college coaches will want to check out her medical history. She plays with a lot of guts and would help an NAIA program.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->