Notes on Other D1 Contenders
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Heading into Regionals next week, I want to highlight some teams with a Gold Ball on their minds heading into the postseason. Today, we’re starting with the teams who earned a No. 1 seed in D1, and we’ll slowly go…
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Continue ReadingHeading into Regionals next week, I want to highlight some teams with a Gold Ball on their minds heading into the postseason. Today, we’re starting with the teams who earned a No. 1 seed in D1, and we’ll slowly go through the contenders before everyone gets rolling late next week.
Neenah
Last night, the Rockets dropped a game to Oshkosh West, which was surprising. However, this group has the best senior in the state who can win her team a game on her own, regardless of what defenses throw at her.
Allie Ziebell Allie Ziebell 5'11" | SG Neenah | 2024 State WI is one of the three best players from Wisconsin in the past decade, and if she gets in a rhythm, all bets are off.
Ziebell may be the best senior in the state, but we’ve seen it before in D1. One player can’t win a state title. You’ll need other pieces to help carry the workload.
Amaya Jones Amaya Jones 6'1" | C Neenah | 2024 State WI is the first kid I’d point to when asked who the Rockets need to make a deep run. Jones is a 6-1 post who’s been through the battles with Ziebell and was crucial in the Rockets’ upset win over Hortonville in 2022. She’s been better to close the season, but she can’t be in foul trouble if the Rockets want to make the first state championship since 2009 and win their second gold ball.
The two others who need to be at their best are Ellie Buss Ellie Buss 5'6" | PG Neenah | 2026 State WI and Rowan Klesmit Rowan Klesmit 5'7" | PG Neenah | 2026 State WI .
Klesmit has proven she can make plays in the postseason and was a significant reason the Rockets got past Eau Claire Memorial in the Sectional-Semifinal last year. I have no concerns with her playing a prominent role in a win-or-go-home game this month.
Buss is different because we haven’t seen her play prominent postseason minutes yet. However, that’s not to say she can’t do it. There’s a role for her to play. As the season went on, she got more comfortable playing prominent minutes in games against teams like Arrowhead, Homestead, Neenah, Kimberly, and Hortonville, and in the last matchup against Hortonville, she seemed to figure out how to get looks off other ball handlers attacking the basket. Don’t get it twisted. She’s capable of a 20+ point performance if given time and room to operate.
Kimberly
They came up a game short in their fight for a share of the conference title, but at their best, there isn’t a team that can keep them from winning a gold ball. They’re still learning day by day.
The Papermakers may have the youngest group in state with a real shot at a gold ball, playing two seniors, three juniors, a sophomore, and three newcomers. None of them were around the last time Kimberly was ranked this highly, three years ago when Maddy Schreiber was around. They’re the wildcard in D1.
The one who’s been around and become the leader of this group is future Belmont Bruin, Katelyn McGinnis Katelyn McGinnis 5'10" | CG Kimberly | 2025 State WI . I’ve talked about how talented, productive, and skilled she is this season enough, so let’s talk about what about her has made her who she is. For one, she’s as hard a worker as you’ll find, and she doesn’t love basketball. McGinnis is obsessed with it, and her teammates feed off that obsession. She loves the small details, which works with Coach Lepisto because it seems like they want to win more than anything else, and that dynamic between them is symbolic of what this Papermaker team is. Driven, detail-oriented, and competitive. Everything they do on the floor makes sense, and they all seem to love each other off the court, which stems from their leader, Kate McGinnis.
The other piece that gives the Papermakers an added dimension is Raegan Krueger Raegan Krueger 6'1" | PF Kimberly | 2025 State WI , a 6-1 versatile post who’s constantly improving. She’s shown some excellent footwork in the post this season, and she’s taken fewer threes this season, likely due to the perimeter talent. However, that ability to stretch the floor opens the floor for the perimeter players.
The three newcomers have added so much to this group in their own way, and none of those three uber-talented kids have any ego whatsoever. They all wanted to win and immediately bought into what the Papermakers had going on.
In my opinion, Ava Van Vonderan is the most talented 2027, and she’s as happy as ever coming off the bench. She knows what her team needs to win games. She’s willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. Over time, she’ll become an all-conference level kid, but her obsession with basketball is in the same realm as McGinnis’, so she’ll reach whatever her ceiling is. I have no doubts about that.
Haylie Dulas Haylie Dulas 5'11" | SF Kimberly | 2027 State WI is uber-talented and will be a D1 college kid like Van Vonderan. She may not have the offensive skillset as her fellow 2-27, but she does everything well and might be an all-defense kid in the FVA this season. She can defend the other team’s top scorer, rebound, defend in space, make shots, dive on the floor, and has all the defensive versatility in the world. Any coach who watches the 2027 play wants a Haylie Dulas Haylie Dulas 5'11" | SF Kimberly | 2027 State WI -type player on their team.
I’ve talked about four kids who may all play D1 college ball, and that’s not even half of their kids who’ve played prominent roles this season. That’s how dangerous the Papermakers are this postseason.
Homestead
The Highlanders are in an all-or-nothing situation. Past postseasons haven’t gone to plan, and now they aren’t underclassmen anymore. They’re juniors and seniors. Yes, they’re underseeded for how good they are, but even as a No. 5 seed, they’re good enough to go to the Resch Center.
I talked yesterday in depth about how they could be this season’s Cinderella group, and they’re probably the third-best team in this sectional.
I won’t talk at length like I did about them yesterday, but this is their best shot at a Sectional Plaque.
Hartford
The Orioles finally beat Homestead in a game that tripped them up the past few years. They’re more mature than they were a year ago, and they’re playing with as much confidence as ever.
I’ve been critical of Makena Christian Makena Christian 6'0" | PF Hartford | 2025 State WI in the past, and I stand by it because she could be one of the best players this state has produced, and you can see flashes of it, which makes it frustrating when she doesn’t give the effort level she’s capable of playing with. However, she seems to have flipped a switch after the first Homestead game and has played some of the best basketball I’ve seen her play, and when she’s at her best, there isn’t a way to slow her down. There’s an argument that I’ll listen to about her being the best player in her sectional, and there’s not many kids who are a one-for-one matchup against her. Her team feeds off her emotion and body language, so this team will go as far as Christian can take them. If we look back at this in three weeks, and Hartford’s at state, I can’t say I’d be shocked with how they’re playing.
The other player to monitor at Homestead is Bella Klages Bella Klages 5'11" | CG Hartford | 2026 State WI . Klages isn’t the flashiest kid at Hartford, but she makes their offense and defense work. She creates offense well without being an explosive athlete, and when they need stops, she’s usually the kid tasked with guarding the other team’s best player, regardless of position. I’ve said it all year, but she’s the most crucial piece of their puzzle.
The other three wildcards are Rita Kuepper Rita Kuepper 5'6" | PG Hartford Union | 2027 WI , Alexis Shelsta Alexis Shelsta 5'7" | SG Hartford Union | 2027 WI , and Taressa Hennes Taressa Hennes 6'0" | SF Hartford Union | 2027 State WI . All of them have had their moments in the regular season. The Orioles’ 2027s will need to make plays in possible games against the Kimberly’s, Homestead’s, Germantown’s, or Brookfield East, maybe even in a game against De Pere.
Germantown
Another thing I’ve stated all the time is how Germantown’s offensive output isn’t that different this year. Granted, it comes differently.
Germantown’s offense utilized plenty of KK Arnold isolation possessions, leading to her finishing or finding open teammates all over the floor. Nowadays, that offense is coming from a more aggressive full-court press, leading directly to layups or early offense in semi-transition opportunities.
Lucy Leininger Lucy Leininger 5'11" | PF Germantown | 2024 State WI is the kid who exemplifies this current system the most. She’s always been an elite defender and has made plays on the ball all over the floor, but her offensive skillset development has led to her becoming the leading scorer in the Greater Metro Conference.
The biggest thing has been having all these kids who can run forever. Reese Berge, Madeline Stocks, Jaycee Mani Jaycee Mani 5'6" | PG Germantown | 2025 WI , Mary Leininger, Danica Gosz Danica Gosz 5'8" | SG Germantown | 2025 State WI , and Rachel Murphy can cover so much ground in the Warhawk press, and they can all do a little of everything on the offensive end of the floor.
They’ll give some teams headaches this month.
Arrowhead
Last season felt too early for the Warhawks’ talent in the 2026 class. However, this could be the year they break through.
Natalie Kussow Natalie Kussow 5'10" | SG Arrowhead | 2026 State WI exploded onto the high school scene in her first season, similar to what Rainey Welson Rainey Welson 5'9" | CG Hortonville | 2025 State WI did a year prior. She led a talented team in scoring a 14 or 15-year-old and looked ready for pressure basketball early.
Presly Samz Presly Samz 5'7" | PG Arrowhead | 2026 State WI and Libby Gilmore Libby Gilmore 5'9" | SG Arrowhead | 2026 State WI had less prominent roles than Kussow a year ago. This year, they’ve been excellent support pieces. Each has done a little of everything. Samz has taken over as the primary creator after her sister graduated and went to Youngstown State, and Libby Gilmore Libby Gilmore 5'9" | SG Arrowhead | 2026 State WI has earned a role as a defensive stopper and filled every box in the stat sheet whenever I’ve seen her.
The two seniors, Abby Robel and Erica Bub Erica Bub 5'10" | SF Arrowhead | 2024 State WI , have been steady as ever and reliable whenever they’ve needed to step up against competitive teams. Even the newcomer, Sidney Zehner Sidney Zehner 5'9" | PG Hartland Arrowhead | 2027 State WI , has made some big plays in high-profile games this year.
I see this group as one who could make a statement of intent over the next two seasons this next month.
Verona
Now will be Verona’s chance to make serious noise in the postseason. In 2021, they only had half a season and still went to state. In 2022, Taylor Stremlow Taylor Stremlow 5'8" | PG Verona | 2024 State WI missed the whole season, and last year, they let a lead slip to Arrowhead in the Sectional Semifinals.
Stremlow looks as healthy as she’s ever been, and Reagan Briggs Reagan Briggs 5'9" | SG Verona | 2024 State WI seems to be as locked in offensively. Those two are the key to this run. Their offense runs through those two, and if they aren’t in a groove, they’ll have a hard time scoring.
The “others,” who, in this case, are Alli Jirsa, Emily Jensen Emily Jensen 5'9" | SG Verona | 2025 State WI , Allison Bostley, and Ella Gorzalski, can’t have off games. They’re undefeated for a reason, and those four have played significant roles in high-profile non-conference games. They’ll get open looks playing off Stremlow and Briggs, but in a one-game playoff, they need to be consistent each game.
The crucial piece to all of this is Maia Ellis Maia Ellis 5'10" | SF Verona | 2024 State WI . All the kids I’ve talked about aren’t poor defenders, but they’re offensive-minded, Ellis is not. She has to stay on the floor to guard some of the talented kids in this sectional and possibly beyond to lift a gold ball at the end of this thing. As good as the other kids are, Ellis’ defense may end up deciding the Wildcats’ fate.