D4 State Semis Preview: No. 1 Laconia vs. No. 4 Racine Prairie

Brady Peterson March 6, 2024 @ 10:59 AM

Tomorrow, the state tournament tips off at the Resch Center for the state tournament. That day ends with some D4 action, which should be among the most competitive in Green Bay this year, so let's talk about what we should expect.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Laconia</h2>   The defending state champions are back in Green Bay for the third consecutive year for the state tournament and likely last year in D4 to defend their 2023 state title.   The Spartans have one of the deepest rosters in the state, bringing kids off the bench who'd start for most D1 schools around the state. Nearly all their kids have played together for years and understand one another like the back of their hand.   The Spartans, since I first watched them two years ago, are an aggressive defensive unit that thrives on creating turnovers higher up the court, which is why, in the past, they played a 1-3-1 zone. Nowadays, they can roll out five talented defenders with plenty of experience that will naturally create turnovers throughout a game. They may not try to trap as much as they used to, but the Spartans have an athletic group that can go on a run because of how well they can turn teams over.   On the other end of the floor, they have plenty of weapons. The first kid on the scouting report will be [player_tooltip player_id='342096' first='Tierney' last='Madigan']. Madigan is the most dynamic offensive threat of the bunch. She can score from all three levels, attack the basket off the dribble, and create for their teammates. Whenever the Spartans get into their half-court sets, [player_tooltip player_id='375953' first='Aubrey' last='Leonard'] is the kid who initiates their offense the most. She's a reliable ball-handler who can score for herself but is more of a pass-first guard. However, if you remember, last year, Leonard was the one who closed the game against Aquinas.   On the wings, they've got kids like [player_tooltip player_id='448258' first='Payton' last='Morgan'] and her younger sister [player_tooltip player_id='764914' first='Finley' last='Morgan'], who'll have the ball a fair bit, and both of those two can shoot the snot out of the ball and make six or seven in a game when they get rolling.   In the Spartan frontcourt, you'll see plenty of two kids, Callista Vande Berg and Eva Engel. Those two are some of the best rebounders in D4, and their physicality balances out this group.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Racine Prairie</h2>   Last season, there was an argument that the state title game was the sectional final at Slinger against Laconia. Now, we get that matchup in Green Bay.   Everything the Hawks do will go through their talented junior, [player_tooltip player_id='374228' first='JJ' last='Glass-Barnes']. She's as physical as anyone you'd come across in this state and plays bigger than her 5-8 frame. She's among the best offensive rebounders I've seen, and she's improved her offensive game since she got to high school.   The other kid who'll be an offensive tool for the Hawks is sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='533081' first='Amiyah' last='Galica']. Galica is an athletic 5-10ish wing who can create her shot off the dribble.    The other three pieces that'll cause some damage are [player_tooltip player_id='338967' first='Meg' last='Decker'], [player_tooltip player_id='529543' first='Reese' last='Jaramillo'], and [player_tooltip player_id='209599' first='Ava' last='Collier-White']. Decker and White are two excellent defensive guards who can create turnovers whenever they want, and [player_tooltip player_id='529543' first='Reese' last='Jaramillo'] is the kid who can shoot teams out of zones and get her team's offense rolling after a few made shots.   Predicted Winner: Laconia

Tomorrow, the state tournament tips off at the Resch Center for the state tournament. That day ends with some D4 action, which should be among the most competitive in Green Bay this year, so let's talk about what we should expect.