WIAA/WBCA Summer Slam: Friday Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I should have a few more days of things to highlight from Summer Slam regarding players and teams. However, I'd like to talk about some other players that impressed up in Appleton.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Addison Pommerening</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Most teams in Appleton had a few new players playing minutes that didn't last year, which is the nature of high school sports. However, I thought Pommerening was one of the more promising newcomers I saw either day. She fits what the Warhawks need heading into 2024-25. They have kids who've been able to score on the biggest stage of high school basketball and have the experience to do it again. What they needed was a kid like Pommerening. She's a player who is a threat on the catch to knock down a shot or get to the basket, but more importantly, she throws herself after loose balls, is a physical defender, and doesn't mind being a pure hustle kid. She may not light up box scores this season, but her role will be critical for Arrowhead.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Allie Roder</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've never seen Elk Mound in person before Summer Slam. I knew about Schiszik because of her scoring and dominance in the Dunn-St. Croix, but Roder was a new name to me. The 5'10 wing has all the length in the world and moves her feet well. I've looked back at some of her stuff on hudl, and it seems like the type of block I saw her get is her thing. She can defend on the perimeter and stick to kids' hips as they get downhill, but no matter who they are, Roder can use her length to get a hand on the ball as they go up for a layup. How she can defend on the perimeter and use her length on the defensive end made her look like a next-level defensive prospect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lexi Kuffel</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another school that I've never got to see in person was Cameron. At the heart of what the Comets do is a do-it-all lead guard named Lexi Kuffel. It feels like that kid manages to be everywhere on the floor. She's Cameron's best perimeter defender and puts as much pressure on the ball as anyone I've seen. Kuffel is the reason the Comets get in transition as much as they do because she forces opposing guards to make mistakes with the ball when she's defending them. Her numbers on the offensive end of the floor may not blow anyone away, but what she does is the reason that the Comets have the offensive output they do. Kuffel's an excellent athlete and would be on the floor for most of the best teams in the state if Cameron native were from any other place in Wisconsin. She's that effective.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='736760' first='Melia' last='Lemorande']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've highlighted Lemorande at length in the past and have discussed her first month back from injury. Summer Slam was the first time she looked more like herself. In the past month, Lemorande looked a little hesitant as she looked to find her footing. On both days, she looked like she wanted to set the tone in every way imaginable. The Bay Port native was more aggressive off the dribble and knifed her way to the basket through traffic in one of her games on Friday that I saw across the gym, and she looked like she had a shooting groove each time I saw her. Whenever she can knock down shots, she draws all the attention from the defense, and she's shown a willingness to fire quick passes behind where the help comes from. She's also always been an elite teammate who wants to see her teammates succeed. If you don't believe me, watch Melia when her younger sister, Alayna, does something positive, she'll lose her mind.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751255' first='Delaney' last='Rauch']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>She has a long way to go for Rauch to reach wherever her ceiling might be, but she has all the physical tools to become a highly sought-after wing in her class. The 5'10 Port Washington wing is a long and wiry athlete who can defend on the perimeter, alter shots around the basket, and knock down shots on the perimeter. There is scholarship potential within her, but I thought she showed some positive signs in the games I watched her play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->