WIAA/WBCA Summer Slam: Team Takeaways

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were plenty of teams in Appleton I hadn't seen before and others I'd seen multiple times. Regardless, I want to talk about some teams I was impressed by at Summer Slam.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cameron</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A member of the Heart O' North Conference, the Comets aren't a school typically not on the forefront of my mind, mainly because they're about four hours away from where I am. However, that's what makes Summer Slam a great event. I loved watching them play. Most of their top kids excelled when they played against Valders, especially Lexi Kuffel, who I highlighted yesterday. However, I also liked what [player_tooltip player_id='1045915' first='Bailey' last='Olson'], Inez Schmidt, and Anna Baribeau brought to the floor. They have most of their pieces back from a year ago and should be able to stay around the top of the Heart O' North.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Pewaukee</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'll keep it brief with the Pirates because I'm sure we'll talk about them at length starting in November and probably through mid-March. Their heavy hitters had positive moments, and some new faces did positive things for the Pirates. However, all the talk in the coach's row was about [player_tooltip player_id='536013' first='Giselle' last='Janowski'] being one of the top 2026s in the region and the state. She's kept everything quiet, which is ok, but it was abundantly clear that every coach I talked to loved how she plays. The Pirates continued their winning ways and played high-level basketball on both days.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Belleville</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I highlighted Maddi DeSmet over the weekend, but the combination of DeSmet and Toria Devoe could lead to success for the Wildcats in the Capitol-South. New Glarus, who's losing Lindsey Schadewalt, will likely take a step back, which opens the door for the Wildcats. Belleville will be among the favorites in the conference, and with a year of experience, is a group that could take a step into the second weekend of the postseason tournament if things go well for them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cuba City</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The most prominent question mark in D4 was sitting on the Cubans' bench. [player_tooltip player_id='374234' first='Olivia' last='Olson']'s health could determine who hoists the gold ball in March. However, there are pieces around the program that will help the Cubans compete or possibly win the SWAL again. [player_tooltip player_id='914523' first='Ashley' last='Rowe'] played well in Appleton and is a player I fell in love with at the state tournament a year ago. The other piece who'll play a more prominent role is [player_tooltip player_id='534426' first='Dea' last='Crist']. The 6'1 post player can stretch the floor if needed but has the physicality to battle in the paint and overpower most frontcourt players in the SWAL. The Cubans looked like a second-weekend team without Olson, but if she can get back on the floor, she could help Cuba City finish what they've been close to for the past few years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->