Looking at Division 1 Sectional 3 (Part 1)

I only have a handful of articles left for this month, and this will be the last of the sectional previews this month as I start the process of ranking updates next month, along with prepping for some showcases.   Arrowhead   The reigning D1 champions have their work cut out for them in 2024-25. They face new competition elevated from D2, an improved field from last season's D1 bracket, and face long-term injuries.   The [player_tooltip player_id='533082' first='Libby' last='Gilmore'] injury in late July is awful. There's no way around that, but they have a level of firepower that most teams don't have. At the high school level this season, outside of maybe a 2028 coming into this sectional, [player_tooltip player_id='533057' first='Natalie' last='Kussow'] is as talented a player as you'll find. There's nothing she can't do on a varsity floor, and she'll have to find another gear for the Warhawks to lift another gold ball on March 15th.   The program depth will be the most challenging test this program has faced after the departures of Abby Robel, Taylor Thimmesch, and Erica Bub. Players like [player_tooltip player_id='963592' first='Addison' last='Pommerening'] and [player_tooltip player_id='509719' first='Teresa' last='Kescenovitz'] have to find a way to slot into a prominent role this season, and players like [player_tooltip player_id='533069' first='Presly' last='Samz'] must be more assertive to take some of the pressure off Kussow.   There are talented kids around this program, but we'll see how things shake out for the Warhawks.   Beloit Memorial   Quietly, The Purple Knights have assembled a solid program over the past few years. Coach Johnson has had this 2025 group for three years and has done a solid job bringing them along. Now, with the inclusion of some younger talent, Beloit Memorial could surprise some people in the 2024-25 season.   [player_tooltip player_id='509706' first='La'Nasia' last='Dubois'] has turned into a scholarship talent in the class of 2025 and is arguably the most talented guard in the Southern Lakes this season. Jocelyn Tibbets is a legitimate perimeter shooter that defenses have respected for a while. [player_tooltip player_id='509703' first='Kamille' last='Thomas'] adds some size to this unit and has an excellent motor that allows her to rebound in traffic. The name that will give teams headaches is a rising sophomore, [player_tooltip player_id='877236' first='Asharia' last='Koch']. Koch places significant pressure on opposing guards in a full-court press and forces mistakes that lead to Beloit Memorial points.   The Purple Knights may not have the pedigree as other teams in this sectional, but they could be a pesky team in here come February and possibly March.   Janesville Craig   The last few years have been a mass talent exodus from the Craig program. Kate Huml, Ellie Magestro-Kennedy, and Mya Nicholson are some program greats who've come and gone over the past three seasons.   There is some intrigue in newcomer [player_tooltip player_id='917003' first='Yana-Aaliyah' last='Stevens'], but nobody will expect elite-level production in the Big Eight from her in year one. However, if she does, I'm sure they'll be ok with that.   Regarding returners, there's not much proven talent, but you never know what a new season can bring.   Janesville Parker   The most noticeable improvement for the Vikings is their effort levels each game over the past few seasons.   They've improved their win total over the last three years and have kids with motors. No matter what happens against Parker, kids like Harper Brandenburg will fly around the floor.   Parker isn't a pushover anymore, and that goes down to the players and the way they've bought into Ryan Terrell and what they want to do on both ends of the floor.   Kettle Moraine   After back-to-back state titles in 2022 and 2023, with a new rotation and coach, the Lasers still took home some hardware in the form of a regional title in 2024.   I've talked ad nauseam about how much the trio of [player_tooltip player_id='767268' first='Emily' last='Gomez']-[player_tooltip player_id='338955' first='Lola' last='Bond']-[player_tooltip player_id='602360' first='Keegan' last='Lodes'] stepped up in their junior seasons, but there was more to it. The Lasers got performances from their seniors Riley Haertle, Maddie Schopf, and Lily Schmidt that swung games last season and helped Kettle Moraine nearly reach a third consecutive sectional title game.   Without that experience from those kids, look for players like [player_tooltip player_id='751267' first='Lauren' last='Kowalski'] or one of the incoming 28s to see a prominent role in the Laser rotation.   Madison East   There are unique challenges that public city schools face that nobody else does, so don't gloss over that with any of the Madison or Milwaukee schools.   Since Covid, East has had a solid rebound since the pandemic took their 2020 season from them.   Kearra Jones and [player_tooltip player_id='427156' first='Valerie' last='Richardson'] had been a reliable one-two punch for the Pugolders since they paired up in 2021-22. Jones is now off to Mississippi Valley State for her college career, and Richardson is heading into her senior campaign.   There will be some intrigue in how they set their rotations, but with Richardson, they'll be a competitive group in the Big Eight.   Madison La Follette   I don't know how much the state knows about [player_tooltip player_id='874372' first='Nyajuacni' last='Riak'], but she has the potential to be the best athlete this state has ever produced. Ever.   The Lancers don't have the depth of talent that they did a few years ago, where two kids on their 2021-22 roster are on D1 rosters, and one has the talent to be on that level, but they'll walk into every game they play this season with the most talented kid on the floor, which is wild to think about, but it's true.   The Lancers lost talent but got an absolute gem on the national level.   Madison Memorial   The Spartans could take hold of the Big Eight this season.   Last season, Memorial came close to knocking off Oregon on the road, and if the ball bounced a little differently, they could have won that game, but that's basketball. They return one of the best defensive bigs in the state, [player_tooltip player_id='844275' first='Princess' last='Nwachukwu'], and the Spartans have plenty of varsity-good guards behind her.   [player_tooltip player_id='751263' first='Kennedi' last='Harden'], Arianna Eubanks, [player_tooltip player_id='632853' first='Nevaeh' last='Jackson'], and [player_tooltip player_id='533075' first='Avery' last='Blue'] are a solid enough backcourt to be dynamic and open the floor up. The improvement of Ni'Kera Martin could pay dividends in the Spartan frontcourt. Spartans are a sneaky pick for the Big Eight and this sectional.   Madison West   The Regents have had similar issues to most city public schools, trying to get the program rolling. I wish them the best this season as they develop.

I only have a handful of articles left for this month, and this will be the last of the sectional previews this month as I start the process of ranking updates next month, along with prepping for some showcases.