Class of 2027: Next Ten

Monday means a new rankings update, and today, we're looking at the rising sophomore class in Wisconsin. A few kids have taken a step forward in the past year and helped this class become comparable to the 2025 group. Let's do the Top Ten and Next Ten articles this Monday morning.    A transfer to Eau Claire Regis, Cooper made a name for herself last season at McDonell. Cooper helped lead her team to a State Semifinal and excelled in their semifinal against Cuba City, even though it didn't go their way. Nobody has as quick of a first step in the state as Cooper, and I struggle to think of many kids in the past three seasons who had a faster first step. Cooper will get by anyone she wants in the Cloverbelt and be a threat to help Regis get to Resch Center this season.      There are some things you can't teach. Two of those are size and passion. Schmidt is a 6'2 post who rebounds with a ferocity that I don't think I've seen, maybe since current Cleveland State forward Mya Moore was a senior at Pius. Anytime a ball came off the rim this past summer, Schmidt seemed to be around the ball or finding a creative way to coral that loose ball. The Rice Lake native may not be a kid who has counters in the post for everything, but she's so physical and powerful that her dropstep is more than enough.     The athletic tools that Hennes are too much to deny. The Oriole has plenty of refining she could do on the offensive end of the floor. However, there are things Hennes can do on the defensive end that few others in the state have the physical capability of doing. She's gotten called for goaltending if that tells you how athletic she is. I thought she did an excellent job scoring around the basket this past summer with her Playground Elite group, and her scoring down there could translate at the high school level with the amount of shooting Hartford has at its disposal.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7efNO5dEx0 </div></figure>     As a wing/forward, few kids are as smooth as Nommensen. Her footwork is excellent for her age, and she looked comfortable when I saw her play out in Pennsylvania last April with her [program_tooltip program_id='713045' first='Wisconsin' last='Lakers'] team for the first time. Nommensen can score inside and out and has the patience and vision to pass and be the fulcrum of an offense if that's what her team needs from her. She'll be a piece that can help Wisconsin make a few deep playoff runs if things go the Vikings' way.      A Rhinelander native, Clark may not get the shine as others do from around the population centers of Wisconsin and may even less so now that she'll play for North Tartan in the summers, but she's one of the premier guards in her class. The Hodag was physically ready for varsity basketball the second she stepped on the floor and excelled as the focal point of the Hodag offense. Clark scored 20 per game while being a player on defensive units keyed on every game and a threat each time Clark touched the ball. She's a name to remember.      One of the most skilled offensive guards that have come through Wisconsin in the past few years is Hartford's [player_tooltip player_id='751281' first='Rita' last='Kuepper']. Her offensive game is as polished as anyone in her class, and few kids in the region have shown an ability to defend her. Even a loaded All Iowa Attack team had issues with her at Summer Jam last June. She's the type of kid who draws eyeballs when the ball is in her hands, and we saw that on a large scale in the Orioles' state semis matchup with Neenah, where Kuepper scored 21 points on 15 shots. First-year kids aren't supposed to do stuff like that.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpFUdUJ-F-g </div></figure>     The Milwaukee Academy of Science backcourt has traditionally been one of the better backcourts in the state since I've been around, and Allen will continue that tradition of high-level guard play. Allen is a threat to knock down shots and power her way to the rim. She's a physical kid, and as a secondary option, Allen got three free throws per game, which tells me she's looking to attack when the ball is in her hands. I loved what I saw from her this summer. Allen has a bright future in the Novas' backcourt.      The 6'1 Medford wing is a kid that has all the tools to make Medford a sneaky competitive group in the Great Northern. She can step out and knock down shots, rebound, control the area around the basket on the defensive end, and use her length to make plays on the ball. The multi-sport athlete has all the physical tools to take over games, and the skillset is there that could help set her apart in the long run.        A Brookfield East transfer, Piurkowski seems poised for a massive sophomore season with the Spartans. She's shown she can make shots in bunches and learned how to be a creative kid from her experience at Brookfield Central last season. As a Spartan, Piurkowski will grow as a defender and be an excellent offensive pairing with [player_tooltip player_id='497476' first='Maya' last='Kovacic'], which could give the offensive punch they've been looking for since Annika Pluemer graduated in 2023. Piurkowski could be the breakout star of the season.      I'm still amazed at how much Werfal was able to do at Appleton North last season. The Lightning turned their previous struggles around and was the 'best of the rest' behind the three runaways in the FVA a season ago. Werfal was an excellent offensive option and found ways to keep defenses on their toes every time she stepped onto the floor. The rising sophomore was among the team leaders in every statistical category, and she should be able to build off the foundations she set for herself and her team over the past year.

Monday means a new rankings update, and today, we're looking at the rising sophomore class in Wisconsin. A few kids have taken a step forward in the past year and helped this class become comparable to the 2025 group. Let's do the Top Ten and Next Ten articles this Monday morning.