Names That Deserve Recognition

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The season is in full swing, and plenty of kids have played well as we inch closer to the holiday season. Let's highlight a few kids who deserve it this morning.</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 since her AAU season between her first and second high school seasons. An ACL injury derailed what could've been a breakout sophomore campaign at Bay Port, but all it did was delay the inevitable. Lemorande has burst onto the scene as a sophomore and has been one of the premier off-ball wings in the state. Her movement away from the ball opens up shots for herself and others, and in her first handful of games, she's been north of 40% three-point shooter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1039249' first='Leigha' last='Wardlow']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is plenty of subtlety in Wardlow's game. She does the basics well, like taking care of the ball and getting her team into the actions they want to run. However, she's always been this do-it-all gadget kid. She'll grab a handful of rebounds and lead her team in assists most nights, and she makes everything run smoother than what Thomas More can do when she's on the bench. I doubt she'll ever put up gaudy numbers consistently, but she's a winner.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='509483' first='Allie' last='Dahl']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Brodhead guard plays like her hair's on fire. The 5'6 junior is a typical small-town guard who needs to do everything to help her team win games, and she has the mentality to do that. She's an aggressive kid who wants to attack the basket and has a solid enough jumper to stop and pull up from the mid-range area or beyond the three-point line. Defenders respect her speed and aggression and refuse to guard her too closely so Dahl doesn't run past them. Dahl is an under-the-radar type of kid, but whoever snags her at the next level will love having her.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='509716' first='Sage' last='Miskel']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Whitefish Bay is a team of guards who can put pressure on the ball defensively and the rim on the offensive end. Miskel does both well. She's an excellent athlete who's been one of the better on-ball defenders in the North Shore Conference since she walked onto the floor. Her speed, lateral quickness, athleticism, and power have allowed the Blue Dukes to play smaller units because Miskel can handle the physicality against larger kids around the basket. I thought she's been the most offensively threatening version of herself as she's been since arriving in high school basketball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->