A Few Teams I've Enjoyed Watching the Most This Season

Tomorrow, we're starting the winter rankings updates with the final iteration of the 2025 class. So we'll keep things light today. I want to highlight a few teams I've enjoyed watching most at the 54 games I've attended in person this season.   Grafton   I love watching teams that want to whip the ball around the floor, and the Black Hawks even push the boundaries of how much you'd like a team to move the ball.   As a team, they're young, and many of their rotational pieces are inexperienced. However, they're like-minded, and all have the same mentality. Nobody is selfish. They all want to make an extra pass, and as a unit, they're a scrappy bunch of kids.   They're led by a senior who embodies this new version of Grafton: Loras commit [player_tooltip player_id='338957' first='Marissa' last='Morgan']. She's always been a scrappy running mate to some of the scholarship talent that's come through Grafton, but she has always done the dirty work. Morgan is even a top-ten rebounder in the North Shore Conference so far this season.   The younger talent all fit in the same mold that Morgan has. [player_tooltip player_id='769179' first='Cali' last='Tagliapietra'], Emily Sewell, [player_tooltip player_id='1099058' first='Ava' last='Dotson'], [player_tooltip player_id='751249' first='Brynlee' last='Hildebrand'], Lilliana Verplancke, and Marissa's younger sister, [player_tooltip player_id='751272' first='Melanie' last='Morgan'], all fit the mold of players who may not have one kid who stands above the rest and are greater than the sum of its parts.   They are 6-7 as of writing this, but how they defend, manufacture points, move the ball, and claw their way through games against good teams is fun to watch. The Blackhawks may be the team I have the most fun watching this season.   Waunakee   When you have a kid like [player_tooltip player_id='751287' first='Tessa' last='Bryan'], your team has to be one of the most frantic ones in the state, and Waunakee has leaned into that this season.   The Warriors have plenty of solid athletes in their rotation and fit around Bryan well. Kiera Van Wie and [player_tooltip player_id='509699' first='Graycin' last='Phillips'] are mobile 6'0 forwards who can space the floor, run in transition, rebound, and move the ball well. Those two fit perfectly into what can make Waunakee a team to a team who could reach a state tournament.   The unsung hero of this Warrior group is Audrey Medut. Her ability to play in the halfcourt when games slow down elevates Waunakee's ceiling. She can make quick reads, play through traffic, and has the composure to attack gaps in the defense.   Arrowhead is the presumptive favorite in their sectional, but Waunakee could pose some problems when they're at their best.   Whitefish Bay   Down 60-49 with 5:45 to go against Waunakee, the Blue Dukes closed that game out on a 15-3 run. Whitefish Bay's run ended with back-to-back [player_tooltip player_id='751268' first='Madeline' last='Volpe'] triples to give the Blue Dukes a lead they wouldn't relinquish.   That kind of mental fortitude those kids showed that afternoon hinted at the mental makeup of Whitefish Bay as we approach the postseason. Having athletes such as [player_tooltip player_id='751283' first='Rowan' last='Counsell'], [player_tooltip player_id='751268' first='Madeline' last='Volpe'], [player_tooltip player_id='509716' first='Sage' last='Miskel'], and [player_tooltip player_id='751252' first='Carrington' last='Balthasar'], who don't have an ego on the floor, adds to the fluidity the Blue Dukes play with.   I always say guard play wins championships, and Whitefish Bay's loaded to the gills with guard talent, no water pun intended. The tools are there, but their sub-section is unforgiving.     Kettle Moraine   There has been plenty of change at KM since they hoisted their second consecutive gold ball in March 2023. Even this season, two years later, there are new faces adjusting to roles. However, everything is starting to come together.   [player_tooltip player_id='338955' first='Lola' last='Bond'], [player_tooltip player_id='767268' first='Emily' last='Gomez'], and [player_tooltip player_id='602360' first='Keegan' last='Lodes'] have been the constants the past few seasons and have been reliable pieces for the most part this season, and as they've continued to grow into their leadership roles, the Lasers have flourished. They've played smarter than they have even in the early portions of this season, which led to a significant win over Catholic Memorial yesterday.   Now, players like [player_tooltip player_id='992511' first='Quinn' last='Lodes'], [player_tooltip player_id='992480' first='Alexa' last='Darin'], and [player_tooltip player_id='751267' first='Lauren' last='Kowalski'] are settling into their roles and have the Lasers sitting at 11-3 overall, 5-2 in the Classic Eight, which is good enough for a tie for second in the conference with Arrowhead and Catholic Memorial, as they all try to chase down undefeated Muskego. Don't count out another sectional run for the Lasers yet, which would be their sixth in a row.

Tomorrow, we're starting the winter rankings updates with the final iteration of the 2025 class. So we'll keep things light today. I want to highlight a few teams I've enjoyed watching most at the 54 games I've attended in person this season.