Players I’ve Liked in My First 50 Games

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've been to 50 games so far this season, and plenty of kids have played well in those games. Today, I want to highlight some lesser-known names who've impressed me in person this season. None of the players I'll mention are committed to a school.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='915003' first='Maren' last='Johnson']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When I watched her this past Saturday, the Mount Horeb wing shot the ball well. The lefty knocked down three three-pointers and used her physicality to help her Viking team rebound around the basket. I loved how much she competed on the defensive end of the floor. The only thing that slowed her down in Stoughton was foul trouble, which I felt was unwarranted, but there were plenty of aspects of her game to like.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751263' first='Kennedi' last='Harden']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Madison native has bought into a creative role for the Spartans. Harden has the skill set to be a ball-dominant guard who constantly looks for their shot off the dribble, but Harden uses her creativity to create for others, and it's worked. Her ability to create shots for her teammates has opened up the Vel Phillips Memorial offense, and it's been a joy to watch when she's on the floor. I've watched her team play three times, and when Harden's on the floor, the Spartans' offense is much smoother.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='624854' first='Gracee' last='Langer']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Teams that have high defensive ceilings always have an athletic post player. The 5'11 Edgerton is an athletic kid who has proven she can defend around the rim and slide her feet on the perimeter. I watched her record a double-double against one of the traditional powers when it comes to defense, and Langer punished their 2-3 zone in the middle of it. Her ability to handle the ball with defenders all around her stood out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Eden Schultz</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I hadn't seen Schultz before I drove up to watch her Waupun team play Freedom. I was impressed by her ability to control both ends of the floor. Schultz eventually fouled out of that game, but not before she made her impact felt on both ends of the floor. She finished around the rim and made herself available for dump-off passes, and she must've had at least five blocked shots on the defensive end. There is a college-level player within Schultz if that's a route the Waupun native wants to take. She plays hard and can impact the game with her size offensively and defensively. She played a massive role in Waupun's win over Freedom.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->