The Pre-Playoff Push

The few games prior to the Playoffs mean everything to a high school program. Those few games can make or break your season in the aspects that those contests will shape your mental framework moving into the Post Season. You want to stay locked in at the goal at hand. Sometimes taking a crushing loss or grabbing a major victory to end the year can help motivate you moving forward. Below we highlight five individuals that have pushed their limits these past few weeks moving into the end of the season and they are looking to make a statement looking forward.   Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!    [player_tooltip player_id='759392' first='Kate' last='Wulf'] of Blair High School set the program record for made 3 pointers in a contest this weekend when she ended up making 7 of her attempts against Harlen High School. Wulf is a guard, that is always ready to let it fly. She has a uniformed shot-form, that always looks the same when she is shooting the ball, no matter where she is pulling it from. You can tell when someone can shoot the ball by the way they set up for it. Wulf does a great job in those aspects as she is always low with her hands ready, so that she has a quicker release than most. This strategy not only works for Wulf, it truly helps her thrive at what she is attempting to do. Blair moves into this week with an 8-6 record. Hopefully prior to the Playoff's they can lock up a few more wins to help themselves moving forward.     I have seen a lot of impressive comebacks with my time on the floor, both as a coach and as a prospect. The most impressive I've seen so far this Winter occurred this Weekend when Millard North went on the road to compete against Quincy (IL) High School. The Mustangs ended up getting a 4 point victory in the end, 56-52, after an incredible 4th quarter. A 4th quarter where the Mustangs came out and beat Quincy, 17-2. After the final buzzer sounded, the MVP of the contest was SG - [player_tooltip player_id='336031' first='Sara' last='Harley']. Harley is a Concordia Women's Basketball commit and one heck of a competitor. She is someone that is always ready to make the most of her opportunities, whatever they might be. Not only in this contest but this entire season, Harley has been consistent for her squad and that's nice to see because that will translate to the next level. Consistency is key in most things in life. Basketball is no different and Harley understands that better than most for her age.     York High School has a few prospects that could play at the next level and those prospects have shown a lot of promise so far this Winter. One that comes to my head right away is CG - [player_tooltip player_id='766848' first='Lainey' last='Portwine']. Portwine is coming off of a double-double, while she filled up the stat sheet last Friday. York secured a big victory against Malcolm by 6 points and Portwine's stat line was the highlight of the contest. She finished with 18 points (6-14), 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. This performance may come to a surprise to some but not if you understand what Portwine brings to the hardwood. She is a versatile prospect that can be moved all around the court and she will yield positive results. It really just depends where the coaches want to place her in that moment. We are only a few weeks from the Post Season. If York can keep up this with this same energy, they are going to be a group to watch come Playoff time.     Over the past couple of weeks, [player_tooltip player_id='1058965' first='Bo' last='Caskey'] of Norfolk High School has been a handful for anyone that is matching up against them. Caskey, the 5'10 PF, has a high motor, some decent size, and an act for being in the right place at the right time. As odd as it sounds, usually when that happens it's cause the player is working harder than most and reaping the benefits. There is this unwritten rule in this sport that the hardest workers, see most of the benefits in several different ways throughout a contest and this is one of those ways. The Panthers might not be having the season they would have imagined coming into the year but Caskey is putting up a double-double in points-rebounds and that's about all you can ask for from a coaching perspective.     Marian High School has been a topic of conversation this Winter because of the start they jumped out to and the promising underclassman that have been taking over but someone you can't forget about is 2026 SG, [player_tooltip player_id='758890' first='Emelia' last='Daubendiek']. Daubendiek is a 6'0 guard, that is a tough matchup in any situation on the floor. With her natural height at 6'0 and her ability to shoot the ball at a high rate, it's tough for any high school to stick with her in a man2man defense. That's been proven both at the Varsity level during the Winter and during the Spring from an AAU perspective as well. A great example of what she can do was last Friday when Marian beat Lewis Central (IA), 67-58. In the end, she recorded 17 points (7-11) and 7 rebounds. This might not be a 40 point outburst but to be able to play your role with high efficiency is what college coaches are looking for and that's what we have here almost every night Marian takes the floor. I'm sure this Spring Daubendiek will field offers from a few different places to compete following high school but until then, she is focused with her eyes on the prize, traveling into the Post Season.

The few games prior to the Playoffs mean everything to a high school program. Those few games can make or break your season in the aspects that those contests will shape your mental framework moving into the Post Season. You want to stay locked in at the goal at hand. Sometimes taking a crushing loss or grabbing a major victory to end the year can help motivate you moving forward. Below we highlight five individuals that have pushed their limits these past few weeks moving into the end of the season and they are looking to make a statement looking forward.