More The 16U and 17U Players Who Impressed in Appleton

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today, I'd like to wrap up my coverage of the PGH Legacy Region Finals by highlighting a few older kids who impressed me when I watched them play over the weekend. Since four courts were rolling in the Champion Center, there were slots without 15U or 14U playing, so here are a few 16U and 17U kids who stood out in the games I watched.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1228818' first='Rianna' last='Dye']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Platteville native is a physical frontcourt presence who does the simple things well. Dye excelled against talented competition in the paint, and she used her strength to power through contact around the basket. Her ability to control the area around the basket helped her team battle in a game they shouldn't have been in, based on the talent on the floor. She could also be a scholarship-level player at the college level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751282' first='Rose' last='Mussoline']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Without her team's usual lead guard, Mussoline stepped up massively. The Whitefish Bay native is an active kid on both ends of the floor. Mussoline pushed the ball up the floor well and helped her team earn transition looks that led to baskets. The Blue Duke is also a solid defender who can pressure the ball well and force her assignment into mistakes. She hasn't played significant minutes in high school because of the logjam of guards in their backcourt, but Mussoline could contribute at most schools around Wisconsin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='533059' first='Kelly' last='Boinski']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I thought Boinski did some solid work away from the ball this past weekend. Boinski made some cuts that led to her getting layups at the basket and was moving enough away from the ball that it kept her defender's attention on her. The Catholic Memorial rising senior is a kid that I'll be following because I'm eager to see where she ends up at the next level. She's a kid who can contribute to winning somewhere.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751264' first='Kennedy' last='Thistle']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is a stereotype about what Kettle Moraine Lutheran guards play like, and Thistle fits that stereotype to a tee, which isn't a bad thing. Thistle is a guard who plays like her hair is on fire and is willing to run at full speed for 36 minutes if asked. The KML guard played more than she usually would due to a few kids not being present, but she impressed me with her ability to defend and fly around on that end of the court, her ability to push the pace with the ball in her hands, and her constant effort.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->