Put That On Repeat: Lake Norman Edition

It's been almost five months since the NCHSAA State Championships, but many of the athletes who competed haven't had that much time off between the travel season and returning to their high school teams in June. Many teams who make it far in the state tournament dream of doing the same thing again, so let's take a look at what athletes are still on the roster that can help them do this starting with Lake Norman.   Lake Norman graduated four of their five starters, but they saw a lot of contributions from the bench which will help them continue to be a contender next season.    [player_tooltip player_id='457411' first='Kelsey' last='Rhyne'] is the remaining starter for the Wildcats. The lefty is great getting to the rim and making nice adjustments rolling the ball off her fingertips to score some points no matter what hands are trying to get in her way. Her ability to shoot from anywhere around the perimeter is also lethal as opponents seem to think they can give her some space if she's a foot behind the line, but she quickly helps them realize their mistakes. She's aggressive on defense, too, picking the pocket of her opponents.     [player_tooltip player_id='899221' first='Kaylee' last='Ellis'] has been very efficient with her minutes, and she is set to show off her talents even more with the ball in her hands. She always keeps her eyes peeled for the next best play showing off excellent court vision getting the ball to her teammates or finding the open lane. She can attack the basket herself being patient and making her move at the perfect time.     [player_tooltip player_id='621983' first='Rayana' last='Minard'] hit the game winning bucket in the state championship, and she hasn't slowed down. She continues to show up each game as the fierce competitor that she is handling the ball well, running offensive sets, and attacking the basket. Her defensive IQ has been on display a lot as well knowing how to lead opponents into traps and grab the turnover. Her quickness is sure to help her get some points as she explodes going the other direction.     [player_tooltip player_id='922585' first='Kaiya' last='Bond'] continues to impress me with her defense and ability to get her hands in the way no matter where she is on the court. She anticipates passes and gets in the way, or she turns quickly at the perfect time to deflect a pass away from a cutting opponent. She can score on multiple levels on offense knowing how to make the defense shift and get to the gaps to put up her jumper off the pass.     [player_tooltip player_id='1120351' first='Finley' last='Sherrill'] has certainly had a great summer catching the eyes of college coaches. Her size alone is excellent to have on the court, especially as she excels on the wing sliding around the perimeter and knocking down shots for three. She doesn't back down from battling inside for rebounds, and she does well getting the right position to score off the glass from the block.

It's been almost five months since the NCHSAA State Championships, but many of the athletes who competed haven't had that much time off between the travel season and returning to their high school teams in June. Many teams who make it far in the state tournament dream of doing the same thing again, so let's take a look at what athletes are still on the roster that can help them do this starting with Lake Norman.