Players Who’ve Stood Out in Games I’ve Attended

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Before Christmas, I should have 40 high school games under my belt. Today, I want to highlight some under-the-radar players I thought played well in games I've attended this season. These players may not be the best on their high school teams, but each brings valuable qualities that can benefit any team they join in the future.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='882262' first='Mady' last='Rinderle']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rinderle is a physical wing who can power her way to the rim and play through contact in the paint. The lefty is also a player who can space the floor and knock down shots from the perimeter. The Horicon native is far from the level she could potentially reach. Rinderle possesses both the physical and athletic tools to make plays on both ends of the court. She may not be the most prominent name in her class, but she is a player who could help a regional program at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1229670' first='Lexie' last='Olmstead']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Lancaster native jumped out at me when I saw her play last Monday out in Barneveld. Olmstead was one of the best players on the floor and was as influential as anyone on both ends of the court. Her ability to influence the game at the point of attack defensively is noticeable, whether her team is in a man or zone defense. In the game I saw, Olmstead was able to get into the paint and finish through contact, and you don't see that much from 14-year-old players in the first dozen games of their high school career. Remember Olmstead's name in the 2029 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='874383' first='Brianna' last='Breese']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Notre Dame forward had a solid end to her sophomore season with the Tritons, and she's made plays early in the season for another talented Tritons group. Breese had double-digit rebounds off the bench when I saw her play last night, and was impressed with her ability to control the glass on both ends of the court. She didn't knock down a perimeter jumper last night, but floor spacing is also something the 6'1 forward adds to any lineup she's in.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Whitney Schmidt</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Burlington guard scored 40 points when I watched her play a little over a week ago at Union Grove. Her ability to knock down shots forced the defense to faceguard her for more than half of the game, and she still found ways to get open looks. The sophomore works hard away from the ball to get into positions to score. Schmidt was outstanding when I saw her, and I'll keep track of her over the next few years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->