Surprise Teams of the Season Heading Into the Break

Happy Holidays to anyone who may be reading either of my two articles on this Christmas Eve. The holidays bring surprises, whether that comes in the form of hearing stories from extended family, receiving presents, making New Year's resolutions, or other things. Today, I'd like to discuss a few surprises. In the first article, I'll highlight some players who have taken a step forward in the first half-dozen weeks of the high school season, and in my second article, we'll talk about teams that have been better than people may have thought in early November.   Appleton East   The Patriots, at least in my mind, were thought of as a team that could be the ‘best of the rest' in the FVA this season behind a talented Kimberly unit. Instead, Appleton East has been the best offensive unit in the FVA heading into the winter break.   Outside of a rough opening-night loss to a talented Oostburg unit on the road, the Patriots have been outstanding. No individual player is putting up an eye-watering stat line this season, but when you have seven players averaging six points per game or more, you have a team that can hurt opposing defenses in a variety of ways. [player_tooltip player_id='749048' first='Ella' last='Sweeney'] has led the way offensively this season and had an explosive 31-point outburst last night against Neenah, and her ability to space the floor is something that every team has to account for.   There is also a stable of players who are elite glue kids like [player_tooltip player_id='904623' first='Emilia' last='MontMarquette'], who may score 20 points or four points on any given night, but can still find ways to help her team win games on both ends of the court.   Their lead guard, [player_tooltip player_id='992484' first='Ambria' last='Fischer'], has been one of the breakout players of the season. Her ability to defend at a high level, attack the basket, and control the ball has helped the Patriots maximize every possession. She plays hard and will give opposing guards headaches whenever she's on the floor.   I could go on, but players like [player_tooltip player_id='813295' first='Jenna' last='Ott'], [player_tooltip player_id='900184' first='Brooklyn' last='Feller'], Aubrie Erickson, and Ella Jadzewksi have been a part of one of the best offensive rotations in Division 1.   Monona Grove   The Silver Eagles, unlike other new Division 1 programs, have landed in D1 for the first time due to their enrollment. However, this may be the best start to a season Monona Grove has had.   Sure, the Silver Eagles haven't hit the thick of the Badger-Large quite yet, but they have passed every test they've had with flying colors. Beating a solid Milton and Oregon group in the early portion of conference play to be 4-0 in conference, and 7-0 overall heading into the holidays.   The Silver Eagles have had a solid offensive unit, with four players scoring in double figures to open the season, led by [player_tooltip player_id='953285' first='Sydney' last='Glynn'], who is having a breakout season in her final year of high school basketball.   Along with Glynn, the three other players averaging double figures, [player_tooltip player_id='842251' first='Danielle' last='Becker'], [player_tooltip player_id='1217182' first='Bailey' last='Nelson'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1358328' first='Addy' last='Schmudlach'], are each shooting over 40% from beyond the three-point line, which has opened the floor for everyone.   The Silver Eagles will get tested in a strong conference, but early returns have been as good as anyone could've hoped for.   Elkhorn   Elkhorn has the tools to be one of the more dangerous teams in the postseason in Division 2 this upcoming postseason.   [player_tooltip player_id='533068' first='Kyrin' last='Lile'] is a player who generates good offensive possessions by making reads with the ball in her hands, spacing the floor, playing in the post, or attacking off the dribble. Having her back this season has been a massive lift for the Elks.   Last season, [player_tooltip player_id='556153' first='Kylie' last='Schultz'] had a solid year as teh focal point of what the Elks did on the offensive end and showed that she could make things happen off the dribble. Her ability to attack defenses off the dribble when most defensive resources are focused on Lile will open the floor for her to attack off the dribble.   Due to Lile and Schultz being good passers, [player_tooltip player_id='667660' first='Emilyn' last='Bonow'] and [player_tooltip player_id='716753' first='Ayla' last='Saunders'] will have opportunities to knock down high-pressure shots, and if they hit them, the Elks will be a challenging team to beat in February and March.   Pius XI   Heading into the season, I wasn't sure what to think of the new look Lady Popes team, in a sectional and conference that'd be a challenge to compete within. However, they have been better than anyone could have expected after losing Tess Wiczek, Georgia Acompanado, and Addison Miranda.   Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1319432' first='Chelinda' last='Spector'] is among the most impressive breakout performers in the state this season, averaging 20/5/4/3 heading into break. Spector has legitimately been one of the best two-way players in all of Division 2 this season.   Outside of Spector, five other players have scored six or more points per game, which has helped the Lady Popes become, arguably, the top team in D2.   Twins [player_tooltip player_id='1173652' first='Lillee' last='Jackson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1173638' first='Lizzie' last='Jackson'] have provided an interior presence and have been excellent rebounders, and Lillee has also shown she can handle the ball and score from all three levels.   Sydney Tilley has been a solid scorer in her minutes and has stretched the defense, even though she hasn't shot her best yet this season. However, I expect her to be a threat when the postseason rolls around.   Off the bench, [player_tooltip player_id='917718' first='Vonna' last='Shill'] has been an excellent change-of-pace guard who can fly up and down the floor and make plays off the dribble. The trust her coaches have shown her in late-game situations shows you what they think of her.

Happy Holidays to anyone who may be reading either of my two articles on this Christmas Eve. The holidays bring surprises, whether that comes in the form of hearing stories from extended family, receiving presents, making New Year's resolutions, or other things. Today, I'd like to discuss a few surprises. In the first article, I'll highlight some players who have taken a step forward in the first half-dozen weeks of the high school season, and in my second article, we'll talk about teams that have been better than people may have thought in early November.