Juniors to Know for the Second Half of the Season

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After not heading to a high school game the past few days, I'm back on the road and will drive north to take in a Fox Valley Association contest between reigning Division 1 State Champions, Kimberly, and the hosts for the night, Hortonville. Before the games tip off tonight, we'll highlight a few players who deserve some recognition for the seasons they've put together.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='751283' first='Rowan' last='Counsell']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Whitefish Bay guard is having an excellent junior season and has given her Blue Dukes program the inside track to win the North Shore Conference. Counsell plays at her pace and forces defenses to react to what she does with the ball in her hands. She is a three-level scorer who can confidently get to her spots and punish defenses at any point in time. Counsell may not have the physical tools other lead guards around the country have, but she can make things happen with the ball in her hands.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='814306' first='Devin' last='Larson']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ever since I first watched Larson play the summer heading into her first high school season, I always appreciated how well she approached the game as a lead guard. She handles pressure well and can get her teammates the ball in position to score. She has always been a pass-first player at her core, but her willingness to hunt her shot and score the ball has taken her game to another level in her first two and a half seasons of high school basketball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='874379' first='Aubree' last='Fischer']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The De Pere wing has played as a wing or post player who can play around the basket and finish in the paint. Fischer has used her physicality and athletic tools to make plays around the basket and play through traffic when she has the ball, and has become a double-double threat anytime she's on the floor. She is a player who affects the game in numerous ways without the ball in her hands, which will make her an appealing player for coaches at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='877236' first='Asharia' last='Koch']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Beloit native is one of the more impressive under-the-radar prospects in the junior class. Koch's motor jumps off the screen if you watch any of Beloit Memorial's games back, and when you watch her in person. Koch is a player who can become an excellent two-way player whose motor can find ways to create extra possessions all over the floor. She may not be a player you hear about often, but she is a winning player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->