Names to Know For the Rest of the Season

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Due to weather-related reasons, this may be the middle of the longest stretch I've gone without attending a high school basketball game. I won't be at another high school game until this coming weekend, when I watch West Salem travel up to the Fox Valley to take on Fox Valley Lutheran before I head back to my home area of Southeast Wisconsin to see Janesville Craig lock horns with the Elkhorn Elks, who are looking to get back to their winning ways. Today, let's look at some intriguing prospects who have been playing solid basketball this season.</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 is a player to know in the 2029 class. In my opinion, Olmstead is a player who will make as much of an impact on her Flying Arrows program as anyone in their respective class. The way she can put pressure on defenses by attacking the basket and scoring around the basket through traffic will open the floor for her teammates wherever she plays. She may not have entered the high school level with the level of intrigue as other players have in the past, but she is one you'll want to know about.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1223835' first='Avalyn' last='Hendrickson']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The West Salem forward is a player who can flirt with a double-double whenever she steps on the court at the high school level. Hendrickson has done a solid job in her first season as a high-usage player, and I'm eager to see what she can do this weekend, if games are played as scheduled. She is a physical player around the basket and can use her motor to make extra-effort plays around the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Whitney Schmidt</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Burlington guard scored more points than I've seen a player score in the state this season, and she did it with more defensive attention on her than anyone I've seen play this season. Schmidt found ways to create space and put the ball in the basket in her team's game against Racine Park. She doesn't play at a program known for being a traditional power, but I like what she brings to the court on the offensive end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='917003' first='Yana-Aaliyah' last='Stevens']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Janesville native is one of the more highly regarded players in the sophomore class, and it's easy to understand why that is. The sophomore is an athletic wing who can handle the ball and attack mismatches off the dribble. She has also shown her ability to attack defenses from all three levels on the offensive end of the court. Stevens is also a player with more room to grow.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->