Brooks' 2A Regional Championship Notebook

I have gone back and rewatched all of the 2A contests that took place on Wednesday.   Below are my live notes that I put together in short-hand while watching each contest.   Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!   [player_tooltip player_id='880903' first='Addie' last='McLaughlin'] - 2028 - PG - Regina Catholic (IC)   "McLaughlin is good enough to carry her Regal's team. She did that tonight and she could do it to start next week. She is their main source on offense as a scoring threat and as a facilitator. Her shooting stroke from deep is always the same, no matter the footwork or situation, and it always looks effortless coming off of her hand. This is the type of D1 player, that is going to be able to do some things at that level one day as long as she commits to a program with the right style of play that matches her game."   Ava Mundt - 2027 - C/PF - Grundy Center   "Mundt will be a future collegiate player at some level once she graduates high school. She has great natural size, decent touch, better than average footwork, and she isn't afraid to be physical. In this battle she has missed a few tough attempts by the bucket but she never seems to give up on the play. With her natural height, it's easy to see how this is someone who could really improve over the next couple of years as long as she stays in love with the game but there is definitely a foundation to build on here."   [player_tooltip player_id='1190186' first='Raelyn' last='Kempema'] - 2028 - F - Hinton   "There are teams out there with prospects that chip in and no one ever notices just because they aren't scoring. I don't think that's necessarily the case with [player_tooltip player_id='1190186' first='Raelyn' last='Kempema'] but I do know that she is more vital to Hinton's game-plan than most might anticipate. Kempema is in charge of making plays by the hoop somewhat, defending multiple positions, rebounding at a high rate, all while dishing out assists as well. Like I said, she isn't their go-to offensively but she can get the job done and she also chips in everywhere else. That's been the common theme of this game so far throughout 3 quarters."   Taya Christie - 2028 - F - West Lyon   "17 & 7. That's what Taya Christie posted for a stat line in their battle against Riverside tonight and let me tell you, Riverside could not handle Christie under the bucket. That's just the reality. She went to the free throw line for 11 different attempts and all of her rebounds came on the offensive end of the floor. No one for the Bulldogs could contain her and because of that, West Lyon won by 25. It's also important to note that they only let in 21 as well. That's the doing of Christie in the middle, along with their other Post players."   Kylie Hoffman - 2026 - SG - Emmetsburg   "Hoffman has had an efficient game overall, shooting the ball really well from deep off of the catch. Her team understands the sets that they run can lead to WIDE OPEN buckets if their screening work is good-enough. They have gotten Hoffman open a handful of times already and that doesn't seem to be coming to an end anytime soon. Hoffman also is mobile enough to put the rock on the floor and get into open space if she is ever overplayed. Which is a key ability to have in your back pocket as a SG."   [player_tooltip player_id='988402' first='Mylee' last='Thurm'] - 2026 - F - Denver   "Denver is showing Cascade what it means to be a defensive team with some muscle in the middle. That muscles name? [player_tooltip player_id='988402' first='Mylee' last='Thurm']. Thrum is stacking rebounds and points at a high rate by the bucket. Offensively, if she doesn't make her first attempt she is right back up with another off of an offensive board. Defensively, she is someone that everyone has to worry about or else she will alter their shot at the rim in some way. Either with her length or with her strength. Denver is going to end up in the State Tournament next week because of their scrappy play and that all starts with Thurm."   Natalie Leusink - 2027 - CG - Rock Valley   "Rock Valley narrow escaped against Sioux Central on Wednesday. They shot the ball a lot but not very accurately and that's a big reason why SC was able to stay in the game. Someone for RV that did a respectable job as a role player was Natalie Leusink. Leusink made half of her offensive attempts (3/6), she didn't turn over the ball, and she made the right play every time she touched it. Since this isn't a top prospect for RV, you might not know the name but Leusink was vital with her buckets the other night. Who knows if she can come up clutch again next time around."

I have gone back and rewatched all of the 2A contests that took place on Wednesday.