Nebraska Top-10 Camp: Small School Duos to Watch (Part Two)

Last Tuesday, we hit the Nebraska Girls Basketball Showcase top-10 camp where we saw the championship game of the Class A, B and C-1 divisions as well as watching the first day of pool play for the Class C-2, D-1 and D-2 divisions. In the "big school" division, Kearney topped Class C-1 O'Neill 43-30 in the finals.   During small school pool play we watched 2026 Class D-1 runner-up Bloomfield top Class C-2 champion Pender as well as 2026 Class C-2 qualifier Centura defeat D-1 champion Howells-Dodge. On Wednesday those same four teams met in the semifinals of the tournament where Bloomfield again topped Pender and Centura defeated Howells-Dodge a second time. Bloomfield went on to beat Centura in the finals.   Here are four players that caught our eye from Howells-Dodge and Bloomfield, which may be on a collision course for the D-1 final and have legitimate small college players on their teams.    Mlady is a star in the making for the Bees and should be getting plenty of recruiting attention as the summer goes on into her high school season. A consensus all-stater as a sophomore last year, Mlady has an inside-outside game that would allow her to play at the Class A level for just about any team in the state. Last winter, Mlady averaged 20.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.9 steals per contest. Based on what we say in Kearney, she has no intentions of slowing down. She shot 55% from 2-point range and 32% from beyond they arc, while also getting to the line 211 times in 29 contests, shooting 74%.     Madyson's younger sister is a high-rising mover as we evaluate the top players in the 2029 class. Kennedy is an alpha guard who can control a basketball game, sometimes without scoring. An elite defender, she gets most of her offensive game from playing top level on-ball defense. A key player for Bloomfield's up-tempo, pressing style, the younger Mlady has unlimited potential. In her first season of high school basketball, she shot 57% from the field while averaging 16.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 6.0 steals per game. All numbers that should have local college coaches seeking out games when she is in the gym.     Brichacek did a little bit of everything for the state champions last year. She'll be called to do much of the same this year. At 5-9, she has a physical game that can go inside, but can also move outside if teams choose to guard her with a bigger player. She scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Jaguars state title game win over Bloomfield last March. Brichacek is part of a talented senior group that has challenged themselves this summer as they look for a repeat state title while trying to survive the ultra-competitive East Husker Conference. Brichacek averaged 14.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists during her junior season.     Another freshman last season, Throener showed loads of potential during the back half of the season. This was highlighted by multiple big games in the postseason including a 10-point, two assist, two steal effort in the state championship game win over Bloomfield. The young Throener is one to keep an eye on when the hoops season hits. She's another 5-9 wing that can guard in the post and on the perimeter, while also doing the same on the offensive end. She averaged 5.7 points and 3.1 rebounds last season while shooting 44% from the field.

Last Tuesday, we hit the Nebraska Girls Basketball Showcase top-10 camp where we saw the championship game of the Class A, B and C-1 divisions as well as watching the first day of pool play for the Class C-2, D-1 and D-2 divisions. In the "big school" division, Kearney topped Class C-1 O'Neill 43-30 in the finals.

During small school pool play we watched 2026 Class D-1 runner-up Bloomfield top Class C-2 champion Pender as well as 2026 Class C-2 qualifier Centura defeat D-1 champion Howells-Dodge. On Wednesday those same four teams met in the semifinals of the tournament where Bloomfield again topped Pender and Centura defeated Howells-Dodge a second time. Bloomfield went on to beat Centura in the finals.

Here are four players that caught our eye from Howells-Dodge and Bloomfield, which may be on a collision course for the D-1 final and have legitimate small college players on their teams.