Big North’s Best Are Back for More

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Big North Conference featured some strong competition last winter, and with plenty of talented players returning, the 2026-27 season has the potential to be another exciting one. Petoskey led the way last season, capturing the conference championship with a 10-2 league record while finishing 22-4 overall. Sault Ste. Marie wasn't far behind at 9-3 in conference play, followed closely by Cadillac at 8-4 and Traverse City Central at 7-5. With several teams looking to build on last year's success and others hoping to climb the standings, the race for the Big North title should be an interesting one to follow. The conference also welcomes back its reigning Player of the Year, along with several other talented returners who have already proven they can make an impact at the varsity level. From experienced leaders to players capable of taking their games to another level, the Big North has no shortage of talent worth watching. Here are some of the returning players I believe could make a big difference for their teams this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1112163"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6af71aa0d0f77"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Piper returns for her senior season at Sault Ste. Marie after an outstanding junior campaign that earned her Big North Conference Player of the Year honors and a spot on the All-Conference First Team. As one of the league's top returning players, Piper will once again be a major piece for a Sault Ste. Marie squad that finished second in the conference standings last winter. She is a dynamic guard who brings an impressive combination of speed, athleticism and scoring ability to the floor. Piper has the ball-handling skills to keep defenders guessing, using her quickness and change of direction to create opportunities off the dribble. She excels at attacking downhill and has the body control to finish difficult, acrobatic shots in traffic around the basket. Her ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc adds another dimension to her offensive game, making her a difficult matchup for opposing defenses. Piper is equally capable of making an impact on the defensive end, where her quick hands and feet allow her to apply ball pressure and create turnovers. After establishing herself as the conference's top player a season ago, Piper has an opportunity to put together another impressive campaign while helping Sault Ste. Marie challenge for the Big North title this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1122377"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6af71aa0d0fde"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Lorelai returns for her senior season at Traverse City Central after earning Big North All-Conference First Team honors last winter. A strong presence in the paint, Lorelai gives the Trojans an experienced interior player who can make a difference on both ends of the floor. One of the biggest strengths of her game is her ability to control the glass, consistently battling for rebounds on both the offensive and defensive ends. Her work on the offensive boards creates valuable second-chance opportunities, while her ability to secure defensive rebounds helps limit extra possessions for opponents. Lorelai's size and presence around the basket make her an important piece of Traverse City Central's lineup, particularly when it comes to establishing a physical presence inside. With another year of experience under her belt and an All-Conference season already to her credit, Lorelai will be someone opposing teams need to account for in the paint. I expect her rebounding ability and interior presence to play a significant role as the Trojans look to climb the Big North standings this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1259207"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6af71aa0d1031"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Lyla returns for her junior season at Petoskey after earning Big North All-Conference First Team honors as a sophomore and helping the Northmen capture the conference championship. A talented guard who can impact the game in several ways, Lyla brings a combination of scoring ability, court vision and defensive activity that makes her an important piece of Petoskey's success. Offensively, she does an excellent job attacking downhill, finding gaps in the defense and creating opportunities for both herself and her teammates. What I really like about her game is her ability to make smart decisions with the basketball, whether she's finishing strong around the rim or finding an open teammate with a well-placed pass. She has the vision to deliver passes through traffic and the confidence to make plays with either hand. Lyla also brings perimeter shooting to the table, showing the ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc, including creating space for a step-back three. Defensively, she stays active with her hands, creating deflections and even coming away with blocked shots. She also rebounds well from the guard position and can quickly turn a defensive board into a transition opportunity. After an impressive sophomore campaign, Lyla has the opportunity to take another step forward this winter as Petoskey looks to defend its Big North title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1281169"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6af71aa0d107c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Elaina returns for her sophomore season at Petoskey after an impressive freshman campaign that earned her Big North All-Conference First Team honors. Earning that recognition as a freshman speaks to the impact she has already made, and I believe she has the potential to be even more dangerous this winter. I had the opportunity to watch Elaina compete at the Northwood Elite Camp, where she was selected as her team's MVP after putting together an outstanding performance. What stood out to me was her ability to score in a variety of ways while also creating opportunities for her teammates. During the 3-on-3 action, she showed confidence knocking down shots from beyond the arc, used her quickness to get past defenders for finishes at the rim, and displayed a soft touch with a floater in the lane. That production carried over into the 5-on-5 portion, where Elaina handled the basketball with confidence, pushed the pace with her head up and delivered quality passes to teammates in transition. She has a nice feel for the game and understands when to look for her own offense and when to get others involved. With a full varsity season already under her belt, Elaina gives Petoskey another talented playmaker as the Northmen look to defend their Big North Conference championship. I wouldn't be surprised to see her build on an already impressive start to her high school career.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1183738"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6af71aa0d10c7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Izzy returns for her sophomore season at Cadillac after earning Big North All-Conference Second Team honors as a freshman, an impressive accomplishment for a player just beginning her high school career. A talented young guard with a well-rounded offensive game, Izzy has already shown the ability to make an impact as both a scorer and playmaker. She is a confident perimeter shooter who can make defenses pay from the corners, but she also has the ball-handling skills and quickness to get into the paint. Her ability to change directions with the basketball, use crossover moves to get past defenders and finish with a soft floater makes her a difficult player to contain. Izzy does a nice job handling defensive pressure, keeping her eyes up and using her quickness to create scoring opportunities. She also brings plenty of activity on the defensive end, using her quick hands to come away with steals and turn those possessions into transition scoring opportunities. I like the pace she plays with and her ability to create offense in different ways, whether it's knocking down a three, attacking off the dribble or making a play in the open floor. After making an immediate impact as a freshman, Izzy has an opportunity to take another step forward this winter and become an even bigger piece of Cadillac's success in the Big North Conference.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1255212"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6af71aa0d1116"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Sienna returns for her sophomore season at Traverse City Central after an impressive freshman campaign that earned her Big North All-Conference Second Team honors. Having already established herself as one of the conference's talented young guards, Sienna has the potential to make an even bigger impact for the Trojans this winter. I've had the opportunity to watch her compete, and one of the things that stands out to me is her ability to contribute on both ends of the floor. Offensively, Sienna has a quick first step that allows her to get past defenders and attack downhill, where she shows the strength and body control to finish through contact around the basket. She is also a threat from beyond the arc, giving her the ability to score in multiple ways and making her a difficult matchup for opposing defenses. On the defensive end, Sienna uses her quickness and active hands to disrupt possessions, create turnovers and turn defensive stops into transition opportunities. I really like the combination of athleticism, skill and competitiveness she brings to the floor, especially at such a young age. With a full varsity season of experience behind her, Sienna has an opportunity to build on her early success and continue to be a difference maker for Traverse City Central as the Trojans look to climb the Big North standings this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->