Under-the-Radar Teams to Keep an Eye On

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Every year, new teams take a step forward and become contenders in their divisions. Today, I'd like to highlight a handful of programs that could take the next step and become regional or sectional champions this March. We will look at four programs with the tools, players, and path to potentially take the next step and surprise some people this March.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Eau Claire Memorial</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Old Abes had a talented group last winter. Memorial wasn't as far from a trip to the State Tournament as some may have thought. They have an elite wing in [player_tooltip player_id='1173395' first='Norah' last='Kling'], who will miss the first portion of the season due to her knee injury last February. Kling has become a staple of what Memorial does and is more athletic than anyone you'll find on the wing in Northwest Wisconsin. The Old Abes also added a few transfers, Liv Nuemeuller and [player_tooltip player_id='1241213' first='Evelyn' last='Borcherding'], who started their high school careers at other Eau Claire schools, and each should have a role to play this season and beyond. Adding to those three players, Memorial also returns established rotational players who have been impactful in the past few seasons, like [player_tooltip player_id='1221076' first='Ava' last='McCarthy'], [player_tooltip player_id='872479' first='Evelyn' last='Bast'], and [player_tooltip player_id='810813' first='Ava' last='Hoitomt']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Wisconsin Lutheran</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Vikings have all the talent to make a run to the Resch Center, and it's high-end. [player_tooltip player_id='879927' first='Londyn' last='Hollins'] should be back either to start the season or shortly thereafter, hopefully, and she's a guard who can swing games with her creativity and three-level scoring. [player_tooltip player_id='751248' first='Beth' last='Langebartels'] has improved each season and has developed into one of the better players in the Woodland Conference. I also like the players alongside them who have played roles in the last few seasons, like [player_tooltip player_id='888379' first='Layla' last='Walz'], [player_tooltip player_id='751277' first='Reese' last='Grudzielanek'], and [player_tooltip player_id='855854' first='Morgan' last='Martinez'], among others. However, keep an eye on their talented newcomer, [player_tooltip player_id='1248231' first='Hannah' last='Langebartels'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Milton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Red Hawks have steadily improved over the last few years, and their final step is to get through sectionals and reach the State Tournament. They've lost some core players over the last two seasons, but keep finding ways to build from what they did the year before. A few kids have been staples for the Red Hawks over the last year, and they'll be crucial for a potential run to the State Tournament. [player_tooltip player_id='881307' first='Kylee' last='Buttchen'], [player_tooltip player_id='1220819' first='Sydney' last='Grady'], [player_tooltip player_id='879894' first='Mady' last='Vind'], and [player_tooltip player_id='884030' first='Aubrey' last='Klug'] will be asked to do a lot for their program, and I'm eager to see how this year shakes out for them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Dominican</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Knights might be the youngest teams around and will likely be in the rotation. Dominican will have a stable of young guards playing their first season of high school basketball. Maddie Morris, [player_tooltip player_id='1819283' first='Ma'riah' last='Lee'], and Ma'Kenzi Lee, among others, will be asked to play high-leverage basketball against girls four years older than them. A sophomore who could play a significant role will be [player_tooltip player_id='877581' first='Jordyn' last='Woods'], who will be an outlet for her guards as they get their footing playing talented teams throughout the season and in the postseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->