Breakout Candidates in the 25-26 Season

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Every year, players experience breakout seasons under various circumstances. Today, I'd like to highlight a few kids who may not be on anyone's radar but could make an impression in the 2025-26 season, which still feels insane to type out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='915003' first='Maren' last='Johnson']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From watching Mount Horeb play last season, I feel they left success on the table. The Vikings were a relatively young group and didn't play as well as a unit as I hoped they would. A good indicator of how productive Mount Horeb will be is [player_tooltip player_id='915003' first='Maren' last='Johnson']. The left-handed off-ball guard can score the ball and can operate away from the ball. In an offense where the ball moves more, as it should next season, Johnson could be an excellent performer in the Badger-Small.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='874384' first='Keira' last='Van Wie']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Waunakee newcomer played as an energizer in a bench role for the Warriors last season. The 6'0 wing/forward is a competitive kid who can fly around the defensive end of the floor. She didn't play much of an offensive role last season, but with the graduation of two starters to a team that was a minute away from a state tournament berth, Van Wie has an opportunity to earn an increased role next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='992492' first='Ellie' last='Pudelko']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Makenzie Hawk moving into the Tosa East district was an instance of how sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. However, Pudelko may end up being a better version of Hawk for the 25-26 version of the Red Raiders. The incoming sophomore is a 6'0 wing/forward with plenty of skill and athleticism to make an impact out of the gates next season. She practiced against Hawk all of last season and was part of a run to a gold ball. She'll probably impress people in the Greater Metro Conference next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='931583' first='Brooklyn' last='Luehring']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kettle Moraine Lutheran is a machine and has been a competitive group each season I've been around, and I don't think that trend is changing anytime soon. The younger sister of Makenzie, Brooklyn, had an excellent first season of high school basketball. She shot the ball well from the perimeter and found success attacking the basket off the dribble. Now that her sister will play at Oakland University in the Horizon League, her younger sister could step into a prominent role and keep the Chargers as one of the premier programs in D3. She has a chance to be among the top players in D3.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->