Bringing It Back To The Basics

Sometimes bringing it back to the basics is all a players needs to get back on track with their productive style of play. In this article we highlight five players that absolutely killed it last Winter for their Varsity programs and now they are back for some more action this upcoming season. Each of these individuals listed below are household names within their system's already because of their ability to keep it simple and productive on both sides of the ball.   Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!    [player_tooltip player_id='1091305' first='Kynlee' last='Buffington'] is a name we are used to hearing about from the Winfield-Mt. Union High School already. Buffington is a force to be reckoned with underneath the hoop as a producer. She is someone that her team can look to for big buckets offensively, impactful stops defensively, while being a top-notch rebounder on both sides of the ball. Buffington put up some impressive numbers last season as a Freshman with her simple but strategic play and I expect more of the same over the next 6-8 months as we continue to move forward.     Some might not know the name but [player_tooltip player_id='1239063' first='Kamryn' last='Hough'] of GT-RA High School is an impressive playmaker on the hardwood. Hough, a 5'5 PG, understands what she does best and she understands what her teammates do best around her. She would be considered a promising creator and facilitator when attacking the defense off the dribble, she can play off the ball some and still produce, or she can use her consistent movement to get open off a cut when her defender is running out of energy. All in all, Hough is coming off of a successful year with her Play4Him AAU program. If she can build off of that, she should put together another impressive season this upcoming Winter.     [player_tooltip player_id='595151' first='Rowan' last='Jacobi'] competes on the 1A floor for high school ball so some might not know what she can bring to the floor as a competitor. Jacobi is a D1 committed prospect for a reason. She is a 6'2 and she moves like a guard in most facets of the game. Her mixture of size and athletic ability is second-to-none throughout the state of Iowa and I'm sure her numbers will reflect that once again this Winter. Jacobi was a top dawg put of her 2026 Class when it came to scoring and rebounding the ball last season. She will have the chance to do the same this Winter for her Senior season with the competition level she will play. She should average a double-double throughout their season as long as she is motivated. This is a player that kills her competition because of the basics. She boxes out, scores consistently, rebounds hards, defends like her life depends on it, and she just happened to be taller than everyone else around her. That mix of things will play to her favor. Now we just have to see how it all plays out.     If you are looking at last year's stat sheet you'll notice that [player_tooltip player_id='1117190' first='Ava' last='Carlson'] of Norwalk High School held the highest FG% out of the 2026 Class throughout the state last Winter at just over 62% from the Forward position. This might shock some people but Carlson is going to be asked to do the same this Winter. If not a little bit more with who they will have available on roster. This group as a whole losses a lot of production due to graduation and injury so others will need to step up. Others like Carlson at the SF/CG position. Which is 100% do-able at this time. It'll all come down to the system put in place by their coaching staff. If they can figure out their pieces, players like Carlson will shine once again. No doubt about it.     [player_tooltip player_id='1312153' first='Carlee' last='Johnston'] of Westwood High School demonstrated what it meant to be a pass-first PG last Winter for her squad. Johnston doesn't kill you with crazy flashy moves or anything like that. She kills you with the basics. She can handle under pressure at a consistent rate, she understands that her main job is to make the others around her more successful in one way or another, she can control pace of play of the game, and ultimately - she is just someone you can trust from a coaching perspective. She isn't a liability and she isn't going to make bone-headed mistakes. Which is really all you can ask for from a coaching perspective. There is a lot to like about Johnston. I'm sure she will be a name we hear about consistently this Winter at Westwood High School.

Sometimes bringing it back to the basics is all a players needs to get back on track with their productive style of play. In this article we highlight five players that absolutely killed it last Winter for their Varsity programs and now they are back for some more action this upcoming season. Each of these individuals listed below are household names within their system's already because of their ability to keep it simple and productive on both sides of the ball.