Northwestern Preview- On the Rise

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As I take one final look at the players from the Northwestern Preview on Saturday, here are some that are on the rise that I think will catch some attention this season! <br><br><strong>Olivia Burks, 5-9 2026, Houston</strong>- &nbsp;Liv is super athletic, good on the boards, including offensively. She had good hands and was able to catch and shoot well.&nbsp;&nbsp;Was impressed with her last year, I think she will be a good senior leader for this group.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Olivia MacKendrick, 5-10 2027, Urbana</strong>- I have seen her twice in the preseason and she is a player that I think will really come into her own this season. Long and athletic, Olivia can run the floor well, push transition and finish on her way to the rim. Can knock down the midrange shot, defend with her length and protect the passing lanes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Adilynne Gregg, 5-10 2027, Benjamin Logan</strong>- She is a strong physical post with a good leadership skills, excellent communicator and gets her team in the right place. She's solid in the paint, sits back in a 2-3 zone and protects the rim.&nbsp;&nbsp;Just love her verbal leadership skills.&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Aubree Risner, 5-8 2029, Northwestern-</strong> Aubree is not afraid to mix it up and play physical. For a freshman she has good poise, can play fast and control the game. She's going to make freshman mistakes like everybody else, but she works hard, and she tries to play within the flow of the offense. The ceiling is wide open for her. Great future ahead for this young lady!&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jena Heitkamp, 5-11 2026, Versailles</strong>- I was really impressed how well she posts up and holds her defender out, strong physical frame, and she was really impressive in the summer. Jena continues to improve. She established her position extremely well, which makes her a dangerous threat. Great compliment to Litten in the offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rowan Schmitmeyer, 5-10 2028, Versailles-</strong> This sophomore has a good smooth perimeter shot, and knocked them down from the three range. One thing I like about her is she has a quick release and shoots the ball high. Anticipate the play and the game well. She runs a floor so smoothly and effortlessly, loved her athleticism, and I think she's going to be a sleeper in the MAC.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jillian Geis, 5-11 2027, Middletown Christian</strong>- Did an excellent job getting in position and sealing out her defender and posting up to the rim, her teammates just need to get her the basketball better. She has solid footwork and works extremely hard to get into position </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->