Fox River Classic: Preview

Fox River Classic conference: Preview <img class="size-medium wp-image-181857 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/06/PGHFeaturedImage4-300x168.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="168" /> Last season was led by Bay Port with a 16-2 record. Bay Port was a team that consisted of mostly seniors so there are going to be plenty of new faces in the action this time around. Last season the team was led by graduate and First Team select [player_tooltip player_id="132456" first="McKenzie" last="Johnson"]. Alaina Abel also contributed big minutes last season but graduated as well. Bay Port returns [player_tooltip player_id="155423" first="Emma" last="Krueger"] who will be a junior this season. She earned honorable mention. Sophie Vandeyacht, a 5’6 guard will be looked at to contribute a lot for her team this season. She showed a few glimpses of elite athleticism last season and is a player whose stock is surely rising. Green Bay Preble finished second in conference play with a 15-3 record. The squad was led by Player of the Year and First Team select [player_tooltip player_id="132349" first="Carley" last="Duffney"]. She will be a senior for Preble this season. Defensive Player of the Year in [player_tooltip player_id="132413" first="Kendall" last="Renard"] graduated but contributed huge last season. With Preble returning Duffney and Honorable Mention select [player_tooltip player_id="202269" first="Ella" last="Bialkowski"], they will be a tough team to beat. Notre Dame finished third with a 14-4 overall conference record. [player_tooltip player_id="132355" first="Sammy" last="Opichka"] led the team in scoring and finished fourth in conference with 15.5 points per game. She is a senior this year. Opichka, a St. Thomas commit- will be joined by fellow senior Georgia Gregoire. She was selected to the Second Team last season. [player_tooltip player_id="202314" first="Charley" last="Apple"] was an impact player who saw quality minutes last season and will definitely play an even larger role this season. Apple finished second on her team in scoring with 10.1 points per game. Take a look at returning players in the conference posed to make an impact. [player_tooltip player_id="132349" first="Carley" last="Duffney"] | Green Bay Preble | Senior | 5’11 W <img class="size-medium wp-image-189413 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/07/Duffney-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Duffney finished second in scoring last season for the entire conference. She averaged 18.2 points per game. She brought so much to the floor offensively and can really make a play at any moment. Her feel for the game is exceptional and can go downhill better than anyone in the conference. She really stepped up her confidence from deep as well last season and made 26 three point baskets. Duffney’s ability to impact defensively is really what makes her such a special player- at 5’11 to be averaging nearly 3 steals a game at this level is impressive. She’s active on both ends and has great timing, balance and footwork. Duffney is committed to South Dakota. [player_tooltip player_id="132355" first="Sammy" last="Opichka"] | Notre Dame | Senior | 5’11 PG Opichka is such an exciting and unique prospect. She brings so many different talents to the floor. She is the go-to player for this Notre Dame and does so well running the offense to make this team successful. She has composed and developed handles and she is not frazzled by defensive pressure. Opichka will lead this team to wins because she knows how to make herself as well as her teammates better. She can get her teammates a bucket. A true facilitator, Opichka has great on-court vision and is able to thread the needle with her passing. She’s crafty when attacking the lane and has added some consistent mid range game. As a junior she averaged 15.5 points per game. Opichka is committed to St. Thomas. [player_tooltip player_id="132373" first="Jordan" last="Meulemans"] | De Pere | Junior | 5’11 G <img class=" wp-image-132921 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/01/Jordan-Muelmans-283x300.jpg" alt="" width="189" height="200" /> Meulemans is crazy athletic and will certainly put her team on her back to win big games this season. A sure candidate for Player of The Year, she has exceptionally high basketball IQ. Her feel for the game is unmatched and really apparent when she is on the floor. She cuts hard and has impressive shot selection. Her ability to score from anywhere on the floor makes her unpredictable and nearly impossible to stop. She can knock down the three point basket or attack the lane against contact. The game comes effortlessly to her. She moves well without the ball and is so dominant in transition play. Meulemans finished third in the conference last season in scoring with 17.1 points per game. [player_tooltip player_id="132357" first="Sheridan" last="Flauger"] | Pulaski | Senior | 5’7 G Leading her team to the fourth spot in conference action, Flauger showed how versatile she can be on the court. She does all the little things right and isn’t worried about scoring the most points- she will do what she needs to do to get the win. A clear competitor, Flauger has great leadership qualities on the floor that may make her intimidating to her opponents. The UW Parkside commit averaged nearly 13 points per game last season. She’s a playmaker on the floor and has great vision for finding her teammates off screens and cutting through the lane. [player_tooltip player_id="155423" first="Emma" last="Krueger"] | Bay Port | Junior | 5’8 G <img class=" wp-image-48320 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2019/05/Emma-Krueger-WEB-276x300-276x300.jpg" alt="" width="223" height="242" /> Krueger is going to have to step up big this season to fill the void of the graduating seniors- and I don’t see that being an issue. She’s clearly already been such an impact player and she’s proven that her stock is continuing to rise. The ceiling is high for this kid as she continues to add experience and consistency. She can handle the ball and facilitate. She uses a great pound dribble to gather herself and is confident taking a jumper. She finished second in scoring for her team last season by averaging 12 points per game. Her ability to adapt and work alongside a talent like [player_tooltip player_id="132456" first="McKenzie" last="Johnson"] has really helped her playmaking abilities. She knows how to use her teammates to get herself open as well. Look for Krueger to have a lot of confidence leading the offense this season. [player_tooltip player_id="202313" first="Halle" last="Boldt"] | Sheboygan South | Senior | 5’8 G <img class=" wp-image-210079 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/HALLE-BOLDT-45-scaled-e1602106671675-300x217.jpg" alt="" width="243" height="176" /> Boldt led her team in scoring last season and this time around should not be much different. A senior leader this season, Boldt will have a chip on her shoulder for success. She’s a workhorse on the floor and will give 110% each night. She’s resilient and smart on the floor which makes for such an exciting prospect. She averaged 10 points per game last season and showed some serious glimpse of elite finishing inside. In a great team win over Manitowoc Lincoln, Boldt scored a season-high 36 points. The three level scorer who can put up huge numbers at any moment is going to be hard to stop during her senior season. Fo