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Over 75 girls took part in the Wishoops.net showcase at Just A Game Field house in the Wisconsin Dells this past Saturday.  And although some of the names of the girls that stood out you will know, there were some surprises. 



MVPs...

No surprises here.  This award goes to two players, Taylor Wurtz of Ripon and Sarah Eichler of Grafton.  Wurtz, a 6 0" UW-Madison commit, showed spectators why she is considered one of the best seniors in the state.  She is the all-around player.  She is able to defend on the ball, shoot the three, bring the ball up the court, and rebound.  Aside from her basketball abilities, one of the things that stuck out the most to me about Taylor is her determination and hard work.  Regardless of the score or who her team was playing, I never saw her take a play off.  She plays the entire time she is in to the best of her ability.



Sarah Eichler, a 6 0" senior from Grafton also stood out during the day as one of the best seniors in the state.  Eichler has a nice shot and can get to the basket and finish.  However, one of the toughest things about Sarah is her tenacious defense.  She anticipates passes, guards on and off the ball well, and is tough for most girls to pass over.  She moves well for her height and is strong in on the post.



Rising Star...

Alana Cesarz, a 6 2" sophomore from Delavan-Darian (pictured below).  Although she is only a sophomore, this is the girl to keep an eye on.  Reportedly she has already been contacted by several DI schools including Arizona State, Princeton, Iowa State and Indiana State.  After watching this 6 2" post player complete yet another no look pass for an easy basket, I could see why.  She moves well, has a great basketball sense about her and was virtually unstoppable around the basket.  She is one of those players that can and will make the girls around her better with her ability to play good defense and pass the ball well.  Mark my words, we will be hearing a lot about this young lady in the coming years!







Players on the move...

These three girls are going to be quick risers.  Each of these girls proved that they belong in the conversatino of the top 100 senoirs in Wisconsin.   Molly Milis, a 6 0" senior from Appleton East, was overshadowed as she played on the same team as Taylor Wurtz.  However, I was very impressed with how well she runs the floor, her ability to block out and rebound and to use her size to her ability around the basket.  Alexis Steward, a 5 9" senior from Sheboygan North, is an athletic guard with great ball handling skills.  She is hard nosed and strong on the defensive end and can get by people with her quickness. 



In the junior class one to watch is Lauren Hibbard, 6 1 junior out of West Allis Central.  She is raw, but has the potential to make big waves as she continues to improve her game.  She moves well without the ball and makes good post moves around the basket.



Other notable faces in the crowd...

The Hope School brought three players to the showcase and all three played well.  We expected that from Liberty commit, Lakendra Washington.  However, her teammates senior Shavon Dillon and junior Kiara Donaldson also proved to be top notch players.  Lakendra is a strong, quick guard who will adapt her game to the college level very well.  Shavon, who has had to miss the last few summers of AAU, in my opinion was one of the toughest players at the showcase.  I watched her repeatedly take the top players and break them down with her dribble.  She is capable of getting to the basket and finishes on the rim well.  Her attitude is contagious as well.  She gets after it on the court and her competiveness shines through.  Last, but not least from The Hope School is junior Kiara Donadson.  Kiara has a nice basketball build and is quick with the ball.  She is able to handle the ball and shoot very well.  This group of three will make The Hope School fun to watch this coming season.



Three girls that really stood out for their defensive abilities and fiery attitudes were Kristin Verhagen of Freedom, Sam Price of Eau Claire North (pictured below), and Courtney Doucette of Colfax.  All three made it difficult for their opponents to get much past half court without extra effort.  Not only were they each great defensively, they made things happen on their teams on the offensive end of the court as well, handling the ball often for their respective teams.







Other standouts, Lauren Wehking (Pewaukee), Lindsey Walter (Slinger), Briana Radowicz (Mukwonago), Whitney Rawdon (Eau Claire North), and Katie Kitzke (South Milwaukee) impressed the coaches with their skills as well and were voted by the staff as All-Showcase Team Players.



With more than 75 Wisconsin girls participating and numerous college coaches from Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota the Showcase proved to be a great opportunity for many of the top players in the state to display their skills.