Class of 2024 Biggest Stock Risers: Guards, Pt. 2
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Next round of the biggest stock risers at the guard position, here are other guards who saw a jump of at least 10 spots: 6. Addison Pytleski Addison Pytleski 5'9" | CG Green Bay Southwest | 2024 State WI :…
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Continue ReadingNext round of the biggest stock risers at the guard position, here are other guards who saw a jump of at least 10 spots:
6. Addison Pytleski Addison Pytleski 5'9" | CG Green Bay Southwest | 2024 State WI : up 23 spots (#57 to #34)
Biggest Improvement: Defensive Positioning/Positional Awareness
Pytleski offensive development has steadied from the start of her freshman year to the current juncture of her sophomore campaign. The Green Bay Southwest guard has consistently gotten better as a finisher around the basket and a playmaker, showing more patience and understanding of the offense than she did a season ago. Where she’s shown the most improvement as a player, however, has been on the defensive end. The 5’8″ guard has become an adept wing stopper and has shown a ton of savviness as an off-ball defender. Her lateral quickness and tenacity have always made her a strong defensive player, but the small stuff–tagging the roll, attacking the next pass on a closeout, showing on the drive while keeping her matchup in check–has taken her to another level. Her shooting will need to improve if Pytleski is to be a legit scoring threat, but the two-way development is encouraging.
7. Natalie Meaux Natalie Meaux 5'5" | PG Franklin | 2024 State WI : up 21 spots (#72 to #51)
Biggest Improvement: Handle and Touch
Meaux’s athleticism is evident. She has twitchy lateral quickness and a perennial spring in her step. And improving her touch on the inside has made her a legit scoring threat in Division 1. Her 19.9 points per game mark a 15.5 point increase from a season ago. This increase is largely because of her ability to execute offensively and attack open spaces with explosion and tenacity. I’ve been particularly impressed by how Meaux comes off of screens both on and off the ball. When she gets a ball screen, her navigation leads often leads to driving lanes and open attacking angles–a result of her much-improved handle. When she comes off of screens as a result of a specific play call, her sharpness in tight corners gives her the edge. An impressive scorer with a bright future, her play sees her rise 21 spots.
8. Brynn Kirch Brynn Kirch 5'6" | PG McFarland | 2024 State WI : up 18 spots (#60 to #42)
Biggest Improvement: Playmaking
Kirch’s IQ has manifested statistically this season. She’s adept at using her matchup’s strength against them as a means of creating shots for herself and others. A physical guard with a pass-first mentality, Kirch’s ability to create great looks for herself and others (notably Teagan Mallegni Teagan Mallegni 6'1" | SF McFarland | 2024 State WI ) has greatly improved this season. Her feel for how the opposition will guard her is a level of savviness well beyond that of an average sophomore. And on the defensive end, her instincts have taken a step forward. She’s positionally aware and understands how to play the pass as a help defender, a rare skill that complements the length around her. Kirch’s IQ raises the ceiling of everyone around her, and her improvements have led to an 18 spot uptick from the initial rankings from the beginning of the season.
9. Olivia Conway Olivia Conway 5'6" | PG Catholic Memorial | 2024 State WI : up 13 spots (#75 to #62)
Biggest Improvement: Aggression
Conway’s improvements have come on the back of her more aggressive play. The opportunity she’s getting as a sophomore for Catholic Memorial has been validated by this aggressiveness. And this new mentality primarily manifests in terms of her shooting. Through AAU and in her freshman campaign, she’s shown flashes of potential to be a key shooting threat. While the percentages aren’t working in her favor just yet, her mechanics are sound and she’ll only become more comfortable shooting the rock against high-level pressure with more reps. In the meantime, the defensive pressure she applies and her strength will afford her more minutes and more opportunities to show why she’s validated a 13 spot jump.
10. Sydney Cherney Sydney Cherney 5'6" | CG Reedsburg | 2024 State WI : up 12 spots (#27 to #15)
Biggest Improvement: Feel for the game
Cherney’s always had the raw athleticism and discipline to be an impact varsity player. This season, she’s controlled her athleticism more than in years past–using her lethal change-of-pace dribble package to compliment her strength attacking the basket. Cherney’s also become a threat as a passer, using that tight-space quickness as a means of forcing the defense up and using that space to find the open low-player. And despite being second on the Reedsburg roster in scoring at right around 18 a game, she’s a willing and more improved passer than a season ago. Defensively, she’s also taken strides forward. She’s so good at stunting the drive and absorbing contact against bigger guards while showing little trouble containing smaller ones. The sophomore has the potential to extend Reedsburg’s success beyond the graduation of their acclaimed graduating class.
11. Ellie Demet Ellie Demet 5'8" | SG Watertown | 2024 State WI : up 12 spots (#62 to #50)
Biggest Improvement: Handle
Demet has popped on to the varsity scene with a bang. The sophomore is averaging 10.8 points per and has demonstrated a rare combination of creativity and discipline doing so. She has a tight handle that lets her get out of intense defense and has the freedom to create for others after breaking down that pressure. She’s already shown flashes of splitting the defense on doubles and making the right decision in advantage situations. When attacking the basket she’s shown strength and touch that let her finish through contact, though finding consistency in this aspect of her game will take her to yet another level.