advertisement

Freshmen Fisher (Libertyville), Wood (Carmel) living up to hype

Six games into what promises to be a highly successful varsity basketball career, Libertyville freshman Emily Fisher already has "The Pass" to her credit.

Never mind that it didn't count as far as her stats go. It happened during practice this week.

"I wish I had it on tape," Wildcats assistant coach Amy Holtsford said.

The way Holtsford describes it, Fisher dribbled down the middle of the court, double-pumped in the air and "whipped" the ball to a teammate in the corner.

"The key word is 'whipped', " Libertyville head coach Greg Pedersen said. "It required upper-body strength to make this pass, and she has it."

Added Holtsford: "I said it was the best pass I've seen in all 30 years I've been in coaching."

Before their first day of high school, both Fisher and fellow freshman Jordan Wood of Carmel Catholic were being talked about in glowing terms by high school basketball people, and both players have shown that the hype is legitimate.

"That," Stevenson coach Ashley Graham marveled of Wood after the Patriots beat Carmel 42-40 on Tuesday night," is scary."

With her 6-foot-4 frame and guard skills, Wood has emerged as Carmel's top offensive threat. She scored 13 of her team-high 16 points against Stevenson in the second half to help the Corsairs get back in the game and take a late lead. She was coming off games of 18, 17 and 21 points at the Dixon holiday tournament.

Wood already has offers from Illinois and Iowa, and visited Michigan last weekend. The attention she has received has not gone to her head. She took the Stevenson loss - which dropped Carmel's record to 12-3 - particularly hard since she missed a late layup and then, on the winning shot by Ava Bardic of the Patriots, was caught on a screen.

"I definitely have to stay humble," said Wood, who's next in action with her team Friday night at Joliet Catholic. "Losing a game like this helps to make sure I stay leveled."

The 5-11 Fisher is averaging 9.2 points in the six games she's played in (all wins). The guard has also flashed potential as a shutdown defender. Fisher already has an offer from Iowa State, where her mother played.

"She has a strong desire to learn, and she has a ton of talent," Pedersen said. "When she gets in the open court or when she creates space for herself, she's tough to stop."

Better yet for the Wildcats, Fisher has blended in seamlessly with a veteran group that won a Class 4A regional championship last season.

"Off the court, she's a super nice person," Libertyville senior point guard Margaret Buchert said. "I've gotten pretty close with her because I drive her home almost every day. She's fitting in with the team really well.

"On the court, she's just awesome to have," Buchert added. "She's one of our better players. She's just so strong."

And a strong Libertyville team is stronger with Fisher on the court.

"Teams have to reckon with the fact that she can get to the rim and get into the paint, and then we've got shooters dotted around her," said Pedersen, whose 12-4 Wildcats seek their ninth win in a row when they host Mundelein at 1 p.m. Saturday. "We pride ourselves on the fact that our shooters can also drive to the basket. You look at Lauren Huber, you look at Lydia Crow and Margaret. They're getting better and better at driving to the basket."

  Carmel's 6-foot-4 freshman Jordan Wood (13) takes a shot of Grant's Nicolette Kouvelis (25) and Jazzlyn Linbo (35) during action earlier this season. Paul Valade/pvalade@dailyherald.com
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.