It’s safe to say that Bradford senior Katie Young has improved a lot in the last 12 months.

Last year, Young was not even named to the preseason All-Kenosha team by the Wisconsin Women’s Basketball Yearbook.

This year, the fourth annual publication ranked the Marquette University recruit as the second-best senior in the state. Milwaukee Vincent’s Nicole Griffin, an Oklahoma recruit, is listed as the top senior. Wilmot’s Jackie Herman, an Eastern Illinois recruit, was ranked 18th.

It is the third year in a row that a Kenosha County player has been ranked in the top 15. St. Joseph graduate Erin Higgins, who is playing at Illinois-Chicago, was ranked 12th last year, while Tremper graduate Lindsey Sebetic, who is playing at Loyola (Chicago), was ranked 15th in 2007.

Young was also one of five players named first-team preseason All-State in Division-1.

Already in their second week of practice, girls basketball teams around the state will tip off the 2009-10 season this week.

Here is a closer look at the 240-page Wisconsin Women’s Basketball Yearbook:

*Top seniors: While Young and Herman received top-50 recognition, Shoreland Lutheran’s Dawn Grashen, Tremper’s Rachel Jones and Alix Stangas and Bradford’s Rachael Wenberg cracked the next tier (51-101). Bradford’s Anna Dix was listed among the 165 “other top seniors.”

*Top juniors: No local players were ranked in the top 20, but Shoreland’s Taylor Bahr and Kasey Kleiner were listed among the 86 “others to watch.”

*Top sophomores: No local players were ranked in the top 45.

*All-City: Jones, Stangas, Wenberg, Young and Christian Life’s Brie Tennyson were named to the publication’s preseason All-City team for Kenosha. Jones, Stangas and Wenberg were all repeat selections. The WBBY picked 16 All-City teams.

*All-State: In addition to Young, Bahr also received preseason All-State honors. She was one of 10 players to be named honorable mention in Division 3.

*Rankings: Shoreland Lutheran was ranked sixth in Division 3 behind Cuba City, Oostburg, Manitowoc Roncalli, Lomira and Eau Claire Regis. Bradford was one of 14 teams to be named honorable mention in Division 1.

*Southeast Conference: Bradford was picked to finish fifth and Tremper sixth in the eight-team league. Young was tabbed as one of the league’s 10 players to watch.

*Southern Lakes Conference: Wilmot was picked to finish seventh and Central eighth in the eight-team league. Herman was tabbed as one of the league’s 10 players to watch.

*Midwest Classic Conference (South): Shoreland Lutheran picked to defend its title, while St. Joseph was picked ninth in the nine-team league. Bahr, Grashen and Kleiner were all listed among the league’s 10 players to watch.

*Midwest Classic Conference (North): Christian Life was picked sixth in the nine-team league. Tennyson was tabbed as one of the league’s 10 players to watch.

*Sectionals: In the Division-1 sectional that includes Bradford, Central, Tremper and Wilmot, the WBBY picked Verona as the team to beat. In the Division-3 sectional that includes Christian Life, St. Joseph and Shoreland, Oostburg was picked as the team to beat.