Evansville, Indiana: The Lost World

Just like the islands of Isla Sorna and Isla Nublar in the popular Jurassic Park movie franchise, basketball prospects from the Evansville area have often felt like they were on an island only few outsiders ever visited.  Located in the Southwest corner of Indiana, the “Pocket City” as Evansville is so aptly nicknamed, is actually closer to Louisville (123 miles), Nashville (153 miles), and Saint Louis (167 miles) than it is to Indianapolis (172 miles). But it is the third largest city in Indiana by population, and year after year Evansville turns out quality basketball prospects.  Recent graduates like Anna Newman (Evansville North 2018), Errin Hodges (Evansville Central 2017), Emily Sullivan (Reitz Memorial 2016), and Tori Schickel (Mater Dei 2015) all hail from the Pocket.  Even 2016 Miss Basketball Jackie Young (Princeton) is from that Southwest corner of the state, though not actually “in” Evansville.  All of those ladies were Indiana All-Stars and/or are currently playing at Division I schools. However, year after year there are many quality players in the Evansville area, and I often encourage small colleges to make the trek down there a couple of weekends each year during the winter to check them out.  So below I wanted to take the time to highlight a handful of girls who may not often grab the spotlight throughout the rest of the state, but who deserve their share of recognition for their basketball abilities.  Not all of these prospects are technically in Evansville, but they are from that Southwest region of the state.   Alison Hein of Vincennes Lincoln Alison Hein, 2019, 6-0 F, Vincennes Lincoln H.S. Alison is definitely a player I’ve enjoyed watching grow and develop over the years.  When she was younger, she looked like she was working on becoming more of a perimeter forward, but as she got older and gained strength, she really put to use her physicality and toughness.  Don’t get me wrong, she is a skilled forward who can play effectively in the mid-post, but she also likes contact and has really good skill around the block.  She is the daughter of a former boys’ coach, and you can see that hoops IQ in her.   Tabby Klem, 2019, 5-10 F, Gibson Southern H.S. Tabby battled back from meniscus surgery in 2017 to put together a solid 2017-2018 high school season, and then had a strong grassroots season this year.  She is an intriguing inside-out forward, because she definitely has the strength to play physically inside and rebound, but she’s a very good perimeter shooter with a solid handle, who comfortably plays around the perimeter.  She’s one of those kids who offensively you can create mismatches with because of both her size, and her skill outside.   Jessica Nunge (#30 in white) of Castle Jessica Nunge, 2019, 6-1 F, Castle H.S. Jessica definitely comes from an athletic family, as her sister is a Senior on Notre Dame’s volleyball team, and her brother is a Sophomore on Iowa’s basketball team.  Jessica, in fact, has already committed to Florida State to play volleyball, but she is also a talented basketball player who helped lead Castle to a 23-1 record a season ago.  She is tall, long, fluid, and somewhat bouncy.  She’s best in the mid-post facing the basket, but she can post up on the low-block a little or play comfortably around the perimeter.   Soffia Rieckers, 2019, 5-5 G, Evansville Reitz Memorial H.S. When I saw Soffia in the spring, I thought she had come a long way in the last year.  She has really worked on her handle and her overall awareness as a primary ball-handler, whereas a year ago I wasn’t convinced she could necessarily be a full-time point guard.  But, she’s also still effective playing off the ball and hitting shots, or she can get into the lane and put pressure on the defense.  She plays with a good motor, she’s a willing and capable defender, and she has a nice all-around basketball IQ to her game.   Kenna Hisle, 2020, 5-9 W, Evansville North H.S. Kenna is a very intriguing wing prospect who does a little of everything.  When I saw her a couple of weeks ago, she actually looked a little stronger but also more explosive in all directions.  She is a capable ball-handler and passer, almost in the mold of what I like to call a point forward.  She is much more aggressive attacking the basket now, but she is a capable shooter too.  Earlier this summer, she picked up an offer from Eastern Illinois, and due to graduation losses, she’ll be the top player at North this year.   Claire Knies of Jasper Claire Knies, 2020, 5-9 F, Jasper H.S. I really enjoy Claire’s game, and there might not be anyone who has improved their skillset as much in a year’s time.  She has a quick handle, and she can really get defenders off-balance.  She sees the floor well and can create scoring opportunities for others, and she’s a very good perimeter shooter.  She’s also very powerful and physical, and she’s tremendous in the mid-post for her high school team.  She is a dual-threat type of forward who can play inside or out, and she just earned an offer from Purdue Fort Wayne.   Rebekah Gordon, 2021, 5-11 F, Heritage Hills H.S. When I first saw Rebekah in the spring, she was more of a physical kid who played strictly on the interior during the games I saw.  But a couple of weeks ago at the IGBRR event, she flashed some touch to about 15-feet and did a nice job of playing in the mid-post and finishing in transition.  She is still strong and physical, but if she can continue to develop that mid-range game and even maybe extend it to the perimeter, she has a chance to be a real nightmare on opposing teams.  She’s still young, so she has plenty of time.   Additional Southwest Corner Prospects In Our Statewide Rankings: Hya Haywood, 2019, 5-6 G, Evansville Central H.S. Jossie Hudson, 2019, 6-0 F, Evansville Mater Dei H.S., Committed to Evansville Mady Neukam, 2019, 5-5 PG, Southridge H.S. Grace Waggoner, 2019, 5-11 F, Vincennes Rivet H.S. Darrian Carmean, 2020, 5-7 G, Vincennes Lincoln H.S. Meredith Raley, 2020, 5-10 F, Gibson Southern H.S. Tia Tolbert, 2020, 5-9 W, Vincennes Rivet H.S. Lauren Carie, 2021, 6-1 C, Vincennes Rivet H.S. Mariah Dickerson, 2021, 5-11 C, Evansville Mater Dei H.S. Maycee Lange, 2021, 6-0 F, Vincennes Lincoln H.S. Kami Miller, 2021, 5-9 F, Gibson Southern H.S. Hannah Sisk, 2021, 5-5 G, Princeton Community H.S. Alaysha Brandenberger, 2022, 5-4 G, Boonville H.S. Hadley Lytton, 2022, 5-4 PG, Heritage Hills H.S. Myah Montgomery, 2022, 5-10 F, Southridge H.S. Natalie Niehaus, 2022, 5-8 W, Castle H.S. Taylor Singer, 2022, 6-1 C, Gibson Southern H.S. Header photo courtesy of kentuckianareporters.com.  Alison Hein's photo courtesy of Jeff Hein's Twitter account.  Jessica Nunge's photo courtesy of dailyjournal.net.  Claire Knies' photo courtesy of duboiscountyherald.com.