Top Backcourts in Class 3A

Indiana has always been known for its strong guard play, and this year Class 3A is home to several really nice backcourt groups. We initially focused our selections on a team’s two best guards / wings, then narrowed down the list based on depth. We’ve attempted to list as many of each school’s perimeter players as we are aware of. The teams who made the cut are arranged alphabetically by school name.   [caption id="attachment_13546" align="alignright" width="221"] Hanna Knoll of Angola[/caption] Angola H.S. (Angola, IN) Angola has a really nice duo to start with. 5-5 2020 point guard Ally Lorntz (7.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, 2.7 spg, 41 made 3s) is a quick / fast, feisty, and tough-nosed leader. She can hit shots from the perimeter consistently, get inside and put pressure on the defense, and she’s a nice distributor as well. Defensively she can bother the ball-handler or create steals in passing lanes. 5-6 2021 combo guard Hanna Knoll (11.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.0 spg, 38 made 3s) is coming off of an impressive Freshman year. She’s a balanced guard who does a little of everything very well. She can handle and run offense, she’s a good perimeter shooter, and she can get to the basket and score. She’s also good at creating turnovers. 5-7 2020 wing Kayla Fenstermaker (3.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.1 spg) is sort of a do-whatever-it-takes wing. She has guard skill around the perimeter, she’s tough-nosed, and she rebounds and defends well. 5-7 2019 guard Reace Peppler (4.0 ppg), 5-6 2020 guard Janna Fee, and 5-6 2021 guard Megan Nisun add to Angola’s tremendous depth, and allow the Hornets to come in waves. [caption id="attachment_11778" align="alignleft" width="200"] Zakia Rasheed of Bishop Chatard[/caption] Bishop Chatard H.S. (Indianapolis, IN) While Bishop Chatard graduated a couple of nice perimeter players, they return their leading scorer. 5-7 2021 guard Moira McGinley (14.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 2.8 spg) put together a really nice Freshman season, and she looks to lead them the next three years as well. She’s long, fluid, and fairly smooth, plus she’s a good perimeter shooter. Avon transfer Zakia Rasheed (12.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.0 spg), a 5-8 2021 guard, also had a nice Freshman season, and she will give them quite the boost this year. She is a strong and physical wing guard, with good ball skill, and the ability to knock down perimeter jumpers. 5-8 2020 wing Mary Borchars (7.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg) returns to bring even more stability to this group, while 5-7 2020 guard Anna Pruitt (3.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg) also brings back quality experience. 5-6 2019 guard Grace McGinley (2.6 ppg), 5-4 2020 guard Dee Dee Caskey (2.6 ppg), and 5-3 2020 guard Reagan Behringer have all played in a handful of games, and should provide depth to the Trojan backcourt. [caption id="attachment_14322" align="alignright" width="204"] Macey Radenheimer of Lawrenceburg[/caption] Lawrenceburg H.S. (Lawrenceburg, IN) The backcourt at Lawrenceburg begins with 5-9 2020 guard Juliana Kemper (21.8 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 3.7 apg, 2.2 spg, 2.5 bpg). She is a strong athlete with a really nice all-around skillset. She handles the ball a lot for them as their primary ball-handler, she can attack the basket and finish through contact, but she’s also a consistent perimeter. She has drawn a variety of Division-I interest. 5-8 2020 wing Macey Radenheimer (6.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg) could have a breakout year this season. She was really good when I saw her in June, and she’s a skilled and fairly athletic wing who can score the ball in bunches. 5-4 2019 guard Makenna White (8.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg) is a solid perimeter shooter who can serve as a ball-handler when needed. 5-9 2019 wing Justice Chambers (3.5 ppg) is another nice-sized wing who does a little of everything fairly well. Look for East Central transfer Tristyn Dennis, a 5-7 2020 wing, and Heidi Lawson, a 5-3 2019 guard, to add to the Tigers’ depth. [caption id="attachment_14324" align="alignleft" width="225"] Maggie Cora of Tri-West[/caption] Tri-West H.S. (Lizton, IN) Tri-West has what I’d consider to be an underappreciated backcourt that should be very solid this season. 5-7 2019 combo guard Maggie Cora (14.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.4 spg) returns to lead the Bruins again. She is long, fluid, athletic, and versatile skillfully. She can hit shots from the perimeter, snake through defenses to the basket, or create offense for others. 5-2 2021 combo guard Grace Sandlin (11.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.2 apg) is a tremendously skilled guard who can also play point, but she’s a good shooter / scorer off the ball as well, and she’s very crafty offensively. 5-6 2022 guard Kenna Kirby should get an opportunity to affect the Varsity immediately. She’s a strong, athletic, and skilled shooter / scorer who should be able to fit in nicely at the Varsity level and be able to help Tri-West early this season. 5-5 2019 wing Sydney Ross now has an entire Varsity season under her belt, and she should be able to provide some depth in the backcourt, and 5-9 2021 wing Makenna Brauman (3.0 ppg) got into a couple of games a year ago as well, and she’s probably next in the pecking order.   [caption id="attachment_14325" align="alignright" width="228"] Carley Culberson of Yorktown[/caption] Yorktown H.S. (Yorktown, IN) Yorktown’s backcourt is very talented and versatile, and they’re extremely young, as they started three Freshmen for most of last season. 5-7 2021 combo guard Carley Culberson (15.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.5 apg, 4.1 spg, 44 made 3s) is a very nice talent, and the state will likely become more aware of her in the next year or so. She is long, fast, and athletic, she can hit shots from the perimeter or get to the basket. She’s also incredibly active and pesky defensively, and she can disrupt opposing offensives. 5-3 2021 guard Elizabeth Reece (12.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 47 made 3s) is small in stature, but she’s big-time for them, as she is a very good perimeter shooter, and she hides along the baseline before working to get open looks. She has some ball skill and can play some point, but she’s more of a scorer for them. 5-7 2021 wing Lea Alexander (4.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg) really improved throughout the season. She’s a long athlete who plays with a great motor. She’s more of a slasher who likes to attack the rim, but she’s starting to master that 15-foot jumper as well. 5-7 2019 forward Ellie Miller (4.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.2 spg) actually starts at more of a power forward position for them because of her toughness, willingness to rebound, and her physicality, but she’s actually skilled more like a wing and can hurt opponents outside as well. Also Heavily Considered Were: Bellmont Charlestown Knox Lakeland Mishawaka Marian New Castle Princeton Community South Dearborn West Noble   Header photo of Ally Lorntz of Angola H.S.; photo courtesy of news-sentinel.com. Photo of Hanna Knoll courtesy of the Indiana Flight Twitter account. Photo of Zakia Rasheed courtesy of flyergroup.com. Photo of Macey Radenheimer courtesy of Shelby Radenheimer's Twitter account. Photo of courtesy of . Photo of courtesy of .