Junior Sleepers
With all of the social media like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc., available to promote ballplayers today, kids are getting recruited at as high of a rate as they ever have. Still, though, kids can fly under the radar, and there are a couple of ways to still consider prospects "sleepers". In some cases, prospects don’t garner much media attention outside of their local area during the Winter. In other situations, maybe a prospect doesn’t play a heavy grassroots schedule, so colleges aren’t as familiar with them. Regardless, with all of the global uncertainty we’re experiencing at this time, one thing is certain...these girls below can play!
Carley Culberson
Carley
Culberson
5'8" | PG
Yorktown | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 5-7 CG, Yorktown H.S.
Carley started her high school career with a bang, averaging 15.1 points and 4.1 steals per game as a Freshman. She also buried 44 3-pointers that season. Then in the Fall of 2018 she played for Yorktown’s Junior Varsity football team, and she was one of their better players until she tore her ACL. She missed her Sophomore year of high school ball, and she missed the 2019 Spring Grassroots season. She returned in July and flashed some of the same talent/skill she did as a Freshman, and this past season she got back into things full-swing, averaging 10.8 points, 3.8 assists, and 4.2 steals per game in a new system, playing more of a traditional point guard role. Carley is very fast, long, and athletic, and now that she’s starting to look more and more like herself, college coaches should take notice because she was a Division-I prospect pre-injury.
Tyra Ford
Tyra
Ford
5'9" | SF
Anderson | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 5-9 SF, Anderson H.S.
Without question, Tyra is one of the state’s best-kept secrets. I challenge you to find anyone who has the combination of athleticism and energy that she plays with. In my opinion, she is the best pound-for-pound rebounder in the state, especially at the offensive end of the floor. Through three seasons, she has already posted 620 rebounds...as a wing. She has also scored 1348 points, but how many of you have actually seen her play? She does a tremendous job using her athleticism to be productive, but over the years she has really worked on her handle and her perimeter shot, and this season she knocked down a career-high 56 3-pointers at a solid 33% clip. She is also a career 72% free throw shooter. My gut tells me she’s going to be one of those players who finds the right "fit" in college, to where she puts up great numbers, and everyone asks where she came from.
Chloe Gould
Chloe
Gould
5'7" | PG
Danville Community | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 5-7 CG, Danville Community H.S.
When you play alongside Indiana All-Star
Ella Collier
Ella
Collier
5'11" | SG
Danville Community | 2020
State
IN
(2020) and double-digit scoring wing
Maddie Patterson
Maddie
Patterson
5'9" | SF
Danville Community | 2021
State
IN
(2021), you are bound to be in the shadows a little, and rightfully so as those two are tremendous players. However, Chloe has found a niche, and she executes her role very well. Over the years, as she has gained strength, she has taken care of the ball much better and she has become a much more consistent perimeter shooter. I remember when she was considered a non-shooter a couple of years ago, and now she’s a dangerous perimeter threat with range. She has good length and fluidity, and she is a selfless passer, but her best attribute is probably her ability to defend the other team’s best player and limit their touches and quality shot attempts. She is primed for a nice Summer and a big Senior season.
Heather Pautler
Heather
Pautler
5'10" | SF
Daleville | 2021
IN
, 2021, 5-10 SF, Daleville H.S.
Heather has put together a nice three years so far for the Broncos, but I think the combination of playing at a small school, not playing grassroots basketball, and growing later than most prospects has played a role in her lack of recognition, because she is a really nice ballplayer and small college prospect. Heather has really good length, she is a fluid athlete who moves around the floor comfortably, and she is a skillful player. She is still a little thin and needs more strength for the next level, but she is a very good mid-range shooter, plus she has become much more consistent around the perimeter, knocking down 35% of her 3-point attempts the last two years. She is a 70% free throw shooter, and she will approach 1300 points and 800 rebounds for her career when it’s all said and done.
Haley Rose
Haley
Rose
6'0" | PF
Linton-Stockton | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 6-0 PF, Linton-Stockton H.S.
It’s tough to call someone coming off of a Class 2A State Championship unknown, but I wanted to point Haley out because of her growth and development the last three seasons. When she got to high school, she did possess some skill, but there was still some awkwardness to her as an athlete, plus she needed a lot of strength. Now as a Junior, Haley is still thin, but she has strengthened her frame and takes contact much better. She is also very fluid now and somewhat bouncy. She has tremendous length, she can handle the ball like a wing, and she has really worked on her jumper and stretches the defense to the 3-point line on occasion. I think she’s one of those kids who could really see her recruiting take off this Summer, if we get that opportunity. This season, as part of Linton’s three-headed monster, Haley averaged 12.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.0 steals per game.
Alyna Santiago
Alyna
Santiago
5'5" | PG
Crown Point | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 5-5 PG, Crown Point H.S.
Alyna is a kid you really feel for, as she tore her ACL in Crown Point’s 14th game this season. She isn’t a stat-sheet stuffer, and she’s likely a "fit" kid at the next level, but I thought she had the potential to draw some Division-I interest because she is an elite defender and a talented athlete. She is quick/fast, she has length, and she plays with a quiet toughness and doesn’t mind physicality at all. Offensively, with names like the Stoddards, Carrothers, and Shaw at Crown Point, she wasn’t going to score double-figures this year, but she has always been a pass-first kid who thrives by setting up teammates. She is a capable scorer, though, and she has really kept defenses honest the last two seasons, knocking down nearly 38% of her 3-point attempts. I hope she returns as healthy as ever and gets the "right" college coaches to see her play next Winter, because she helps teams win.
Mary Wilson
Mary
Wilson
5'10" | SF
Center Grove | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 5-9 SF, Center Grove H.S.
To really appreciate Mary’s game, you have to have seen her the last few years and know how hard she has worked to get to this point. She is a solid athlete, not elite, but she has an elite motor in both games and practices, she has tirelessly worked on developing her handle and jump-shot, and she is probably the least talked about star in the powerful Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference. Center Grove is an incredibly disciplined and deliberate program, averaging just 47.9 points per game this season, while allowing just 35.4 points per game, so Mary’s 14.7 scoring average is that much more impressive. She has also shot 42% from 3-point range the last two years, 83% from the free throw line this season, and she rarely turns it over. She is one of those prospects who has a niche as a shooter/scorer, and she is a "fit" kid who could get recruited at a high level if the right coach sees her.
Carley
Culberson
5'8" | PG
Yorktown | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 5-7 CG, Yorktown H.S.
Carley started her high school career with a bang, averaging 15.1 points and 4.1 steals per game as a Freshman. She also buried 44 3-pointers that season. Then in the Fall of 2018 she played for Yorktown’s Junior Varsity football team, and she was one of their better players until she tore her ACL. She missed her Sophomore year of high school ball, and she missed the 2019 Spring Grassroots season. She returned in July and flashed some of the same talent/skill she did as a Freshman, and this past season she got back into things full-swing, averaging 10.8 points, 3.8 assists, and 4.2 steals per game in a new system, playing more of a traditional point guard role. Carley is very fast, long, and athletic, and now that she’s starting to look more and more like herself, college coaches should take notice because she was a Division-I prospect pre-injury.
Tyra Ford
Tyra
Ford
5'9" | SF
Anderson | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 5-9 SF, Anderson H.S.
Without question, Tyra is one of the state’s best-kept secrets. I challenge you to find anyone who has the combination of athleticism and energy that she plays with. In my opinion, she is the best pound-for-pound rebounder in the state, especially at the offensive end of the floor. Through three seasons, she has already posted 620 rebounds...as a wing. She has also scored 1348 points, but how many of you have actually seen her play? She does a tremendous job using her athleticism to be productive, but over the years she has really worked on her handle and her perimeter shot, and this season she knocked down a career-high 56 3-pointers at a solid 33% clip. She is also a career 72% free throw shooter. My gut tells me she’s going to be one of those players who finds the right "fit" in college, to where she puts up great numbers, and everyone asks where she came from.
Chloe Gould
Chloe
Gould
5'7" | PG
Danville Community | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 5-7 CG, Danville Community H.S.
When you play alongside Indiana All-Star
Ella Collier
Ella
Collier
5'11" | SG
Danville Community | 2020
State
IN
(2020) and double-digit scoring wing
Maddie Patterson
Maddie
Patterson
5'9" | SF
Danville Community | 2021
State
IN
(2021), you are bound to be in the shadows a little, and rightfully so as those two are tremendous players. However, Chloe has found a niche, and she executes her role very well. Over the years, as she has gained strength, she has taken care of the ball much better and she has become a much more consistent perimeter shooter. I remember when she was considered a non-shooter a couple of years ago, and now she’s a dangerous perimeter threat with range. She has good length and fluidity, and she is a selfless passer, but her best attribute is probably her ability to defend the other team’s best player and limit their touches and quality shot attempts. She is primed for a nice Summer and a big Senior season.
Heather Pautler
Heather
Pautler
5'10" | SF
Daleville | 2021
IN
, 2021, 5-10 SF, Daleville H.S.
Heather has put together a nice three years so far for the Broncos, but I think the combination of playing at a small school, not playing grassroots basketball, and growing later than most prospects has played a role in her lack of recognition, because she is a really nice ballplayer and small college prospect. Heather has really good length, she is a fluid athlete who moves around the floor comfortably, and she is a skillful player. She is still a little thin and needs more strength for the next level, but she is a very good mid-range shooter, plus she has become much more consistent around the perimeter, knocking down 35% of her 3-point attempts the last two years. She is a 70% free throw shooter, and she will approach 1300 points and 800 rebounds for her career when it’s all said and done.
Haley Rose
Haley
Rose
6'0" | PF
Linton-Stockton | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 6-0 PF, Linton-Stockton H.S.
It’s tough to call someone coming off of a Class 2A State Championship unknown, but I wanted to point Haley out because of her growth and development the last three seasons. When she got to high school, she did possess some skill, but there was still some awkwardness to her as an athlete, plus she needed a lot of strength. Now as a Junior, Haley is still thin, but she has strengthened her frame and takes contact much better. She is also very fluid now and somewhat bouncy. She has tremendous length, she can handle the ball like a wing, and she has really worked on her jumper and stretches the defense to the 3-point line on occasion. I think she’s one of those kids who could really see her recruiting take off this Summer, if we get that opportunity. This season, as part of Linton’s three-headed monster, Haley averaged 12.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.0 steals per game.
Alyna Santiago
Alyna
Santiago
5'5" | PG
Crown Point | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 5-5 PG, Crown Point H.S.
Alyna is a kid you really feel for, as she tore her ACL in Crown Point’s 14th game this season. She isn’t a stat-sheet stuffer, and she’s likely a "fit" kid at the next level, but I thought she had the potential to draw some Division-I interest because she is an elite defender and a talented athlete. She is quick/fast, she has length, and she plays with a quiet toughness and doesn’t mind physicality at all. Offensively, with names like the Stoddards, Carrothers, and Shaw at Crown Point, she wasn’t going to score double-figures this year, but she has always been a pass-first kid who thrives by setting up teammates. She is a capable scorer, though, and she has really kept defenses honest the last two seasons, knocking down nearly 38% of her 3-point attempts. I hope she returns as healthy as ever and gets the "right" college coaches to see her play next Winter, because she helps teams win.
Mary Wilson
Mary
Wilson
5'10" | SF
Center Grove | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 5-9 SF, Center Grove H.S.
To really appreciate Mary’s game, you have to have seen her the last few years and know how hard she has worked to get to this point. She is a solid athlete, not elite, but she has an elite motor in both games and practices, she has tirelessly worked on developing her handle and jump-shot, and she is probably the least talked about star in the powerful Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference. Center Grove is an incredibly disciplined and deliberate program, averaging just 47.9 points per game this season, while allowing just 35.4 points per game, so Mary’s 14.7 scoring average is that much more impressive. She has also shot 42% from 3-point range the last two years, 83% from the free throw line this season, and she rarely turns it over. She is one of those prospects who has a niche as a shooter/scorer, and she is a "fit" kid who could get recruited at a high level if the right coach sees her. 
