Top Centers In Central & West Central Indiana

In selecting the five regional areas for my regional articles, I used the Indiana Coaches of Girls’ Sports Association’s (ICGSA) five districts. Schools are evenly distributed by county and somewhat geographical, though not exact. Counties included in the "Central & West Central" articles include: Boone, Clay, Clinton, Fountain, Hamilton, Hendricks, Marion, Montgomery, Morgan, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Tipton, Vermillion, Vigo, and Warren. Across the entire Prep Hoops Network, we are exploring ways to bring you different types of content in each of the states we cover. One idea we’ve come up with is "city rankings", where we highlight some of the better players in each metropolitan area. I felt like in Indiana, however, there are talented kids spread all over the state, so it wouldn’t be fair to solely focus on Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and Evansville, for example. Instead, I have divided the state into five regions based on a fairly even distribution of the 400+ high schools available to choose from. It isn’t exact, but it seemed like the best way to make sure all prospects from the Hoosier state were considered. (Please see the italicized fine print above for a more specific breakdown of the counties used in this article.) Without further ado, below is a look at some of the top returning centers in "Central & West Central" Indiana, arranged alphabetically within their graduating classes.   [player_tooltip player_id="130319" first="Gigi" last="Eldredge"], 2021, 6-0 C/PF, Westfield H.S. Gigi is someone I was really excited about seeing this Spring, so hopefully I’ll at least get a chance over the Summer. I have been a big fan since seeing her between her 8th Grade and Freshman years, but after she was injured early last Summer, I really want to see how far she’s come in both her rehab and her overall skill development. She is strong, physical, and athletic, she moves well in most directions, and she has nice touch to about 15-feet. I like her motor and attitude for a post, plus I think she has good versatility and can play around the perimeter some. [player_tooltip player_id="62583" first="Dynasty" last="Witherspoon"], 2021, 6-4 C, North Central H.S. (Indianapolis) Dynasty’s opportunities have been limited over the years, because the Panthers are incredibly deep and talented on the frontline. Dynasty has extremely long arms, long legs, broad shoulders, and some strength/power. She can be physical inside, but she prefers to face the basket most possessions. She has a soft touch in the mid-post and the short corners, and even when she does post she will reverse-pivot and shoot over defenders. I think she has nice upside, but I would definitely like to see her play with more of a sense of urgency, because I think she can bring more to the table than we’ve seen so far. [player_tooltip player_id="34538" first="MyKayla" last="Moran"], 2022, 6-3 C, Hamilton Heights H.S. MyKayla has always possessed great upside, because she has always had a strong frame, very good length, plus she has the ability to run the floor and jump a little. In the past, she has been more of a defender and rebounder type, but she’s now starting to show a much more polished offensive game with touch to the mid-post. She can bury people on the block and finish with different post moves, and she has great hands down there. She can also flash to the mid-post, bury the 15-footer, or even take a dribble and get to the basket. She provides a nice defensive presence in the paint as well. [player_tooltip player_id="127234" first="Ashlee" last="Schram"], 2023, 6-3 C, Tipton H.S. Ashlee was a welcomed addition to the Tipton lineup, averaging a double-double of 10.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, plus 1.8 blocked shots per game as a rookie. She has a big, strong, potentially powerful frame, but she also runs the floor fairly well and has a little bounce. I think what I am most impressed with about her are her hands and her soft touch. She is a tremendous shooter for her size in the mid-post, and she can ever step outside and knock down the occasional 3-pointer. Look for that to be a regular part of her game moving forward. I really like her upside as a college prospect. [player_tooltip player_id="127238" first="Mackenzie" last="Thomas"], 2023, 6-1 C, Carmel H.S. Mackenzie didn’t get much opportunity as a Freshman, but they should have big plans for her in the future. She is a strong, physical, powerful post who can sit down, seal, and drive defenders on the block, plus she has good hands, decent footwork, and she can finish in a variety of ways. At the same time, Mackenzie has the unique ability to bury 3-pointer after 3-pointer if you leave her unattended around the perimeter. She has a very soft touch outside, and she does a great job in pick-and-pop situations. I think she has Division-I upside, especially if she can get just a little quicker and defend better out on the floor.   Other Noteworthy Centers: [player_tooltip player_id="130330" first="Arial" last="Ford"], 2021, Metropolitan H.S. BreAsia Gamble, 2021, Ben Davis H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="130341" first="Allison" last="Shaffer"], 2021, Brownsburg H.S. Alexcia Thorpe, 2021, Providence Cristo Rey H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="158393" first="Leah" last="Yarbrough"], 2021, Brownsburg H.S. Halie Gilbert, 2022, Terre Haute North Vigo H.S. Anna Guiff, 2022, Covenant Christian School (Indianapolis) Hannah O’Brien, 2022, Parke Heritage H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="59731" first="Kendal" last="Bolen"], 2023, Roncalli H.S. [player_tooltip player_id="127235" first="Brooklyn" last="Smitherman"], 2023, Noblesville H.S.