2021 Mighty Mites

If you are a fan of Indiana basketball and you are a subscriber to our site, you already know Indiana is just different when it comes to celebrating hoops and ballplayers around our state. Where else do they have a "Mini Miss Basketball" award every year? That achievement, presented by <em><strong>Hoosier Basketball Magazine</strong></em> each season, was kind of my inspiration for this series of articles. Below is a look at five young ladies in the Class of 2021 who come in under 65 inches, who are just outside of our Top-100 for 2021, but who play much bigger than their listed height every night. &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="130378" first="McKenna" last="Dietsch"], 2021, 5-2 PG, Adams Central H.S.</strong></span> McKenna began her career at Leo High School, but after her stepfather took over at Adams Central in the Summer of 2018, she was on the move. She is a tough-nosed, strong-for-her-size, quick guard who plays with a great deal of feistiness. She controls a game like a coach’s kid, she plays with a veteran savvy, and all she has done for the Flying Jets is average double-digit points and help them increase their win totals each of her two years on the roster. She strikes me as the type of point guard small colleges love, because she is steady and efficient in every facet of the game. She can handle, pass, shoot/score, and defend. <span style="font-size: 14pt"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="130373" first="Brooklynn" last="Edwards"], 2021, 5-0 PG, Carmel H.S.</strong></span> Brooklynn might not have the gaudy numbers of some of these girls, but with the wealth of talent Carmel is blessed with, she has found a niche for the Greyhounds and should see more opportunity as a Senior. After watching her during grassroots play, she knows how to play the game and is definitely a recruitable prospect with nice upside. She is extremely quick/fast, she has a solid handle and good playmaking ability, plus she can bury shots outside. I also like that Brooklynn will really get into opposing ball-handlers defensively. She would likely already be a multiyear letter-winner at 75% of the schools around the state. <span style="font-size: 14pt"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99430" first="Taylor" last="Heath"], 2021, 5-2 PG, Triton Central H.S.</strong></span> When you have such a talented group of scorers like Triton Central had this past year, you need quality role players around them, and players who don’t need to get shots. Taylor took that to a whole other level in 2019-2020, leading the state in assists with 214, or a 7.9 assist per game average. She also only turned it over 52 times in 27 games, leading to an impressive 4.12 assist-to-turnover ratio. Taylor is strong, tough-nosed, and competitive. She plays with energy and is a nice leader on the floor. She can score it when defenses forget about her (<em>8.0 ppg in 2019-2020</em>), plus she was an 80% free throw shooter. <span style="font-size: 14pt"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99406" first="Kathryn" last="Perry"], 2021, 5-2 CG, Shenandoah H.S.</strong></span> Kathryn could be the most productive "mite" in the entire state, regardless of class. Since her arrival at Shenandoah, she has scored 1395 points, handed out 281 assists, collected 355 steals, knocked down 150 3-pointers at a 34% rate, and buried 281 free throws at a 78% rate...not bad for someone deemed "too small" by some. Kathryn has very good quickness, she plays with a contagious motor, and she is an absolute playmaker at both ends of the floor. She can create and find teammates, she can make shots, plus she’s a scrappy defender who causes problems. Shenandoah is 61-15 in her three years at the helm. <span style="font-size: 14pt"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="99401" first="Elizabeth" last="Reece"], 2021, 5-3 CG, Yorktown H.S.</strong></span> Elizabeth has seen her role change year to year, but one thing remains consistent, and that’s the fact she is a good perimeter shooter who you can’t give any space. As a Freshman and Junior, Elizabeth started alongside classmate <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="130320" first="Carley" last="Culberson"]</strong> in the backcourt. Elizabeth is the sniper who hides on the wings and in the corners, but they also pair to be a tough defensive unit. As a Sophomore, Carley missed the season with an injury, so Elizabeth was asked to take on point guard duties, averaging a career high 3.4 assists. Elizabeth can shoot/score the basketball, but I think she will be a capable point guard in college.