Preseason Outlook: Class 2A

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id="10685" first="Vanessa" last="Shafford"] of Linton-Stockton High School. A little over a week ago, teams from all over Indiana were allowed to begin their first official practices. Beginning next Monday, November 2nd, teams are permitted to begin official games. With that said, who are the best teams in Class 2A for the 2020-2021 season? Below I have attempted to answer that question as best as possible. This preseason outlook is based solely on how I think teams will stack up this season. Past success isn’t meaningless, but year-in and year-out rosters change, players graduate, Freshmen arrive, and other players transfer. Teams can slide up or down the competitive scale for any number of other reasons as well. In Class 2A, that can be magnified even greater, as just one player can shift the balance of power in the State Tournament. Last February, Linton-Stockton looked like an unstoppable force, as they blew through the state tournament on their way to the title. Returning all five starters, they will once again be strong. Frankton found themselves in a position they might not have expected at the season’s beginning, but they impressively navigated through some tough teams in the North to make it to the State Finals. They too return nearly everyone. Triton Central put together a historic undefeated regular season, and while they did suffer some graduation loss, they still return a nice nucleus to do battle again this season. But look for schools like University, Shenandoah, Northeastern, South Central (Union Mills), Covenant Christian (Indianapolis), North Judson-San Pierre, and Hammond Bishop Noll to all challenge for the right to hoist the Class 2A trophy this Winter. Linton-Stockton will enter as a solid favorite this year, but 2020-2021 is about as open and competitive as can be, and there are no less than 20 teams who could also make it to Indianapolis, if things go their way.   PRESEASON POLL 1. Linton-Stockton (25-5, 2019-2020 State Champion) The Linton-Stockton Miners are the defending State Champions, and they are set up to make another deep tournament run this year, if not improve on last season’s overall record. They have size, athleticism, and skill. They have shooters, scorers, rebounders, and defenders. They could probably play in the Class 3A state tournament this year and fair pretty well. The heart and soul of this team is Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="10685" first="Vanessa" last="Shafford"] (17.9p, 6.9r, 4.8a). She is a strong, aggressive, but very skillful perimeter player. Built like more of a forward, Shafford has a really nice handle and creative ability, plus she has range and can really score it, as evidenced by her 3-3 3-point shooting and 19 points in just the first half of the 2019-2020 State Championship. Shafford has committed to play at the University of Southern Indiana. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="99363" first="Aubrey" last="Burgess"] (12.7p, 2.3r, 3.7a, 3.1s) plays with as much energy as anyone, and she is a playmaker as well. She can create shots offensively for herself or teammates, but she’s also a thief defensively, as she gets her hands on a lot of passes and creates steals/deflections nonstop. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="157175" first="Jaylee" last="Hayes"] (7.0p, 4.2r, 1.1a) averaged 11.1 points and 8.2 rebounds in 2018-2019 as a Freshman at Shakamak, so she was a welcomed addition to the Miner lineup last Winter. She has length, fluid athleticism, and she can knock down open jumpers consistently. Up front, six-footers [player_tooltip player_id="35069" first="Haley" last="Rose"] (12.5p, 4.1r, 2.0a) and Gentry Warrick (5.0p, 5.1r) bring two different styles of play to the team. Rose, a Senior, is a long, fluidly athletic face-up ’4’ who has shown much-improved skill and ability over the years. Now she’s able to play at the basket, in the mid-post, or around the perimeter equally well, and she makes athletic plays other girls her height just can’t. She has committed to Indiana Wesleyan University. Warrick, a Junior, is the workhorse inside. She too is a really nice athlete with a solid/strong frame, and she plays with a good motor at both ends of the floor. She’s sort of their rebounding, defending front-liner. Look out for the Miners, as they should be able to match up with anyone in Class 2A this season. 2. Triton Central (26-1, 2019-2020 Regional Champion) Following the 2020 graduation losses of [player_tooltip player_id="101421" first="Maya" last="Chandler"] (18.4p, 5.5r, 3.6a, 4.5s), [player_tooltip player_id="131976" first="Rylie" last="Stephens"] (16.4p, 7.7r, 2.6a, 3.7s), and [player_tooltip player_id="132065" first="Grace" last="Crist"] (7.3p), I have a feeling a number of people are going to write off the Tigers this season. But while their depth is now in question, they still have the right pieces to make a successful tournament run behind their size, strength, and ability to control tempo and shoot the basketball. This year the offense will likely funnel through Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="35027" first="Tenleigh" last="Phelps"] (13.2p, 6.4r, 2.5a). She is a strong, tough-nosed, physical power forward with a beautiful lefty stroke from 3-point range. However, each of the last two seasons her scoring and rebounding numbers have dropped slightly. Now as the focal point, if she doesn’t settle for floating around the perimeter and instead gets back to being a physical monster in the mid-post, she could have her best year yet. She has committed to Youngstown State University. Joining Phelps up front is 6-1 Senior post [player_tooltip player_id="130351" first="Bailey" last="Stamper"] (2.7p, 2.5r, 2.3b). She is strong, physical, and plays extremely hard. She has also added a 3-point shot to her repertoire. And don’t let last year’s stats fool you...she was on a very deep team, but she was a big part of what they did defensively. This year I anticipate her possibly being a walking double-double each night. She has committed to Indiana University-South Bend. From there, Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="99430" first="Taylor" last="Heath"] (8.0p, 3.0r, 7.9a, 2.4s) only led the state of Indiana in assists last year, and she’s back to handle the ball once again. She is strong, steady, and confident. While she doesn’t shoot it a lot outside, she is a consistent perimeter shooter as well. Look for her scoring to go up a little, but her ability to control tempo will be a key reason they succeed this year. She has committed to Hanover College. Senior guard Kenzie Ryle (3.0p) and Sophomore guard Maddy Brown (4.5p) are both good perimeter shooters who will be looking for expanded roles this season, and Sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id="96081" first="Lizzie" last="Graham"] (2.5p, 2.0r) is a tough-nosed, physical wing who plays with a tremendous motor. 3. University (22-2, 2018-2019 Regional Champion) The Trailblazers are another squad who suffered significant graduation losses in the way of [player_tooltip player_id="10581" first="Lindsey" last="Syrek"] (18.4p, 12.2r, 4.7b) and [player_tooltip player_id="101439" first="Maddi" last="Sears"] (14.5p, 5.3r, 5.2a, 2.7s). However, I would anticipate they will play a bit faster and even more aggressive this season behind a great deal of youthful talent. The lone Senior back is guard [player_tooltip player_id="130336" first="Sierra" last="Hinds"] (9.7p, 2.8r, 2.6a, 2.5s), and she fit in nicely after transferring from Hamilton Heights last season. She is a long, wiry, and athletic slashing type of wing guard who can also knock down the occasional rhythm shot from 3-point range. She has committed to Trine University. From there, they will rely on three Sophomores to take on much larger roles this time around. The most notable of the bunch is 6-1 post [player_tooltip player_id="59743" first="Kelsey" last="DuBois"] (11.1p, 10.1r, 2.1a). She formed an intimidating duo with Syrek last season, but now the paint will be all hers to control. She has good size and strength, but she also has face-up skill and understanding. She has touch to the 3-point line, and she’s a really nice downhill passer who can make plays for others. While that will really help her recruiting, her bread & butter against high school competition could very well be to just get inside and overpower opponents around the block. Sophomore guards [player_tooltip player_id="59772" first="Payton" last="Seay"] (8.0p, 4.5r, 3.0a, 3.2s) and Jordan Patterson (5.2p, 2.3a) both got their feet wet as Freshmen, and they look to really expand their roles this season. Both are strong and athletic downhill attackers, and both can create offense for themselves or others. I really like Seay’s relentlessness attacking the basket to score, and Patterson had a really nice Summer on the grassroots circuit. Beyond those four returnees, the Trailblazers will be looking for any number of players to step into significant roles, but DuBois has star potential, and the backcourt of Hinds, Seay, and Patterson are more than capable of taking over games at times. 4. Shenandoah (24-3, 2019-2020 Regional Finalist) While I don’t want to take away from the sense of "team", the last three years at Shenandoah have been the Perry-Hill era, and they look to cap off their careers with one more deep tournament run in 2020-2021. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="99406" first="Kathryn" last="Perry"] (21.0p, 2.2r, 3.8a, 4.6s) has been dynamic throughout her high school career, doing more with less than probably any other small guard in the state. It would take a huge year and/or a deep tournament run, but she is sitting at 1395 points and has an outside chance at 2000. She also has 281 career assists and 355 career steals to date. She’s a quick, feisty, and aggressive player. She has always been a pure scorer and a consistent shooter from the perimeter, but as she’s gotten older, she has also become a much better floor general and taken care of the ball more efficiently. Senior front-liner [player_tooltip player_id="130371" first="Erikka" last="Hill"] (19.2p, 12.8r, 3.5a, 4.2s) is the other half of that duo, and she too has played much bigger than she is due to good athleticism and an outstanding motor. Hill has already exceeded 1000 points (1075), and at 775 rebounds, she should reach 1000 there as well this season. She is strong, tough-nosed, and very productive inside. She also excels on the track, and she has committed to the University of Miami (FL) for track & field as a thrower. The Perry-Hill "law firm" is supported by classmates Rachel Soden (4.7p) and Jenna Stewart (3.9p, 7.0r, 2.4a, 2.3b). Soden, a wing, is capable of knocking down an open 3-pointer, while Stewart, a post, helps Hill patrol the paint inside. This is a very connected group who understands what it takes to play together for a common goal, so they’ll be dangerous come tournament time. 5. Northeastern (20-5, 2019-2020 Sectional Finalist) I realize they won 20 games a season ago, but the Knights are kind of my hunch team who I think will surprise some of the usual suspects and give them fits. They return their top five scorers from a year ago, plus a couple of them have multiple years of Varsity experience. They also welcome one key newcomer who is sure to bolster their frontline. Let’s start with the returnees, where Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="99412" first="Jenna" last="McFarland"] (15.0p, 7.0r, 2.3s) and Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="59745" first="Taylor" last="Farris"] (12.7p, 6.1r, 4.2a, 2.9s) lead the way. McFarland is a tough-nosed, strong, physical, high-motor player who does a nice job of using her frame to produce. She can get defenders on her hip and get to the basket, but she also has touch, good ball skill, and a nice feel for the game around the perimeter. She has been a four-year Varsity contributor for the Knights, and she has already committed to play at Indiana Institute of Technology in Fort Wayne. Farris is one of the better athletes in the state, regardless of class. She is a playmaker who has tremendous vision and feel for the game. She can knock down shots consistently outside or blow by defenders and finish at the basket. She’s a capable on-ball defender, she rebounds her position well, and she is a budding star with the potential to take over games this year. Senior guard Willow Runyon (8.0p, 4.0r, 2.0s), Senior post Emma Wright (6.2p, 4.4r), and Senior wing McKenzie Chasteen (4.4p, 2.7r) round out the lineup, and each offers something a little different from a productivity standpoint. Some exciting news is the addition of Freshman front-liner [player_tooltip player_id="177342" first="Addisen" last="Mastriano"]. The 6-1 post is strong, physical, and aggressive inside, but she has also showed some potential facing the basket, especially in the mid-post. She could become a real matchup problem for opponents immediately, and she just adds another offensive dynamic to a team with good perimeter play. 6. South Central (Union Mills) (21-8, 2019-2020 Regional Champion) The Satellites have been a steadily successful program in Northwest Indiana, and now that they are in Class 2A instead of Class 1A, they are starting to find their footing and make tournament runs. The graduation losses of [player_tooltip player_id="101440" first="Amber" last="Wolf"] and Faith Biggs certainly hurt, but I think last year they had a nice mix of upperclassmen and youngsters, so this year they’ll have a lot of youthful energy transitioning into more prominent roles. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="128209" first="Abigail" last="Tomblin"] (11.1p, 3.2r, 2.3a, 3.1s) is just a ballplayer. She plays mostly off of instincts, but she can make plays for herself or others off the bounce, and she can score the ball in bunches. If anyone is going to step up significantly offensively, I would bank on it being her because of her ability to create offense. Junior guard Delanie Gale (9.0p, 2.9r, 2.1a) is a hard-working, tough-nosed kid who can make shots outside or occasionally take care of the ball and run offense. She seems to play with a good feel for the game, and she takes care of the ball nicely. Sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id="203664" first="Olivia" last="Marks"] (7.1p, 6.5r) was a really nice surprise for the Satellites last season, and I think she can step up her scoring quite a bit this year with Wolf gone. Olivia is a really nice, wiry strong athlete who moves well in all directions. She plays with a nice motor, and she can be an undersized ’4’ or a wing, depending on the needs of the team. Freshman wing [player_tooltip player_id="201877" first="Sadie" last="Marks"] is Olivia’s younger sister, and Sadie is definitely someone to get excited about. Watching her over the Summer, she is a long, wiry strong athlete with some bounce in her step. She is kind of a point forward and another playmaker for a team who will need to find a little more offense this season. One thing I’ve learned over the years is to never count out South Central. They figure out a way to compete, regardless of who has come and gone through the years. 7. Covenant Christian (Indianapolis) (17-9, 2019-2020 Sectional Champion) Covenant Christian hasn’t quite been the dominant force in Class 2A that they were maybe five or six years ago, but they are still a quality program who I think could be scary come tournament time. They will be transitioning away from graduates [player_tooltip player_id="35635" first="Ilani" last="Williams-Harris"] and Sania Borom, plus 6-0 post Anna Guiff transferred to Avon, but there are three individuals to get excited about for the 2020-2021 season. The Warriors hope to get a full season out of Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="130337" first="Bonnie" last="Lew Ludlow"] (9.0p) this Winter, after she was limited to just ten games at the end of last season due to recovery from a knee injury. This Summer she looked taller, stronger, and back to 100%. She has always been a skillful, tough-nosed, and high IQ type of player. She can make shots outside or attack the basket, and she can occasionally slide over and run offense from the point. 5-10 Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="34555" first="Samara" last="Douglas"] (9.0p, 4.5r, 2.0a) will step into more of a spotlight and take on much more responsibility this Winter. She is a worker for sure, she battles around the black and in the mid-post, and she can score the ball facing the basket. She’ll chase down rebounds, and she shows a lot of emotion and helps motivate teammates. Then there is Junior wing Patty Chikamba (7.7p, 6.0r, 2.0s). She is a very active forward who will work for rebounds, she can defend multiple positions, and she plays with a solid motor as well. Once you get past those three it’s somewhat unknown who is going to step up, but Sophomore guard Natalie Sexauer (8.0p, 2.6r) could be an option after transferring in from Central Christian. Still, though, look for Ludlow, Douglas, and Chikamba to be a handful this year as a trio. 8. North Judson-San Pierre (20-5, 2018-2019 Regional Finalist) With a Sectional that includes South Central (Union Mills), as well as capable opponents in Westville, Rensselaer Central, and Winamac, if the Bluejays are to return to the Regional, they’ll need a couple of players to step up and help Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="35021" first="Lilliann" last="Frasure"] (23.6p, 12.6r, 3.6a, 6.5s). Frasure is a stat sheet stuffer who does literally anything and everything for her team. She can handle the ball and run offense, she can knock down an open shot outside, she can attack the basket and score inside, and she can rebound, defend at all three levels, plus she does it with a tremendous motor. Frasure has committed to play at Indiana Wesleyan University. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="130388" first="Abby" last="Chambers"] (5.6p, 5.0r) is one of the better options on the frontline, as she can be effective in the mid-post at times. She has knocked down an occasional 3-pointer in the past, but that’s not quite her game. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="127218" first="Olivia" last="Burkett"] (5.4p, 3.4r, 2.1s) has a very heady and mature game for a younger perimeter player. She is a stronger guard, a solid on-the-floor athlete, and she can handle the ball and run offense at times or attack the basket off the bounce. If she could pose more of a threat as a perimeter shooter, I think it would really help. Senior guard Jordynn Dusek (5.3p), Sophomore wing Sophia Frasure (4.5p, 2.0r), and Senior point guard Adalynn Harper (4.0p) should all see enhanced roles this Winter. With [player_tooltip player_id="35021" first="Lilliann" last="Frasure"] in the fold, the Bluejays always have a shot to compete, and they should continue being a top Class 2A program in Northern Indiana. 9. Frankton (21-8, 2019-2020 State Runner-Up) We’ve all heard the saying, "that’s why you play the game", in context to underdogs, etc. With regards to Frankton, they entered four of their six state tournament games last year as the underdog, going 5-1 in that stretch and finishing as the Class 2A State Runner-Up. It was an impressive run for the Eagles, and they look to match that outcome again this season. Graduate [player_tooltip player_id="131990" first="Addie" last="Gardner"]’s length, athleticism, and shot-making ability will be a tough loss, plus scrapper Grace Alexander and shooter [player_tooltip player_id="132039" first="Bailey" last="Tucker"] are also gone via the diploma. But the Eagles were well-balanced a year ago, and they should once again be that way in 2020-2021. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="128149" first="Lauryn" last="Bates"] (8.0p, 6.2r, 2.8a) was probably their most consistent player all Winter. She is a strong, physical wing who takes on a lot of the ball-handling responsibilities for them. She is an efficient game-manager and a hard worker at both ends of the floor. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="99419" first="Ava" last="Gardner"] (9.2p) caught fire during the state tournament, scoring 24 points in their Sectional Semi-Final upset of Monroe Central, and pouring in another 29 points on six made 3-pointers in their overtime Semi-State win against South Central (Union Mills). 6-1 Senior post [player_tooltip player_id="130345" first="Chloee" last="Thomas"] (9.0p, 5.2r) is the wildcard here, because she has the physicality and skill to become a real matchup nightmare for opponents on the block. She has solid athleticism, strength, and she plays with a nice motor around the basket. Junior wing Bailee Webb (2.8p, 2.0r) and Junior guard Cagney Utterback (2.5p) both gained great Varsity experience last year and will be counted on to slide into more significant roles this season. 10. Hammond Bishop Noll (11-15, 2018-2019 Sectional Champion) Noll’s record is a bit deceiving, as they lost seven games against top competition from Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio last season. This year they look to get back to their winning ways behind the dynamic play of star Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="130311" first="Courtney" last="Blakely"] (23.0p, 4.3r, 4.1a, 3.9s). Courtney is well on her way to 2000 career points (1594), plus she has already posted 324 career assists and 270 career steals. She is a ball-handler, a playmaker, a deep shooter, and a scorer capable of filling it up in bunches. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="62584" first="Rose" last="Fuentes"] (12.8p, 5.4r, 4.1a, 3.8s) should be a 1000-point scorer herself by season’s end. She is a tough-nosed, hard-working, skillful wing who also fills it up outside with deep range, plus she’s a strong attacker who can get physical on her way to the hoop and draw and-ones. A newcomer for the Warriors to get excited about is Freshman point guard [player_tooltip player_id="177310" first="Kennedy" last="Blakely"], Courtney’s younger sister. With her addition, Kennedy will be able to handle the ball a lot and create or run offense, allowing Courtney to use more screens and find additional/easier ways to score the basketball at a high level. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="59770" first="Mariah" last="Robinson"] (5.0p, 4.3r) has also flashed a great deal of potential and playmaking ability, and now with a year of Varsity experience under her belt, I look for her to make a much greater impression this season. 6-1 Senior post Isabelli Damacio (5.6p, 7.3r) and 5-11 Junior post Danneli Campbell (4.7p, 4.9r) will take up space inside and control the boards for this guard-heavy team, but they could also be the beneficiaries of a number of rebound put-backs and dump-off passes, and they could put together several double-doubles this year as well.   TEN MORE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: Adams Central (19-8) Andrean (15-13) Crawford County (20-6) Eastern (Pekin) (19-9) Evansville Mater Dei (10-15) Forest Park (18-8) Lafayette Central Catholic (20-8) Lake Station Edison (15-9) Tipton (12-12) Vincennes Rivet (16-8)