Quarter Turn: Class 2A

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id="127214" first="Tori" last="Allen"] of Andrean High School. Believe it or not, after last night’s games we have reached the quarter point in the 2020-2021 season based on dates/days. While it might not seem like it for some teams who have played just a game or two (or maybe even none), several others are four, five, or six games into their seasons. In our new environments with safety protocol in place, conditions aren’t ideal for most teams, but at least we are able to take to the hardwood and get something rolling for these student-athletes. After hearing about how other states are handling things, a big "thank you" needs to be aimed at our athletic directors and school administrators who are doing their best to make athletics available to our kids throughout the state. Anyway, below is a look at a few storylines I thought stood out so far in Class 2A. We can’t talk about everyone in each article, so I tried to find what "popped" to me.   2020 State Finalists Sizzling Early Unlike the 2020 Class 1A State Finalists, the Class 2A representatives, Linton-Stockton and Frankton, have burst out of the gates with undefeated starts. Linton-Stockton stands at 5-0 after yesterday, with their closest margin being a 66-55 decision last night against a more than capable Tecumseh squad. The Miners return their entire starting five, and whether or not they all decide to play basketball in college, all five players are legitimate college prospects. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="10685" first="Vanessa" last="Shafford"] is the heart and soul of this team, as she runs the offense a lot, finds open teammates, but she can also pour in the points herself. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="99363" first="Aubrey" last="Burgess"] is the Energizer Bunny of the group, as she plays with an outstanding motor and a lot of energy defensively. Both are committed to the University of Southern Indiana. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="35069" first="Haley" last="Rose"], an Indiana Wesleyan University commit, brings height, length, and athleticism to the frontcourt, plus a great deal of offensive versatility. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="157175" first="Jaylee" last="Hayes"] is a long, fluid shooter who just adds another weapon to the lineup. And Junior post Gentry Warrick brings more size and athleticism up front, plus she’s key to what they do defensively. They are one of the best teams in the state this year, regardless of class. The Frankton Eagles moved to 6-0 last night after a 20-point win against Taylor, and they’ve been dominant most of the year as well. While they did graduate a trio of productive 2020s, they still return Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="128149" first="Lauryn" last="Bates"], Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="99419" first="Ava" last="Gardner"], and Senior post [player_tooltip player_id="130345" first="Chloee" last="Thomas"]. Bates is a do-everything type who plays sort of a point forward role. Gardner is a dangerous perimeter shooter who got hot at the right time last Winter. Thomas is a strong and athletic 6-1 post who causes matchup problems inside. Junior guard Cagney Utterback and Junior wing Bailee Webb bring back experience as well, but both look to step into much bigger roles, along with a strong Sophomore group. They should be a Sectional favorite this year, and with a somewhat uncertain Class 2A field in the North, they could make another deep run through the state tournament.   Just Another Good Start Both Triton Central and University have seen their share of success over these last few years, but this time around they are supposed to be "down" following significant graduation losses. The Tigers of Triton Central graduated [player_tooltip player_id="131976" first="Rylie" last="Stephens"] and [player_tooltip player_id="101421" first="Maya" last="Chandler"], both of whom scored more than 16 points per game. Additionally, Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="35027" first="Tenleigh" last="Phelps"], another returning double-digit scorer, tore her ACL and will miss most, if not all, of the 2020-2021 season. She has committed to Youngstown State University. Even still, the Tigers return Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="99430" first="Taylor" last="Heath"] and Senior post [player_tooltip player_id="130351" first="Bailey" last="Stamper"], and those two have helped Triton Central get out to a 4-1 start, with their only loss to a talented Greenwood Christian, 58-49. Heath is a true setup point guard, but she’s scoring it much better this year. She has committed to Hanover College. Stamper is a hard-working post who has skill as well. She is committed to play at Indiana University-South Bend. Sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id="96081" first="Lizzie" last="Graham"], Sophomore guard Maddy Brown, and Freshman forward Brooklyn Bailey have stepped up big in a lot of early playing time. As for University, the Trailblazers are without talented front-liner [player_tooltip player_id="10581" first="Lindsey" last="Syrek"] and versatile guard [player_tooltip player_id="101439" first="Maddi" last="Sears"], both graduates who scored more than 14 points per game last season. However, Sophomore post [player_tooltip player_id="59743" first="Kelsey" last="DuBois"] has really stepped up her game, as have Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="130336" first="Sierra" last="Hinds"], and Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="59772" first="Payton" last="Seay"]. The Trailblazers currently sit at 3-0 on the year. DuBois is a matchup problem, because she’s the size of a true post, but she has perimeter skill as well. Hinds and Seay are motor kids who contribute in a lot of different ways. Hinds has committed to play at Trine University. All I know is, I wouldn’t want to play either of these teams come tournament time.   Early Season Stat Leaders: Veterans Lead in Class 2A While it’s still really early in the season, there are five young ladies scoring at or above the 20-point threshold, per MaxPreps. Bishop Noll Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="130311" first="Courtney" last="Blakely"] leads the way at 28.8 points per game, while North Judson-San Pierre Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="35021" first="Lilliann" last="Frasure"] is close behind at 27.5. There is some separation after that, but Andrean Senior guard Dyamond Blair (21.5), North Putnam Junior guard Kyla Willis (21.0), and Triton Central Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="99430" first="Taylor" last="Heath"] (20.0) round out the high-scoring quintet. Seven players are averaging double-digit rebounds in Class 2A, led by Wabash Senior post Mariah Wyatt at 13.3. Wyatt had a 24-rebound performance two weeks ago. University Sophomore post [player_tooltip player_id="59743" first="Kelsey" last="DuBois"] (12.3) and Tipton Sophomore post [player_tooltip player_id="127234" first="Ashlee" last="Schram"] (12.0) are close on her heels at cleaning the glass. As for handing out assists, after leading the state last year at nearly eight per game, Triton Central Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="99430" first="Taylor" last="Heath"] is off to an even better start, averaging 11.7 per game so far. North Judson-San Pierre Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="35021" first="Lilliann" last="Frasure"] (7.0), Northeastern Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="59745" first="Taylor" last="Farris"] (6.7), Covenant Christian (Indianpolis) Junior guard Patty Chikamba (6.5), and South Ripley Senior guard L.J. McQueen (6.0) all top six or more assists per game. Defensively, once again North Putnam Junior guard Kyla Willis and North Judson-San Pierre Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="35021" first="Lilliann" last="Frasure"] are involved, as they are averaging 7.3 steals and 7.0 steals, respectively. No one else is closer to them than 4.8 steals per game. I also wanted to point out that Triton Central Senior post [player_tooltip player_id="130351" first="Bailey" last="Stamper"] is averaging an impressive 4.7 blocked shots per game to lead Class 2A in that category. Again, the season is still very young, and coaches are responsible for submitting their team’s stats to MaxPreps, so we use what we can find.   Sectional #41 is Brutal Sectional #41 will be one site to keep an eye on in early February. With #9 Shenandoah (2-1), #12 Northeastern (4-0), plus Union County (1-0) and Hagerstown (1-0) involved, there will be some battles for that crown this year. Shenandoah’s only loss is to Class 3A power Heritage Christian, 54-48, so that’s credible, and they are a better team than #9. Northeastern is likely as low as #12 only because their season didn’t even start until November 17th, and they’ve beaten Lapel, Union City, and Delta in the last eight days. Union County and Hagerstown have proven they are worthy as well, as all four of these schools have traded wins/losses over the last few years. And when you look beyond the teams to the individuals, Shenandoah has the dynamic duo of Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="99406" first="Kathryn" last="Perry"] and Senior post [player_tooltip player_id="130371" first="Erikka" last="Hill"]. Hill is committed to the University of Miami (FL) for track and field, and she’s coming off a 42-point game last week. Northeastern has top Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="59745" first="Taylor" last="Farris"], skillful Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="99412" first="Jenna" last="McFarland"], and developing 6-1 Freshman [player_tooltip player_id="177342" first="Addisen" last="Mastriano"]. McFarland is committed to Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne. Union County counters with Senior do-everything forward [player_tooltip player_id="99397" first="Madison" last="Gray"], while Hagerstown has a nice wing in Senior [player_tooltip player_id="99394" first="Hallie" last="Rogers"]. This Sectional should be a fun one to watch throughout.   Unranked? No Problem Andrean, Clinton Prairie, Fairfield, Forest Park, and Lafayette Central Catholic all began the season outside of our Preseason Top-10, but all have started this season with an undefeated mark of 3-0 or better. Andrean is in its second season down from Class 3A, and they have started out 3-0 with a pair of nice wins over Class 4A foes Merrillville and Munster. Senior guard Dyamond Blair and Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="127214" first="Tori" last="Allen"] have gotten off to hot starts, proving the 59ers backcourt could be very formidable this year. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="99429" first="Julia" last="Schutz"] is a staple in the lineup who always produces, and Sophomore forward Abbi Foster has given them good minutes early this year as well. Clinton Prairie is off to a 4-0 start, and they had a big win last week against an improved and well-coached West Lafayette squad. Sophomore forward Sydney Swan, Senior wing Rylee Ward, and Freshman forward Ava Brewer lead the Gophers in most statistical categories early this year. They have also done this without talented Junior wing Tynlie Neal. Fairfield, who played a number of younger kids a year ago, is seeing the benefit of that already this season. Led by versatile 6-0 Sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id="59749" first="Brea" last="Garber"], the Falcons have defeated a talented Northfield team, the 2020 Class 3A State Champion in NorthWood, and a solid Class 4A opponent in LaPorte to begin their year 5-0. Forest Park is another group relying on youth, as Sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id="59728" first="Lydia" last="Betz"] and Sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id="178237" first="Amber" last="Tretter"] have the Rangers out to a 5-0 start, including impressive wins over notable opponents like Gibson Southern and Evansville Mater Dei. And then there’s Lafayette Central Catholic, who despite their record each season, is always around come tournament time. This year, however, they are off to a 4-0 beginning, with a nice win against North Judson-San Pierre two weeks ago. The Knights are led by Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="128133" first="Karsyn" last="Cherry"]. She is a talented and versatile player who has already committed to play soccer at the University of Louisville. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="127241" first="Tori" last="Thompson"], Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="128204" first="Caitlin" last="Dineen"], and Senior guard Caroline Lutz round out a quality perimeter attack that is hard to match by most of their opponents.