Quarter Turn: Class 3A

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id="62552" first="Jillian" last="Osswald"] of Hamilton Heights High School. Believe it or not, after Tuesday 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 protocols 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 3A. We can’t talk about everyone in each article, so I tried to find what "popped" to me.   2020 State Finalists On Different Paths In Class 3A, 2020 State Finalists NorthWood and Salem both saw significant graduation losses, but they are in different places right now. NorthWood leaned heavily on veteran experience and the interior play of 2020 graduates [player_tooltip player_id="35706" first="Maddy" last="Payne"] and [player_tooltip player_id="101525" first="Kate" last="Rulli"], and honestly, that’s a huge reason why they made such a deep run last year, ultimately winning the Class 3A State Title. Graduated guard Karlie Fielstra was also a big part of the lineup. But this year they have started 0-2, though both losses came against ranked teams currently undefeated (Norwell 4-0, Fairfield 5-0). The Lady Swish have a new coach, and their focus is now on returning perimeter players [player_tooltip player_id="130394" first="Alea" last="Minnich"] and Kendal Miller, both Seniors. Senior forward Bre Wise also saw significant Varsity action a year ago, but beyond that, just about everyone is new to the Varsity spotlight. Their schedule is one of the tougher ones in Class 3A, so they should be well-prepared come tournament time. Salem, on the other hand, had to adapt last year to the loss of 2020 graduate, and 2018-2019 leading scorer, [player_tooltip player_id="131991" first="Leah" last="Miller"] much earlier than they had hoped, as she missed her Senior year due to a knee injury. That gave a number of younger players the opportunity to step into bigger roles a season earlier, and now they have that veteran experience and savvy to make another deep tournament push to Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Lions did also graduate 6-1 post [player_tooltip player_id="101479" first="Lettie" last="Nice"] and versatile guard Hope Tomlinson, but they have still managed a 7-0 start this year. Senior guards [player_tooltip player_id="99380" first="Karly" last="Sweeney"] and Callie Backherms, and Senior post Olivia Weber bring leadership and experience to the group, while Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="97264" first="Natalie" last="Noel"] and Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="128176" first="Abigail" last="Ratts"] bring athleticism, explosiveness, and the ability to score the ball all over the floor. The Lions will just have to first escape an incredibly tough Sectional #30, like they did a year ago in a 54-52 win over Silver Creek.   Letting the Dust Settle In Northern Indiana, the Knox girls’ basketball team is wondering what they have to do to get noticed. While they were #10 in our PGH Indiana Class 3A preseason poll, they have yet to appear on any other polls, despite their 5-0 start, despite their 21-5 Regional qualifying performance in 2017-2018, despite their 21-5 Regional qualifying performance in 2018-2019, despite their 20-0 start to last season, and despite their 25-2 overall record and Regional Runner-Up performance a year ago. But maybe they like it just that way. While everyone else draws more attention, they fly under the radar, sneak up on people, and win their 20+ games each year. However this year could be the year when they get another step or two farther along the state tournament path. Knox returns nearly all of their production from a year ago, led by Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="130363" first="Remi" last="Jordan"] and Senior wing Felicity Olejniczak. Jordan is a strong, but very versatile player who can post inside or score facing the basket in the mid-post. Olejniczak is a strong athlete who plays with a motor and can score it at all three levels. Versatile Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="96088" first="Riley" last="Messer"], productive Junior wing Preston Minix, and athletic Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="97290" first="Megan" last="Bolen"] all bring back experience, and starting experience at that. Freshman guard Morgan Downs has been a nice addition as well, giving them another ball-handler and more flexibility in the backcourt. Knox is coming off of a huge 46-40 win Tuesday night over conference foe and highly ranked Class 1A Pioneer, but they’ll have another test this Saturday when they travel to Kankakee Valley.   Early Season Stat Leaders: Balanced Play in Class 3A While it’s still really early in the season, there are eight young ladies scoring at or above the 20-point threshold, per MaxPreps. North Harrison Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="34549" first="Ali" last="Saunders"] has been consistent each game this season, and she leads the way with a 26.5 scoring average. Heritage Hills Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="22680" first="Rebekah" last="Gordon"] is next at 25.3 points per game, Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="10660" first="Ariana" last="Wiggins"] of Heritage Christian checks in at 24.2 points per game, and then there are a pair of Sophomores in Corydon Central’s [player_tooltip player_id="178232" first="Ava" last="Weber"] (23.7) and South Bend Washington’s [player_tooltip player_id="96086" first="RaShunda" last="Jones"] (23.0). No less than a dozen players are averaging double-digit rebounds in Class 3A, led by Knox Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="130363" first="Remi" last="Jordan"] at 15.0 rebounds per game. Mount Vernon (Posey) Senior post Brooke Jackson is right on her heels at 14.5 rebounds per game, while Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="130381" first="Courtney" last="Lee"] of Heritage Christian (13.3), Sophomore post Klaire Williams of Sullivan (11.8), Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="130322" first="Bailey" last="Hartsough"] of Lakeland (11.8), and Junior wing Kelsey Waggoner of Cardinal Ritter (11.7) all come in above 11.5 rebounds per game. Garrett Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="128162" first="Nataley" last="Armstrong"] is out in front when it comes to assists at 9.0 per game thus far. Speedway Junior point guard Camiell Perry (7.3), South Bend Washington Sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id="59769" first="Amiyah" last="Reynolds"] (7.0), Fort Wayne Concordia Junior guard LonDynn Betts (6.3), and North Harrison Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="34549" first="Ali" last="Saunders"] (6.3) all eclipse the six per game mark as well. Tippecanoe Valley Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="130375" first="Sidney" last="Wagner"] tops all Class 3A players with 6.0 steals per game, South Bend Washington Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="97241" first="Mila" last="Reynolds"] leads Class 3A in blocked shots so far with 3.6 per game, and West Lafayette Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="127228" first="Kennedy" last="Martin"] has knocked down 14 3-pointers already in this young season. Again, the season is still just getting started for some, and coaches are responsible for submitting their team’s stats to MaxPreps, so we use what we can find.   Stuck in the Mud There are roughly eight to ten teams in each class who unfortunately have yet to play a game this season. That’s roughly 8%-9% of the state’s teams. In Class 3A, three schools with such a dilemma who stood out to me were Greensburg, Vincennes Lincoln, and Yorktown, as all three were likely going to contend for Sectional and possibly Regional titles, or more. Greensburg has a history of deep runs, having played in the 2018 Class 3A State Finals, plus making it to the Regional three additional times in the last five seasons. They finished last year 24-4, and while they did suffer some graduation losses, the return of athletic Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="35071" first="Melina" last="Wilkison"], skillful Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="35044" first="Taylor" last="Cooney"], and athletic Senior post [player_tooltip player_id="130407" first="Anna" last="West"] are cause for excitement in the town just off of I-74. As of right now, they are slated to open their season on Tuesday, December 1st, as they will host Class 2A perennial power Triton Central on opening night. Vincennes Lincoln finished the 2019-2020 campaign 19-5, and they have won 19 or more games in six consecutive seasons, with four Regional appearances during that span. They have also seen their share of postponements to begin this season, but the return of talented Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="62534" first="Maycee" last="Lange"] brings great optimism to the Alice faithful. While talented point guard [player_tooltip player_id="101426" first="Darrian" last="Carmean"] did graduate, they have a number of nice younger players to look at this season. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="128181" first="Dani" last="Kroeger"] and Sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id="59761" first="Gracie" last="Kramer"] should handle backcourt responsibilities very well, while Senior guard Marissa Carmean and Sophomore guard Faith Fleetwood provide skillful depth. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="128173" first="Chloe" last="Cardinal"] is a really nice athlete who can also make plays by attacking the basket, and Freshman wing [player_tooltip player_id="177353" first="Macy" last="Sexton"] is someone to keep an eye on moving forward. The Alices look to open their year at Evansville F.J. Reitz on Monday, November 30th. The Yorktown Tigers are another group looking to get their season started soon, as they reportedly will open at home against Lapel on Tuesday, December 1st. Yorktown, following a 19-7 season, also returns several nice, experienced players to the lineup, most notably Senior guards [player_tooltip player_id="130320" first="Carley" last="Culberson"] and [player_tooltip player_id="99401" first="Elizabeth" last="Reece"]. The shooting/scoring ability of those two, along with their activity defensively, is enough to haunt opposing coaches. 6-0 Senior post Jaylynn Dunsmore can be a matchup problem at times because of her size and power. She is a people-mover, and she will finish at the basket, rebound, and alter shots. They are without athletic Senior wing Lea Alexander, however, who has chosen to focus on soccer, where she has committed to Stetson University.   Unranked? No Problem Garrett, Hamilton Heights, Heritage Hills, and Sullivan 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. Garrett impressed a lot of people a year ago with a mostly young group, and they are off to a 6-0 start to begin this year. Sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id="127226" first="Bailey" last="Kelham"] is an impressive athlete who can do just about anything at all three levels. Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="128162" first="Nataley" last="Armstrong"] is a true distributor who can be a nightmare defensively. 6-0 Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="157170" first="Morgan" last="Ostrowski"] is a wiry and bouncy athlete with good skill inside of 15-feet. The Railroaders are without Junior guard Faith Owen, but they welcome in Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="128159" first="Taylor" last="Gerke"], who transferred from Lakewood Park Christian over the Summer. They should approach 20 wins this regular season, but they have a couple of tough games with Fort Wayne Concordia and Norwell coming up very soon. Hamilton Heights got off to a slow start due to COVID restrictions, but they finally started their season on November 20th, and they won three games in five days, including a big win at Danville. Additionally, they are doing so minus 2020 graduate [player_tooltip player_id="101429" first="Bayleigh" last="Runner"], 6-3 2022 post [player_tooltip player_id="34538" first="MyKayla" last="Moran"], and recent Kokomo transfers [player_tooltip player_id="130384" first="Ella" last="Shields"] (2021) and [player_tooltip player_id="128131" first="Mia" last="Shields"] (2022). Senior guard and Taylor University commit [player_tooltip player_id="62552" first="Jillian" last="Osswald"] has been huge for the Huskies, as have Freshmen guards [player_tooltip player_id="177352" first="Camryn" last="Runner"] and Ella Hickok. Heights will also be tested soon, as they have upcoming games with Fishers and 2020 Class 4A State Runner-Up Northwestern. Heritage Hills has had kind of the opposite happen to them. They started the season with three straight wins to begin 3-0, but they’ve been interrupted with several postponements since. They have a couple of tough tests in Tecumseh and Forest Park coming up when they do return, but Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="22680" first="Rebekah" last="Gordon"] gives them a formidable star to lean on when necessary. Gordon has signed to play at Auburn University next season. The Patriots also have a really nice backcourt consisting of Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="97248" first="Hadley" last="Lytton"] and Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="130361" first="Avery" last="Neff"]. Then there are the Sullivan Golden Arrows, and their Junior backcourt of twins [player_tooltip player_id="128125" first="Delainey" last="Shorter"] and [player_tooltip player_id="128126" first="Gracie" last="Shorter"]. If you never see Sullivan, you likely haven’t seen those two, as they aren’t grassroots participants in the Spring/Summer. But they are talented, skilled, and dynamic, and they can cause problems at both ends of the floor. They have helped the Golden Arrows to a 4-0 start this season, which is their best start since the 2011-2012 campaign. Sophomore post Klaire Williams has given them a big boost up front as well, averaging nearly a dozen rebounds per game so far this year. Games against Washington and Linton-Stockton have unfortunately been postponed as of now, or else we might have seen what this team can do against top competition already. Regardless, be fearful of the Shorter twins come tournament time.