Season Update: The SIAC

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id="99407" first="Emma" last="Shelton"] of Jasper High School. Periodically throughout the season, I want to take the time to look in on several of the state’s conferences. I’ll take a peek at what teams are performing well, who the top prospects are, upcoming games, etc. Widely considered the "big school" conference in Southwestern Indiana, the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference (also known as "the SIAC") is also one of the oldest. The SIAC was founded in 1936, with its original members being Bicknell, Bloomington, Evansville Bosse, Evansville Central, Evansville F.J. Reitz, Linton, New Albany, Princeton, Sullivan, Vincennes Lincoln, and Washington. At one time or another, it has also included Bedford, Boonville, Evansville Rex Mundi, Huntingburg, Jasper, Mount Vernon (Posey), North Knox, Tell City, Terre Haute North Vigo, and Terre Haute South Vigo, before settling on the ten schools listed below as of this season. Jasper and Vincennes Lincoln are actually new additions this year, coming over from the Big Eight Conference. Girls’ basketball titles have been fairly spread out amongst the eight teams who were in the conference before Jasper and Vincennes Lincoln joined this year. Evansville Bosse and Evansville Memorial are tied at the top with 12 conference titles each, with Memorial posting a 7-0 record in the conference during the 2019-2020 season. Castle is next with 10 titles, followed by Evansville Mater Dei with six, Evansville Central with four, Evansville F.J. Reitz and Evansville Harrison with three each, and Evansville North with one title. Currently three of the teams are above .500, three teams are at .500, and four teams are under .500 in terms of overall record. While Evansville Memorial is strong once again in 2020-2021, there are no less than five other teams who could challenge them on any given night. Over the past decade, several of these schools have begun branching out and playing top competition from Southern Indiana and Central Indiana in showcase and holiday tournaments, better preparing themselves for state tournament play. Also, most/all of these teams have college prospects on their rosters, a lot of which still fly under the radar in terms of recruiting.   <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">School</td> <td style="width: 25%;">Record</td> <td style="width: 25%;">Conference</td> <td style="width: 25%;">Schedule Strength</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">Vincennes Lincoln</td> <td style="width: 25%;">2-1</td> <td style="width: 25%;">2-0</td> <td style="width: 25%;">267</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">Evansville Mater Dei</td> <td style="width: 25%;">6-1</td> <td style="width: 25%;">1-0</td> <td style="width: 25%;">182</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">Castle</td> <td style="width: 25%;">2-2</td> <td style="width: 25%;">1-0</td> <td style="width: 25%;">37</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">Jasper</td> <td style="width: 25%;">2-2</td> <td style="width: 25%;">2-1</td> <td style="width: 25%;">55</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">Evansville F.J. Reitz</td> <td style="width: 25%;">2-4</td> <td style="width: 25%;">1-2</td> <td style="width: 25%;">220</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">Evansville Memorial</td> <td style="width: 25%;">4-0</td> <td style="width: 25%;">0-0</td> <td style="width: 25%;">82</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">Evansville North</td> <td style="width: 25%;">0-0</td> <td style="width: 25%;">0-0</td> <td style="width: 25%;">N/A</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">Evansville Harrison</td> <td style="width: 25%;">0-3</td> <td style="width: 25%;">0-0</td> <td style="width: 25%;">102</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">Evansville Central</td> <td style="width: 25%;">1-4</td> <td style="width: 25%;">0-1</td> <td style="width: 25%;">209</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">Evansville Bosse</td> <td style="width: 25%;">1-7</td> <td style="width: 25%;">0-3</td> <td style="width: 25%;">168</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> Schedule strength is figured out of 400 qualifying schools in the state, regardless of classification.   Vincennes Lincoln The Alices got off to a late start due to COVID related issues, as they didn’t play their first game until last Monday (11/30). They have gotten off to a 2-1 start, but their two wins were both conference wins against Evansville F.J. Reitz and Evansville Bosse, so they have a leg up early in the SIAC standings. Their lone loss was at an always strong Gibson Southern. With their schedule much more compact now, four of their final five opponents before Christmas are SIAC foes Jasper (12/10), Evansville Harrison (12/12), Evansville Memorial (12/15), and Evansville Mater Dei (12/21). They then travel to the Franklin Central Tournament on 12/30, which also includes Pike and Fort Wayne South Side. While the Alices did graduate guard [player_tooltip player_id="101426" first="Darrian" last="Carmean"] and her 21.4 points per game, they welcomed back Senior front-liner [player_tooltip player_id="62534" first="Maycee" last="Lange"] (15.7p, 9.9r, 2.2s), Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="128181" first="Dani" last="Kroeger"] (10.0p 3.3r, 2.3a), Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="128173" first="Chloe" last="Cardinal"] (8.4p, 4.6r, 2.1a), and Sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id="59761" first="Gracie" last="Kramer"] (5.3p). Look for Kramer’s playing time and statistics to jump significantly in year-two. Freshman [player_tooltip player_id="177353" first="Macy" last="Sexton"] could also play early. Evansville Mater Dei Mater Dei has been a strong program the last several years, and they are off to a 6-1 start in 2020-2021. Their lone loss is to a much-improved Forest Park program, plus the Wildcats already have a SIAC win at Evansville F.J. Reitz. The season does get tougher for Mater Dei, though, as they travel to Castle tonight (12/10) and play at Vincennes Lincoln (12/21) just before Christmas. Additionally, six of their seven scheduled January contests are SIAC matchups. The Wildcats typically play very balanced with a lot of structure, but this year they at least have the benefit of leaning on four-year Varsity letter-winner [player_tooltip player_id="62554" first="Mariah" last="Dickerson"] (9.5p, 7.0r) in the post. The 6-0 Senior can be quite a dominant force and matchup problem. 6-0 Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="97306" first="Kennedy" last="Wenger"] (8.0p, 5.7r) also saw a lot of opportunity a year ago, and her game has really expanded in the last six to eight months. Senior wing Emily Beckerle (6.1p, 4.5r), Junior guard Jamie Luigs (5.4p, 2.1r, 2.1s), Senior guard Taylor Gerth (4.2p, 2.6r, 2.0a), and Senior wing Caitlyn Madden (3.7p, 2.8r) also bring back experience. Look for Junior forward Kate Breeden, along with Freshman wing [player_tooltip player_id="177320" first="Brylee" last="Delano"], to find key minutes as well. Castle The Castle Knights have had a somewhat uneven season so far. They started the year with a nice 20-point win against a solid Jeffersonville team, but they then had three weeks between games. When they returned, they were in a tough tournament and had a one-point, nail-biting loss with Crown Point and another close loss against Columbus North on the same day. They bounced back with a strong conference win at Jasper, so they are at last 1--0 in the SIAC to begin December. Castle hosts Evansville Mater Dei tonight in a big SIAC matchup. The Knights have gotten a great deal of balance out of eight ladies this year. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="128117" first="Natalie" last="Niehaus"] (10.3p, 6.0r, 2.3a) is in her third year as a Varsity cog. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="97258" first="Kyrisha" last="Hay-Swope"] (9.3p, 4.5r, 4.5s) has really stepped up this year in a big way. Junior guard Keira Moore (8.0p, 3.5r, 2.3a), Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="128142" first="Megan" last="Kain"] (6.8p, 3.0r), and Junior guard Jordan Coon (5.8p, 2.3s) add to a strong 2022 class. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="127216" first="Devyn" last="Barton"] (5.8p, 2.5r, 2.0s), plus Freshmen forwards Aleyna Quinn (3.3p, 4.3r) and [player_tooltip player_id="177347" first="Kierstin" last="Niehaus"] (2.5p, 2.0r), add youthful energy to the rotation. Jasper The Jasper Wildcats are yet another team whose season has seen interruptions. After playing their first game on November 14, they found themselves waiting until December 3 to play again. After losing two to open the season, albeit against tough opponents in Heritage Hills and Castle, the Wildcats have now won two consecutive games against Evansville Central and Evansville Bosse to push their overall record to 2-2 and their SIAC record to 2-1. Jasper will finish a tough week with a game tonight against Vincennes Lincoln, then a Saturday trip to North Harrison. Next week they play three games as well, with a tough trip to The Hatchet House mixed in. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="99407" first="Emma" last="Shelton"] (14.0, 2.0r, 2.0s) has stepped up this year and leads the Wildcats in scoring through four games. Senior front-liner Hannah Schwenk (7.7p, 7.0r, 3.0a, 2.0s) has also been strong inside for Jasper. Junior Aspen Sermersheim (7.3p, 3.0r), Junior Izzy Hopf (4.0p, 5.0r), Senior Jaycie Hooten (3.7p), and Senior Kendyl Ruhe (2.5p, 2.0a) are all big parts of the rotation on this mostly veteran roster. Evansville F.J. Reitz Evansville F.J. Reitz hasn’t posted a winning record since the 2002-2003 season, but the nine wins they secured a year ago were the most since that season. With a trio of Kentucky teams on their schedule, and the Kentucky season in limbo, I’m not sure they will necessarily play enough games to get to nine wins again, but Reitz is an improving team/program. It’s shaping up as though January will be the toughest part of their schedule, due to the quality of teams and a lot of reschedules falling in that month. Junior guard Alyssa Haynes (9.5p, 3.3r, 2.0a, 2.3s) and Junior wing Carlee Effinger (7.1p, 2.6r) are the top returnees for the Panthers, and they give them a lot of hope moving forward. Senior wing Xavieria Cole (3.2p) also saw some minutes a year ago. Look for Freshman guard Norah Miller to see a lot of opportunity early and often this season. Fellow Freshmen Alexis Nation and Alexis Hale could find their way into the rotation as well in 2020-2021. Evansville Memorial Evansville Memorial returns a lot of their production from last year, and they are one of the favorites to compete for the Class 3A South Semi-State this season. While they didn’t get rolling until November 17, and they then took a bit of a break around Thanksgiving, the Tigers are now sitting at 4-0 with impressive wins against Tecumseh, Boonville, Heritage Hills, and Gibson Southern. They will see their first SIAC action tonight at Evansville Bosse, followed by a trip to Vincennes Lincoln next Tuesday. But their schedule only gets tougher, with the Hall of Fame Tournament, plus games against Washington, Castle, Loogootee, and North Harrison down the road. The Tigers veteran cast starts with the strong play of Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="99409" first="Ryleigh" last="Anslinger"] (18.0p, 2.7r, 3.3a, 3.0s). Classmates Savannah Warren (11.0p, 3.7r, 2.7a, 4.0s), [player_tooltip player_id="130366" first="Peyton" last="Murphy"] (6.7p, 5.7r, 3.7a, 4.0s), and [player_tooltip player_id="184230" first="Hope" last="Lensing"] (4.7p, 3.0r) provide a great deal of stability, while Sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id="127211" first="Emily" last="Mattingly"] (11.0p, 3.7r) plays like a Senior and gives them another scoring boost. Freshman point guard [player_tooltip player_id="177335" first="Avery" last="Kelley"] (3.7p, 2.7r) and Freshman wing [player_tooltip player_id="177332" first="Sophia" last="Johnson"] (3.3p, 4.0r) bring a lot of talent to the floor as well. Evansville North Evansville North has yet to take the floor this year, and it looks like they won’t do so until at least November 14. Wings [player_tooltip player_id="131979" first="Kenna" last="Hisle"] (13.9p, 6.0r, 2.2a) and [player_tooltip player_id="101461" first="Gabby" last="Joyner"] (10.2p, 5.2r, 4.7a, 2.3s) both graduated, plus Junior front-liner [player_tooltip player_id="128140" first="Kaliah" last="Neighbors"] (11.5p, 7.1r) will miss the 2020-2021 season with an injury, so there are a lot of unknowns for this Huskies team. I would anticipate the combination of Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="128157" first="Kaylee" last="Martin"] (6.6p) and Sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id="96092" first="Jalyn" last="Shelby"] (5.2p, 3.1r) will be front and center once North is able to take to the floor again. Each of them had a strong Fall at showcase events. From there, it’s wide open to any number of newcomers to step up and make their mark. Evansville Harrison The Warriors haven’t won more than five games since the 2014-2015 season, and last year they struggled to an 0-22 finish. But they have taken to the youth movement this year, so despite what could be another rough season, they are going to gain a great deal of experience and improve each time out. They have started this season 0-3, but they have yet to dip into SIAC play yet. Leading the way early this season are a quintet of Freshmen. Gabrielle Bushrod (5.0p, 2.0r, 3.0a), Ma’Khya Robertson (5.0p, 4.0r), Jordan Mackey (4.5p, 4.5r), Jannie Berry (2.0p, 4.0r), and Ava Verkamp (3.5r) are the foundation for this program moving forward. Sophomore Tori Carroll (4.0p, 5.5r, 2.0s) is the leading rebounder, while Daiyuana Wright (3.0p, 4.0r) is the lone Senior on the roster. Evansville Central The Bears started the season with a couple of close losses before finally breaking through to knock off North Posey in overtime. They now sit at 1-4 overall, 0-1 in the SIAC, but it looks like they still have four more games coming up before Christmas, including a December 16 conference matchup at Evansville F.J. Reitz. Central leans heavily on Senior post [player_tooltip player_id="130368" first="Amaya" last="Thomas"] (15.4p, 10.4r, 2.6a) and Junior wing Lauren Nalley (15.0p). When opponents are able to limit those two offensively, they struggle at times at that end of the floor. However, the Bears are playing several Freshmen this year, so that experience should pay off for them somewhere down the road. Guard MacKenzie White (4.8p, 3.4r, 3.6a), wing Jahzara McAlister (2.8), and forward Lindsey Laine (2.2p, 4.4r, 2.0a) are seeing a bulk of the workload out of that 2024 class. [player_tooltip player_id="128210" first="Mya" last="Johnson"] (4.0r) is a capable frontline backup as well. Evansville Bosse The Bosse Bulldogs have spent six-plus years trying to find a winning formula again, and this year’s 1-7 start probably doesn’t suggest that will happen in 2020-2021. At the same time, they are able to play, and they are one of the few teams statewide already nearing 10 games. In fact, they are on pace to have played a dozen games before Christmas, so their January isn’t crowded with opponents left and right. Bosse has gotten strong play from Senior guard Aysha Lindsey (17.5p, 3.5r, 2.5a, 2.3s), as she has been pretty consistent most nights. Fellow classmates Jana Baker (7.8p) and Nevaeh Smelser (3.3p, 7.5r) help give the Bulldogs a veteran nucleus. Sophomore guard Grace Doty (9.3p, 3.5r) is an exciting youngster for Bosse, while Freshman wing Kania Hardiman (2.5p, 4.0r) is getting her feet wet early this year.