Small School, Big Game: Class 1A Underclassmen

Not only does Indiana take a great deal of pride in its basketball, but it takes a great deal of pride in its small school basketball (<em>cue the theme music to "Hoosiers"</em>). It is highly improbable to cover everyone each year on the PGH sites, however we do like to make note of several young ladies who may or may not get the attention they deserve based on their quality play. In this article, I have focused on Sophomores and Freshmen from Class 1A schools who are currently uncommitted. I tried to find five such young ladies who stand out as talents, but who might not be well-known on the statewide level at this time. &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="203655" first="Maci" last="Chamberlin"], 2023, 5-7 SG, Blue River Valley H.S.</strong></span> Maci saw quality playing time last season as a Freshman at Winchester, but the family moved to the Blue River area over the Summer. She is a strong, tough-nosed, high-motor guard who plays with a good deal of awareness and understanding. Her calling card has<span style="font-size: 1rem;"> been her ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter, but over the Summer I was really impressed with her vision, passing ability, and communication when handling the ball. She initiated the offense at times and found teammates for open scores. Whether she plays on or off the ball, she is an obvious boost to a Blue River team that already has a talented post player in </span><strong style="font-size: 1rem;">[player_tooltip player_id="97266" first="Ally" last="Madden"]</strong><span style="font-size: 1rem;">.</span> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="178241" first="Bailey" last="Parham"], 2023, 5-11 PF, Tri H.S.</strong></span> Bailey is a really nice small school interior player. She has a fairly strong frame, some length, and she plays with an outstanding motor. She likes to play with contact and can make post-moves accordingly and instinctually based on where the defender plays. She’s also a tremendous rebounder who can both block out to rebound, but she also pursues many rebounds outside of her area. Paired alongside the 6-2 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="130391" first="Averi" last="Phelps"]</strong>, opponents must choose unique ways to defend the tandem, and last year as a Freshman Bailey averaged 12.2 points and 13.3 rebounds per game for the Lady Titans. She has gotten off to another strong start this season. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="59779" first="Bailey" last="Tabeling"], 2023, 5-9 SG, Trinity Lutheran School</strong></span> Bailey is a long, fluidly athletic, and smooth wing guard. For Trinity Lutheran she plays on the ball quite a bit, starting the offense for them and handling it in transition. But she is such a high-level scorer, that I would want to set screen after screen for her to get space. Division-I schools have started to take notice because of her range and ability to make shots at a high rate. As a Freshman, she averaged 21.4 points per game while burying 57 3-pointers. She even had five games in the 30s, with two of them as high as 36 points. This year she is right back at it, averaging 21.3 points and 5.0 assists per game for the 4-1 Cougars. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="59789" first="Linzie" last="Wernert"], 2023, 5-8 SF, Lanesville H.S.</strong></span> Linzie mirrors many of the talented, Southern Indiana wings the state possesses right now. She has an athletically strong frame, she moves well in most directions, she has a versatile skillset, plus she plays with a high-level motor and a quiet toughness. As a Freshman, Linzie helped the Eagles to a 23-4 record and a Regional appearance, averaging 11.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. This year, Lanesville is off to a 9-1 start, and Linzie is coming off of her best week yet, posting 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 steals against Henryville, then scoring 21 points against Austin two days later. She does a little of everything for the high-flying Eagles. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Isabel Scales, 2023, 5-8 SG, Caston H.S.</strong></span> Caston’s last winning season was the 2013-2014 campaign, then in walk a trio of Freshmen, and after a win yesterday, the Comets are off to a 6-2 start. Isabel leads that Freshmen group, and the team, in scoring (11.1) and steals (4.3), and she’s second in assists (2.4). I had the opportunity to see her several times in the Summer/Fall, and she is an energy-giver who hustles all over the floor, gives up her body to chase down loose balls, but she also possesses a well-rounded skillset. She is a strong-for-her-age wing, she can handle it some in transition, and she’s great attacking the basket. Continued Varsity experience will only make her better.