Season Update: The NIC

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id="22669" first="McKenzie" last="Hudgen"] of Mishawaka Marian High School. Periodically throughout the season, I am taking 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. The Northern Indiana Conference is one of the oldest conferences in the state, having been established in 1927 with 14 original schools. Of those original members, only Elkhart has survived the test of time, though in 1972 it changed its name to Elkhart Central, before consolidating with Elkhart Memorial at the end of the 2019-2020 school year to return to the name Elkhart High School this season. Mishawaka also had a nice run from 1927-2020, but it just joined the Northern Lakes Conference this year. The other 12 founding schools included East Chicago/East Chicago Washington, Gary Emerson, Gary Froebel, Gary Horace Mann, Goshen, Hammond, LaPorte, Michigan City/Michigan City Elston, Plymouth, South Bend/South Bend Central, Valparaiso, and Whiting. Over the years the NIC has also seen schools like East Chicago Roosevelt, Fort Wayne North Side, Gary Lew Wallace, Gary Tolleston, Hammond Clark, Hammond Tech, and South Bend LaSalle come and go before settling on the dozen schools that exist today. I had a tough time tracking down girls’ basketball conference championships for the NIC, however schools like Penn (2016 Class 4A), South Bend St. Joseph (2005/2017 Class 3A), and South Bend Washington (2007 Class 4A) have all won state championships in girls’ basketball. So far this season, the Northern Indiana Conference has accounted for a couple of the state’s ranked teams, with #2 Penn, #16 Mishawaka Marian, and South Bend Washington having all made appearances in the IBCA statewide Top-20 poll this season. Five of the 12 schools sit above .500, two sit right at .500, while five others find themselves below .500 at this point in the season in terms of overall winning percentage. I don’t know that there have been many huge surprises this year, but those three aforementioned schools all have the talent and potential to make it as far as Bankers Life Fieldhouse in February. While several of the schools don’t play Top-100 level schedules, there are many non-Class 4A schools in the NIC, they all play the best teams in their area of the state, and the bigger schools usually will travel some to play better competition. Most of these schools produce a wide range of college talent, with a few of them having a Division-I prospect or two on their rosters most seasons.   <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%;">Penn</td> <td style="width: 25%;">11-2</td> <td style="width: 25%;">6-0</td> <td style="width: 25%;">39</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">Mishawaka Marian</td> <td style="width: 25%;">13-2</td> <td style="width: 25%;">7-1</td> <td style="width: 25%;">142</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">SB Washington</td> <td style="width: 25%;">11-4</td> <td style="width: 25%;">5-2</td> <td style="width: 25%;">61</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">Elkhart</td> <td style="width: 25%;">5-7</td> <td style="width: 25%;">4-2</td> <td style="width: 25%;">80</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">SB St. Joseph</td> <td style="width: 25%;">8-6</td> <td style="width: 25%;">4-3</td> <td style="width: 25%;">198</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">John Glenn</td> <td style="width: 25%;">5-4</td> <td style="width: 25%;">2-2</td> <td style="width: 25%;">156</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">New Prairie</td> <td style="width: 25%;">6-9</td> <td style="width: 25%;">3-4</td> <td style="width: 25%;">180</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">Bremen</td> <td style="width: 25%;">5-5</td> <td style="width: 25%;">2-4</td> <td style="width: 25%;">197</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">South Bend Riley</td> <td style="width: 25%;">3-3</td> <td style="width: 25%;">1-3</td> <td style="width: 25%;">254</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">SB John Adams</td> <td style="width: 25%;">4-8</td> <td style="width: 25%;">1-5</td> <td style="width: 25%;">105</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">South Bend Clay</td> <td style="width: 25%;">1-8</td> <td style="width: 25%;">0-3</td> <td style="width: 25%;">168</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 25%;">Jimtown</td> <td style="width: 25%;">1-9</td> <td style="width: 25%;">0-6</td> <td style="width: 25%;">264</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> Schedule strength is figured out of 400 qualifying schools in the state, regardless of classification.   Penn For the last several years, the Kingsmen have been one of the deepest, most competitive teams in the state, regardless of classification. They entered the break ranked #2 in the state with an 11-2 record, but they haven’t played since December 17. They do have a tough matchup this afternoon, as they host #7 Carmel. They’ve begun their conference season 6-0, and they have already knocked off both Mishawaka Marian and South Bend Washington in that stretch. Penn also has key non-conference wins against Warsaw, Carroll (Fort Wayne), and Northridge. Fort Wayne South Side will be another tough non-conference matchup in mid-January. The Kingsmen turn to a slew of Seniors and Juniors for production and leadership this year, with Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="99357" first="Trinity" last="Clinton"] (14.5p, 4.4r, 2.4a, 2.5s), Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="10705" first="Kaitlyn" last="Costner"] (11.5p, 3.6r, 3.0a, 2.5s), and Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="23787" first="Jada" last="Patton"] (10.4p, 4.5r) all scoring in double-figures. Costner has already committed to The Ohio State University, while Clinton has a couple of Division-I offers herself. Backcourt support comes in the way of Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="94969" first="Jordyn" last="Smith"] (9.5p, 2.6r, 4.4a, 3.0s), Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="99445" first="Grace" last="Schutt"] (3.9p), Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="128151" first="Gracie" last="Bobo"] (3.4p), Senior guard Emily Salwin, and Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="128158" first="Payton" last="Adkins"]. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="209421" first="Grace" last="Adams"] (7.2p, 6.2r), 6-1 Junior [player_tooltip player_id="128163" first="Gabrielle" last="Hoover"] (2.8r), and Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="157178" first="Sydney" last="Little"] give the Kingsmen some size upfront, while wing [player_tooltip player_id="59744" first="Julia" last="Economou"] (3.4p, 3.6r) is the lone Sophomore contributor on this deep squad. Mishawaka Marian The Knights won their third consecutive Sectional title last year, after not winning a Sectional game most seasons in the 2000s. It has been an impressive run for Marian, and this year’s team might be even better than in 2019-2020. While they did have a tough loss against Penn, they already knocked off South Bend Washington, so they are sitting pretty solid in the NIC’s #2 spot right now at 7-1. Their other loss this year was to a very good Noblesville team, but the Knights just won the Lake Central Tournament Wednesday, and they look forward to a couple of quality contests against a big Goshen team next week and last year’s Class 3A State Champion in NorthWood later this month. The Knights are led by a pair of Division-I Sophomore prospects. Guard [player_tooltip player_id="59748" first="Nevaeh" last="Foster"] (20.3p, 3.4r, 3.1a, 3.4s) and forward [player_tooltip player_id="127232" first="MaKaya" last="Porter"] (17.3p, 8.3r, 3.3s, 2.0b) are a really tough duo to stop, especially when they get into a little bit of a two-man game. Foster is an explosive scorer and a creative playmaker, while Porter is a strong athlete with skill. Porter transferred in from Elkhart Central this season. Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="22669" first="McKenzie" last="Hudgen"] (13.4p, 7.1r, 5.3a, 4.0s) is another Division-I player, having already signed with California State University-Northridge. She is the consummate teammate, willing to do whatever it takes to help her team win games. Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="203660" first="Kendall" last="Bethel"] (8.3p, 2.8a) is a quick/fast little water-bug who flies around the floor making plays. Add to that energetic Junior guard Payton Rangel (3.6p, 2.1r), and the Knights have a tough five to stop on any given night. South Bend Washington The one thing you can say about the Panthers is they aren’t shying away from competition. While their NIC schedule is set for them, they have already faced #2 Penn and #16 Mishawaka Marian, dropping each game, so winning the conference this year will be difficult. However, they have swung for the fences in the way of a non-conference schedule, and it could pay dividends for them down the road. They fell at 8-2 Fort Wayne South Side in a tough one, but they bounced back to beat #15 Homestead in overtime by 13. They just went 3-1 this week at the Northridge Raider Holiday Classic, knocking off a young and talented Fort Wayne Snider, beating 13-2 Knox by 20, while their lone loss was in a close one against #20 Carroll (Fort Wayne). They host #14 Lawrence North this evening, #1 Crown Point on January 15, and they’re still searching for a makeup date for Northwestern. And when it comes to talent, they have that in spades, and their roster only got stronger this past week. 6-2 Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="97241" first="Mila" last="Reynolds"] (19.9p, 9.7r, 2.7b) is their most productive player, as she can play inside-out and hurt you in a variety of ways. She has already committed to the University of Maryland. Her Sophomore sister, [player_tooltip player_id="59769" first="Amiyah" last="Reynolds"] (9.9p, 8.5r, 7.1a, 3.6s), is a 6-0 point forward type of playmaker who breaks down defenses and finds teammates. She has a number of high-major Division-I offers to choose from. Sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id="96086" first="RaShunda" last="Jones"] (17.7p, 4.7r, 3.8a, 4.1s) has been fantastic this year, and she is a dynamic scorer and playmaker who is drawing Division-I offers as well. 6-4 Senior post [player_tooltip player_id="130364" first="Francisca" last="Galicia"] (4.1p, 4.9r, 2.3b) just continues to improve her skillset and understanding of the game, but she has always been a defensive presence. Now add to that Junior wing Shamarah Allen (10.3p, 4.8r, 2.8s), an elite athlete who just began playing again this week (she last played for South Bend St. Joseph in 2018-2019), and I would put the Panthers’ starting five against anyone in the state. Depth is their only concern. Elkhart Following the 2019-2020 school year, Elkhart Central and Elkhart Memorial consolidated to form Elkhart High School. Out went the Blue Blazer and Charger mascots, and in came the new Lions. Memorial had been more competitive in girls’ basketball earlier in the 2000s, while Central had made a name for itself more recently, though their leading scorers from each of the last two seasons both ended up transferring. With a somewhat new and combined roster, the Lions have managed to stay competitive with a 4-2 NIC record, plus a nice non-conference win against Oregon-Davis early in the year. Based on their remaining schedule, I would anticipate the Lions finishing with somewhere around 9-11 wins this season. Leading the way is Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="182144" first="De’Mour" last="Watson"] (16.4p, 11.2r, 2.4s). She is a very nice athlete with a good motor, which allows her to play much bigger than her 5-9 frame might suggest. Watson has already posted a pair of 30-point scoring games, plus she has snagged 25 rebounds and 23 rebounds in two games as well. Junior wing Mady Axsom (7.7p, 4.1r, 2.1a, 2.4s), Senior forward Taryn Roberson (4.6p, 2.9r), and Senior wing Michaela Whitaker (2.5p, 4.5r) offer a veteran presence. Two Freshmen have also seen big-time Varsity minutes early in their careers. Guard Samiyah Stout (7.7p, 2.6r, 2.0a, 2.8s) and wing Jaya Johnson (4.8p) are nice building blocks for the Lions moving forward. South Bend St. Joseph Without a Sullivan currently on the roster, the Lady Indians look much different than they have over the last seven seasons. It’s truly a new era in St. Joe basketball, but there are still some nice players around keeping them competitive. The Indians currently sit at 8-6 and 4-3 in the NIC. They recently carried a seven-game win-streak into the Northridge Raider Holiday Classic this past week, before they saw their first loss in over a month. They also have quality wins against NorthWood and South Central (Union Mills), but January will be rugged on them for sure. They begin with a game today against Hammond Bishop Noll, then they’re at Penn next week, with games at the end of the month against Homestead and at Lake Central. The new leader of this group is Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="128171" first="Kelly" last="Ratigan"]. She had an outstanding Summer/Fall, and she has continued that play into this season. She is strong, tough, highly skilled, and she lets the game come to her as well as anyone. Senior wing Sarah Hiestand is another holdover with experience who has proven she can score the ball. She posted a 23-point game earlier this year. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="184234" first="Mia" last="Naman"] was a nice surprise on the grassroots circuit this Summer/Fall, and she is a nice, athletic, skillful kid who can play either guard spot at times. Sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id="203665" first="Peyton" last="Hull"] offers the Indians at least a little size. She’s strong enough to play some inside, but she’s also skilled facing the basket to near the 3-point line. Fellow Sophomore Madison Naman is one more perimeter player who has shown glimpses of being a nice scorer for St. Joe down the road. John Glenn The Falcons of John Glenn look to get back on the floor today for the first time since December 22. They’ve picked up a pair of NIC wins early this season and currently sit at 2-2 in the conference. They look to have several winnable games coming up this month, but they must still face Oregon-Davis, St. Joseph, Mishawaka Marian, plus they face Oregon-Davis a second time to begin the Bi-County Tournament on January 18. The Falcons turn to a trio of players to lead them this year. Senior forward Seja Lang is a little undersized at 5-6, but she is tremendously productive at times in the paint. Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="157180" first="Jessie" last="Yelaska"] has greatly improved her all-around play this last calendar year, and she is tough/strong enough to play physical inside, plus she has shown the ability to play comfortably around the perimeter at times. Sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id="96083" first="Kennedy" last="Hayden"] has really nice length and fluidity, and she has a balanced skillset as well. As she gains strength, it will really help her game. Sophomore front-liner Mia Hooten also has a chance to develop into a nice post prospect. New Prairie The Cougars are very intriguing and have a lot of balance. I feel like they can give anyone a good game on any given night, though they might not have that person who can go get them 30 points when necessary. They have knocked off St. Joseph and Marquette Catholic, plus they had a one-point loss against a good South Central (Union Mills) team. I don’t think they’ll compete for the NIC title this year, especially with Penn waiting on Tuesday, but they could very well win most of the rest of their games and get to double-digit wins in 2020-2021. Sophomore wing Eva Dodds (12.7p, 2.7r) leads the Cougars in scoring, and she is a really nice prospect moving forward. Freshman guard Jayden Flagg (12.5p, 4.3r, 2.5a) started the season well, but she has been out since their fourth game on November 14. Senior wing Allison Pavlick (7.2p, 3.8r), Senior forward Jordan Winters (6.9p, 4.5r), and Junior forward Maddie McSurley (5.2p, 9.1r) have multiple years of Varsity experience and contribute regularly. Freshman wing Morgan White (6.0p, 4.2r) and Sophomore forward Jaiden Winters (2.5p) are a pair of nice youngsters who should see more prominent rules in the future, but they do offer some immediate help this season. Bremen The Bremen Lions have put together a very roller-coaster type of record this year. They began the season losing a pair of games, then won four, lost three, and Tuesday they won their fifth game of the year to move to 5-5 overall, 2-4 in the Northern Indiana Conference. They play at Central Noble today, which will be a test but is winnable, plus they still have South Bend Washington next week, though the remaining schedule is filled with several opportunities to approach a dozen wins on the year. In 2020 the Lions graduated four-year starter [player_tooltip player_id="101463" first="Erin" last="Coffel"], and that was a huge loss for them as they centered everything around her. But this season, Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="157176" first="Ellia" last="Foster"] (20.5p, 7.3r, 2.2a, 2.4s) has really stepped up and improved her production across the board. She had always been an energy kid and a nice downhill athlete, but now she’s handling it a lot more, plus she’s shooting a solid 35% from 3-point range and 81% from the free throw line. A lot of the Lions success will be focused on Foster, but she does get some help from Sophomore post Katie Moyer (8.7p, 8.1r), Senior guard Haylie Rodriguez (6.7p, 2.6r, 3.6a), Junior guard Emma Graverson (3.5p, 2.7r), and Senior guard Paige Thompson (2.9p, 2.5r). South Bend James Whitcomb Riley The Riley Wildcats are a somewhat feisty team who have managed a 3-3 record on an intermittent schedule. They have seen a number of postponements due to COVID reasons, and they haven’t even played a game since December 9. They are slated to host John Glenn today, though. They could have quite the busy month of January, with eight games already on the docket, plus the flexibility to be able to schedule up to eight additional games, if they can manage to squeeze them in somewhere. The Wildcats look to Senior guard Imani Owens (11.8p, 4.0r, 2.0b) to lead them each night. She has big-play potential and can be an explosive scorer at times, but if she can find more of a level of consistency, that could be nice as well. 6-2 Sophomore post Kaytlin Smith (6.3p, 6.7r) and Senior forward Taylor Smith (4.2p, 7.2r) provide support for Owens inside. South Bend John Adams The Adams Eagles began the season 0-4, but since then they have been a .500 team, moving their record to 4-8 overall. They haven’t played a game since December 15, though, and their next scheduled contest is next Tuesday, January 5. While Mishawaka Marian and South Bend Washington are looming in their future, they do still have several winnable games to where they can approach 10 wins if they can find a rhythm as a team. Junior Marissa Shelton (13.5p, 3.8r, 2.3s) is a really nice scoring guard who I had the opportunity to see this Fall at an event. She has good skill and a solid understanding of the game, but she’ll need help for the Eagles to succeed. Seniors Laila Williams (5.9p, 4.0r), Makiah McCain (5.6p, 2.6r), Whitney Marshall (3.8p, 2.0r, 3.2a, 3.0s), Lazia Walker (3.3p, 2.2r), and Samaya Sigur (2.3p, 2.0r) provide a balanced veteran presence. Sophomore Janyie Kelly (4.1p, 3.7r) offers some hope for the future for Adams. South Bend Clay The Colonials of Clay High School have struggled out of the gate, posting just a 1-8 record. They haven’t played a game since December 15, and their game this past Tuesday was postponed, but their game next Tuesday at South Bend Trinity is still on the schedule to be played. That could be an opportunity for their second win of the year. Based on their remaining schedule, there are about a half dozen chances for them to find the success column once again. As for talent, the Colonials graduated four key players in 2020, but they return Junior guard Bria Brown, and with her being in her third year of Varsity action, she has taken over the lead role this year. Jimtown Jimtown was a strong girls’ basketball program, but following the 2010-2011 season when they were 15-6, the Jimmies have won no more than six games in any single season, and they haven’t won more than two games since the 2015-2016 season. They have started this year 1-9, but a few of their games have become much more competitive, plus four of their top six players are Freshmen or Sophomores. There are several opportunities for the Jimmies throughout January to pick up a few more victories. Freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id="239359" first="Justyce" last="Williams"] (11.3p, 3.7r) leads Jimtown and has a great deal of potential. She is a strong athlete who moves well in all directions, plus she competes at both ends of the floor. From there, the roster is filled with several players who are learning through the "trial by fire" method. Sophomore point guard Senica Zartman (3.9p, 2.0r), Freshman wing Abbey Brown (2.5p, 4.5r), and 6-1 Sophomore post Jaycee Folkers (2.3p, 3.4r) are the youngsters who could help reshape this program over the next couple of seasons. Senior forwards Jocelyn Sandoval (3.4p, 5.4r) and Rylee McPhee (2.6p, 4.2r) are the veterans of the group.