Grassroots Introductions: Indiana Showcase

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id="177308" first="Madisyn" last="Bailey"] (2024) of Bedford North Lawrence High School and Indiana Showcase Black 16U BSTTL. Now that we are in the home stretch of the 2021 grassroots season, I wanted to finish introducing several of the state’s programs over the next few weeks. For the bigger programs in 17U-15U, they will get their own articles, while some of the smaller programs and individual teams will be found later in articles summarizing the remaining teams in each of those age groups, 17U-15U. Below is a look at the Indiana Showcase program. Showcase has been around for the last few years now and is centered out of Indianapolis. They draw girls primarily from Central Indiana, with a handful from Northern and Southern Indiana spread throughout their program.   17U: There is just one entry at the 17U level for Indiana Showcase, and that’s the Red group. Indiana Showcase Red-Gorman serves as their entry in the BlueStar League and the PGH Circuit for the 17U division. They have a number of players who have had nice Springs, but I feel like [player_tooltip player_id="206423" first="Abigail" last="Young"] (2022) of Mooresville and [player_tooltip player_id="243585" first="Haley" last="Polston"] (2022) of Martinsville have shown the biggest jumps in their play. Young is a strong, athletically built, wing guard. She plays with toughness, physicality, and a nice motor, plus she has a lot of versatility. She can play on or off the ball, and she’s an effective scorer at all three levels. The 6-2 Polston has greatly improved her explosiveness and her ability to finish consistently around the basket. She’s added a face-up game, and she too plays with a lot of energy. [player_tooltip player_id="182145" first="Darryn" last="Hood"] (2022) of Tindley Accelerated and [player_tooltip player_id="303408" first="Mackenzie" last="Carroll"] (2022) of North Central (Indianapolis) have been quite the 1-2 punch at point guard, giving them a pair of dynamic, athletic guards who fly all over the floor. Both are nice playmakers off the bounce, Hood can really score the ball at all levels, while Carroll is a feisty defender, as far as 84-feet from the basket. Wing [player_tooltip player_id="96093" first="Lilly" last="Toppen"] (2023) of Kankakee Valley is one of the better shooters in the Class of 2023, and she plays with a real smoothness to her game. She can handle it a little, she understands how to move without the basketball, and she does a nice job defensively with her length. Forward [player_tooltip player_id="128174" first="Darryn" last="Ely"] (2022) of Cathedral has come a long way over the last two years. She is a bouncy, wiry-strong, and assertive frontline player who does a really nice job scoring it and rebounding the ball from the mid-post. The North Judson-San Pierre duo of [player_tooltip player_id="127218" first="Olivia" last="Burkett"] (2023) and [player_tooltip player_id="300071" first="Sophia" last="Frasure"] (2023) bring a lot of energy, toughness, and skill to the lineup. Burkett has really nice ball skill and a good understanding of the game. She will scrap defensively and rebounds well from the wing. Frasure has greatly improved her ability to shoot/score the basketball, with range beyond the 3-point line. She also plays with a nice motor. And [player_tooltip player_id="243584" first="Cora" last="Lopossa"] (2022) of Cascade offers Showcase another sizeable player at 6-1 who can run the floor and play with some bounce. She has nice length, she defends the paint fairly well, and she also has a solid mid-post game.   16U: The 16U division for Showcase has seen three teams compete this season. They are labeled Black, Red, and White. Indiana Showcase Black-Eber is the 16U BlueStar League and PGH Circuit representative. [player_tooltip player_id="203652" first="Autumn" last="Rucker"] (2023) of Pike and [player_tooltip player_id="177308" first="Madisyn" last="Bailey"] (2024) of Bedford North Lawrence have stood out for them this Spring. Rucker is a tough-nosed, wiry-strong, and very athletic wing forward. She is great off the bounce, as she uses her athleticism and physicality to get to the basket and finish through contact, plus she’s skilled around the perimeter. Bailey is as tough as they come in the 2024 class, and she plays with a tremendous motor. She’s a solid athlete in most directions, and she’s well-balanced skillfully and can play a variety of roles for this team. I also like the versatility of 6-0 wing [player_tooltip player_id="59786" first="Sydney" last="Warran"] (2023) of Cascade. She has tremendous length, fluidity, and the ability to play a point forward role and facilitate, or she can shoot/score the ball at all three levels. Point guard [player_tooltip player_id="241193" first="Grace" last="Stapleton"] (2023) of Eastern Hancock is a steady, cerebral guard who takes care of the ball well, she can make shots consistently from the perimeter, plus she plays with an outstanding motor. Post [player_tooltip player_id="178241" first="Bailey" last="Parham"] (2023) of Tri High gives this group a physical presence along the frontline. She has nice hands, good balance, and she can finish inside or score it a little in the mid-post. She’s also an aggressive rebounder. Wing [player_tooltip player_id="127231" first="Abby" last="Parsons"] (2023) of Cascade brings a power forward frame and mentality to the game, she loves contact, and she plays with a high motor. But she also has a really nice skillset, she can handle it and create, and she has some touch from the outside. [player_tooltip player_id="203659" first="Paige" last="Kirtz"] (2023) of Brownsburg is a long, wiry-strong, and somewhat bouncy athlete who does a nice job in the mid-post. She is very active and battles everywhere inside of 15-feet. [player_tooltip player_id="59772" first="Payton" last="Seay"] (2023) of University joined this group for July, and she is another strong, physical wing with good ball skill. She has been a highly effective scorer for the Trailblazers the last couple of seasons. Mylea Slone (2023) of Mitchell and Madison Short (2023) of Martinsville are a pair of hard-working wings who round out this roster. Indiana Showcase Red-Sienne is a tremendously scrappy and hard-working group in the organization. They figure out ways to compete with most teams, and they get contributions across the board. The improvement of wing [player_tooltip player_id="96081" first="Lizzie" last="Graham"] (2023) of Triton Central has been fun to watch. She has gotten more explosive North/South, she has really worked on her all-around skillset, but most importantly, she’s shooting it much better with range to ’3’. She has always been tough and physical, and she plays with an outstanding motor. Lindsey Walker (2023) of Center Grove is maybe a little undersized for how she plays, but she’s a nice athlete who works hard, and she has proven to score the ball at all three levels fairly consistently. I also like how well she rebounds the ball at the offensive end of the floor. Lily Howe (2023) of Greenwood Community is another nice little guard. She is more of a traditional point, she handles it, takes care of it, and gets it where it needs to go. She is strong for her size and competes every possession. Jenna Cox (2023) of Triton Central is a wiry-strong, fairly athletic wing guard who plays with a nice motor. She can shoot it consistently from the perimeter, but she can also make plays off the bounce. Caroline Bell (2023) of Bishop Chatard saw a lot of Varsity action this past Winter. She plays with intensity, she’s willing to be physical, and she really hits the boards hard and can score it in the mid-post. Belle Gossett (2023) of Rushville Consolidated is another high-energy wing who contributes however she can. She will battle inside and rebound, she has some touch outside, and she will defend multiple positions. Makayla Granger (2023) of Batesville, Kira Faulkner (2023) of Greenwood Community, Kaylinn Dugan (2023) of Plainfield, and Eliza Unsworth (2023) of Whiteland also contribute to this Red team’s roster. Unfortunately Indiana Showcase White-Armstrong has eluded me this Spring, but I hope to learn more about them moving forward.   15U: There are also three 15U teams in the Showcase program, again labeled Black, Red, and White. Indiana Showcase Black-Gorman is the 15U BlueStar League and PGH Circuit team for 2021. [player_tooltip player_id="239346" first="Lauren" last="Foster"] (2024) of Indian Creek has been instrumental to their success, as she is a highly productive scorer who can make shots at all levels. She is as tough as they come, she plays with an outstanding motor, and she is incredibly consistent each game. [player_tooltip player_id="264118" first="Morgan" last="Roberts"] (2024) of Fishers and [player_tooltip player_id="239350" first="Kiarra" last="Loveless"] (2024) of Westfield have been equally important, as their continued development over the last calendar year has been impressive. Roberts just continues to grow and grow. She has tremendous length, good skill with the ball in her hands, and she gains confidence as she gains strength. Loveless was a highly effective rebounder/defender a year ago. She has an athletic frame, and she moves well in all directions. She has really added a lot of versatility skillfully this Spring, and she too looks better each time she takes the floor. I feel like [player_tooltip player_id="298266" first="Taelyn" last="Russell"] (2024) of Westfield has been the secret weapon for this group. She plays with incredible energy and a nice feistiness to her game. She can get into the defense and make plays offensively, plus she’s a real problem on opposing ball-handlers defensively. Kendal. Johnson (2024) of Brownsburg was a new name to me this Spring, and she is very intriguing. She has an athletically strong frame, she’s somewhat bouncy, and she plays with a great motor. She is a nice pursuing rebounder, but she’s also an effective scorer in the mid-post. Macy Twomey (2024) of Brownsburg and [player_tooltip player_id="177312" first="Ava" last="Breece"] (2024) of Danville are active and fairly athletic wings. Twomey is built a little stronger and likes to play with some physicality and feistiness, while Breece is a bit longer and has some finesse to her game. Brynn Barnett (2024) of Center Grove is a solid wing guard. She has some quickness to her, plus she can find and make shots around the perimeter. She also gets after it defensively. Regan Canada (2024) of Tri-West is a solidly built wing who plays with a nice motor. She can attack off the bounce or knock down the occasional 3-pointer. I haven’t seen as much of Indiana Showcase Red-McCullars or Indiana Showcase White-Stamper, but to follow are a handful of girls who have stood out this Spring. For the Red team, I’ve been very impressed with the continued improvement of [player_tooltip player_id="298262" first="Carrie" last="Hiler"] (2024) of Scottsburg. She is tough, fairly strong, and she doesn’t mind physicality. She can knock down rhythm jumpers consistently, plus she’s solid attacking the basket. Alexis Lynch (2024) of Danville showed nice upside at our Uncommitted Showcase back in May. She has really nice length and fluidity, plus she plays with a lot of versatility. [player_tooltip player_id="201875" first="Emma" last="Hendricks"] (2024) of Brownsburg is a tough-nosed, high-motor wing who always seems to contribute. She also plays with versatility, and she should see a much bigger role moving forward for the Bulldogs. Jocelyn Love (2024) of Noblesville is just another nice guard in a loaded backcourt for the Millers. She has some length, solid athleticism, and she plays with good balance. As for the White team, Sydney Berndt (2024) of Fishers is a solid wing guard who can make shots outside consistently. Like Love, she is a part of a deep backcourt at her school. Brooklyn Bailey (2024) of Triton Central is a bit of an undersized post at 5-10, but she absolutely battles every possession. Look for her to be a key inside for the Tigers the next couple of years. And D.J. Pannell (2024) of Lawrence Central is a solid athlete who works her tail off. She is a part of a youth movement for the Bears.