On the Road: Opening Week Standouts
The featured image is of Maci Chamberlin Maci Chamberlin 5'7" | SG Blue River Valley | 2023 State IN (2023) of Blue River Valley High School.
Standouts from the opening week of the high school girls basketball season:
Ava Wilson, 2024, 5-9 G/F, Shelbyville
Wilson is going to have a breakout sophomore season at Shelbyville. She is powerful and deceptively quick, which puts pressure on opposing teams. Do they defend her with a forward or a guard? She can finish at the rim against smaller, weaker guards and can blow past bigger forwards on the perimeter. Against Brown County this past week, Wilson did well in creating open shots for teammates. She was aggressive in transition and kept her chin on the rim on drives to the basket.
Sydney Warran
Sydney
Warran
6'0" | SF
Cascade | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 6-0 G/F, Cascade
Warran was the most polished player I saw this past week. She is listed as a small forward on Prep Girls Hoops but runs the point for Cascade, showing her versatility. I was impressed by Warran’s vision in the halfcourt and her ability to finish extremely well with her left hand. She scored a quiet 19 points against Morristown Saturday night in the Kopper Kettle Classic title game. Her strong, athletic body allows her to play at her pace.
Maci Chamberlin
Maci
Chamberlin
5'7" | SG
Blue River Valley | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, 5-7 G, Blue River Valley
Chamberlin played with poise against state-ranked Waldron. She never seemed to get rattled and remained calm while WHS made a comeback. Although she did not shoot the ball well from the outside, she is a confident shooter with a very quick release. She was at her best when driving to the basket as she stayed low with her dribble and powered through the defense. Chamberlin finished with a team-high 11 points in the loss.
Megan Bogemann, 2022, 5-5 G, Waldron
Bogemann is a shooter. Opposing teams cannot leave her open. The basketball looks nice coming out of her shooting hand and she puts the proper rotation on the ball. Bogemann finished with six threes in two wins for No. 5 Waldron this past weekend, totaling 31 points. I can tell she put effort into becoming a well-rounded guard during the offseason as she was able to finish through contact at the rim. Defensively, Bogemann is scrappy and has quick hands and feet.
Lilly Rooks, 2023, 5-6 G, Southwestern (Shelby)
Rooks is an elite athlete as she qualified for the IHSAA State Finals in the long jump as a sophomore. Tri and South Decatur had all kinds of problems keeping Rooks out of the paint last week. She is electric in transition and is a crafty finisher, although she is still improving in that area. Her best asset might be her defensive ability. She can defend the length of the court without fouling and seems to be in the right place at the right time (court awareness) for steals. Continuing to develop an outside shot will be key for Rooks.
Nichole Garner, 2022, 5-7 G, Waldron
Garner had a strong performance against Blue River Valley, finished with 18 points in the win over the state-ranked Vikings. She was the best player on the floor for three quarters (after the first) and showed a versatile offensive skillset. She finished through contact at the rim and was able to knock down multiple midrange jump shots — off the catch and off the dribble. It is obvious Garner worked on her lateral quickness over the offseason as she was able to stay in front of BRV’s ball handlers.
Raegan Kleine, 2023, 5-5 G, Morristown
Kleine is a very unselfish guard who is learning how to become the focal point of the offense in her junior season. A pass first player by nature, Kleine has sharp point guard instincts and can handle the ball under pressure against taller and longer players. Her ability to change her pace helps her get in the paint with ease and she is becoming a more consistent finisher. Kleine has solid shooting mechanics at the free throw line, so I think her outside shot will come along as the season progresses.