East Central Indiana: I-70 East
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The featured image is of Bailey Parham Bailey Parham 6'0" | C Tri | 2023 State IN (2023) of Tri High School. Four years ago, when I first started with Prep Girls Hoops, I introduced different areas of the state…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Bailey Parham Bailey Parham 6'0" | C Tri | 2023 State IN (2023) of Tri High School.
Four years ago, when I first started with Prep Girls Hoops, I introduced different areas of the state and their top prospects. I wanted to again work through that this Fall and offer you a much more detailed look at the Hoosiers State’s different regions and the prospects who should shine this Winter throughout those regions. This article will focus on the ladies just East of Indianapolis, all the way to the Ohio border, specifically from Fayette County, Hancock County, Henry County, Rush County, Union County, and Wayne County. There are 18 total schools spread throughout those six counties, with an even balance of four schools in Class 4A, four in Class 3A, six in Class 2A, and four in Class A.
The area saw a great deal of Class 3A success in the mid-2000s, with Rushville finishing as the state runner-up during the 2009-2010 season, Mount Vernon (Fortville) finishing as the state runner-up in 2011-2012, and then Mount Vernon (Fortville) returning the very next year to be crowned the 2012-2013 Class 3A State Champs. The Combination of those 18 schools have provided nice talent over the years, with a number of girls moving on to college basketball of all levels. Recently, players like Ally Madden (Blue River Valley 2022), Annika Marlow (Rushville 2022), Kathryn Perry (Shenandoah 2021), Lexi Shelton (Mt. Vernon 2021), Hannah Farrell (Greenfield-Central 2020), Jordan Reid (New Palestine 2020), and Cameron Tabor (New Castle 2019) have represented their counties well. Madden and Tabor were named Indiana All-Stars in their respective classes.
Still, though, there are a number of girls who go underrecruited throughout their careers, and this is an area where small colleges can find some real gems, plus there is typically a Division-I prospect in most graduating classes from these six counties. With that said, I wanted to take the time to highlight a handful of girls who may not often grab the spotlight, but who deserve their share of recognition for their basketball abilities. All of these girls are strictly from Fayette County, Hancock County, Henry County, Rush County, Union County, and/or Wayne County.
Briley hasn’t played major grassroots basketball the last couple of years, so few colleges are aware of her. She is quick/fast, feisty, and skilled. She does a nice job of using her quickness to get into defenses and create for herself or teammates. She has also really improved her perimeter shooting throughout her career. Additionally, she is a pest defensively, as she can hound opposing ball-handlers. She should see her workload increase this season, following the graduation of point guard Annika Marlow (above).
Bailey has unfortunately dealt with her share of injuries in the past, but she is ready for a strong Senior season. If she can put forth a full season, she is on pace to surpass 1000 points and should come really close to 1000 rebounds for her career. She is a strong, back-to-the-basket post with good hands, solid footwork, and the ability to make a variety of post moves. She can also play in the mid-post and has nice touch at 15-feet. Bailey also plays with a nice motor, and she is a relentless rebounder at both ends.
Khloe transferred into Mt. Vernon from conference rival New Palestine last season, providing a nice boost to the Marauders’ frontline. Khloe is a strong kid but does possess some length and a little bounce. She is willing to be physical, and she plays with a nice motor. She can score it a little in the mid-post and around the basket on “scraps”, but she is more of the rebounder/defender type. She can box out or pursue rebounds, plus she is capable of defending multiple types of forwards, bigger wings, and undersized posts.
Ruby popped up on my radar during the Spring at a May grassroots event in Louisville. She has a lot of upside and should put together a really nice Junior season in 2022-2023. She has tremendous length, wiry strength, and she runs the floor well North/South. She’ll still need to get stronger to play lower, but she is quite a presence, especially at the Class 2A level. When I saw her, she showed some touch in the mid-post, a bit of a back-to-the-basket game, and she was an effective shot-blocker. Her best days are ahead of her.
Additional East Central Indiana/I-70 Prospects in Our Rankings for 2023-2025:
Maci Chamberlin
Maci
Chamberlin
5'7" | SG
Blue River Valley | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, Blue River Valley H.S.
Isabella Gizzi
Isabella
Gizzi
5'7" | PG
New Palestine | 2023
State
IN
, 2023, New Palestine H.S.
Grace Stapleton
Grace
Stapleton
5'5" | PG
Eastern Hancock | 2023
IN
, 2023, Eastern Hancock H.S.
Sakagawea Watson
Sakagawea
Watson
6'0" | C
New Castle | 2023
IN
, 2023, New Castle H.S.
Addisen Mastriano
Addisen
Mastriano
6'3" | C
Northeastern | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, Northeastern H.S.
Ellery Minch
Ellery
Minch
6'3" | PF
Mt. Vernon (Fortville) | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, Mount Vernon H.S. (Fortville)
Kiarra Handley
Kiarra
Handley
5'6" | CG
Richmond | 2025
IN
, 2025, Richmond H.S.
Amari Jackson
Amari
Jackson
5'8" | PF
Richmond | 2025
IN
, 2025, Richmond H.S.