Hamilton County (Indy North)

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='298258' first='Keaton' last='Gatlin'] (2024) of Carmel High School.   Five 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 Northern suburbs of Indianapolis, and specifically Hamilton County. Of the 13 schools in the state with an enrollment greater than 3000 students, four of them are located in Hamilton County (Carmel-5327, Fishers-3611, Hamilton Southeastern-3430, & Noblesville-3234).   If I simply say, "Hamilton County", I'm not sure that location is immediately familiar to people throughout the entire state. However, if I say, "Carmel", "Fishers", "Noblesville", etc., everyone quickly knows what I'm referring to. Well, Hamilton County is the county just North of Marion County (Indianapolis), and it has become quite the hotbed for girls' basketball over the last few years. With just nine schools in the county, they have enough talent to at least compete with any roster you want to put together from any other county in the state, and possibly any team you can assemble from all of the other 91 Hoosierland counties combined.   The combination of Carmel, Fishers, Guerin Catholic, Hamilton Heights, Hamilton Southeastern, Noblesville, Sheridan, University, and Westfield have recently provided us with top-end talent like 2020 Miss Basketball Sydney Parrish (Hamilton Southeastern). Additionally, prospects such as Alyssa Crockett (Westfield 2022), Kate Clarke (Carmel 2022), Katie Burton (Fishers 2021), Bridget Dunn (Carmel 2021), and Amaya Hamilton (Hamilton Southeastern 2019) have come from the Northern suburbs of Indianapolis. All of those ladies were Indiana All-Stars and are currently playing at Division-I schools.   At the same time, with so many big schools in such a small area, prospects can often go underrecruited and even unnoticed at times within their own area/school. I often encourage small colleges to visit Indianapolis and watch entire rosters at schools, not focusing solely on one or two players, because there are several hidden gems each year in Hamilton County. 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 the nine schools in Hamilton County.   .   [player_tooltip player_id='298258' first='Keaton' last='Gatlin'], 2024, 5-8 SG/SF, Carmel H.S. - Keaton is a strong, fairly athletic, but also skilled and hard-working wing who can take on a variety of roles. She can act as a point forward type, advance the ball in transition, plus even initiate the offense in the half-court. She's a nice North/South driver, she can get to the basket, absorb contact, and finish inside. She also has some touch outside. I like her motor and competitiveness, especially defensively, where she will get after it and can defend a number of different perimeter player types.   [player_tooltip player_id='264119' first='Ava' last='Shoemaker'], 2024, 5-9 SF, Noblesville H.S. - Ava has always been a gritty forward who often outplays her size and battles much bigger players. She has some strength, but it's her work ethic and toughness that help her succeed on the interior. However, in the last year or so, she has really honed her skill and become a consistent perimeter shooter and a much more confident ball-handler. She has become a nice complimentary weapon for the Lady Millers. I also think she can defend bigger guards, wings, and forwards inside or out.   [player_tooltip player_id='495981' first='Abigayle' last='Clayton'], 2025, 5-11 CF, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. - Abi is a really nice forward prospect who does a little of everything at all levels on the court. She has good size and strength, she's a solid athlete in all directions, and she plays with a motor. She is active around the basket, comes up with rebounds, and she can score it around the paint or in the mid-post effectively. She also has a little touch around the perimeter. Additionally, at her size I really like how she can step outside and consistently defend multiple types of players and screens.   [player_tooltip player_id='506024' first='Sam' last='Price'], 2025, 6-2 PF/C, Westfield H.S. - Sam could work her way into a good opportunity this Winter for the Lady 'Rocks, and she has vastly improved over the last 12-18 months. She is extremely long and wiry, fairly fluid, plus she will try to be physical on the interior, and she has looked stronger. Additionally, she does have some skill offensively, she can knock down the 15-footer consistently, and she has decent hands and footwork around the basket. If she continues on this path and gains a little more strength, she can be a threat this Winter.   [player_tooltip player_id='492320' first='Hannah' last='Grubbs'], 2026, 5-9 CF, University H.S. - Hannah is a strongly built forward who can play both inside and out. She has broad shoulders, an athletic frame, length, and she runs & jumps well. As a younger prospect, she has often used her strong to overpower her peers and score at the basket or grab rebounds. But as she's gotten older, she's starting to add a better handle and more consistent jump-shot. She plays with a solid motor as well, and she can sit down and defend multiple positions. I look for her to have a big Sophomore year.   .   Additional Hamilton County Prospects in Our Rankings for 2024-2026: [player_tooltip player_id='369825' first='Ava' last='Carter'], 2024, Carmel H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='718305' first='Kori' last='Dues'], 2024, Guerin Catholic H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='331791' first='Jamie' last='Elliott'], 2024, Carmel H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='176168' first='Talia' last='Harris'], 2024, Fishers H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='298256' first='Ella' last='Hickok'], 2024, Hamilton Heights H.s. [player_tooltip player_id='177334' first='Elizabeth' last='Kelleher'], 2024, Westfield H.S., committed to Indiana Wesleyan University [player_tooltip player_id='239350' first='Kiarra' last='Loveless'], 2024, Westfield H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='264118' first='Morgan' last='Roberts'], 2024, Fishers H.S., committed to Walsh University [player_tooltip player_id='177352' first='Camryn' last='Runner'], 2024, Hamilton Heights H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='177355' first='Joirdyn' last='Smith'], 2024, Fishers H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='177358' first='Kate' last='Thomas'], 2024, Fishers H.S., committed to Grace College [player_tooltip player_id='718316' first='Brooke' last='Thoren'], 2024, Carmel H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='177361' first='Reagan' last='Wilson'], 2024, Noblesville H.S., committed to Iowa State University   [player_tooltip player_id='506019' first='Ava' last='Bills'], 2025, Guerin Catholic H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='324065' first='Mallory' last='Bourquein'], 2025, Carmel H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='295759' first='Aubrey' last='Crockett'], 2025, Westfield H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='295761' first='Nevaeh' last='Dickman'], 2025, Fishers H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='331804' first='Shelby' last='Eaton'], 2025, Sheridan H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='324070' first='Taryn' last='Fisher'], 2025, Carmel H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='324072' first='Kenzie' last='Garner'], 2025, Sheridan H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='692236' first='Brianna' last='Gray'], 2025, Noblesville H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='506026' first='Reagan' last='Haines'], 2025, Guerin Catholic H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='506028' first='Maine' last='Hooks'], 2025, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='295764' first='Maya' last='Makalusky'], 2025, Hamilton Southeastern H.S., committed to Indiana University [player_tooltip player_id='453220' first='Rilee' last='McBride'], 2025, Carmel H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='295769' first='Lauren' last='Perry'], 2025, Carmel H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='295771' first='Allison' last='Scheu'], 2025, Fishers H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='331806' first='Taylor' last='Seay'], 2025, University H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='295812' first='Isabelle' last='Shepherd'], 2025, Carmel H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='295776' first='Meredith' last='Tippner'], 2025, Noblesville H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='366803' first='Lindsey' last='Van Dyke'], 2025, Westfield H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='506016' first='Mackenzie' last='Woods'], 2025, Carmel H.S.   [player_tooltip player_id='486480' first='Charlotte' last='Conyers'], 2026, University H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='486488' first='Antonette' last='Green'], 2026, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='486531' first='MaKayla' last='Hatcher'], 2026, Westfield H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='486487' first='Kennedy' last='Holman'], 2026, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='486478' first='Caroline' last='Quigley'], 2026, Noblesville H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='486485' first='Blair' last='Satterfield'], 2026, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='486486' first='Kayla' last='Stidham'], 2026, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. [player_tooltip player_id='486553' first='Natalie' last='Thomas'], 2026, Fishers H.S.

The featured image is of Keaton Gatlin Keaton Gatlin 5'8" | SG Carmel | 2024 IN (2024) of Carmel High School.