The Region (Northwest Indiana)

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='324083' first='Natalie' last='Robinson'] (2025) of Marquette Catholic High School.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Over the five years I have been with Prep Girls Hoops, I have taken a moment each year to introduce 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 Hoosier State's different regions and the prospects who should shine this Winter throughout those regions. For many years now, it has been heavily debated as to what area the nickname “The Region” truly refers to, and it seems like anyone and everyone from Northwest Indiana has their own definition of this.&nbsp;Officially, any town located within the Chicago Metropolitan Area is a part of “The Region”. This includes all of Lake County in Indiana, which is home to towns like Crown Point, East Chicago, Gary, Hammond, Hobart, Merrillville, Munster, and Whiting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While I realize it's a little hypocritical to the above information, in an attempt to bring more attention to lesser-known prospects, we are going to expand the reach of this article like we did with Evansville and Fort Wayne, and we'll consider ladies from any of the Northwest Indiana counties who are located within the Central Time Zone. This means players from Jasper, LaPorte, Newton, Porter, and Starke counties will also be eligible here.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Year after year Northwest Indiana turns out several talented basketball players and teams, and they tend to be overlooked, underappreciated, and unfortunately feel “less-included” at times from statewide polls, honors, and awards.&nbsp;In general, I think a lack of familiarity with this area of the state contributes to this. At the same time, recent prospects like Riley Ott (<em>LaPorte 2019</em>), Dash Shaw (<em>Crown Point 2020</em>), Courtney Blakely (<em>Hammond Bishop Noll 2021</em>), Trinity Thompson (<em>Michigan City 2021</em>), and Jessica Carrothers (<em>Crown Point 2022</em>) all grew up in Northwest Indiana.&nbsp;All of those ladies were Indiana All-Stars and/or are playing college basketball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>However, year after year there are many other quality players in Northwest Indiana who often go underrecruited, so I encourage small colleges to drive up I-65 or across U.S. 30 a couple of times each high school season to check out the area teams.&nbsp;Below, 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. Not all of these girls are technically in “The Region”, but they are from the Northwest corner of Indiana.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="#FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">[player_tooltip player_id='406433' first='Nadia' last='Clayton'], 2024, 5-7 SG, Lake Central H.S.</font></strong><br>- Nadia is a talented athlete who could probably participate in any number of track &amp; field events. She has good speed and quickness, and she is an elite defender who can change a game at that end of the floor. She does a nice job defending the ball, she shows good balance and change-of-direction ability, plus she plays with a motor and toughness. Offensively, her handle has improved, and she attacks the basket with aggression. She is primed for a strong Senior season on the talented Lady Indians' team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">[player_tooltip player_id='572801' first='Ava' last='Melendez'], 2024, 5-2 PG, Portage H.S.</font></strong><br>- Ava isn't very big, but she has a nice skillset and athleticism. She is quick, feisty, and very active at both ends of the floor. Offensively, she is a scoring point guard who can fill it up with deep range, or she can go by defenders who over-pursue. She will find open teammates in positions to score, as well. Defensively, she is quick and active on the ball, but she's actually probably better one pass away, making a number of plays on passing lanes, causing steals/deflections. She could have a huge Senior year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">[player_tooltip player_id='331818' first='Morgan' last='White'], 2024, 5-9 SF, New Prairie H.S.</font></strong><br>- Morgan stepped up this Spring &amp; Summer and put together a strong grassroots season. She has a solid to strong frame, she plays with physicality, and she has a nice, versatile, multilevel game. She can play in the mid-post, pursue rebounds, and attack from 15-feet. She also has touch around the perimeter, plus she can handle the ball, create a little, and find open teammates. She could stand to be a little quicker laterally, especially defensively, but she has improved that part of her game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">[player_tooltip player_id='626935' first='Maddie' last='Walton'], 2025, 6-0 C, Andrean H.S.</font></strong><br>- Maddie was able to spend the last couple of seasons growing and developing in the 59ers lineup, but this coming season she could be a breakout performer offensively. She has good size, athletic strength, and she can run and jump. She has always been more of a defender/rebounder type, but last year she began scoring the ball more consistently. This coming season, I would expect her to be a walking double-double most nights. She is a really nice, hidden talent in Northwest Indiana.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">[player_tooltip player_id='624883' first='Jordan' last='Steele'], 2026, 5-7 SG, Highland H.S.</font></strong><br>- Jordan got her feet wet last season as a Freshman, and she was noticeably better and more comfortable after Christmas. She is a very good lefty shooter with some range and a quick release. Her shot selection could improve a little, but some of that is youthfulness, and when she is set and in rhythm, she is almost automatic. She is also a nice athlete who can attack the basket North/South, plus she's a willing and capable defender. Due to significant graduation losses, Jordan could be a high teens scorer as a Sophomore.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="#FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">Additional Northwest [program_tooltip program_id='716083' first='Indiana' last='Prospects'] in Our Rankings for 2024-2026:</font></strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='176406' first='Aniyah' last='Bishop'], 2024, Lake Central H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='177310' first='Kennedy' last='Blakely'], 2024, Hammond Central H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='718301' first='Ciarra' last='Bonner'], 2024, Chesterton H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='331801' first='Kennedie' last='Burks'], 2024, Lake Central H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='718302' first='Lyric' last='Carpenter'], 2024, Kankakee Valley H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='326482' first='Sincere' last='Coleman-Francis'], 2024, La Lumiere Preparatory<br>[player_tooltip player_id='572825' first='Morgan' last='Downs'], 2024, Knox H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='718306' first='Skylar' last='Ferry'], 2024, Hanover Central H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='326487' first='Jayden' last='Flagg'], 2024, New Prairie H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='331778' first='Shena' last='Fleming'], 2024, La Lumiere Preparatory<br>[player_tooltip player_id='369832' first='Becca' last='Gerdt'], 2024, Valparaiso H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='455931' first='Faith' last='Harrison'], 2024, Lake Central H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='572802' first='Aniyah' last='Henry'], 2024, Hammond Central H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='326478' first='Peyton' last='Honchar'], 2024, Morgan Township H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='631647' first='Aaliyah' last='Keil'], 2024, Highland H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='201877' first='Sadie' last='Marks'], 2024, South Central H.S. (Union Mills)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='201878' first='Riley' last='Milausnic'], 2024, Lake Central H.S., <em>committed to Purdue University Northwest</em><br>[player_tooltip player_id='455944' first='Maddy' last='Murray'], 2024, Kankakee Valley H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='369837' first='Makenna' last='Schleman'], 2024, North Newton H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='455930' first='Miya' last='Simmons'], 2024, La Lumiere Preparatory<br>[player_tooltip player_id='326491' first='Kayla' last='Wilkerson'], 2024, Lake Station Edison H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='572826' first='Miranda' last='Wozniak'], 2024, Tri-Township H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='572799' first='Alante' last='Wright'], 2024, Portage H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='298252' first='Ava' last='Ziolkowski'], 2024, Crown Point H.S., <em>committed to Indiana Institute of Technology</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='295810' first='Lindsay' last='Arcella'], 2025, Andrean H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='692231' first='Claire' last='Bakker'], 2025, DeMotte Christian H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='366795' first='Sophie' last='Bakker'], 2025, DeMotte Christian H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='570380' first='Andrea' last='Benefield'], 2025, Westville H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='331799' first='Jiselle' last='Chabes'], 2025, Marquette Catholic H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='324068' first='Ava' last='Dase'], 2025, Kankakee Valley H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='453224' first='Carly' last='Drone'], 2025, Rensselaer Central H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='553157' first='Nina' last='Garner'], 2025, Munster H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='366799' first='Paulecia' last='Isom'], 2025, Michigan City H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='331817' first='Clair' last='Klinger'], 2025, Washington Township H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='295811' first='Ayla' last='Krygier'], 2025, Lake Central H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='324076' first='Bryn' last='Leonard'], 2025, Lake Central H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='324077' first='Gracie' last='Little'], 2025, Washington Township H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='570383' first='Kahlen' last='Robinson'], 2025, Thea Bowman Academy<br>[player_tooltip player_id='324083' first='Natalie' last='Robinson'], 2025, Marquette Catholic H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='570381' first='Cori' last='Schultz'], 2025, Chesterton H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='295773' first='Isabella' last='Soria'], 2025, Lake Central H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='295796' first='Taylor' last='Van Meter'], 2025, Rensselaer Central H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='295777' first='Victoria' last='Velez'], 2025, Whiting H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='366805' first='Kylie' last='Wells'], 2025, Merrillville H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='295781' first='Vanessa' last='Wimberly'], 2025, Lake Central H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='496008' first='Divine' last='Woods'], 2025, Michigan City H.S.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='419439' first='Lillian' last='Barnes'], 2026, Valparaiso H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='486535' first='Kenedi' last='Bradley'], 2026, Chesterton H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='486512' first='Cadynce' last='Clark'], 2026, Valparaiso H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='486528' first='Laniah' last='Davis'], 2026, Marquette Catholic H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='624858' first='Tenley' last='Davis'], 2026, Chesterton H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='567130' first='Gracyn' last='Gilliard'], 2026, Munster H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='567131' first='Indiah' last='Hutchinson'], 2026, Hammond Central H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='532741' first='Arroya' last='Mongerie'], 2026, Munster H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='492323' first='Kamri' last='Rowland'], 2026, Rensselaer Central H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='486503' first='Melaney' last='Williams'], 2026, Merrillville H.S.<br>[player_tooltip player_id='489207' first='Ellah' last='Young'], 2026, Kouts H.S.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->