Midseason Review: Shot Erasers

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='761158' first='Haileigh' last='Allen'] (2026) from Randolph Southern High School.   As we approach the new year, most Indiana girls' basketball teams are at about the halfway point in terms of the number of games they've played. With that said, I wanted to take a moment to look back at the action from November & December, and to point out some standout individuals from around the state. Below is a look at a handful of prospects playing well who are affecting games with their abilities to block shots. Any statistical information listed below is what has been provided through MaxPreps, so if your coaches don't enter information for you, you might be omitted from this article.    Jayonna has it a little tough, as she plays for a program that has won just 13 games over the past 3 1/2 seasons combined. However, if one thing can be said about her, it's that she shows up every night to compete, as evidenced by her whopping 7.2 blocked shots per game this year. She is extremely long, wiry-strong, somewhat bouncy, and she has great timing when it comes to attacking the ball in air. She is still somewhat of an unknown prospect among college coaches, but she has nice upside for the small college level. This year, she is also averaging 8.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.     Leah is a skillful, high IQ basketball player who has put together a nice career. She is a multisport athlete and has already committed to play softball at Ferris State University in the Spring of 2027. On the basketball court, she has been a standout as well. Defensively this year, she is averaging 3.9 blocks per game, and she utilizes her tremendous length and athleticism to do that. She is also a very good shooter with range to the 3-point line, she can attack off the dribble a little, and she's an active rebounder as well. She is averaging career highs across the board at 17.8 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.6 steals per game. She is also just a couple of games away from 1000 career points.     Payton came into high school with a little fanfare, and she has backed that up, averaging a double-double (11.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg) through 2 1/2 seasons thus far. Defensively, however, she is blocking 3.3 shots per game, and her incredible length, improving strength, and ability to get up & down the floor and change directions allow her to adapt to most situations, causing quite the presence in the paint for opposing players to shoot over/around. I would say of the girls on this list, she probably affects more shots than anyone, whether she gets credited for a block or not. She is busy helping the Flashes to a 9-7 start to the season against a strong schedule, but she's primed for a big Spring as well.     Haileigh is one of those kids who is soooo incredibly long, that she looks like she's about 6'5 from a distance. All kidding aside, she does have tremendous length, she is a fluid athlete, but she is probably most comfortable in the mid-post and around the perimeter. At the same time, she does a nice job of using her length to affect jump-shooters, to discourage guards/wings from driving to the basket, and when she does find herself defending the paint, she is averaging 3.1 blocks per game. Additionally, Haileigh is averaging 19.9 points per game and passed the 1000-point plateau early this season. She is a 4-year Varsity letter-winner and a nice small college prospect.     Layla is an enjoyable front-liner to watch, because she does so many different things for her team at a high level. First, she is strong and willing to be physical, so she will battle in and around the paint. Defensively, she is averaging 3.0 blocked shots per game, and she could finish with more this year than her first two years combined. She is also a capable rebounder, collecting an average of 8.9 caroms per contest. Layla is a solid ball-handler, a really nice passer, and she can handle it some in transition. In fact, there are times when I feel like she would almost prefer to be more of a facilitator than a scorer. Regardless, I think she will draw a lot of small college attention this Spring.     Alaina is a tall, extremely long, but fluid athlete. She is more of a forward than a post athletically, and she prefers to play facing the basket, from the mid-post to the perimeter. Despite playing quite a bit outside, she is still averaging 2.9 blocks per game, and like DuVall (above), Alaina affects as many other shots as she actually blocks, so she is "doubly" effective. I also feel like over the past couple of years, she has gotten a bit stronger and more aggressive. This season, she is averaging a double-double of 18.4 points and 11.4 rebounds, and she should approach the 1000 career point mark toward the end of the season. She should also top 500 rebounds around the middle of January.

The featured image is of Haileigh Allen Haileigh Allen 5'11" | SF Randolph Southern | 2026 State IN (2026) from Randolph Southern High School.