Indiana vs. Ohio: The Outcome

In the spirit of fun and entertainment, one of our content directors at the Prep Network headquarters in Minneapolis had the idea of creating "paper" rivalries with neighboring states. Knowing that Indiana plays Kentucky in the annual IBCA/IndyStar All-Star series each June, it was proposed to Jim Dabbelt (Senior Editor, Prep Girls Hoops Ohio) and I to create a series of articles this week highlighting what would happen if Indiana and Ohio were to get together in a border war rivalry game. The biggest difference between our traditional Indiana/Kentucky rivalry and this one with Ohio is that we can incorporate anyone from any of the four graduating classes currently in high school. With that said, Jim and I agreed to picking 15 kids from across each of our states.   Once again, this is meant to be a fun article and not a debate as to who did or didn't make it, but rather why those who were chosen do fit well on a team of this type. We are also fielding a TEAM to play against another TEAM, so if the best 15 prospects in Indiana were, say, all 5-foot-5, it would make no sense competitively to field those 15 prospects when Ohio will definitely come with some size. There were some easy choices for me, and there were some tough ones as well, especially toward the end. All in all, I think this group as a team gives the Hoosiers the best chance to compete with the Buckeyes in this rivalry matchup. Below is a look at how this game could play out, things the Hoosier squad should focus on, and where they have strengths and weaknesses. This is the final article in this series but look for potentially more articles like this in future months.   .   ROSTER CONSTRUCTION   INDIANA: To begin with, when I put together "Team Indiana" this week, I went in with the understanding that over the past decade Ohio has been more talented from top to bottom as a whole. Indiana's current strength is in its Senior class, with the Class of 2026 being one of the deepest I can remember since the Class of 2016 that included Jackie Young, Tyasha Harris, Lindsey Corsaro, etc. With that said, I went the route of building the Hoosier group around the 2026 class and leaning heavily on them for skill, leadership, and balance.   OHIO: When I look at the Buckeye group, they have a lot of athletic talent, great guard and wing play, but there are also several prospects from the younger classes. The state of Ohio is loaded with younger talent right now, and they might be able to beat most states in the union head-to-head with 2027s vs 2027s, 2028s vs 2028s, and 2029s vs 2029s. But collectively as a unit, I think this actually gives the Hoosiers the best chance at success because of their ability to lean on that older group.   .   BACKCOURT   WHAT GETS THE 'W': I'm not going to pretend to know a lot about "Team.Ohio", so I'll focus on our Hoosiers. What I do know is that we have a collection of highly skilled, hot-shooting ladies who can take over a game from the perimeter if they're firing on all cylinders. The combination of [player_tooltip player_id='486487' first='Kennedy' last='Holman'] and [player_tooltip player_id='492319' first='Myah' last='Epps'] will be able to start us off by using their athleticism, their versatility, and their toughness to get scores at each of the three levels, create for that frontcourt, and to dictate tempo and get stops at the defensive end of the floor. Both are high-level defenders. But our bench can bring it, too. [player_tooltip player_id='567134' first='Joslyn' last='Bricker']'s 53% 3-point shooting as a primary ball-handler...are you kidding me?!?...and [player_tooltip player_id='419439' first='Lillian' last='Barnes']' ability to see the floor and make plays like a chess master who is three steps ahead, I think gives the bench an advantage. Then add in [player_tooltip player_id='486508' first='Mollie' last='Ernstes']' and [player_tooltip player_id='567130' first='Gracyn' last='Gilliard']'s size, versatility, and ability to make shots outside, create off the bounce, or get downhill to the basket is why I chose them. And I haven't even mentioned the younger wings like [player_tooltip player_id='751095' first='Lillie' last='Graves'] or the super bouncy Energizer Bunny named [player_tooltip player_id='879936' first='Janaya' last='Cooper']. Those two can bring a next-level type of athletic approach and energy if the team wants to adjust and go that route, whether it's being constantly on attack offensively or picking up full-court defensively.   UPHILL BATTLE: Collectively, I think the Hoosier squad as a whole has too much basketball IQ and pedigree to make a ton of mistakes, so I can't really see the turnover bug catching up with them. I also think they'll be able to handle athletic pressure from a pressing and/or trapping Ohio group. However, playing devil's advocate here, "Team Indiana" must make shots. What happens if they don't? I think the Ohio backcourt is too athletic, too talented, and will be able to put up points throughout the entirety of the contest. The last thing we would want to do is give them long rebounds to run under and get out in transition, making it much easier for them to score quickly. If Indiana can't make shots consistently, it could be a long day of chasing people down, so a lot of our success relies on that singular part of the game itself...shot-making.   .   FRONTCOURT   WHAT GETS THE 'W': You know the one thing I am a little surprised by is the lack of superior height from either team. Ohio probably has a hair more size on the wing, but I feel like the Hoosiers have the size advantage inside. With three players standing at around 6-3 in [player_tooltip player_id='492321' first='Lola' last='Lampley'], [player_tooltip player_id='486543' first='Brooklynn' last='Renn'], and [player_tooltip player_id='750718' first='Adah' last='Hupfer'], they could find mismatches throughout the game to exploit. First, Lola is a mismatch within herself. She is an All-American candidate, a potential pro down the road, and a member of Team USA. Her size, strength, skill, and athleticism are going to be tough for Ohio to defend without helping off of our good perimeter shooters. Renn will be able to add that inside-out versatility, so she can post a smaller defender when matched up that way, or she can move outside and play off the dribble a bit. Hupfer also has that pretty jumper as a true post player in pick-and-pop situations, but her size, strength, and soft hands around the rim could be beneficial as well. Then, how does Ohio keep [player_tooltip player_id='486521' first='Laniah' last='Wills'] off the boards with her length and athleticism? She is a walking double-double. I do think Ohio can match up with [player_tooltip player_id='414465' first='Gabby' last='Helsom'] on the perimeter and not let her get too many easy jumpers, but that's the thing about Gabby...she understands how to be productive in different ways, so she can get inside and be effective as well, if necessary. And [player_tooltip player_id='492324' first='Madalynn' last='Shirley'] is a skillful problem to defend, much like [player_tooltip player_id='419439' first='Lillian' last='Barnes'] (above), but as a forward, not a guard. Maddie can shoot the '3' or post up, and she has counter moves, counters to her counters, etc. This is a very intriguing frontcourt group.   UPHILL BATTLE: There are a few things I feel like the frontcourt needs to be aware of in this matchup. First, as I've mentioned with many of them, they are skilled and they can shoot the basketball. However, they can't get jump-shot happy and just fire up long jumpers if they aren't going in. That plays into Ohio's strengths of open floor transition play. Should the Hoosier frontcourt take jumpers? Sure, but understand the situation and tone of the game, and make sure they are set and in rhythm. Second, I think having a little bit of a size advantage is nice, but it can also hinder some things defensively. How will the Hoosier frontcourt transition back to defense off of misses and live ball turnovers? If switched or mismatched, will they be able to defend the athletic, younger Buckeyes off the dribble? And will "Team Indiana" have to switch to zone eventually, possibly allowing Ohio some open perimeter looks and evening the rebounding advantage? These are some key things to consider in this game.   .   IN SUMMARY   I'm not going to spend a lot of time picking a winner, because obviously I'm from Indiana and I'm going to side with our Hoosier ladies!! However, I will look at the matchup in this way...   If the Hoosiers are able to utilize their skill, their basketball IQ, and their experience, and if they are willing to share the ball, they should be able to run good offense, get players open for great looks, whether that's on the perimeter or around the basket, and when they are making shots, they should be able to control tempo and make it more of a halfcourt, college style of game. I think the Hoosiers can control the boards and limit the Buckeyes to one shot per possession on most possessions, plus I think the Hoosiers will take care of the basketball and be able to handle pressure.   However, once again, if Indiana is not making shots, if we are taking a lot of long jumpers and missing, and if Ohio can get out and go in transition with their youthful talent, I think they can really find their advantage in that style of play. I will bet on the Buckeyes wanting to force tempo and speed up the game, especially with all of their guard & wing talent. So, this game is very simple for Indiana...value the basketball, value each possession, and work to get good shots so you can get back and defend in the halfcourt and not have to worry about playing the game in transition too much.

In the spirit of fun and entertainment, one of our content directors at the Prep Network headquarters in Minneapolis had the idea of creating "paper" rivalries with neighboring states. Knowing that Indiana plays Kentucky in the annual IBCA/IndyStar All-Star series each June, it was proposed to Jim Dabbelt (Senior Editor, Prep Girls Hoops Ohio) and I to create a series of articles this week highlighting what would happen if Indiana and Ohio were to get together in a border war rivalry game. The biggest difference between our traditional Indiana/Kentucky rivalry and this one with Ohio is that we can incorporate anyone from any of the four graduating classes currently in high school. With that said, Jim and I agreed to picking 15 kids from across each of our states.