Under the Radar in Northwest Indiana

About once a year I like to go through various areas of the state and highlight players for different reasons. In this specific article, I wanted to focus on 6 prospects (3 in 2027, 2 in 2028, and 1 in 2029) who are either listed on the watch list, or not at all included in the rankings at the release of this article. All 6 of these prospects come from schools in Northwest Indiana, but more specifically, from the counties of Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, and Starke, all located in the Central Time Zone. I will include Pulaski as well, because they are closer to that area than any other region I am writing about.   .    Olivia has been quite an interior presence for the Lady Kougars the last two seasons, especially on the boards, where she has averaged nearly 10 rebounds per game over that 2-year span. As a Junior, she started to score it better inside, but her primary benefits to a team right now are here size and strength and her love for physicality, plus she plays with a nice motor for a traditional post. She does have solid hands and has worked on her finishing moves, so the potential is there at the offensive end, but defensively she'll battle 6-4 girls without hesitation.     Ariana was very good when I saw her in Louisville in early July. She is little, but she is quick, fast, and shifty, plus she's quick with the ball and has it on a string. She does a nice job of getting her defender off-balance, getting by, then creating scoring opportunities for her teammates. She can make an open shot and look to score herself, but I felt like she did an especially nice job of acting like a true floor general and getting her teammates involved. Defensively, she was also solid, and she utilizes her quickness well. She could stand to be just a bit stronger, though.     I saw Lily for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and she was very good. She spent time at La Lumiere in the past, but she has since transferred to Marquette Catholic for her Senior season, definitely boosting their backcourt. She has really nice length, she's a solid all-around athlete, and she does a little of everything well. She can handle it some and initiate the offense, she can create off the dribble and has some craftiness to her, and she can knock down open perimeter jumpers. I also like her effort/energy at the defensive end of the floor.     Siona is a really nice high school basketball player, because she helps you win in so many different ways. First, she is very strong and can play with a lot of physicality, whether that's attacking the basket, defending, or boxing out on rebounds. She's also a solid all-around athlete, especially North/South. She works extremely hard, and she comes up with a lot of "hustle" plays, especially inside the paint. She is great in the mid-post, comfortable around the perimeter, and just a quietly tough, skilled kid who plays with a motor.     Natalie has shown a lot of growth in her game over the past 12 to 18 months, physically too...she has grown about 2 to 3 inches since last Spring. She is extremely long, fluidly athletic, and somewhat bouncy. What's most impressive, though, is probably her balance and ability to change directions, especially when she's attacking the basket. She does a really nice job with ball-fakes, getting defenders off-balance, then stepping through/under to finish around the basket with either hand. Additionally, she can handle it and make shots outside.     Gioia is an intriguing youngster who saw some quality Varsity minutes as a rookie in 2025-2026 and could be primed for a bigger role this season. She has broad shoulders and solid strength at her size, she has some length as well, and she's fairly fast North/South. She enjoys hiding on the wings and looking to drive baseline on the catch, where she puts up a variety of runners/floaters. She has a little touch outside, but as that improves, she'll be harder to defend. She has also shown some ability to handle it, so she could transition into a PG over time.

About once a year I like to go through various areas of the state and highlight players for different reasons. In this specific article, I wanted to focus on 6 prospects (3 in 2027, 2 in 2028, and 1 in 2029) who are either listed on the watch list, or not at all included in the rankings at the release of this article. All 6 of these prospects come from schools in Northwest Indiana, but more specifically, from the counties of Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, and Starke, all located in the Central Time Zone. I will include Pulaski as well, because they are closer to that area than any other region I am writing about.