Welcome, Class of 2028!

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='990043' first='Leanah' last='Hyatt'] (2028) of Lawrence Central High School.   Yesterday, Prep Girls Hoops Indiana released its first watch list for the Class of 2028. The list contains 65 prospects arranged alphabetically by last name. Please stay patient, as there will be some omissions early on, especially with these ladies have yet to play a high school game at any level. With that said, the 2028 lists will remain very fluid throughout the first year or so, as prospect grow their games and additional prospects emerge. Below, I wanted to point out four items I noticed when assembling this initial list.   .   The Spartans Shine   The Freshman class at Homestead High School is as strong as any in the state, and five members of that class have made our opening 2028 watch list, and for good reason. 6-1 wing [player_tooltip player_id='888190' first='Suzy' last='Perego'] and 5-8 guard [player_tooltip player_id='902152' first='Delaney' last='Noll'] will both vie for spots high on our list when we get to adding true rankings for the class during the Winter update in late-December. Perego spent some time throughout the Spring & Summer overseas playing for the U15 Italian National Team, so her visibility wasn't as great locally as several of the other girls in the class because of those responsibilities. However, rest assured she can play! She is extremely long, fluidly athletic, and she has a versatile skillset. She can play a point forward role and create/facilitate, or she can knock down shots outside, plus she can finish inside in a variety of ways. Noll, on the other hand, played "up" in 16U much of the Summer, and she proved to be a lights-out shooter when she had any space and/or rhythm. Additionally, because of her play against older prospects, she became much more comfortable and confident with the ball in her hands and can play a little point guard as well. Both ladies already possess multiple Division-I offers and a ton of interest heading into their rookie seasons.   If that wasn't enough, 5-7 guard [player_tooltip player_id='990167' first='Kenna' last='Taylor'], 5-8 guard [player_tooltip player_id='990956' first='Agnes' last='Bell'], and 5-10 forward [player_tooltip player_id='933384' first='Leah' last='Werth'] could play Varsity, if not start, for nearly every other program in the state. How they blend in and compliment a deep and talented 2026 Spartan group will determine their Varsity opportunities early in the 2024-2025 season. Taylor and Bell are both skillful, versatile guards who can initiate and managed an offense or make open shots when in rhythm. They are also good attacking the basket off the bounce. Werth is a fluidly athletic, somewhat bouncy forward who plays with a nice motor. She can also play in the mid-post or around the perimeter, as needed.   .   The Place to Be   Just outside of I-465, on the Northeast side of Indianapolis, might be the best spot to see the biggest number of these talented young prospects. Fishers and Lawrence North each have four ladies on this watch list, while a couple of other schools in the area have two members included. What this means for basketball fans in Central Indiana is, the next four years should remain an exciting time for girls' basketball around the Castleton area.   Fishers boasts a pair of skillful players in 5-8 guards [player_tooltip player_id='990044' first='Riley' last='Schellhammer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='992346' first='Ella' last='Burleson']. Schellhammer has already seen her share of older prospects, playing "up" nearly every year. She is skilled with the ball, she has a nice feel for the game and sees the floor well, plus she's a very good perimeter shooter. Burleson brings some strength for her age, along with a physicality around the perimeter. She can handle and shoot as well, but her willingness to attack and rebound will help the Tigers early on.   Defending Class 4A State Champion Lawrence Central also fields a pair of talented young guards in 5-5 [player_tooltip player_id='990043' first='Leanah' last='Hyatt'] and 5-6 [player_tooltip player_id='990166' first='Aaliyah' last='Wilson']. Hyatt is an absolute playmaker with the ball in her hands. She is long & wiry, quick & fast, and she plays with a shiftiness that constantly keeps opposing defenders off-balance. Wilson is another long, wiry, fluidly athletic guard. She has some ball skill and can create, plus she is a capable scorer off the ball who can make open shots or get to the basket.   Additional guards in the area looking to make their mark on Varsity early on include 5-9 [player_tooltip player_id='999405' first='Riley' last='Johnson'] of Heritage Christian and 5-5 [player_tooltip player_id='840811' first='Zoey' last='Wood'] of Mt. Vernon in Fortville, Indiana. Johnson is a long, wiry, fluid shooter/scorer who looks like she could have additional inches coming her way in terms of growth. Look for her to stand out immediately at Heritage Christian, while Wood is a scrappy, crafty, (insert cliched adjective here) guard who could be counted upon early by the Marauders to create some stability in their backcourt.   The Wildcats of Lawrence North are the team in the area bringing size to the table. 5-10 forward [player_tooltip player_id='992341' first='Brooklyn' last='Anderson'] is the athlete of the group, plus she plays with a lot of energy and some versatility, both offensively and defensively. 6-1 forward/post [player_tooltip player_id='917414' first='Zo'e' last='Peyton'] and 6-2 post [player_tooltip player_id='999404' first='Zion' last='Hunt'] are developing front-liners who will see more and more time down the road as they continue to develop their skill and understanding of the game. There is a lot of intrigue and potential in each of them, so don't be surprised if one or both is playing regular minutes after Christmas.   Up front, be sure to keep an eye out for 5-11 forwards [player_tooltip player_id='926326' first='Caroline' last='Wiggins'] of Cathedral and [player_tooltip player_id='992140' first='Reagan' last='Reiff'] of Fishers. Wiggins had a strong showing for the Lady Irish during the June "Scholastic Live Period" event at Hamilton Southeastern. She has a strong frame, versatile inside-out skill, and she plays with a nice motor. She could lead Cathedral in both scoring and rebounding, and she'll likely be given every chance to do so. Reiff is another strong, hard-working, versatile forward with that same inside-out skill. She has a little more depth on the Fishers roster to overcome to play big minutes, but I wouldn't be surprised to see her carve out some sort of role this Winter.   .   The North Stars   The Northern third of the state has several nice prospects spreading from the Ohio border to the Illinois border. Most notable of the bunch are 5-10 forward [player_tooltip player_id='879936' first='Janaya' last='Cooper'] of Fort Wayne Snider, and 5-11 forward [player_tooltip player_id='898485' first='Alexis' last='Werner'] of Penn. Cooper is a long, wiry-strong, and very bouncy/athletic prospect who can affect games in ways other girls in 2028 just can't. There is a reason she possesses multiple Division-I offers already. As her perimeter skillset catches up to her talent, watch out! Werner could potentially find the starting lineup at Penn early on, as she has nice size & strength for her age, but she's also a solid athlete, and she's skilled. She can play a point forward role offensively, she can knock down open jumpers, but she can also play in the mid-post, defend, and rebound. She will be a headache for Kingsmen opponents the next four years.   Over in the Central Time Zone of Northwest Indiana, 5-10 wing [player_tooltip player_id='999408' first='Hillary' last='Labis'] and 5-7 guard/wing [player_tooltip player_id='990955' first='Maliyah' last='Lewis'] should enjoy strong rookie seasons for their respective schools. Labis grew up in the Michigan City area, but she opted to attend Class 1A Westville. She is long & wiry, fluidly athletic, and she is a nice point forward type who can also score it at all three levels. She should pair nicely with 6-1 forward [player_tooltip player_id='570380' first='Andrea' last='Benefield'] (2025) in the Blackhawk lineup. Lewis is a long, strong, bouncy athlete who moves well in most directions. She plays with a nice motor, doesn't mind physicality at all, and she's incredibly quick and explosive attacking the basket. She could easily be the leading scorer at Hammond's Bishop Noll this season, especially with just a little Varsity "seasoning" early in November.   .   Southern Hospitality   Despite the topic of this section, I wouldn't expect any of the following ladies to be kind if you're matching up against them. 5-5 guard [player_tooltip player_id='999427' first='Makenna' last='Taylor'], not to be confused with [player_tooltip player_id='990167' first='Kenna' last='Taylor'] (above), should give an immediate boost to Jeffersonville's lineup. She has a smooth game, she can handle the ball and play point, plus she is an accurate and dangerous perimeter shooter with any space. She has already picked up Division-I offers/interest from her quality of play in July. Also look for 5-9 guard [player_tooltip player_id='999426' first='Natalie' last='Stenger'] to help rejuvenate an East Central program, who in 2023-2024, uncharacteristically had their first losing season since 2009-2010. Stenger is a nice athlete with a versatile skillset, and she should bring immediate electricity to the Trojan lineup.   In the Evansville area, the name to know is 5-8 wing [player_tooltip player_id='999409' first='Keilah' last='Mitchell'] of Francis Joseph Reitz. She is a long, athletic, and aggressive attacking style of player who just gets to the rim whenever she wants. She should be able to join an already talented Panther starting lineup, that includes her 6-5 sister [player_tooltip player_id='295791' first='Kaelyse' last='Mitchell'] (2025), and add another scoring threat to their mix. And while it's not in the foothills of Indiana, or near the Ohio River, Center Grove is technically in the Southern third/District-III, and 5-10 forward [player_tooltip player_id='999436' first='Haley' last='Wagoner'] is definitely someone who can step in and help the Trojans early this season. She has a solid to strong frame, she's a nice all-around athlete, plus she has a versatile skillset and can play any number of positions.

The featured image is of LeAnah Hyatt LeAnah Hyatt 5'6" | CG Lawrence Central | 2028 State IN (2028) of Lawrence Central High School.