Under The Radar? Class 2A Sleepers

Indiana is blessed to have so many quality basketball players, and with more than 400 high schools in the state, there are anywhere from 7,500 to 8,000 girls playing throughout the state in a given year. PGH Indiana currently has 375 girls ranked between 2019 and 2022, so it’s impossible for us to rank everyone. Even if we just trimmed those 8,000 down to the pool of girls who are college prospects, it would be a tall task. Therefore, prospects are omitted by accident, sometimes they fly under the radar unseen, or they have been evaluated and are just outside of our lists, on the cusp of getting in. Regardless, since we are previewing Class 2A this week, I wanted to take the time to highlight eight young ladies who are all very nice basketball players, but who were not ranked this last time we published our lists. In my eyes, they deserve to be pinnacled for their abilities, because they are definitely college prospects.   [caption id="attachment_13058" align="alignright" width="211"] Sydney Cook of Wapahani (defending)[/caption] Sydney Cook, 2019, 5-11 F, Wapahani H.S. Sydney is one of those kids who when you watch her move around the floor, it’s obvious to see she has intriguing physical abilities college coaches look to recruit. She has length, she’s fluid in all directions, and she’s somewhat bouncy. She has played more of a power forward position for Wapahani in the past, but she’s athletic enough to defend the wing. She’s a good pursuing rebounder, and if she can make her face-up game more consistent, I think she could be a really nice inside-out threat who could be a double-double performer on the perimeter. She’s a versatile forward and a nice small college prospect.   McKenzie Cooper, 2019, 5-6 G, Eastern H.S. (Greentown) McKenzie is just a solid, physical, and tough-nosed guard who plays with a great motor. She is a good athlete, she does a lot of the “blue collar” things college coaches look for, and she seems like a very coachable kid as well. She can handle it a little, but I’d call her more of a ‘2’ position-wise. She is a willing and capable defender, and she can score the ball by either attacking the basket or hitting an open rhythm jumper. She’ll end up being one of those kids who puts together a consistent college career.   Sierra Southard, 2019, 5-5 G, Frankton H.S. This year, with the graduation of Sydney Tucker and Destyne Knight, Sierra will have to step into the spotlight. She is a tough-nosed combo guard who has hit big shots in the past, and she is a solid all-around athlete. She mostly plays a point guard role for Frankton, but she is a good shooter, especially in the mid-range game. She’s also kind of sneaky defensively, and she’ll come up with crafty steals and make plays based on instinct. If she can find a way to both facilitate and score in double-figures consistently, I think Frankton will have yet another really good season.   [caption id="attachment_13059" align="alignleft" width="207"] Tabatha Wagner (#35) of Wabash[/caption] Tabatha Wagner, 2019, 6-2 C, Wabash H.S. There’s a popular cliché about how “bigs develop late”, and that somewhat applies to Tabatha. She has always had good height, great length, and she has always run the floor well North / South. But now that she’s done growing, she’s starting to get stronger and more effective / efficient offensively. She still needs more work at finishing consistently, but she is a threat offensively because of her potential to finish over smaller defenders, she’s a presence defensively in the lane, and her best days as a basketball player could definitely be in college because she still has a fairly high ceiling.   Hannah Wininger, 2019, 5-5 G, Evansville Mater Dei H.S. Hannah is a really nice combo guard who does a little of everything well. She has a wiry strong frame, she’s a good athlete in all directions, and she plays with a motor. She can knock down open perimeter jumpers consistently when in rhythm, and she will battle at the defensive end. She has typically played off the ball on both her high school and grassroots teams, so I would call her more of a ‘2’, but I do think she is skilled enough that she can slide over and play some point when necessary.   Becca Chamberlin, 2020, 5-5 G, Winchester Community H.S. Becca had a really nice Sophomore season for Winchester, and I’d anticipate her stepping into more of a scoring role this season. She plays primarily off the ball, and she’s that sniper who runs from wing to wing through the middle of the floor, or hides along the baseline until it’s time to pop open for a shot. She was primarily a spot-up shooter during the high school season, but this Summer she was putting it on the floor more. Considering the frontcourt at Winchester, if she can become more of a scorer than a shooter, I could easily see her being a double-digit scorer for the Golden Falcons.   [caption id="attachment_13060" align="alignright" width="209"] Bailey Keim of North Miami[/caption] Bailey Keim, 2020, 5-3 PG, North Miami H.S. Bailey has suddenly become the top returnee at North Miami, as three of her starting mates transferred over the Summer. Bailey is a tough-nosed, fairly strong, and feisty little guard. She plays with a good pace and a good understanding of the game, and she has a great sense of urgency and always competes. She is a streaky shooter, but when she gets hot, she can hit four, five, or even six in a row with little trouble. There will be an adjustment period this year, as defenses will now be focused on her, but once she figures that out, I anticipate her really taking off.   Madison Gray, 2021, 5-10 F, Union County H.S. Madison is a very intriguing forward, because she does so many different things to help her teams. She has good size, a wiry strong frame, and she’s a solid athlete. She can post smaller defenders, she’s tremendously effective in the mid-post, but I’ve also seen her handle the ball some in transition and initiate offense. Ultimately, I think she’ll be recruited as a highly skilled forward who can play inside-out, but she’s still young and developing her skillset. Over the next three years, she’ll have a chance to become one of Union County’s best.   Header photo of a radar screen courtesy of gettyimages.co.uk. Photo of Sydney Cook courtesy of heraldbulletin.com. Photo of Tabatha Wagner courtesy of Wabash's Hudl account. Photo of Bailey Keim courtesy of miamicountyathletics.com.