Semi-State Preview: Class 4A South

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of Davidson College commit [player_tooltip player_id='567130' first='Gracyn' last='Gilliard'] (2026) from Center Grove High School.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The IHSAA Indiana girls' basketball state tournament is well underway. As we enter week-3 of competition, there are only 32 of 392 teams remaining in the entire state, and by the end of today's contests, the field will be whittled down to just 8 teams, 2 in each of the four classes. Below is a look at the 4 teams remaining in the South in Class 4A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+3">at Jasper</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">10:00a - Floyd Central (23-3) vs. Lawrence Central (21-4)</font></strong><br>A couple of years ago, Floyd Central had the reputation of being a "volleyball" school, but suddenly they have won 23 games each of the last two seasons, they won their first Regional since 2010 this year, and they are two games away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse. They have good size, skill, and they complement each other very well. They've also beaten McCutcheon (<em>still in the 4A North Semi-State</em>), Evansville F.J. Reitz (<em>below</em>), and Jennings County (<em>still in the 3A South Semi-State</em>) this season, so they aren't a "fluke" entry by any means. 6-0 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486500' first='Elise' last='Coleman']</strong> (<em>15.0p, 4.8r, 3.5a, 2.9s</em>) has rounded out her game well the last couple of years. She has a solid to strong frame, she's a nice North/South athlete, and she is now a multilevel scorer with a nice jump-shot after having been more of just a wing shooter earlier in her career. She's also handling the ball and facilitating a lot more for the Highlanders. 5-10 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='928914' first='Brinley' last='Clark']</strong> (<em>12.6p, 5.8r, 1.9a, 2.8s</em>) is one of my favorite players to watch. She is all-out all the time. She will dive into the stands to save a ball, be the first on the floor for a loose ball, track down rebounds, take charges, and just do whatever it takes to help her team, all while being a skillful and athletic wing. 6-2 Junior post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='932692' first='Riley' last='Roberts']</strong> (<em>9.4p, 5.8r, 2.3b</em>) is one of the state's most overlooked prospects. Because of talented teammates like Coleman and Clark, she might not be the focal point, but she has the skill and ability to go for 20 points and 15 rebounds at any time. She is strong, she has some length, and she is active/athletic at her size. A trio of Seniors help the Highlanders add some depth and experience. They are guard <strong>Mia Gianfagna</strong>, plus sisters <strong>Ava Casteel</strong> and <strong>Eva Casteel</strong>, both 5-8 wings. All three play hard and do a lot of the "little things". Floyd Central isn't going to play very deep, but they have some noticeable talent at the top of their roster. As for Lawrence Central, they aren't deep either, but they have plenty of talent to win-out over the next eight days. When they started the season, I thought everyone expected them to go undefeated. No one remembers them graduating two Indiana All-Stars in 2025. Then, after three losses in four games during the middle portion of their season, everyone writes them off, and now they're "surprised" they are here. The Lady Bears are talented and tough, and they can still roll out a lineup of athletes that remaining teams just can't. 6-3 Senior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='492321' first='Lola' last='Lampley']</strong> (<em>17.2p, 8.1r, 2.6a, 2.0s</em>) is a Miss Basketball candidate, an Indiana All-Star candidate, she is the state's lone McDonald's All-American in the 2026 class, and she is a member of Team USA, all for good reason...she is extremely talented and skilled. She is tall, strong, and physical, but smooth, aware, and effortful. I look for her to have a big day for the Lady Bears. 5-10 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='492317' first='Ke'Adriah' last='Butler']</strong> (<em>15.8p, 4.1r, 1.8a, 2.6s</em>) is one of the most explosive guards off the dribble in the state, and her ability to get to the rim is tough to stop. Also, when engaged, she can be an elite on-ball defender. She has postseason experience and won a State Championship at Lawrence North last season. 6-0 Senior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='492322' first='Aniyah' last='McKenzie']</strong> (<em>12.0p, 7.3r, 2.7a, 2.5s</em>) has always been one of my favorites to watch. She is strong, physical, and aggressive, but she's also athletic, she works extremely hard, and she has a really nice mid-range game. Add to them 5-8 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='772792' first='Aubri' last='Ingram']</strong> (<em>5.2p, 2.2r, 2.2s</em>), and that makes four Seniors with extensive Varsity experience, and only Ingram hasn't seen the inside of Gainbridge Fieldhouse as a player. Like I said, the Bears aren't very deep but look for 5-8 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='990043' first='LeAnah' last='Hyatt']</strong> (<em>5.3p, 3.7r</em>) and 5-10 Freshman forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1263945' first='Kristina' last='Hollowell']</strong> (<em>0.7p</em>) to give them additional options. Both are talented youngsters who are just awaiting their turn to make their mark, and no better time than the postseason. As for this matchup, Floyd Central doesn't have the athletes to match up with Lawrence Central 1-to-1, so the Highlanders will need to (a) take care of the ball, (b) handle pressure, (c) make shots, and (d) protect the paint defensively and force the Bears to make several jump-shots. Floyd Central is disciplined, so the Bears will need to make sure they're getting the best shot they can each possession and not force the action (<em>or settle for jumpers only</em>), or else they could be in a one-and-done situation each time down the floor. This could be a fun contrast of styles to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">12:00p - Center Grove (26-0) vs. Evansville F.J. Reitz (21-2)</font></strong><br>I mentioned in the Class 4A North article about system teams, and Center Grove is one of them. They are just as happy beating you by a football score of 24-17 as you are to score 80 points. They emphasize great defense, working offensively to get the best shot possible, and just outlasting and out-toughing opponents down the stretch, breaking their will. The one thing that makes Center Grove unique this year is, they have their own Division I talent in 5-10 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='567130' first='Gracyn' last='Gilliard']</strong> (<em>26.3p, 4.3r, 2.0a, 2.5s</em>). She is a special athlete, but she's also incredibly skilled. She has a good handle, great vision, and she plays with a motor. She can create offense for herself and teammates, she can do all the things physically the girls from Lawrence Central (<em>above</em>) can do, but she also plays with great discipline and skill. Because of the nature of postseason play, the second most important player for the Trojans might be 5-9 Freshman point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1263967' first='Lillia' last='Tapak']</strong> (<em>6.7p, 2.8r, 2.9a</em>). She is long, fluid, and smooth, but her ability to take care of the ball and control tempo will be critical this weekend, if they want to advance. Postseason games often come down to guard play late, and she's a good one with a bright future. 5-11 Sophomore forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='999436' first='Haley' last='Wagoner']</strong> (<em>8.0p, 4.9r</em>) would probably be the second scoring option if Reitz is able to limit Gilliard at all. Wagoner is a nice inside-out player who will battle and defend inside, but she has some skill facing the basket as well. 5-8 Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='834961' first='MacKenzie' last='Pierce']</strong> (<em>6.8p, 1.9r, 1.5a</em>) is another nice perimeter player who could probably stand out at most schools. She has length, athleticism, she can shoot it or drive it, and she has played a little point guard in her past, so she handles pressure solidly. 5-9 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1623391' first='Ella' last='Sprong']</strong> (<em>4.6p</em>) has turned into a valuable shooting threat when they need it, with 114 of her 120 points this season coming from behind the 3-point line. Add in 5-6 Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486507' first='Hannah' last='Gin']</strong> (<em>1.6p, 3.2r, 2.5a, 2.0s</em>), and they have another selfless, traditional point guard, who they utilize to handle pressure, find open teammates, and defend. Out of system, the Lady Trojans all have individual talents, but collectively, they are the only undefeated team left in the state. I feel like Evansville F.J. Reitz is that team hiding in Southwest Indiana, who people in their local area expected to be solid, but I'm not sure if even they expected the Panthers to be this competitive this late in the season. 5-10 Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486473' first='Bailey' last='Hape']</strong> (<em>11.3p, 4.3r, 3.0a, 3.1s</em>) is the leader of the group. She has done a really nice job this year of letting others shine, while she just continues to play hard, play disciplined, and help her team win in the best way she knows how. She is a very good perimeter shooter, a solid all-around athlete, plus she is a good ball-handler who can initiate the offense and find open teammates. 5-10 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='992369' first='Rhyan' last='Wagner']</strong> (<em>12.8p, 2.3r, 2.3a, 2.0s</em>) transferred in from Mater Dei this year, and she immediately became the Panthers' leading scorer. She has nice length, a fluid athleticism to her game, plus she is a good perimeter shooter. 6-0 Sophomore forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='999407' first='Kierstyn' last='Kaiser']</strong> (<em>10.5p, 5.9r, 2.3a, 2.7s</em>) has grown quickly, and now she is a taller wing with perimeter skill who can also play inside some because of her size. She has nice length, athleticism, and she plays hard, but she also has ball skill and the ability to find open teammates. 5-8 Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='999409' first='Keilah' last='Mitchell']</strong> (<em>9.9p, 1.9r, 3.3a, 2.7s</em>) is a nice, athletic talent, and she is a player who can create a basket for herself or teammates. 6-0 Senior front-liner<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='761169' first='Kendall' last='Kaiser']</strong> (<em>5.1p, 5.4r, 1.6b</em>) is a hard-working rebounder and defender, plus she's a nice all-around athlete, while 5-9 Senior forward <strong>Summer Johnson</strong> (<em>2.6p, 2.9r</em>) offers them another interior player who can rebound and defend off the bench. In this matchup, Center Grove is going to play a specific way, because that's just their persona. They will wear you down, wear you down, and wear you down some more until you break. What Reitz has to be careful of is early frustrations if they aren't scoring right away. The Panthers need to stick to plan and not deviate just because a shot or two doesn't fall. That's how the Trojans get you. The Panthers can try to pressure and trap Center Grove, but those guards are used to it. As long as Reitz is willing to play the long game here and win it in the fourth quarter, not the first few minutes, then they can beat Center Grove. This game will likely be a grind for all parties.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">8:00p - Winner @ 10:00a vs. Winner @ 12:00p</font></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->