Season Preview: Top Backcourts

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id="10705" first="Kaitlyn" last="Costner"] from Penn High School. With the season having started on Monday, November 2nd, I wanted to continue with the season preview content, and what better way to pick it back up than with some of the top backcourts in the state. Indiana has long been known for it’s basketball tradition, but it has also been known for the quality of its perimeter play. This year is no different, as there are a number of outstanding guards, wings, and complete backcourts to boast about in the Hoosier state. Below is a look at just a few of those groups, broken down into a few different categories.   Deepest Backcourt: Penn The Kingsmen are always a talented and deep squad, year-in and year-out. This season, however, they might have as much perimeter depth as they ever have. It all starts with the play of Seniors [player_tooltip player_id="10705" first="Kaitlyn" last="Costner"], [player_tooltip player_id="99357" first="Trinity" last="Clinton"], and [player_tooltip player_id="94969" first="Jordyn" last="Smith"]. Costner is an elite athlete who can run and jump with anyone in the state. She is a high-level on-ball defender who can pick up 84-feet, she has good strength, and she is a playmaker off the bounce. Costner has committed to play at The Ohio State University next year. Clinton is another strong, athletic, but a bit more physical player. She is incredibly aggressive to the rim, but she is starting to shooting it more consistently outside. She plays with a great motor and can defend as well. Smith is more of a steady-paced, traditional point guard. She takes care of the ball, finds open teammates, but she can also use her strength to attack and finish, plus she’s a capable shooter from the perimeter. Those three would be enough for any team to compete, but there are several more prospects to consider. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="128151" first="Gracie" last="Bobo"] has been an effective and versatile scorer throughout her career. She is always looking to knock down shots on each catch, plus she has gotten taller/stronger and is attacking more off the bounce. Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="128158" first="Payton" last="Adkins"] was outstanding this Fall at a couple of showcase events, and she too has gotten stronger and is playing with much more confidence. Senior combo guard [player_tooltip player_id="99445" first="Grace" last="Schutt"] is another steady, efficient guard who can play on or off the ball. She has committed to play at Olivet Nazarene University. Senior guard Emily Salwin and Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="157178" first="Sydney" last="Little"] also have Varsity experience and make a lot of hustle plays for the Kingsmen.   Most Balanced Starting Lineups: Silver Creek & Bedford N. Lawrence This was a toss-up, so I went with both teams here. In order to put their best players on the floor, each squad will likely start four perimeter players throughout the course of this season. When it comes to the Dragons of Silver Creek, they are led by Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="128116" first="Kynidi" last="Striverson"]. She is their primary ball-handler, their playmaker, and she’s one of the better on-ball defenders in the state. She can use her athleticism to score the ball herself, but she does a nice job of taking what the defense gives her. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="130316" first="Alana" last="Striverson"] was the leading scorer for the Dragons a year ago. She has a strong, athletic frame, she can get to the basket and finish, but she also has some touch outside. She too can defend at a high level. Alana has committed to Lindenwood University in Missouri. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="62561" first="Jaclyn" last="Emly"] is a long, wiry strong, and versatile player. She can handle the ball at times in transition and even initiate the offense. She is a good perimeter shooter, a nice one-directional slasher to the basket, plus she plays hard and rebounds well from the wing. She has committed to play at Kentucky Wesleyan University. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="128122" first="Emme" last="Rooney"] rounds out this group of talented perimeter players. She too has some versatility to her game. She is a strong and aggressive driving guard who does a nice job of getting to the free throw line. She can also knock down shots consistently outside, plus she plays with a nice motor and is a willing defender. As it regards the Stars of Bedford North Lawrence, they have a nice mixture of veteran play and youthful talent. The leading returning scorer from a year ago is Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="62538" first="Chloe" last="McKnight"]. She has always been known as one of the state’s best shooters in the 2021 class, as she gets rid of it quick and can knock down shots to 25-feet consistently. She has gotten stronger and looks to attack more, but she will always be a lethal shooter. She has committed to the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="130321" first="Irye" last="Gomez"] saw a big increase in playing time a year ago, and she did a lot with her opportunity. She is a long, wiry strong, and very athletic North/South slasher. She can knock down a perimeter shot, but she’s at her best off the bounce, making plays for herself or others. Sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id="59766" first="Karsyn" last="Norman"] stepped right in last year and became their primary ball-handler. She didn’t bat an eye at pressure, and she was probably better during their state tournament run than the regular season. She is one of the best setup point guards in the state already, but she is starting to shoot/score it much better and more confidently. Then there is talented Freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id="176409" first="Chloe" last="Spreen"]. She comes in with a great deal of fanfare, as she has already drawn quite a few high-major Division-I offers. She has an athletic frame, length, and she’s fluid/smooth in all directions. She is highly skilled and can make plays off the bounce, plus she’s a consistent perimeter shooter who can cause problems around the arc.   Most Explosive Backcourt: Fishers The Fishers Tigers probably could have been considered for a couple of these other categories, but I felt this suited them better than anyone on this list. They flat out get out and go up and down the floor nonstop every game. Their fearless leader is none other than Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="35013" first="Katie" last="Burton"]. The athletic, tough-nosed, and aggressive playmaker is always on attack. She can score the ball at all three levels, she creates turnovers at the defensive end of the floor, and she plays with a nice all-around motor. She has committed to play at Saint John’s University in New York. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="62546" first="Audra" last="Emmerson"] is the setup person. She is their primary ball-handler, she does a nice job of efficiently running a team, but she also has good speed and quickness, she can break down defenders, and she can knock down rhythm jumpers consistently outside. She is also a nice on-ball defender and uses her length well. Emmerson has committed to Purdue University-Fort Wayne. From there, Sophomore twins [player_tooltip player_id="59775" first="Hailey" last="Smith"] and [player_tooltip player_id="59776" first="Olivia" last="Smith"] cause a lot of problems at both ends of the floor. They are strong, tough-nosed, and incredibly aggressive athletes who just fly around the floor. They are playmakers off the bounce and can get to the rim at will, but they both also hound the ball defensively and force a lot of turnovers. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="130404" first="Katie" last="Howard"] is a very cerebral kid who can really shoot it outside. She could thrive this season by playing off of the above teammates. She knows how to find open space, and she doesn’t waste possessions. Junior twins [player_tooltip player_id="128187" first="Emily" last="Gausepohl"] and [player_tooltip player_id="128198" first="Haley" last="Gausepohl"] can provide depth this season. Emily is more of a ball-handler and a capable perimeter shooter, while Haley has a bit more size and strength and is a nice slashing type of wing forward. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="203662" first="Karina" last="Scott"] is a strong, low-to-the-ground athlete who can make explosive plays off the dribble. She transferred in from Pike this year. Or Coach can turn to any number of top Freshmen prospects that include: [player_tooltip player_id="177355" first="Joirdyn" last="Smith"], [player_tooltip player_id="176168" first="Talia" last="Harris"], Julia Munkholm, and Morgan Roberts.   Top Young Backcourt: Noblesville The Millers of Noblesville have a really nice backcourt, top to bottom, but it’s the younger prospects who could lead them to a number of wins over the next few years. Sophomore do-everything guard [player_tooltip player_id="59773" first="Ashlynn" last="Shade"] burst onto the scene a year ago and averaged just over 20 points per game as a Freshman. She is a strong, athletic, and dynamic scorer who can fill it up from anywhere on the floor. This Summer, she was attacking the basket aggressively and scoring it at a high rate against a lot of the top prospects in the 2021 and 2022 classes. She has already drawn several high-major Division-I offers. Freshman point guard [player_tooltip player_id="177361" first="Reagan" last="Wilson"] may or may not be a high-major Division-I prospect, that is yet to be determined, but she is a talented kid who could have quite an impression on this group immediately. She is a high-energy, athletic, skillful, and assertive guard. She can really defend, she takes care of the ball and can make plays, plus she’s a consistent perimeter shooter. Those two together the next three years will give opposing coaches headaches. Another pair of younger guards who could see time this season are Sophomores [player_tooltip player_id="127222" first="Brooklyn" last="Ely"] and Kaitlyn Shoemaker. Both are tough-nosed, feisty little guards who can make perimeter shots when in rhythm. Their roles should both expand in their second seasons. Now, I don’t want to take away from the Senior class, as they will play a role for the Millers this year. Senior guard Mallory Miller was the second leading scorer a year ago, behind only Shade. She is in her third year as a key Varsity contributor. She is a capable perimeter shooter and an effortful defender who can create steals. Senior wing Jayla Jones and Senior guard Emery Denison should find opportunities to contribute as well in 2020-2021.   Top Sleeper Backcourts: Ben Davis & Garrett The Giants of Ben Davis have a "new" coach and a new attitude this year, so I look for them to really sneak up on a lot of people, especially early this season. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="59735" first="Kirsten" last="Clark"] and Sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id="155438" first="Kaleah" last="Toomer"] should see a significant increase in opportunity, and I know they’ll be ready. Clark is a long, wiry strong, and fluid/smooth combo guard who can shoot it from the perimeter, glide to the basket for scores, or facilitate offense when needed. She has already drawn Division-I interest/offers. Toomer is a wiry strong athlete who runs and jumps as well as anyone in Indiana’s 2023 class. She is a playmaker from the wing, she has a soft touch outside, but she’s so good attacking the basket and finishing. Senior guards Micah Jett and Maya Turner have seen opportunities here and there to contribute at the Varsity level over the last three seasons, but this time around it’s their turn to lead the way. They are both tough-nosed, strong for their size, plus they are high-energy kids who are willing defenders. A nice boost to the backcourt this year is Junior playmaker [player_tooltip player_id="128192" first="London" last="Brooks"]. She is fun to watch, versatile skillfully, and hard to define by position. She’s kind of a point forward, kind of a shooting guard, but she’s definitely a creator of offense. She has a great sense of where her teammates are, she has a solid handle, plus she can knock down rhythm jumpers consistently, and she plays with a motor. Watch out for the mighty, mighty Giants. The Garrett Railroaders will also be someone to fear this year at the smaller school level. They have a trio of backcourt performers who can all blow up individually each game. Sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id="127226" first="Bailey" last="Kelham"] is the most effective of the bunch. She kind of came out of nowhere to put up tremendous numbers a year ago as a Freshman, and she looks to duplicate that as a Sophomore. She has an athletic frame, length, and she can play anywhere from the mid-post to the perimeter equally well. She has touch, a solid handle, but she’s just a really nice athlete who can overwhelm opponents with her explosiveness. Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="128162" first="Nataley" last="Armstrong"] is always fun to watch. She has great length, fluid athleticism, and quickness. She is a playmaker, whether it’s off the bounce or at the defensive end of the floor. She has great reaction time as a defender; couple that with her length, and she gets her hands on a lot of passes defensively. Like the Giants (above), the Railroaders will also benefit from a transfer. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="128159" first="Taylor" last="Gerke"] enters from Lakewood Park Christian Academy, where she has been an effective scorer the last couple of seasons. She has a wiry strong frame, good athleticism, and she can put it in the basket from all areas of the floor. She should be a nice compliment to Kelham and Armstrong this season.   Under-Appreciated Backcourt: Bishop Chatard To me, there is a difference between being a sleeper and being under-appreciated. I think this Chatard group is talented, and while they are well-known, I don’t hear as many people raving about their potential. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="130312" first="Zakia" last="Rasheed"] has been great for three years now, and I’d expect for her to step it up even more in her final year. She is so strong, physical, and assertive, plus she plays with a great motor. She has really worked to improve her handle and passing, and she has become a much more efficient player over the years. She has always been a nice shooter from the perimeter, and she’s an effortful defender. She has committed to play at the University of Akron. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="35022" first="Moira" last="McGinley"] actually led the Trojans in scoring last season, and she really put together a nice breakout year, seeing teams actually prepare to stop her from scoring first. She is a capable perimeter shooter, but she’s such a nice athlete with good speed and strength, it’s difficult to keep her from attacking the basket at will. She too is a really nice defender who does a quality job whether she’s on or off the ball. One player who I think could really have a breakout year this time around is Junior guard Isabel Davis. She has a strong frame, she’s a very quick-footed and deceptive athlete, and she can really handle the ball and make plays off the bounce. She was outstanding at our PGH Top-250 event in Fort Wayne in early October, and with so much attention being paid to Rasheed and McGinley, look for Davis to have the occasional big game. Junior point guard Grace Adams is another solid, skillful, and efficient player who should provide nice depth. She has two years of Varsity experience already, and she can step in and give them a nice veteran presence when needed.