Season Preview: Conference Quick Picks

The feature image is of [player_tooltip player_id="97261" first="Koryn" last="Greiwe"] (2022) of Columbus East High School. As we continue our season preview content, I wanted to have fun with this article and anticipate who I think could be the best team and the most important player in their conference this season. When I considered the team I’ve chosen, I tried to look at a combination of past success, coaching, roster turnover, as well as how they match up with others in their conference, plus I also took into consideration their opponents’ roster turnover. With regards to the player I’ve selected, I made this decision based on who I thought was talented and skilled, I tried to pick someone who I figure will be productive statistically, but I also had to take into consideration who surrounds them on the roster this year. In some cases I might have chosen someone because their statistical output will likely increase, while I might not have chosen someone else because they are now surrounded by much more "help" in terms roster depth. Anyway, while I know they’ll be a disagreement or two here and there, I thought this would be a fun, fast look at the state by way of each conference. Included are the schools’ 2019-2020 records, as well as any 2019-2020 player stats I could find. ALLEN COUNTY Top Team: Jay County Patriots (14-9) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="96091" first="Renna" last="Schwieterman"], 2023, Jay County, 15.9p, 7.4r, 2.0a BLUE CHIP Top Team: Loogootee Lions (27-2), Class 1A State Champions Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="35070" first="Kalea" last="Fleming"], 2021, Loogootee, 12.3p, 3.5r, 3.6a CENTRAL INDIANA Top Team: Frankton Eagles (21-8), Class 2A State Runners-Up Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="127242" first="Olivia" last="Waters"], 2023, Blackford, 10.5p, 4.7r, 2.9a, 3.0s, 3.2b CIRCLE CITY Top Team: Roncalli (17-7) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="10660" first="Ariana" last="Wiggins"], 2021, Heritage Christian, 16.3p, 4.3r, 2.8a, 2.5s CONFERENCE INDIANA Top Team: Bloomington South Panthers (14-9) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="128154" first="Zoe" last="Stewart"], 2022, Terre Haute North Vigo, 12.8p, 3.8r, 3.8a DUNELAND Top Team: Crown Point Bulldogs (26-1) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="61030" first="Jessica" last="Carrothers"], 2022, Crown Point, 19.1p, 4.5r, 3.8a, 4.6s EASTERN INDIANA Top Team: Greensburg Pirates (24-4) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="128165" first="Hope" last="Fox"], 2022, East Central, 9.8p, 4.5r, 3.5a, 2.3s GREAT LAKES Top Team: East Chicago Central Cardinals (10-12) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="155441" first="Janiyah" last="Watkins"], 2023, East Chicago Central, 9.5p, 3.5r GREATER INDIANAPOLIS Top Team: Tindley Accelerated (15-9) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="184237" first="Aniya" last="Washington"], 2021, Tindley Accelerated, 17.5p, 3.2r, 2.7a, 4.6s GREATER SOUTH SHORE Top Team: Lake Station Edison Fighting Eagles (15-9) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="130311" first="Courtney" last="Blakely"], 2021, Hammond Bishop Noll, 23.0p, 4.3r, 4.1a, 3.9s HOOSIER Top Team: Northwestern Tigers (29-1), Class 4A State Runners-Up Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="59762" first="McKenna" last="Layden"], 2023, Northwestern, 6.0p, 4.3r, 3.0a HOOSIER CROSSROADS Top Team: Fishers Tigers (23-2) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="59773" first="Ashlynn" last="Shade"], 2023, Noblesville, 20.5p, 6.7r, 2.3a, 4.2s HOOSIER HEARTLAND Top Team: Taylor Titans (16-8) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="130386" first="Kenadie" last="Fernung"], 2021, Tri-Central, 18.6p, 2.7r, 2.1a, 2.7s HOOSIER HERITAGE Top Team: Mount Vernon (Fortville) Marauders (22-2) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="99416" first="Lexi" last="Shelton"], 2021, Mount Vernon (Fortville), 16.0p, 5.9r HOOSIER HILLS Top Team: Bedford North Lawrence Stars (21-6) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="97261" first="Koryn" last="Greiwe"], 2022, Columbus East, 21.2p, 3.6r, 3.3a, 2.3s HOOSIER NORTH Top Team: Pioneer Panthers (25-3), Class 1A State Runners-Up Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="35021" first="Lilliann" last="Frasure"], 2021, North Judson-San Pierre, 23.6p, 12.6r, 3.6a, 6.5s HOOSIER PLAINS Top Team: Bethany Christian Bruins (5-17) Top Player: Jessi Calizo, 2022, Lakeland Christian, 9.4p, 6.1r, 2.8a, 4.7s INDEPENDENTS Top Team #1: Oregon-Davis Bobcats (19-5) Top Team #2: Cathedral Fighting Irish (15-10) Top Player #1: [player_tooltip player_id="130332" first="Mercedes" last="Rhodes"], 2021, Oregon-Davis, 26.7p, 7.9r, 3.5a, 3.5s Top Player #2: [player_tooltip player_id="99364" first="Courtney" last="Fields"], 2021, Cathedral, 12.5p, 3.5r, 2.8a INDIANA CROSSROADS Top Team: Triton Central Tigers (26-1) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="130409" first="Emma" last="Litzelman"], 2021, Cardinal Ritter, 11.0p, 5.1r METROPOLITAN Top Team: North Central (Indianapolis) Panthers (17-10) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="62526" first="Jayla" last="Smith"], 2021, Lawrence North, 13.0p, 2.9r MID-EASTERN Top Team: Shenandoah Raiders (24-3) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="99406" first="Kathryn" last="Perry"], 2021, Shenandoah, 21.0p, 2.2r, 3.8a, 4.6s MID-HOOSIER Top Team: Southwestern (Shelbyville) Spartans (12-11) Top Player: Annelise Lollar, 2021, Edinburgh, 13.9p, 4.7r, 2.8a, 3.2s MID-SOUTHERN Top Team: Silver Creek Dragons (21-4) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="130402" first="Katherine" last="Benter"], 2021, Brownstown Central, 15.9p, 5.3r, 2.4a MID-STATE Top Team: Franklin Community Grizzly Cubs (9-13) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="97247" first="Ellie" last="Wilkerson"], 2022, Plainfield, 14.3p, 6.0r MIDWEST Top Team: North White Vikings (16-9) Top Player: Lynzi Heimlich, 2022, North White, 8.8p, 6.4r NORTH CENTRAL Top Team: McCutcheon Mavericks (15-12) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="10721" first="Tyra" last="Ford"], 2021, Anderson, 22.7p, 7.6r, 2.8a, 3.8s NORTHEAST EIGHT Top Team: Norwell Knights (22-5) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="130352" first="Maiah" last="Shelton"], 2021, Norwell, 14.5p, 6.4r, 2.3a, 2.3s NORTHEAST CORNER Top Team: Angola Hornets (21-3) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="35020" first="Hanna" last="Knoll"], 2021, Angola, 16.9p, 4.2r, 2.3a, 3.7s NORTHERN INDIANA Top Team: Penn Kingsmen (27-3) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="59748" first="Nevaeh" last="Foster"], 2023, Mishawaka Marian, 19.1p, 5.4r, 2.8a, 2.8s NORTHERN LAKES Top Team: Northridge Raiders (10-15) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="130314" first="Brynn" last="Shoup-Hill"], 2021, Goshen, 15.5p, 11.5r, 4.1b NORTHWEST CROSSROADS Top Team: Andrean Fighting 59ers (15-13) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="96078" first="Asia" last="Donald"], 2023, Hobart, 12.6p, 5.5r, 2.9s OHIO RIVER VALLEY Top Team: Jac-Cen-Del Eagles (21-5) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="130348" first="Paige" last="Ledford"], 2021, Jac-Cen-Del, 15.1p, 10.8r PATOKA LAKE Top Team: Mitchell Bluejackets (10-13) Top Player: Treasure Nickelson, 2021, Crawford County, 16.2p, 6.9r, 2.5a, 2.8s PIONEER Top Team: Greenwood Christian Cougars (23-6) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="35057" first="Isabella" last="Reed"], 2021, Greenwood Christian, 23.8p, 15.3r, 4.4a, 2.5s POCKET Top Team: Washington Hatchets (21-4) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="97268" first="Kaybree" last="Oxley"], 2022, Tecumseh, 20.9p, 11.6r, 3.1a, 3.9s PORTER COUNTY Top Team: South Central (Union Mills) Satellites (21-8) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="128209" first="Abigail" last="Tomblin"], 2022, South Central (Union Mills), 11.1p, 3.2r, 2.3a, 3.1s SAGAMORE Top Team: Tri-West Bruins (18-6) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="61059" first="Kenna" last="Kirby"], 2022, Tri-West, 18.8p, 5.5r, 3.1a, 3.3s SOUTHERN Top Team: Lanesville Eagles (23-4) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="22694" first="Gracie" last="Adams"], 2021, Lanesville, 17.5p, 8.0r, 3.0a, 2.7s SOUTHERN INDIANA Top Team: Evansville Memorial Tigers (22-4) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="62534" first="Maycee" last="Lange"], 2021, Vincennes Lincoln, 15.7p, 9.9r, 2.2s SOUTHWESTERN INDIANA Top Team: Linton-Stockton Miners (25-5), Class 2A State Champions Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="10685" first="Vanessa" last="Shafford"], 2021, Linton-Stockton, 17.6p, 6.9r, 4.8a SUMMIT Top Team: Homestead Spartans (26-2) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="10766" first="Ayanna" last="Patterson"], 2022, Homestead, 13.5p, 8.4r THREE RIVERS Top Team: Northfield Lady Norse (20-7) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="130375" first="Sidney" last="Wagner"], 2021, Tippecanoe Valley, 17.2p, 8.0r, 5.0a, 4.0s TRI-EASTERN Top Team: Northeastern Knights (20-5) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="99397" first="Madison" last="Gray"], 2021, Union County, 20.5p, 6.8r, 2.2s WABASH RIVER Top Team: North Vermillion Falcons (20-7) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="130414" first="McKenzie" last="Crowder"], 2021, North Vermillion, 14.1p, 2.2r, 3.3s WESTERN INDIANA Top Team: Sullivan Golden Arrows (17-7) Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id="130344" first="Kylee" last="Stepp"], 2021, West Vigo, 11.8p, 4.6r, 2.9a