Tourney Takeover: Class 4A Performers
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The featured image is of Kuryn Brunson Kuryn Brunson 5'10" | SF Franklin Community | 2022 State IN of Franklin Community High School. With the IHSAA girls’ basketball state tournament underway this week, we can all take a sigh of…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Kuryn Brunson Kuryn Brunson 5'10" | SF Franklin Community | 2022 State IN of Franklin Community High School.
With the IHSAA girls’ basketball state tournament underway this week, we can all take a sigh of relief that we finally got to this point, considering other states were less fortunate (now we just have to avoid Mother Nature). As I try to spread the wealth in terms of high school seasonal coverage when it comes to teams and players, I felt like it was time to highlight five young ladies in Class 4A who stand out and should be recognized for their potential to take over games this postseason. All five of these prospects are skilled and talented, but they are also all capable of controlling games and putting their teams on their backs. Below is a look at five players who I think can have the biggest individual impacts on this season’s Class 4A state tournament.
Madelyn Bischoff
Madelyn
Bischoff
5'10" | SG
Roncalli | 2021
State
IN
, 2021, 5-10 SG, Roncalli H.S.
Maddie is a nice combination of pure basketball player and talent. She can play any of three perimeter positions offensively, as she can handle and run offense, break down defenders and get to the basket, or play on the wing and bury shot after shot from outside. She has been a staple in the Royals’ lineup from the get-go her rookie year, and she has gotten better each season. This season, she is averaging career highs in scoring (21.3), rebounding, assists, and steals, plus a career low in turnovers. She has shown the ability to score in the 30s before, but to me at least, she affects the game in so many ways for Roncalli, that that’s how she can take control of a contest the best.
Jayla Smith
Jayla
Smith
5'11" | SG
Lawrence North | 2021
State
#73
Nation
IN
, 2021, 5-11 SG, Lawrence North H.S.
Jayla has been Miss Big-Shot these last couple of seasons. From the daggers she made against Northwestern in the 2020 State Finals, to the 35-foot game-winner against Carmel back in December, to whatever that was from the sideline against Homestead last month to put that game into overtime, she has always shown ice water in her veins. The Purdue University commit and 2021 Miss Basketball/Indiana All-Star candidate has been spectacular at times throughout her career, and she certainly has a scorer’s mentality and the ability to take over games against anyone. If the Wildcats can help her find some space with screens, etc., she can certainly help them win Sectional #10 again.
Kuryn Brunson
Kuryn
Brunson
5'10" | SF
Franklin Community | 2022
State
IN
, 2021, 5-9 SF/PG, Franklin Community H.S.
I am glad the state got to see a full, healthy season out of Kuryn, because that’s the potential she showcased as a 7th and 8th Grader, dominating her peers at times. Franklin now sits at 18-2 headed into tonight’s action, and Kuryn is one of the reasons for that. She is a complete wing. She is their primary ball-handler and can play a point forward role, she handles it well, has great vision passing it, but this year she is starting to shoot it much more consistently from the perimeter, which makes her that much tougher to defend. She has always been able to use her strong frame to get to the basket as well, plus she has improved her on-ball defense. Like Bischoff, she affects the game in so many ways.
Ayanna Patterson
Ayanna
Patterson
6'3" | SF
Homestead | 2022
State
#5
Nation
IN
, 2022, 6-3 SF, Homestead H.S.
Ayanna has always drawn media attention because of her pure athletic talent at her height. She has proven herself on the Summer circuits and drawn high-major offers from nearly every school in the country. For Homestead, she has done a nice job in the past of fulfilling her role and blending into the team dynamic, but this year, especially lately, she has started to impose her will on each game. Last week, she posted a 43-point effort against Fort Wayne South Side, and she has that type of potential to step up in every state tournament game and score it at will, along with controlling the glass, blocking shots, and doing a variety of other things. She can be un-guardable when she plays with that mindset.
Ashlynn Shade
Ashlynn
Shade
5'10" | SG
La Lumiere Prep | 2023
State
#33
Nation
IN
, 2023, 5-11 CG, Noblesville H.S.
It’s no secret that Ashlynn has been really good since whenever anyone saw her for the first time. Last season as a Freshman, she was outstanding, scoring just over 20 points per game and making a major impact on the Millers’ program. But over this past Summer/Spring, she showed a different level, scoring at will at times against some of the nation’s best guards, with most of them being a year or two older than herself. That level of play carried over to this season, as she increased her scoring to 23.3 points per game, but she also increased her rebounding and nearly doubled her assists from a year ago. She is one of the most difficult scorers to defend in the state, and she can will Noblesville to wins each time out.