Carmel’s Kate Clarke and Westfield’s Alyssa Crockett are among the 12 players that have been selected for the IndyStar Indiana girls Junior All-Stars for 2021, Indiana All-Star games director Mike Broughton announced Monday.
For this year, the Juniors All-Stars will play just one game — June 9 against the Indiana senior All-Stars at a site to be determined. Thus, a single group of 12 players has been selected for this year’s Junior All-Stars.
The other players selected for 2021, listed alphabetically, are Kuryn Brunson of Franklin, Jessica Carrothers of Crown Point, Rayah Kincer of Franklin Central, Ayanna Patterson of Homestead, Mila Reynolds of South Bend Washington, Olivia Smith of Fort Wayne South, Lilly Stoddard of Crown Point, Kynidi Striverson of Silver Creek, Alaina Thorne of Washington and Tanyuel Welch of North Central.
The coaches for the 2021 Junior All-Stars have not yet been announced.
The game on June 9 against the Indiana senior All-Stars will be a doubleheader with girls and boys. The Indiana boys Junior All-Stars will be chosen in late March. The Indiana senior girls team also will be announced during March. Indiana senior boys team will be announced in April.
The Indiana senior All-Stars, also girl-boy doubleheaders, will play the Kentucky senior All-Stars on June 11 at the Owensboro Civic Center in Owensboro, Ky. The Indiana senior All-Stars will play Kentucky’s seniors again on June 12 at Southport Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The senior game in Indianapolis has been moved to Southport for 2021 because Bankers Life Fieldhouse will be undergoing renovations and not be available in June.
The Junior All-Star team was selected through a process that allows all IBCA-member head coaches to nominate players through the IBCA all-state process. The IBCA 20-member Indiana Basketball Coaches Association all-state committee reviewed and voted on players for the 2021 IBCA/Franciscan Health girls All-State teams that were released last Tuesday (March 2).
The 20 all-state committee members also provided input to a four-person IBCA subcommittee appointed by IBCA executive director Steve Witty. The subcommittee of chairman Brandon Bradley, Broughton, All-Star junior coordinator Beth DeVinney and all-state committee chairman Pat McKee of Columbus North finalized the selections for the 2021 Junior girls All-Stars.
The Indiana Junior All-Star program was founded in 1996 by former Indiana All-Star games director Patrick Aikman. In most years, 18 players were chosen to the Junior All-Stars. In five years (2005, 2006, 2007, 2018 and 2019), 24 players were chosen to the Junior All-Stars.
In 2020, 18 players were selected to the Juniors All-Stars but games against the Kentucky Juniors and the Indiana Seniors both were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, because of just one game involving the Juniors, is the first time that just 12 players are being selected to the Junior All-Stars.
Over 24 years of games, from 1996 through 2019, the Indiana Senior girls lead the Indiana Junior girls 39-10 and the Indiana Senior boys lead the Indiana Junior boys 39-10. In five years of games against the Kentucky Juniors, the Indiana Junior girls lead 9-1 and the Indiana Junior boys lead 6-4. Games against the Kentucky Juniors were played in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2019.
Crockett chooses Michigan
In addition to her being named to the Girls Junior All-Stars roster, Westfield’s Alyssa Crockett made news last week with her commitment to the University of Michigan.
The Reporter caught up with Crockett Friday evening during the Shamrocks’ boys basketball sectional semi-final game. Crockett, a 6-3 guard who averaged 17.2 points per game this season, said the facts that the school is close to home and a member of the Big Ten conference were part of her decision.
“I visited last year, went on the football field and everything,” said Crockett. “Around August time, I went up there with my dad and we visited the campus and saw everything.”
Another factor for Crockett that the Wolverines have become “more of a Hamilton County school in that Kate Clarke is going to be going there with me.” Clarke announced her commitment to Michigan last fall. In addition, Carmel’s Amy Dilk and Noblesville’s Emily Kiser are both playing for the Wolverines now.
“Alyssa’s a really special kid and I couldn’t be more proud of what she’s accomplished and what she’s going to do and what she will continue to accomplish,” said Westfield coach Ginny Smith. “Michigan is a great fit for her. Obviously, they recruit this area really heavily and so I think there’s a level of comfort knowing that there are kids playing there that play her style of basketball, too. They’re well-coached, they’re disciplined. I just think across the board it’s going to be a great fit. She has worked incredibly hard for this and so she deserves it. I can’t wait to see what her college career looks like.”