By RICHIE HALL
Reporter Sports Editor
As any basketball coach will tell you, getting the skills together in the spring and summer will pay dividends in the winter.
That seems to be the recurring theme among the Hamilton County girls basketball teams during the off-season. For the most part, the teams are dividing their time between practices and tournaments.
Noblesville coach Donna Buckley said her Millers have been lifting two days a week and practicing four days a week. In addition, the players are taking part in Championship Wednesday with the other Noblesville teams.
“At practices, our kids are working hard on developing offensive and defensive fundamentals,” said Buckley.
Tournament-wise, the Millers have played in events such as the Indiana Wesleyan University Shootout, the Westfield Shootout and a tournament in Brown County. Noblesville has a relatively young squad, with senior-to-be Emily Kiser the only 12th-grader playing at the moment. Olivia Morales, the Millers’ other senior, is out with an injury. Also back are juniors Mallory Johnson, Maddie Knight, Kaylin Mertens and Madison Whetro, and sophomores Kaylin Ely, Sarah Etchison, Abby Haley, Anna Kiser, Maddie Randolph, and Devon Ray.
Buckley said July’s agenda will include lifting and Championship Wednesdays.
“We don’t do much on the court in July since our kids are all traveling for AAU,” said Buckley.
Guerin Catholic has been keeping busy as well, as the Golden Eagles also participated in the Westfield Shootout. On Monday, GC will play at the D-1 Team Camp in Fort Wayne, which will feature over 16 games for varsity and junior varsity teams.
Golden Eagles coach Dave Roth said his team has several underclassmen that will compete for “significant playing time” on the JV and varsity squads. The coach said the Guerin seniors and juniors “are well aware as to what their tasks are and are stepping up to the challenges that are given to them.”
Fishers has played in a few events this June, participating in a team camp at Butler University along with shootouts at Ball State and Westfield.
“Our team is working through the process adjusting to personnel changes with the graduation of last year’s seniors,” said Tigers coach Michael Gaines. “At Butler our top two teams went a combined 6-3 over the two days of team camp. With each game we play we are coming closer to finding units that play well together and more clearly defining roles for the players on our roster.”
University coach Justin Blanding reports that his kids “are back in the gym working very hard as always.” The Trailblazers also played in the Triton Central Shootout earlier this month.
University will still be a young, but very talented team. Sophomore-to-be Lindsey Syrek established herself as a great post player during her freshman season, and the ‘Blazers return other good players as juniors Lily and Lucy Snyder and senior Natalie Nickless.
“We have been really working on defense and continuing to enhance our system,” said Blanding. “Kids have really been playing well in open gym and really putting emphasis on the skill development we have been working on.”
Carmel, the two-time defending sectional champion, has been all over the place this spring. The Greyhounds have played in team camps at Akron University, Louisville and Purdue, plus shootouts at Dayton, the Indiana All-Star Shootout, Michigan and Ball State.
Carmel coach Tod Windlan said the Greyhounds “have done well” during their road trips. Key players for the Greyhounds have been seniors Tomi Taiwo, Blake Smith, Molly Gillig and Vanessa Mullins, juniors Sophie Bair, Mackenzie Wood and Macy Berglund and sophomore Maddi Sears.
Senior Amy Dilk, who recently committed to Michigan, and sophomore Jasmine McWilliams are injured, but Windlan was hopeful that both would be able to play in The Best of Maryland tournament, which takes place July 26-28 and consists of 25 of the nation’s top high school teams.
Carmel’s Blake Smith (left) and Noblesville’s Emily Kiser are both seniors-to-be for their respective girls basketball teams. (Kent Graham/File photo)