By RICHIE HALL
On Wednesday morning, Hamilton Southeastern athletic director Drew Tower escorted Royals senior Maya Makalusky into the HSE gym.
Makalusky was told that they were going into the gym to see her Gatorade Player of the Year banner, one of several awards that the senior basketball player had just won. But as they entered the gym, Tower told Makalusky the real reason.
The Hamilton Southeastern media department put together this graphic featuring Makalusky that was shown in the gym. “Those kids are great at what they do,” said Makalusky. “One of the many talents at our school.” (Photo provided)
“By the way,” he said, “you’re Indiana Miss Basketball.”
Makaluksy then walked into the gym to cheers from her family, teammates, friends and her coach, Brian Satterfield, who presented her with the #1 jersey given to the Miss Basketball winner.
“It meant so much,” Makalusky said to the Reporter. “I couldn’t help but get emotional just seeing everybody who played a little part in my basketball journey.”
Satterfield estimated there were “70 to 100 people” at the ceremony.
“I was holding up the #1 jersey,” said Satterfield. Makalusky walked up to her coach, he “gave her a hug and I put the jersey on her.”
Satterfield praised Makalusky and “what she did this year and her willingness to sacrifice for the good of the team. She was trying to get everybody involved, which helped her in the long run.”
Makalusky, an Indiana University recruit, earned the girls’ top honor after being named on 131 ballots submitted in voting that ran from Feb. 17 to March 4. Jaylah Lampley of Lawrence Central was runner-up with 80 votes. Meredith Tippner of Noblesville placed third with 41 votes, and Addison Baxter of Columbia City was fourth with 30 votes. Sixteen other players received at least one vote for Miss Basketball. There were 384 votes cast overall.
Makalusky is the second Miss Basketball winner in HSE history, joining Sydney Parrish in 2020. Parrish, who is finishing up her college career at Indiana University, recorded a video message for Makalusky Wednesday morning.
“So proud of you,” said Parrish. “I loved watching you be able to grow since you were a little girl. We are just so excited for you to be a Hoosier this summer and for the next four seasons. Please take it all in, it’s an amazing accomplishment.”
Current IU assistant coach Ali Patberg is another former Miss Basketball, winning the award in 2015 as a Columbus North player. She also made a video message for Makalusky, saying in part: “We’re so, so proud of you, not just being Miss Basketball, but the young woman you are off the floor.”
“That was super-duper cool, seeing two girls that I looked up to,” said Makalusky, who remembers growing up and watching Parrish play for Southeastern. “It really meant a lot that they would do that.”
Makalusky also is the fourth HSE player to wear No. 1 with the Royals’ Gary Harris and Zak Irvin claiming Mr. Basketball accolades in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Satterfield coached both Harris and Irvin during his tenure as the Royals’ boys coach.
Makalusky averaged 22.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.8 steals as a senior in leading Hamilton Southeastern to a 27-1 season that included Hall of Fame Classic, Hoosier Crossroads Conference, sectional and regional championships.
“We should be proud,” Makalusky said of the Royals’ season. “We won in so many different ways this season. We won on the court. We won team-wise. We won in the community.”
During Makalusky’s junior season, she tallied 26.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 steals in keying the Royals to a 21-4 campaign. For her career, Makalusky totaled a school-record 1,933 points plus 487 rebounds, 139 assists, 138 steals and 64 blocked shots while HSE amassed an aggregate record of 83-16 over her four seasons (14-8, 21-3, 21-4 and 27-1). She also has a school record with 652 points in a season, which she achieved in her junior year.
Makalusky and Satterfield will get to play a few more games together, as she will wear the #1 jersey during the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star games which take place in early June. Satterfield will be an assistant coach for the Indiana team.
“That was a super cool opportunity for him and for me, seeing everything that went into that moment,” said Makalusky. “It’s something that we both never will forget.”
After that, Makalusky will head to Bloomington to join the Hoosiers. She knows being on the team is “going to be a lot of work,” but she is ready for it and has “lots of gratitude” for getting to play on the IU team, calling it a “huge honor” to get to wear the Hoosiers jersey.
“I’m so excited,” said Makalusky. “I’m ready to step into that role. I’m ready to earn my spot.”
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