Outside the Huddle keeps their eyes on several area teams outside of the four major conferences. While yours truly can’t exactly predict an order of finish like I can in those conferences, I can give you a handful of teams and players in the area to keep an eye on.
You are welcome.
TEAMS TO WATCH
Canterbury holds some intrigue as we see how the Cavaliers try to pull their program back together. After going 0-10 last season, new coach Tira Brown has a whole new full schedule and the mindset to make Canterbury a solid program again. What to expect out of the Cavaliers? Your guess is pretty much as good as mine, but there is a lot of excitement in knowing that Brown is going to try to rebuild this once state champion program.
Warsaw is going to test themselves often this season with Kaylee Patton returning to the lineup and more expected from senior Brielle Harrison, who led Warsaw in rebounding last season. Harrison played very good basketball during a nice eight-game win streak and with great energy, the Tigers are going to be conference contenders.
Lakewood Park graduated absolutely nobody from last year’s team that finished just three games under .500 and that could lead the Panthers back to being a Sectional contender. Their two best players are a junior (Chloe Jolloff, pictured) and a sophomore (Taylor Gerke) so the future is looking really bright. Gerke actually lead the Panthers in scoring with 14.4 points and pulled down 5.9 rebounds. This could be a fun team to watch with their youth and enthusiasm.
IMPACT PLAYERS
Chloe Jolloff (Top 50 Girls Hoops #18) of Lakewood Park is one of the most multi faceted guards in the area. Lakewood Park’s hopes to get back to a Sectional championship level means that Jolloff needs to become the leader in the form of those upperclassmen on her Sectional title team.
Kaylee Patton will be a huge part of this lineup at Warsaw after playing in just 15 games last season. That may seem like a lot, but her season was over by the first of the year. How she fires back is going to be huge after scoring nine points per game last season and being a stopper on the defensive end.
Hailee Kline of Blackhawk Christian really had a stellar run during her freshman year. Her 26 points against a quality Northrop team really opened up a lot of eyes towards her. Blackhawk Christian rose as a team near .500 with her and just as Lakewood Park is rising, this Braves team could see themselves as a fun Sectional contender because of Kline’s scoring punch.
PLAYER ON THE RISE
Eva Bazzoni of Manchester will return for her junior season as the leading returning scorer. She averaged 10.1 points and a team high 4.6 rebounds. Bazzoni is a dangerous shooter who opened last season hitting five triples in a win over Adams Central. She had a lot of quality moments last season and with consistency, the area as a whole could look at her as one of the best players outside the four major conferences.
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