For the sixth season in a row, Bounce and Outside the Huddle are counting down who they feel are the top 50 individual players in northeast Indiana heading into the 2024-2025 season.
Want to know how we come up with our rankings? Click here.
Today, we continue the countdown on the girls hoops side with positions No. 30-26
No. 30 – Jayma Stonebraker, Whitko
You’ll notice a trend so far in the top 50 player countdown in that many freshmen had great first seasons on the varsity level and Stonebraker’s emergence helped give Whitko a significant boost as well as someone to take the lead for the Wildcats this season. She averaged 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3 steals per game as one of the best defensive showcase players in the area last season. She had four games of 20 or more points including 24 in a Sectional win over South Adams.
COACH’S QUOTE ON STONEBRAKER
“Jayma Stonebraker had a great freshman campaign, as well as a great spring/summer. I believe Jayma will showcase that she’s one of the top sophomores in the area this year.” – Whitko coach Justin Jordan
No. 29 – Sarah DePew, Garrett
Depew’s sophomore campaign was built on change at Garrett but she took a great lead into the new era for the Railroaders, leading the team in scoring at 12 points per game. She opened up her season also as a leader defensively with three steals each against Heritage and North Side before registering five takeaways against Angola. She added 6.3 rebounds and 2 assists per game along the way of the season.
COACH’S QUOTE ON DEPEW
“Sarah has a strong work ethic and has no limits on how hard she will play. Sarah was our top scorer and really our leader as a sophomore. Her work ethic put her in a position to earn ALL NECC last season. She will be counted on to do more in every category this season as well as lead a young team.” – Garrett coach John Bodey
No. 28 – Addy Parr, Fremont
Parr’s leadership on a young Fremont squad certainly helped the Eagles find their edge often last season. Now, heading into her senior campaign, her work ethic becomes an even bigger catalyst. Last season, she co-led the team in scoring with 12.5 points per game, while adding 3.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals per contest. She had 19 games in double digit scoring last season while leading Fremont to their first Sectional title since 2019.
COACH’S QUOTE ON PARR
“Addy’s athleticism on defense and ability to attack the rim will be key in our success this year. As
she enters her last season, I know she will leave it all on the court.” – Fremont coach Shae Thomas
No. 27 – Alexis Neely, Warsaw
With Warsaw’s big three taking a lot of attention, some may forget a bit about Neely, but that would be a mistake. “One of the most underrated kids in the northern part of the state,” according to her coach Lenny Krebs (and anyone else paying close attention to Warsaw), Neely averaged 7.4 points per game last season behind three 15+ point scorers. But nightly, Neely performed at a very high level for Warsaw and was a consistent presence to help the Tigers never feel any drop off. She averaged 3.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game last season.
COACH’S QUOTE ON NEELY
“She is one of our best on the ball defenders. She elevates and rebounds well. She can score from all three levels, we just need to make sure we are getting her involved in the offense and finding her some shots. Go back and watch the Northridge game during the regular season…she was amazing. She is the unselfish almost to a fault at times. She is always looking to make her teammates better and led all players in the NLC in assists during conference play. This young lady is going to play a huge part in our success this year.” – Warsaw coach Lenny Krebs
No. 26 – Kaitlynn Honeycutt, Wabash
The first Wabash player to ever appear in the preseason Top 50 as the team is added to the OTH coverage area this season. Her 13.3 points per game as a junior led the Apaches as she asserted herself as a diverse player in their lineup, also leading the team per game in assists (3) and steals (4). She scored 20 or more points five times, including a 32 point outburst against Madison-Grant on 57 percent shooting. She also knocked down 5 threes on two different occasions and had seven games with 6 or 7 steals.
COACH’S QUOTE ON HONEYCUTT
“Kait is the Lady Apache version of Luka [Doncic]. She can knock down a long three, go inside or make excellent passes to her teammates while looking effortless. She is also sneaky quick on defense.” – Wabash coach Matt Stone
PREVIOUSLY IN THE COUNTDOWN
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