Despite rumors to the contrary, long-time head coach Will Wienhorst will be on the sidelines for the Tigers next season. At the Warsaw School Board meeting on Monday evening, Wienhorst resigned from his business teaching position, but has made it clear to the Warsaw Times-Union that he intends to continue on as the girls head coach. Wienhorst, who took his team to the state finals last season, has accumulated a record of 316-93 (.773) in 18 years so far as head coach for the Tigers. During his tenure, the Tigers were sectional champions 11 times. Warsaw lost much to graduation, but will be returning 5'9 Junior All-Star candidate Julie Seiss (left), who averaged 12.1 points, 4.0 assists and, 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting .456 from the field as a sophomore. Photo courtesy of strempkagallery.com.

The dust has settled after the hullabaloo at Hebron and a new name will appear next to "Head Coach" this season in the Hawks girls basketball program. Jon Haas, who was previously hired by the Hebron School Board to teach math at the middle school level, will take over for Jerry Bechtold, who did not have his coaching contract renewed by the Hebron Board. Haas has been the girls assistant coach at Calumet under head coach Dori Downing the past three seasons. According to The Times, Haas believes that "time will heal the wounds and in the big picture we'll be OK."
Hebron hires Haas as head coach - The Times

In more local coaching news, first-year Wheeler head coach Tim Powers has made the decision to spend time with his cancer-stricken dad this upcoming year in lieu of coaching the Bearcats. According to The Times, Powers will be replaced by assistant Doug Springer as an interim measure. Last season the Bearcats were 19-4 on the season behind the one-two punch of senior Alyse Bruszewski and freshman sister Becca Bruszewski, who was an All-Area First Team selection by The Times.

Powers resigns at Wheeler - The Times

As the school year approaches, more news of this year's high school graduates is filtering our way.

North Central point guard Kelli Agness will attempt to walk on at Indiana University this fall. The 5'6 guard averaged 4.6 points, 3.0 assists and 1.2 rebounds per game during her team's 4A State Championship run under head coach Alan Vickrey this season.

Ft. Wayne Luers talented and tall Jessica Hathaway is headed to Florida Gulf Coast. The 5'11 guard/forward was often at the lead of the Knights attacking offense, and averaged 12.5 points, 3.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game on the way to a 22-4 record under head coach Teri Rosinski. Luers advance to the Semi-State last season, where they fell to eventual state champion Brebeuf 54-38.

Hathaway will be joined by former Jeffersonville standout in Andrea Holbrook. The 6'0 forward will be transferring to Florida Gulf Coast after spending the past two seasons at Labette Community College in Parsons, Kansas.

The following players will also be attending the corresponding colleges:

Hannah Cobine (6'2 C) Edgewood - Taylor

Kim Haffner (5'11 F) Winchester  - Ohio Northern

Anna Hale (5'8 G) Whiteland - Danville Area Community

Melissa Hawkins (6'1 F) Huntington North - Kankakee Community

Hannah Zimmerman (6'3 C/F) Lewis Cass - Southwestern Illinois CC

Franklin College head coach Mike Jewett has left his head coaching position to take an assistant position at Division II St. Cloud State in Minnesota, where he will be closer to family. Franklin has initiated a national search and hopes to have a new head coach on campus before the start of the academic year.

Angola head coach Doug Curtis has left his position to take the head coaching job at DeKalb. Curtis, who replaces Codie Ross, was with the Hornets for seven years. He compiled a 128-38 record during his tenure, including an 18-4 record last season. Curtis will hope to bring his winning ways to DeKalb, where the Barons have gone 28-36 in the past three seasons.

The Indiana's Finest 16U AAU team, featuring two locals in rising senior Cassie Kerns and junior Erica Humes of Valparaiso, finished third in the nation in the 16U National AAU Tournament last week. The Indiana's Finest 15U Black Cats, featuring local Merrillville standout Brittney Moore (left), finished ninth in the nation at the 15U National AAU Tournament earlier this week. Photo courtesy of IFBC.

Former Notre Dame standout Ruth Riley has been invited to play with the USA women's Olympic team next month. The 6'6 Detroit Shock center will fill in for post player DeLisha Milton-Jones, who was injured earlier this month.
Olympic dream realized - South Bend Tribune
Riley Named to Olympic Basketball Squad - Ft. Wayne News Sentinel
Life of Riley is overflowing with dreams fulfilled - Detroit News
Athens is Riley's dreamland - Detroit Free Press

Rising senior Shanee Butler (right), who played for Gary Horace Mann the past three seasons, is unsure where she will attend school this coming year. The 5'5 high-scoring guard, nor any of her Mann classmates, have been advised where they will be assigned for school this fall after Mann closed its doors in the spring. According to the Post-Tribune, the Division I talent is hoping to land at either Lew Wallace or Gary West Side.

Former Mann standout looks for new school - Post-Tribune

Rising junior Aimee Mishler of 1A  Washington Township has been added to our 2006 Prospects listings. The 5'4 point guard is listing Miami (Ohio), Eastern Michigan, Indiana, Ball State, Indiana State, Xavier, Butler, Dayton and Illinois as schools of interest. Any and all players are welcome to submit information for posting on our Prospects pages.

Former Ft. Wayne Luers sparkplug guard Jennie Moppert (left),  who helped her team to back-to-back 2A State Championships in 1998 and 1999, has been hired as the new head soccer coach at West Lafayette. Moppert played collegiate soccer at Purdue, where she was standout forward for the Boilermakers.

Other news of interest:
NON-STAFF coaches a necessary 'evil' - Lafayette Journal & Courier
Local athletes receive academic honors - Martinsville Reporter

Gearlds gives something back - Peru Tribune
Advice to incoming freshman: shoot the ball - Purdue Exponent

Irish draw Illinois State during Preseason WNIT - SB Tribune
Basketball changes face political battle - Indianapolis Star
Umpire/coach gains perspective - Indianapolis Star
Randolph Southern girls basketball coach hired as athletic director - Star Press
Women more prone to suffer sports injuries - Indianapolis Star
The weight of equality - Chicago Sun-Times
Women coaches seek to ban text messaging with potential recruits - Oregon Live

The 2nd Annual Indiana Basketball Coaches Association/IHSAA Underclassman Showcase roster has been released on the IBCA website. A total of 103 invitations were accepted by those on the list. It is apparent that a number of invitees, including members of the Junior All-Star Teams, declined due to prior commitments. A number of summer tournaments, including the Junior Olympic Games Championship, were in conflict with this event. Regardless, the Region has a good showing on the Showcase list, with the following players expected to participate at the event on Saturday, July 24 at Ben Davis High School beginning at 8:00 a.m.:

Rising Seniors

Stephanie Boyle, 6'0 F Chesterton
Jernita Moore, 5'11 F East Chicago Central

Isabell Rhenwrick, 5'7 G Gary West Side

Kaitlyn Sertich, 5'7 G Crown Point

Cassie Kerns, 6'3 F/C Valparaiso

Karissa Walter, 5'5 G Boone Grove (right)

Jill Weiand, 5'10 F Crown Point

Rising Juniors

Sharon Houston, 6'2 F/C Gary Wallace

Dee Dee Jernigan, 5'11 G/F East Chicago Central

Erica Simpson, 6'0 F Gary West Side

Rising Sophomores

Becca Bruszewski, 6'1 G/F Wheeler

Photo courtesy of strempkagallery.com

Rising Pendleton Heights senior Becky Howerton has given a verbal commitment to Wright State University. The 6'2 center was an honorable mention pick for the Indianapolis Star Area Honors and garnered All-Tournament Team honors as a sophomore in the Madison County Girls' High School Basketball Hall of Fame Tournament.

Good RRR friend and long-time contributor Brian "Sully" Sullivan (left) has been named the head coach at Brescia University in Louisville. Sully, who previously served in assistant positions at Franklin and Bellarmine, will be calling the shots himself for the first time in his coaching career. Sully will be looking to continue the winning tradition of the Lady Bearcats next season. Last season, Brescia finished 30-6, which included a run to the semi-finals of the NAIA National Tournament. The Bearcats graduated five seniors from last season's team, which was made up of all Kentucky players. With Sully's recruiting ties to Indiana, it is certain that some Hoosiers will be showing up on the Brescia roster sometime soon.

Bellarmine assistant hired to coach Lady Bearcats - Messenger-Inquirer

Brian Sullivan Hired To Lead Lady Bearcat Basketball Program - Brescia website

Bremen grad Kaci Disher will be playing at Ancilla next season. The 5'8 guard was an honorable mention honoree in the Northern State Conference and led the Lions in free throw percentage and three-point field goals made. She was also the third leading scorer for high school head coach Marty Huber.

Three 2004 grads have signed with Marian College in Indianapolis. Amanda Kot of Edgewood, Jaymie Whitman of Perry Meridian, and Kaley Moore of Benton Central will all be playing for head coach Todd Bacon next season. Kot, a 5'6 point guard, averaged 10.3 points and 4.1 assists per game for 18-4 Edgewood. Whitman, a 5'9 forward, averaged 14.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as a senior for 18-5 Perry Meridian. Moore, also a 5'9 forward, averaged 10.7 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 36.0 percent from three-point range for the Bison last season.

Ball State recruit Julie DeMuth (right) was named The Times Athlete of the Year for the second year running, a feat never achieved by any other Region athlete before. DeMuth, a 5'10 forward, was a standout in both basketball and volleyball from the start of her varsity high school career as a freshman. After a stellar showing in the Lake Athletic Conference for Highland her first three years of varsity competition, DeMuth admits that the week-in, week-out competition in the Duneland Athletic Conference was quite a change her senior year at Merrillville. But the preparation was good for her anticipated arrival at Ball State, where head coach Tracy Roller (Crown Point) believes the physical DeMuth will make an immediate impact.  Photo from The Times.

Cards look forward to All-Star presence - Ball State Daily News

Valparaiso rising senior Cassie Kerns is attracting a lot of recruiting attention this summer. After anchoring the post for the Junior All-Stars last month, the 6'3 power forward is currently in Chattanooga, Tennessee at the AAU Nationals with the 16U Indiana's Finest squad, which also includes school teammate Erica Humes. According to the Lake County Star, Kerns has received interest most recently from both Tennessee and Connecticut. She has been offered by Kentucky and Michigan, but is waiting to hear from Notre Dame later this month after making an unofficial visit to South Bend earlier this summer. Kerns could be the most highly sought after recruit from Northwest Indiana since the days of Monica Maxwell of East Chicago and Angela Hamblin of Lew Wallace.

According to the Ft. Wayne News Sentinel, former Notre Dame player Monique Hernandez (left) has been named the head coach at Mishawaka Marian. Hernandez, who received a sociology degree from Notre Dame in 2003 and played with the Irish this past season, will take over for James Aldridge, who resigned after three years, including this past season's 6-17 campaign.

Indianapolis Pike has hired former North Central assistant Reggie White to take over for the Red Devils. White, who spent seven years on the bench under NC head coach Alan Vickrey, will benefit from the return of top point guard Ashley Barlow, who averaged 15.4 points and 4.7 assists as a sophomore last season.

According to the Indianapolis Star, former Bishop Chatard assistant Kevin Sweeney has been hired to step into the head coaching position for the Trojans. Sweeney, who has been an assistant at Brebeuf for the past four years, takes over for departing head coach Dawn Grinnage, who is now the head coach at first-year Guerin High School.

Brian Holland, girls basketball coach and athletic director at Eminence, has resigned to take the AD's position at Eastern Greene. During his three-year career at Eminence, Holland compiled a record of 25-37, according to the Indianapolis Star.

Former North Central standout Shyra Samuels (right) has transferred from Oklahoma State to Missouri Southern State University. Samuels, who began her career at Wabash College before being picked up by Oklahoma along with WC teammate Nina Stone (Pike), has made the move to Missouri to be closer to home.
MSSU signs guard - Joplin Globe

Former Jeffersonville standout Lauren Stewart (left) has transferred from Louisville to Kentucky Wesleyan. The 5'8 guard, who was the 2003 Clark County Player of the Year, will join a roster with a number of Southern Indiana players, including Whitney Espenlaub of New Harmony, Abby Leistner of Southridge, Mackenzi Payne of South Spencer and Laura McClintic of Tell City.

Indiana Wesleyan recruiting coordinator Nathan Bellman has been hired for the same position at Division I Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. This bodes well for Indiana players, as Bellman will be using his Hoosier ties to look for Raiders recruits. WSU is in the Horizon League, which also includes Butler University.
Bellman added to women's basketball staff - WSU website

Former Indianapolis Scecina head coach Emily Steinmetz has been named the Director of Basketball Operations at her alma mater Eastern Michigan. Steinmetz, who compiled a 21-58 record in four years for the Crusaders, was a four-year letter winner at Eastern Michigan from 1995 to 1998.

EMU names Director of Basketball Operations - EMU website

Former West Vigo standout Lauren Dailey (right) has been named a graduate assistant under newly appointed head coach Brady Sallee at Eastern Illinois University.  As a senior at EIU last season, Dailey averaged 11.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists while starting 25 times in 26 games for the Panthers. Dailey has been hired for a two-year stint with the possibility of becoming a full-time assistant after that time. She will pursue a master's degree in sports administration while working with both guards and post players on the EIU roster.

Sallee names coaching staff - EIU website

Dailey stays at EIU to try coaching - Tribune Star

Dailey goes from court to bench - Journal Gazette & Times-Courier

The eight regional tournament sites for the 2005 and 2006 NCAA Tournaments have been chosen. Although the closest Midwest site is Minneapolis in 2005, Purdue and the Allstate Arena in Chicago will host in 2006. In its new format, both the first- and second-round NCAA Tournament games will be played at each site. The intent is to build attendance figures while keeping teams as close to its home fan base in a regional sense.

Tournament sites announced - NCAA Sports

For posterity's sake, we are including the coverage from the final All-Stars game, together with related coverage:

Banks lifts girls with 28 points - Indianapolis Star
Second-half rally helps Indiana sweep - Courier & Press
Banks makes Kentucky pay - South Bend Tribune
'Awesome feeling' for Parker - South Bend Tribune
Indiana girls sweep all-stars series - FW Journal Gazette
Indiana takes both All-Star contests - FW Journal Gazette
Happy ending for Indiana - Post-Tribune
Hoosier girls cap sweep - Courier-Journal

Getting homered for a good cause? - Tribune Star
Leading the way - Flyer Group

Indiana girls basketball news:
Sparkplugs coach relishes rebuilding role - Indianapolis Star

Devils' outlook pleases new girls coach - Indianapolis Star

Coaches, players keep busy in the summer - Indianapolis Star

Other news of interest:
Fever still struggling to attract big crowds - Indianapolis Star
A pioneer for women's hoops - Tribune Star
Women's Team Uses Summer To Get Acquainted - Gold & Black Illustrated

Georgia on her mind - Tribune Star