By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Time to turn ‘em loose. Bedford North Lawrence, born to run and dream, has had all it can take. After three weeks of preseason work, amidst bubbling expectations and building pressure, the real battles are about to begin.
The Stars, ranked No.2 in the first Class 4A poll, will officially begin the chase for greatness on Friday night, opening the 2022-23 campaign against Mooresville. If all the forecasts and projections are accurate, BNL could be raising the curtain on something special, perhaps a banner year. That remains to be determined, and the debut will be a challenge.
With four returning starters, including two likely future Indiana All-Stars, from a tremendous 24-3 squad, BNL is loaded with talent. There are questions, which will be answered one way or another, and the Pioneers will certainly be capable of exposing and testing those concerns. It promises to be an electric start to a super-charged crusade.
“I think we’re ready,” BNL coach Jeff Allen said as he prepares for his ninth season at the helm. “This time of year, practice gets a little long. The kids are ready to start playing games.”
BNL’s strength will be its backcourt. That starts with senior Karsyn Norman, a Butler recruit and Miss Basketball candidate. She averaged 15.0 points last season, and came up big in the toughest situations. Then there’s junior sensation Chloe Spreen, a leading contender for 2024 Miss Basketball, last year’s team leader in points (16.2) and rebounds (6.2) and Div. I recruiting offers. And if that’s not enough, the supporting cast (senior Mallory Pride and junior Madisyn Bailey) includes capable scorers who lurk to strike if unattended.
And there’s additional depth. Senior guard Emma Brown is back after missing last season following knee surgery. There are guards galore in the rotation, and even a tall freshman (Ellie Tillett) waiting on the wings.
“BNL should be a solid team again this year,” Mooresville coach Mark Hurt said. “With Norman and Spreen, they have one of the best backcourts in the state. They have a good supporting cast with Bailey and Pride, who can take some pressure off of them.”
Mooresville will not back down. Anyone who has watched Hurt teams in the past should realize that. Yes, the Pioneers suffered some key gradation losses from a squad that advanced to the semistate before falling against Franklin. But they will have size up front in 6-footers Rachel Harshman – last year’s leading scorer (13.3) and rebounder (6.5) – and Kalyn Bunch (8.0 points, 5.8 boards). And that’s the one thing BNL lacks.
This sentence will be repeated prior to every game this season: Rebounding is BNL’s key. The Stars would be a lock for a title if the state was divided into a six-foot-and-under class. Size can’t be taught, and Mooreville has plenty of that.
“They typically are really tough on the boards,” Allen said. “Mark’s kids play extremely hard. That will be a big priority, making sure we’re putting a body on people and getting to every rebound. If we compete on the boards every game, it will be tough for people to beat us, I like our defense and ability to score.”
Mooresville’s concern will be its backcourt with three newcomers who averaged only 5 points combined last season. The untested Pioneers will face maximum pressure from the Stars, who plan to press and run at every opportunity.
“This year‘s team is young and inexperienced on the perimeter,” Hurt said. “I think this team will get better as the season goes along. We play a tough schedule so our guards will have to grow up quick. We expect BNL to play hard and come after us. The keys will be taking care of the basketball and execution.”
BNL won last year’s clash 47-44, doing most of its damage during a 19-0 run in the first half. Mooreville sliced a 14-point halftime deficit to single digits with a late surge, but Norman (21 points) and Spreen (13 despite constant physical pounding from Mooresville defenders) allowed BNL to escape. Maddy Denny had 15 points while Harshman totaled 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Pioneers.
“You can’t do that against good teams,” Allen said. “If we are fortunate to get that advantage, we have to take care of that. The way they play, with their effort, you can’t take your foot off the gas. They’re hard-nosed, physical and disciplined. That’s his trademark. It suits them better if it’s a halfcourt game. If we can speed them up, make them uncomfortable in transition, that’s a benefit for us.“
BNL’s secret weapon could be Brown, who stroked 9 treys and totaled 31 points during last week’s scrimmage at Scottsburg. Of course, if she does that many more times, she won’t be a secret for long. But she can definitely take some heat and attention away from the BNL stars.
“It’s great right now because no one knows her,” Allen said. “She’s going to get a lot of open looks until people figure it out. She will make it difficult to double- and triple-team. It’s nice to have that.”
MOORESVILLE at BNL
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Records: Mooresville 0-0; BNL 0-0, ranked No.2 in Class 4A
Last meeting: Last year at Mooresville, the Stars went on a 19-0 run in the first half and held on for a 47-44 victory. Karsyn Norman had 21 points and Chloe Spreen totaled 13 for BNL. Maddy Denny had 15 points for the Pioneers.
Previous game story: Big sigh for BNL
Game notes: Mooresville coach Mark Hurt ranks 7th on the state’s career wins list with 491. Both teams fell to Franklin in last year’s state tournament.
Starting lineups
Bedford NL Stars
F – Chloe Spreen 5-9 Jr.
F – Mallory Pride 5-8 Sr.
G – Madisyn Bailey 5-8 Jr.
G – Karsyn Norman 5-6 Sr.
G – Emma Brown 5-5 Sr.
Mooresville Pioneers
F – Ava Shafer 5-9 So.
F – Rachel Harshman 6-0 Jr.
C – Kalyn Bunch 6-0 Jr.
G – Emma McGinley 5-6 Jr.
G – Sydney Hardy 5-7 Jr.
