The coronavirus would have been about the only defense equipped to keep Maddie Bischoff south of 1,000 career points this season.
Bischoff, the smooth 5-foot-10 Roncalli guard who lives in Greenwood and completed her junior campaign needing a mere two points to reach the magic barrier, remained upbeat during a time of widespread uncertainty when practices, games and even the entire season were at risk of being shelved due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was trying to stay positive,” Bischoff said. “Seeing that football was still being played and having a season really kept me positive and gave me hope that we were going to have a season.”
Roncalli is indeed having a season — a very good one.
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First-year coach Tim Gray has led Roncalli to a 6-0 start, the latest triumph taking place Tuesday night at Whiteland, 61-41. Bischoff, meanwhile, has picked up where she left off last season by averaging 22.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.3 steals.
Bischoff’s first points of the season, a drive left from the right wing resulting in a left-handed layup early in a 75-31 defeat of Beech Grove, made her the 12th player in Roncalli girls basketball history to score 1,000 career points. She entered Thursday night’s game at Heritage Christian with 1,133 points over the past four seasons, ninth on the school’s all-time list and moving up.
Should Roncalli play an entire season and Bischoff continue a similar level of offensive productivity, she’s likely to end up third or fourth in career scoring.
An Indiana Junior All-Star last season, Bischoff has been offered scholarships by IUPUI and Eastern Illinois to play women’s basketball, though the list could grow as the season progresses as there are other colleges interested.
“I get a little worried sometimes, but I’m trying to stay focused on the season and just play my best,” Bischoff said. “I’m just letting things come to me and am being patient.”
Due to COVID restrictions, offseason workouts and the manner in which they were conducted changed, though Bischoff still managed to work hard to improve her overall skill set.
“I definitely wanted to be more aggressive with the ball and feel comfortable handing the ball more,” she said. “And definitely driving to the basket. I have to be more aggressive doing that.”
Gray returned to Roncalli as head coach after previously working as a girls assistant there for five years (2007-12). He had spent the past five seasons as a varsity assistant at Southport, and he served a two-year stint as an assistant for former Center Grove boys coach Cliff Hawkins earlier in his career.
The return of Bischoff for her final prep season has helped make the transition easier.
“We were looking for Maddie to grow as a leader, and then just try to expand on her game defensively and rebounding-wise,” Gray said. “I don’t think college coaches realize how effortless it is for her.
"She’s a much smoother athlete and uses her length really well. Maddie is really smart, she sees the court well, makes really good reads and just shoots the ball so easily.”
