Crawhorn
The unmistakable sense of family within the Edinburgh program this season is, in a word, authentic.
Top returning scorer Gracie Crawhorn is first cousins with junior Kyah Streeval and her younger sister Kenna, a freshman, both of whom are guards.
Bella Turner, a freshman who will also be asked to play in the Lancers backcourt, is first cousins with the Streeval siblings, and is Crawhorn’s second cousin.
To her credit, Crawhorn is capable of breaking down the various branches of her family tree from previous generations, whether it relates to parents and even grandparents.
Thus, even though Edinburgh will be short on numbers this season, the Lancers plan to be long on familiarity.
“With seven players, you get to know each other really well,” said Crawhorn, a versatile senior who averaged 9.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and a team-high 2.1 assists last season. “We all know each other’s game, the potential of each other’s game and what roles we have to fill.”
It begins with the 5-foot-11 Crawhorn, who begins her third year as a starter when Edinburgh opens at Beech Grove next Wednesday. She is capable of positive contributions — offensively and defensively — from basically anywhere on the court.
“I’m fluid and can adapt to wherever the coaches need me to go,” Crawhorn said. “I like playing the post a little bit better, but I also like having the ball at the top of the key and driving it.”
Chances are she’ll be doing plenty of both in the weeks ahead.
“The good thing about Gracie is she can play pretty much any position,” 10th-year Lancers coach Amy Schilling said. “For matchups, if she has a post player on her, we can move her to the outside. If she has a guard on her, we can move her inside.
“I want Gracie to understand what the defense is giving her and really control the boards.”
Kyah Streeval looks to up her contributions after averaging 5.7 points and 3.5 boards. Six-foot Cloee Britton, a senior, is back after contributing norms of 2.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per contest.
Completing what is most certainly the most abbreviated varsity roster in years are sophomore guard Shyleigh Gobel and the freshman trio of Turner, Kenna Streeval and 5-9 Lillie Goff.
“Obviously, our biggest concern is going to be foul trouble and conditioning,” Schilling said. “I told the girls that most of the time we play seven or eight players anyway. What I’m excited about is that we have a good seven.
“We have some height, and we have a lot of people who can handle the ball.”
