Senior guard Aubrie Booker is in her fourth season as a starter for Center Grove.
Daily Journal file photo
The value Aubrie Booker brings to the Center Grove program won’t be traced to a double-figure scoring average.
Not this season, nor any of the three before it.
The 5-7 senior guard, a starter since the early stages of the 2020-21 season, is in her third consecutive year of captaining the Trojans — something of a rarity at a high school so large.
“We played Franklin Central, she didn’t start, but had a really significant game. Aubrie came off the bench and played like she plays now,” said Center Grove coach Kevin Stuckmeyer, recalling the opener during Booker’s freshman season. “It was obvious we needed her in the starting lineup.
“Aubrie doesn’t have the scoring numbers, but we talk about substance over flash. Just the intangibles. She shines above most, if not everybody, when it comes to consistency.”
Booker averages 8.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists for the Trojans (22-1), who take a 15-game win streak and No. 2 state ranking into tonight’s first-round game against Bloomington South at the Class 4A Mooresville Sectional.
Prior to this season, Booker’s scoring norms were between 6.6 and 7.1 points a contest. The same type of career consistency seeps into rebounds (2.9 to 3.3), assists (1.7 to 2.9) and steals (0.7 to 1.3), as well.
There’s steady, and then there’s Aubrie Booker steady.
“I’ve had kind of the same role that I’ve had since my freshman year,” said Booker, who recently had a 12-point performance in the Trojans’ hot-shooting 74-58 victory at then-No. 1 Hamilton Southeastern. “I feel like I’m a playmaker, and am leading the team.
“I’m more of a vocal person. I enjoy talking teammates through things, and I know coach Stuckmeyer’s philosophy on how he wants us to play. Most of the time, (I defend) the other team’s best guard, and I do take pride in that, too.”
Case in point the win at HSE. Booker gave up more than half a foot to Maya Makalusky, the Royals’ 6-4 junior guard, who is a strong 2025 Indiana Miss Basketball candidate already committed to Indiana University. The versatile Makalusky tallied 32 points but earned every one of them.
“As always, it’s a team effort for us. The biggest thing is our team effort, and especially Aubrie really made her work for everything she got,” Stuckmeyer said. “Aubrie won’t lead you in every category, but she’s going to find a way to get offensive rebounds, she’ll get assists, set screens and do some things that won’t show up in the box score.”
The senior’s best numbers from this season are 13 points in the Trojans’ 72-24 defeat of Jeffersonville, nine rebounds in an 18-point victory over Fishers and six assists on five different occasions. Booker’s season standard of six steals came in the victory at HSE.
She is verbally committed to continue her basketball career at IU South Bend, a NAIA school that is currently ranked 19th nationally on the strength of an 18-0 record. She plans to major in sports marketing in minor in business.
In typical Booker fashion, she covers a variety of bases distributing praise for how her high school basketball career has played out to this point. Her parents, Duaine and Katie, have played a key role, as have her coaches and teammates.
“I honestly think I’ve had a really good upbringing with my AAU coaches, and coach Stuckmeyer had a lot of faith in me (early),” Booker said. “I was surprised I was starting after the first couple of games as a freshman, but it’s been really fun.
“I feel our team this season has gotten better and better. Last year we were almost as good, but we have a lot more scorers this season.”
IF YOU GO
Class 4A Mooresville Sectional
Today
Martinsville vs. Bloomington North, 6 p.m.
Bloomington South vs. Center Grove, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Mooresville vs. Martinsville/Bloomington North, 6 p.m.
Greenwood vs. Bloomington South/Center Grove, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Class 4A Whiteland Sectional
Today
East Central vs. Whiteland, 6 p.m.
Shelbyville vs. Franklin, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Columbus East vs. East Central/Whiteland, 6 p.m.
Columbus North vs. Shelbyville/Franklin, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Class 3A Owen Valley Sectional
Today
Edgewood vs. West Vigo, 7 p.m.
Wednesday
Indian Creek vs. Brown County, 6 p.m.
Northview vs. South Vermillion, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Owen Valley vs. today’s winner, 6 p.m.
Wednesday’s winners, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 6:30 p.m.
Class A Eminence Sectional
Today
Indianapolis Lutheran vs. Eminence, 7 p.m.
Friday
Greenwood Christian vs. Providence Cristo Rey, 6 p.m.
Tindley vs. Tuesday’s winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 7 p.m.
Class A Southwestern Sectional
Today
South Decatur vs. Edinburgh, 7 p.m.
Wednesday
Southwestern vs. Oldenburg Academy, 6 p.m.
Waldron vs. Morristown, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Jac-Cen-Del vs. today’s winner, 6 p.m.
Wednesday’s winners, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Admission: $7 per session, 15 all sessions
