Center Grove guard Lilly Bischoff puts up a shot at last season’s regional at Bedford North Lawrence.
Daily Journal file photo
Four Center Grove players sported double-figure scoring averages last season, two of whom were eventually named to the Indiana All-Star team.
However, when combining four of her sport’s most analyzed statistical categories, Lilly Bischoff was her own island.
As a junior, the 5-foot-9 guard’s diverse skill set produced per-game norms of 11.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.9 steals for a squad that finished 27-2 after losing the championship game of the Class 4A semistate at Southport Fieldhouse.
“Last season was just really special,” Bischoff said. “We got along so well, and worked well together. We all knew our roles, and how to make our team better.”
That remains the objective with this Center Grove squad, which opens its season at Franklin Central on Tuesday.
Bischoff, who was named to the Junior All-Star team that played scrimmaged the Indiana All-Stars last June, is expected to again run the point, while senior Ava Grant is slotted at the 2. Meanwhile, the arrival of transfer Gracyn Gilliard, a 5-10 junior who averaged 25.9 points, eight boards and 5.9 steals at Munster last winter, makes Center Grove that much more formidable at both ends of the floor.
Trojans coach Kevin Stuckmeyer, who is 140-45 (76%) in his seven seasons, doesn’t anticipate Bischoff’s role changing.
“I don’t know that Gracyn changes Lilly’s role a lot,” Stuckmeyer said. “Last year, Lilly was our floor leader, our playmaker, and we’re not taking that out of her hands. Lilly is a major staple for us, and a big part of what we do.”
Gilliard and 5-7 junior Hannah Gin are capable of playing either the 3 or 4 position, while 6-2 senior Emerson Vlcan takes over in the middle.
Bischoff is coming off a season in which she attempted 39 shots from behind the 3-point stripe, making 11 (28%), and converted 72% of her free throw attempts. Those are areas she’s worked to improve, especially considering last season’s leading scorer, Audrey Annee, who now plays basketball at Army, converted slightly less than half (91 of 188) of Center Grove’s 3-pointers in 2023-24.
“I’ve worked on my shot a lot since last season, and I’ve worked on my ball-handling,” Bischoff said. “I’ve definitely gotten more confident with my outside shot.”
More inclined to take the ball strong to the basket and draw contact, Bischoff’s defensive instincts and knack for getting the basketball to just the right teammate at just the right time are also valued.
“It’s no secret that Lilly is phenomenal at slashing to the basket,” Stuckmeyer said. “She’s worked hard this season at improving as an outside shooter. Hopefully, she can translate that to her game and add that to her arsenal.”
