SOUTH WHITLEY – The Whitko High School girls basketball team has new leadership on the bench, but on the court, the girls have plenty of familiar faces. After spending one season at South Adams, finishing 1-19 a year ago, Brandon Bradley was tabbed to fill in for the departed Rob Bell as the head coach of the Lady Wildcats. The year at South Adams was Bradley's lone season at the helm of a girls basketball team, although he does have 15 years of coaching AAU basketball, four years with a middle school boys basketball team and two years with a junior varsity boys team. At Whitko, he'll be coaching a team featuring six seniors, led by two-time Times-Union All-Area Team member Karissa Olinske, as well as Micaela Sylvester, who made the all-area team last season. As a junior, Olinske led the 9-11 Lady Wildcats with 15 points a game, but Bradley is expecting a slight change in her game this year. "We want her to be much more of a scorer than just a shooter," Bradley said. "We've been working with her to score off the dribble, not specifically just off screens." While Olinske has been Whitko's top scorer the past two seasons, Sylvester has been the teams best all-around player, averaging 14 points, four assists and three steals a game last season. However, Sylvester had her junior season cut short after suffering an ACL injury in the second half of last season's 63-44 loss to Columbia City in the opening-round of Class 3A Sectional 21. "She's coming off the knee injury, but she played soccer this season," Bradley said. "I've coached other teams with kids coming off knee injuries, and she's as confident on it as I've seen. Although I didn't see her play last year, I'd say she's at about 95 percent right now. By Christmas, she should be even better." Whitko's other seniors are Katee Reiff, Lynsi Hicks, Cassie Jones and Megan Zumbrun, but the third most crucial player will be 5-foot-3 junior Cagney Craig. "She's very quick and fast," Bradley said. "She will probably be one of our primary ball handlers." Along with Sylvester and Craig handling the ball the most on the perimeter, Hicks will also be another member of the backcourt, along with junior Melanie Kelsey and sophomore Kelly Reiff. Bradley seems to be very confident with his guard play, but he's a bit more apprehensive about his play in the lane, with junior Josie Sparks, sophomore Bailee Juillerat, Jones, Zumbrun and sophomore Jordan Hall. "We probably have the least amount of experience in the post," Bradley said. When Bradley looks out at his team, he sees one filled with plenty of options, as all 12 will likely see minutes. "Everyone is unique," he said. "There's not a lot of positions where any two girls are the same, as far skill. We can move girls in and out depending on the team we're playing and what system we want to run." And Whitko's system will be one focused on ball possession. "We'll have to play good half-court basketball on the offensive and defensive end," the first-year Whitko coach said. "I'm not a big fan of pressing or playing zone defense." In the history of the program, the Lady Wildcats have one Three Rivers Conference championship under their belt, and Bradley would like to see another one of those, if not more. "With Wabash, they're going to be strong," he said, forecasting the conference. "Rochester is good and Tippecanoe Valley is real solid. It's going to be a competitive conference. Our goal is to win, but we're not going to be taking any game for granted. "Also, we've never won a sectional title, and with the realignment, it will be different this year," he added. "Eastbrook is going to be competitive, but then there's Norwell, who may be one of the top three teams in (Class 3A)." Norwell does enter the season as the third-ranked team in Class 3A, but it won't be the only preseason ranked opponent on Whitko's schedule, as there's also Class 4A No. 6 Elkhart Memorial, Class 2A No. 6 Wabash and Class 1A No. 1 Fort Wayne Canterbury. Looking at the schedule, instead of being intimidated, Bradley is eager. "It's not a bad thing," he said. "Ultimately, the IHSAA tournament is like the NCAA tournament, where only some teams get in. Our schedule is a good mix of strong teams and ones we can compete with. Hopefully, it makes us stronger when the tournament begins." Whitko kicked its season off Tuesday, winning 63-33 at Central Noble, and they open their home schedule Friday at home against Whitley County rival Columbia City.
