Preseason Team Rankings: #23

<p>It’s now creeping up on the start of the high school season and we are looking to start our series of previews on some of the best teams in the state. Today, Eric Gardner and Kyler Staley join up to start our deep dive into some of these teams.</p> <p>Our series will take a look at the best teams in the state for each class with our rankings. Starting at #50 and going to #1, we will look at each class ranking across all classes starting now with #23.</p> <p><b>1A #23: North Daviess </b><br /> The Cougars will be coming off an impressive 18-7 season but with a tough Sectional loss to South Knox to add to that heading into this year. They come into this year with five outgoing seniors but do return a good amount of experienced players. The leaders of this squad will be great pull-up shooter Jack Townsend and strong forward Kirk Wagler. Look for point guard Trevor Riggins and forward Jalen Knepp to have breakout seasons. Size could be an issue for the Cougars this year but they should be able to figure out how to work with what they have. This is a team that can flat-out get buckets. They may have the unfortunate task of having to go through Barr-Reeve in Sectional but they have the talent to shock the state.       </p> <p><strong>2A #23: Winamac</strong><br /> The Warriors of Winamac will be heading into this upcoming season coming off a great 18-6 record. The bad news about this upcoming season is that they will be without a loaded senior class from last year. They will rely on guard Will Larkin (14.0 ppg) to have a monster senior year. This great defender and shooter will be, without question, the leader of this year's squad. Look for a player like 6'3 guard Tyson Johnson to make the leap forward and be a crucial player for the Warriors. They will need JV players to come and provide important varsity minutes especially in the frontcourt. With that said, they will be the favorites in a fairly easy Sectional.       </p> <p><strong>3A #23: Leo </strong><br /> The Lions will be coming off a bad record of 8-13 but are looking to improve tremendously this upcoming season. This year's team will be led by strong, lengthy senior Andrew Tkacz and great junior point guard Blake Davison. There will also be a pair of 2022 prospects, forwards Luke LaGrange and D.J. Allen, that will be bringing in their upside and will be looking to breakout this year as well. This Leo team is bringing back some incredible talent. This is a team that can go and play with almost anyone. Look for the Leo Lions the be the favorites in their Sectional bracket. This team should one of the more improved teams this season.          </p> <p><b>4A #23: Columbus North </b><br /> After coming off a Sectional loss to Shelbyville, the Columbus North Bulldogs will be looking to have another respectable season following their 16-8 record a year ago. The Bulldogs come into this season without five seniors that made up a good chunk of their talent last year. However, they do return their top three scorers from last season. They will be led by lengthy guards Blake Barker (17.0 ppg) and Nicholas Schiavello (15.3 ppg). Look for guard Reese Harmon (8.9 ppg, 3.1 apg) to have breakout year as well. There will need to be a bunch of JV guys to come in a fill some important varsity roles. The post season is where they could potentially hit a roadblock in their Sectional with the powerhouse Bloomington South standing firmly in their way. If last year's JV guys and the solid group they have returning can play to their potential, they have a great opportunity to have a fantastic year.  </p>