High School Spotlight: Bloomington North Cougars

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The High School Spotlight Series is back and we are excited to feature multiple teams throughout the state once again! The season is still a month away, but with practices happening, it is the perfect time to start previewing the season. In this series, we will be taking a look at some quick hitters, the top player(s), a potential breakout player, other roster members, and notable games for the upcoming season. For today's spotlight, we take a look at the Bloomington North Cougars.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Quick Hitters</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Went 12-12 last season.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Lost to Center Grove in Sectionals.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Head Coach Jason Speer returns for his 8th season as the head coach. 106-58 overall record.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Return 3 of top 4 scores from a season ago</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id='1749527' first='Luke' last='Lindeman'] / [player_tooltip player_id='2140349' first='Derrick' last='Cross Jr']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Out of all the top players I have listed during this round of the High School Spotlight series, this one was arguably the toughest because of a few unknowns. To get it out of the way, senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1749527' first='Luke' last='Lindeman'] will be coming into this season with a lower leg injury that he suffered over the summer so it is tough to say just how much he will play his senior season. Once/if he returns to the floor, he will be one of the top guys just like he has been. While he is out, look for sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2140349' first='Derrick' last='Cross Jr'] to step up in a big way for the Cougars. Cross Jr. is one of the top guards in the southern Indiana and will be bringing back an extremely high IQ in the backcourt. Injuries aside, Bloomington North could really make some noise this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Potential Breakout Player: [player_tooltip player_id='1560959' first='Jalen' last='Williams']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the top returning players from last season that started to really breakout on his own is junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1560959' first='Jalen' last='Williams']. He brings back 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore and those numbers could easily see an increase with a more important role. As high-end multisport athlete, Williams has incredible physical tools and can be a true playmaker on the wing with either shooter or making plays off a strong first step. He still feels very under-the-radar, more than what he should. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Other Key Roster Members</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2485640' first='Caleb' last='Fishel'] - Senior</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2046153' first='Rex' last='Speer'] - Junior</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2381200' first='Levi' last='Lindeman'] - Sophomore</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2622062' first='Liam' last='Conlin'] - Sophomore</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2141012' first='Nathan' last='Walker'] - Sophomore </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Christopher Vaughns Jr. - Senior</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Notable Games</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>at Bedford North Lawrence (11/26)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Fishers Tournament (1/2-1/3)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>at Bloomington South (1/10)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>vs Zionsville (2/8)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->