The official announcement of the 2006 Indiana Miss Basketball will be on Sunday, March 19th, but news should get out as soon as it leaks on Saturday. According to the South Bend Tribune, the three favorites are said to be Amber Harris, Ashley Barlow and Melissa Lechlitner. Word around the IHSAA finals in Conseco two weeks ago suggested it was a four-player race. Ballots for the honor were due in to the Indianapolis Star by March 8th.

Harris seems to have been the favorite for the title since birth, a rare mix of skills from all five positions in a 6'6 body. She carries the most state titles of any of the other frontrunners. North Central won the 2004 and 2005 Class 4A titles, before a disappointing sectional defeat on 2006. Harris is the first Indiana girls high school player to dunk in a game, finished ranked second in the state in blocked shots as a senior, and holds a state finals record for blocked shots with nine.

Barlow, a Notre Dame signee, was the more potent scorer of the three for her high school team. No team state titles during her high school career, but finished as the state's No. 4 scorer as a senior and was top 10 her junior year. Barlow also holds the distinction of being the player who developed her game the most over the course of four years.

Lechlitner, another Notre Dame signee, may be the most complete player fundamentally of the three. She finished the 2005-06 season ranked 12th in the state in scoring, second in assists and second in freethrow percentage. Lechlitner owns a state title, and was the player to get the deepest in the 2006 tournament before losing in the semistate.

Whoever wins the 2006 Miss basketball title will wear the No. 1 jersey at this summer's senior/junior all-star exhibition games, and the two Indiana/Kentucky All-Star games to be held Saturday, June 17th in Bowling Green, KY, and Saturday, June 24th in Conseco Fieldhouse. The three exhibition games with the junior all-star teams have been scheduled for June 14th, 20th and 22nd. Two potential sites being talked about are Huntington North high school and Forest Park high school.

Daugherty Ohio's best

River View's Kristin Daugherty has been named the Ohio Division II Co-Player-of-the-Year. She shares the award with Liz Repella or Steubenville. Daugherty, a 6-1 junior who averaged 18.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and four assists a game, will lead River View (24-1) into the Division II state semifinals on Friday afternoon against Copley (22-4).

Indiana high school players in the Big Dance

Taking a look at the field for the 2006 NCAA Women's Tournament, the following Indiana high school players are on teams chosen to be part of the 64-team field.

Bowling Green
Liz Honegger, 5-11, Jr, F, Lafayette (Lafayette Jefferson)

Connecticut
Cassie Kerns, 6-3, Fr, F/C, Valparaiso (Valparaiso)

Florida Atlantic
Missy Glasser, 5-7, So, G, Evansville (Evansville Mater Dei)

Florida State
Mara Freshour, 6-1, Fr, F, Nashville (Brown County)

Kentucky
Jenny Pfeiffer, 5-8, Jr, G, North Vernon (Jennings County)

Louisville
Jessica Huggins, 5-4, Sr, G, New Albany (New Albany)
Missy Taylor, 6-3, Jr, F, Connersville (Connersville)

New Mexico
Julie Briody, 6-0, Jr, G, Lynnville (Tecumseh)

Purdue
Carol Duncan, 6-1, Sr, F, Nappanee (NorthWood)
Katie Gearlds, 6-1, Jr, G/F, Beech Grove (Beech Grove)
Jodi Howell, 5-11, Fr, G, Alexandria (Alexandria)
Ashley Mays, 5-8, Sr, G, Indianapolis (Warren Central)
Sharika Webb, 5-9, Sr, G, Indianapolis (Indianapolis Cathedral)

Ohio State
Ashley Allen, 5-9, Sr, G, Indianapolis (Ben Davis)
Candace Dark, 5-9, Sr, G, Kingman (Fountain Central)

Southeast Missouri State
Wanika Owsley, 5-7, Sr, G, Indianapolis (Indianapolis Arlington)

Tennessee
Shanna Zolman, 5-10, Sr, G, Syracuse (Wawasee)

Vanderbilt
Rachel Brockman, 6-3, So, F, Noblesville (Indianapolis Cathedral)