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GREENWOOD — Gracyn Gilliard has always had the "it" factor, that unique potential to be an elite high school basketball player.
There were indications as she progressed through the Center Grove feeder system and during her first two seasons at Munster, where she totaled 858 points (48% FG) and 204 steals.
When Gilliard and her family moved back to Greenwood ahead of her junior year, the mission was to polish her game, Trojans coach Kevin Stuckmeyer said, to help the 5-foot-11 guard better read defenses and play through different situations. They had to "pull it out of her," he continued, but she was willing to be coached hard and remained patient, pushed by her "hunger and humility."
"It's about getting her out of her comfort zone and teaching her to slow down and see the whole game," Stuckmeyer said. "She's done a fabulous job with that."
Following a solid junior campaign, Gilliard commanded the entire state's attention as a senior.
Described by Silver Creek coach Scott Schoen as a "bull in a china shop" in terms of her playing style growing up, Gilliard was more refined offensively, fulfilling her potential as a three-level scorer — averaged 25.6 points on 53% shooting — while demonstrating improved passing capabilities and maintaining her status as a lockdown defender (2.7 steals per game).
Teams had to worry about Gilliard across every inch of the floor, Franklin Central coach Vince Cerbone observed, noting her improved efficiency around the rim and from behind the arc, where she shot a career-best 40% on 130 attempts.
"I don't know if there's another kid in Indiana who's harder to guard," he marveled following the Class 4A Sectional 12 final.
"Gilliard was the best singular player we played against this season," added Plainfield coach Curt Benge, whose top-11 schedule included a Dec. 9 visit from Center Grove. "She's a true three-level scorer, but it's not just that. It's her demeanor, her maturity on the floor. … She was ice water (against us). I was so impressed. She's a load to deal with."
Gilliard was brilliant through the regular season, then took her game to another level in February, leading the undefeated Trojans on a dramatic seven-game conquest through the 4A state tournament that saw her play through ankle injury the final four games and culminated in the program's first state championship since 1996.
The Davidson recruit was the state's best player on both ends of the floor this season, providing an explosive finish to an already impressive career and earning the right to be immortalized among Indiana's all-time greats.
Gracyn Gilliard has been voted 2026 IndyStar Miss Basketball, presented by the Indiana Fever.
Gilliard received 51 votes from the state's coaches and media, finishing ahead of Lawrence Central's Lola Lampley (34 votes), Norwell's Vanessa Rosswurm (24) and Valparaiso's Lilli Barnes (10).
A total of 26 players received votes.
"It's all pretty surreal," said Gilliard, who finished her career with 1,898 points (1,040 at Center Grove), 336 steals, 438 rebounds and 179 assists. "This is a goal I've had for a really long time, so it's really exciting to see it come true."
Though the first Center Grove Trojan to be selected Miss Basketball, Gilliard is the second in her family to wear the coveted No. 1 Indiana All-Stars jersey, joining her cousin, 2019 Mr. Basketball Trayce Jackson-Davis.
"It's exciting. We've talked about it so many times with aunt Carla and how it's been a goal for so long," Gilliard beamed. "Now there's two of us out there, so that's really special for the family."
Gilliard was in shock when she came up the stairs outside the Center Grove natatorium Friday morning to see Stuckmeyer standing in front of an illuminated Center Grove sign, holding the Miss Basketball jersey.
"Stop. Are you serious? Oh my God," she exclaimed, embracing her head coach and accepting the jersey, marveling at it as reality sank in. "This is crazy."
The moment was still surreal for Gilliard as she fielded questions with the murals honoring the Trojans' past player of the year honorees across from her. "I had no idea. I had no idea," she said.
"It's like a dad who just wants the world for their kids," Stuckmeyer smiled.
"As a coach who's had the opportunity to watch what she's done, not just with us, but just as a player growing up, and all her goals and efforts that she's put into it, it's just neat to see it pay off and to see the smile on her face," he continued. "She earned the right to call herself Miss Basketball, but she's Miss Basketball in personality and as a teammate; being an inspiration for young people and young female athletes who want to achieve like she did. She's the perfect person for the platform to be that inspiration for people."
Stuckmeyer was running a Trojans summer camp in his first or second season as CG head coach the first time he saw Gilliard play. The then-fifth grader could score from anywhere she wanted, he recalled, but that's not why she stood out.
Gilliard, who was also named the Gatorade Player of the Year for Indiana on Friday, was spending time with the girl who was "just a camper," the one probably sent there by her parents as a form of babysitting, Stuckmeyer said. She made sure that individual was scoring it and having the best time of her life, he continued. "No one was a better person or teammate than Gracyn."
The next day, someone asked Stuckmeyer if he heard the bad news.
The Gilliards are moving to Munster.
"Well, that's a bummer," he replied, "because in 3-4 years, she's going to be a great basketball player."
"I was so sad," Center Grove senior guard Hannah Gin said, recounting the group's last travel game together. The girls signed a basketball and gave it to their soon-to-be long-distance friend, who in turn signed everyone's jersey.
"Gracyn started my drive as a basketball player," Gin continued. "I was really bad at basketball. … But watching her as a young kid, she became one of my biggest role models, one of my biggest influences. And honestly, she made me into the player I am. I still look up to her to this day."
Gilliard wasn't expecting to move away from Center Grove as a youngster, and she never saw herself transferring back from Munster High School. But following a successful start to her high school career — totaled 858 points and 204 steals in two seasons; nearly upset eventual state runner-up Lake Central in the 2024 sectional tournament — her dad's job brought the family back to Greenwood, reuniting Gracyn with the program and teammates she grew up with.
"It's been surreal," she said of being back at Center Grove. "I'm so excited we got to end it this way."
Gilliard maintains a friendship with Munster coach DeAndre Williams — "I have so much respect for him and his program," she said — but transferring back to Center Grove helped her to "blossom into the player I am today."
"Coming to a bigger school with a more established program really helped me learn that college level of play and to see the game differently," said Gilliard, who averaged 18.3 points (49% FG, 33% 3PT), 4.1 rebounds and 3.2 steals as a junior.
Gilliard was one of the last players off the floor following Center Grove's win over Norwell in the 4A state championship game. She stayed behind press row after finishing a radio interview to interact with the hordes of young fans gathered along the railing, and was still signing autographs and posing for photos as the red-and-white celebration shifted to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse locker room.
"We do our kids summer camp in early June and the kids, they all love it so much and the girls are at every game," Gilliard said. "Seeing them is really special. ... We want these girls to play and be part of the program in coming years, so that's really awesome to see."
"People see how great Gracyn is as a basketball player, but nobody knows how great she is as a person," Gin added. "She's one of the smartest people I've ever met; one of the most caring, one of the most genuine people. She's just the best person."
The final game of Gilliard's high school career encapsulated her all-around brilliance as a player. She netted game-highs across the board with 23 points, eight rebounds, three assists, six steals and a block.
Cerbone noted Gilliard's improved consistency in critical moments following the sectional final and, true to form, she played a starring role in CG's title-clinching comeback, setting up the go-ahead basket with a steal before embarking on a solo 6-0 run that pushed the lead to 10 with 2:40 remaining.
Gilliard was the definition of clutch that night, same as she was in regular-season comebacks against Brownsburg and Bloomington South, a late-January blowout of Hamilton Southeastern and postseason come-from-behind wins over Franklin Central (sectional final), Pendleton Heights (regionals) and Lawrence Central (semistate final).
Stuckmeyer highlighted the season opener vs. Franklin Central when his senior star hit a fall-away jumper and the ensuing free throw to put the Trojans ahead with 12 seconds left, then denying her opponent the opportunity to get a shot off on the other end.
When they needed a basket, Gilliard finished, Cerbone said. "She just refused to lose."
Added Stuckmeyer: "She put her stamp on it against some of the best."
The senior standout understood her importance as a scorer to CG's success and utilized her diverse selection of shots accordingly. But she also had the wherewithal to never force anything, instead passing it out to an open teammate and taking what the defense gave her.
"Gracyn is the best player in the state this year, because she's the best teammate," Stuckmeyer said, later highlighting her number of "hockey assists" (the pass that sets up the official assist).
Gilliard's offensive production (and the Trojans' success) vaulted her into a jam-packed Miss Basketball race midway through the season, but it was her defensive prowess that sustained that momentum and further raised her profile.
While aggressively switching on everything is a staple of Center Grove's defense, Gilliard was assigned to the opponent's top player most games and she delivered more times than not, most notably in the state semifinals when she helped limit the LSU-bound Lampley to four points.
"Gracyn has been the best player on the floor every night from day one," Stuckmeyer said following the semistate finals win. "A lot of people have talked about the current undefeated season, but Franklin Central had us beaten in the sectional final and she stepped up and carried us through. She just gutted it out. … She has a lot to do, but between last week and this week, her will to win and her character makes her the best player on the floor."
After celebrating with her family and coaches in the natatorium, Gilliard was escorted to the Center Grove locker room to surprise her teammate with the news. Their thrilled screams echoed through the room as she turned the corner, everyone rushing up to hug her and to pose for photos as she wiped away a few tears.
“We want great people, great teammates, great competitors — people who do it for the right reasons to the best of their abilities and are going to overachieve, knowing the process will take care of itself," Stuckmeyer said. "And that's Gracyn. When she leaves, I'll be saying 'We want a Gracyn Gilliard-type player.' … It’s a tribute to her legacy."
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen. Get IndyStar's high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA girls basketball: Gracyn Gilliard voted Indiana Miss Basketball
Continue reading...
There were indications as she progressed through the Center Grove feeder system and during her first two seasons at Munster, where she totaled 858 points (48% FG) and 204 steals.
When Gilliard and her family moved back to Greenwood ahead of her junior year, the mission was to polish her game, Trojans coach Kevin Stuckmeyer said, to help the 5-foot-11 guard better read defenses and play through different situations. They had to "pull it out of her," he continued, but she was willing to be coached hard and remained patient, pushed by her "hunger and humility."
"It's about getting her out of her comfort zone and teaching her to slow down and see the whole game," Stuckmeyer said. "She's done a fabulous job with that."
Following a solid junior campaign, Gilliard commanded the entire state's attention as a senior.
Described by Silver Creek coach Scott Schoen as a "bull in a china shop" in terms of her playing style growing up, Gilliard was more refined offensively, fulfilling her potential as a three-level scorer — averaged 25.6 points on 53% shooting — while demonstrating improved passing capabilities and maintaining her status as a lockdown defender (2.7 steals per game).
Teams had to worry about Gilliard across every inch of the floor, Franklin Central coach Vince Cerbone observed, noting her improved efficiency around the rim and from behind the arc, where she shot a career-best 40% on 130 attempts.
"I don't know if there's another kid in Indiana who's harder to guard," he marveled following the Class 4A Sectional 12 final.
"Gilliard was the best singular player we played against this season," added Plainfield coach Curt Benge, whose top-11 schedule included a Dec. 9 visit from Center Grove. "She's a true three-level scorer, but it's not just that. It's her demeanor, her maturity on the floor. … She was ice water (against us). I was so impressed. She's a load to deal with."
Gilliard was brilliant through the regular season, then took her game to another level in February, leading the undefeated Trojans on a dramatic seven-game conquest through the 4A state tournament that saw her play through ankle injury the final four games and culminated in the program's first state championship since 1996.
The Davidson recruit was the state's best player on both ends of the floor this season, providing an explosive finish to an already impressive career and earning the right to be immortalized among Indiana's all-time greats.
Gracyn Gilliard has been voted 2026 IndyStar Miss Basketball, presented by the Indiana Fever.
Gilliard received 51 votes from the state's coaches and media, finishing ahead of Lawrence Central's Lola Lampley (34 votes), Norwell's Vanessa Rosswurm (24) and Valparaiso's Lilli Barnes (10).
A total of 26 players received votes.
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"It's all pretty surreal," said Gilliard, who finished her career with 1,898 points (1,040 at Center Grove), 336 steals, 438 rebounds and 179 assists. "This is a goal I've had for a really long time, so it's really exciting to see it come true."
Though the first Center Grove Trojan to be selected Miss Basketball, Gilliard is the second in her family to wear the coveted No. 1 Indiana All-Stars jersey, joining her cousin, 2019 Mr. Basketball Trayce Jackson-Davis.
"It's exciting. We've talked about it so many times with aunt Carla and how it's been a goal for so long," Gilliard beamed. "Now there's two of us out there, so that's really special for the family."
Gilliard was in shock when she came up the stairs outside the Center Grove natatorium Friday morning to see Stuckmeyer standing in front of an illuminated Center Grove sign, holding the Miss Basketball jersey.
"Stop. Are you serious? Oh my God," she exclaimed, embracing her head coach and accepting the jersey, marveling at it as reality sank in. "This is crazy."
The moment was still surreal for Gilliard as she fielded questions with the murals honoring the Trojans' past player of the year honorees across from her. "I had no idea. I had no idea," she said.
"It's like a dad who just wants the world for their kids," Stuckmeyer smiled.
"As a coach who's had the opportunity to watch what she's done, not just with us, but just as a player growing up, and all her goals and efforts that she's put into it, it's just neat to see it pay off and to see the smile on her face," he continued. "She earned the right to call herself Miss Basketball, but she's Miss Basketball in personality and as a teammate; being an inspiration for young people and young female athletes who want to achieve like she did. She's the perfect person for the platform to be that inspiration for people."
'She's going to be a great basketball player'
Stuckmeyer was running a Trojans summer camp in his first or second season as CG head coach the first time he saw Gilliard play. The then-fifth grader could score from anywhere she wanted, he recalled, but that's not why she stood out.
Gilliard, who was also named the Gatorade Player of the Year for Indiana on Friday, was spending time with the girl who was "just a camper," the one probably sent there by her parents as a form of babysitting, Stuckmeyer said. She made sure that individual was scoring it and having the best time of her life, he continued. "No one was a better person or teammate than Gracyn."
The next day, someone asked Stuckmeyer if he heard the bad news.
The Gilliards are moving to Munster.
"Well, that's a bummer," he replied, "because in 3-4 years, she's going to be a great basketball player."
"I was so sad," Center Grove senior guard Hannah Gin said, recounting the group's last travel game together. The girls signed a basketball and gave it to their soon-to-be long-distance friend, who in turn signed everyone's jersey.
"Gracyn started my drive as a basketball player," Gin continued. "I was really bad at basketball. … But watching her as a young kid, she became one of my biggest role models, one of my biggest influences. And honestly, she made me into the player I am. I still look up to her to this day."
You must be registered for see images attach
Gilliard wasn't expecting to move away from Center Grove as a youngster, and she never saw herself transferring back from Munster High School. But following a successful start to her high school career — totaled 858 points and 204 steals in two seasons; nearly upset eventual state runner-up Lake Central in the 2024 sectional tournament — her dad's job brought the family back to Greenwood, reuniting Gracyn with the program and teammates she grew up with.
"It's been surreal," she said of being back at Center Grove. "I'm so excited we got to end it this way."
Gilliard maintains a friendship with Munster coach DeAndre Williams — "I have so much respect for him and his program," she said — but transferring back to Center Grove helped her to "blossom into the player I am today."
"Coming to a bigger school with a more established program really helped me learn that college level of play and to see the game differently," said Gilliard, who averaged 18.3 points (49% FG, 33% 3PT), 4.1 rebounds and 3.2 steals as a junior.
'We want a Gracyn Gilliard'
Gilliard was one of the last players off the floor following Center Grove's win over Norwell in the 4A state championship game. She stayed behind press row after finishing a radio interview to interact with the hordes of young fans gathered along the railing, and was still signing autographs and posing for photos as the red-and-white celebration shifted to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse locker room.
"We do our kids summer camp in early June and the kids, they all love it so much and the girls are at every game," Gilliard said. "Seeing them is really special. ... We want these girls to play and be part of the program in coming years, so that's really awesome to see."
"People see how great Gracyn is as a basketball player, but nobody knows how great she is as a person," Gin added. "She's one of the smartest people I've ever met; one of the most caring, one of the most genuine people. She's just the best person."
The final game of Gilliard's high school career encapsulated her all-around brilliance as a player. She netted game-highs across the board with 23 points, eight rebounds, three assists, six steals and a block.
Cerbone noted Gilliard's improved consistency in critical moments following the sectional final and, true to form, she played a starring role in CG's title-clinching comeback, setting up the go-ahead basket with a steal before embarking on a solo 6-0 run that pushed the lead to 10 with 2:40 remaining.
You must be registered for see images attach
Gilliard was the definition of clutch that night, same as she was in regular-season comebacks against Brownsburg and Bloomington South, a late-January blowout of Hamilton Southeastern and postseason come-from-behind wins over Franklin Central (sectional final), Pendleton Heights (regionals) and Lawrence Central (semistate final).
Stuckmeyer highlighted the season opener vs. Franklin Central when his senior star hit a fall-away jumper and the ensuing free throw to put the Trojans ahead with 12 seconds left, then denying her opponent the opportunity to get a shot off on the other end.
When they needed a basket, Gilliard finished, Cerbone said. "She just refused to lose."
Added Stuckmeyer: "She put her stamp on it against some of the best."
The senior standout understood her importance as a scorer to CG's success and utilized her diverse selection of shots accordingly. But she also had the wherewithal to never force anything, instead passing it out to an open teammate and taking what the defense gave her.
"Gracyn is the best player in the state this year, because she's the best teammate," Stuckmeyer said, later highlighting her number of "hockey assists" (the pass that sets up the official assist).
Gilliard's offensive production (and the Trojans' success) vaulted her into a jam-packed Miss Basketball race midway through the season, but it was her defensive prowess that sustained that momentum and further raised her profile.
While aggressively switching on everything is a staple of Center Grove's defense, Gilliard was assigned to the opponent's top player most games and she delivered more times than not, most notably in the state semifinals when she helped limit the LSU-bound Lampley to four points.
"Gracyn has been the best player on the floor every night from day one," Stuckmeyer said following the semistate finals win. "A lot of people have talked about the current undefeated season, but Franklin Central had us beaten in the sectional final and she stepped up and carried us through. She just gutted it out. … She has a lot to do, but between last week and this week, her will to win and her character makes her the best player on the floor."
After celebrating with her family and coaches in the natatorium, Gilliard was escorted to the Center Grove locker room to surprise her teammate with the news. Their thrilled screams echoed through the room as she turned the corner, everyone rushing up to hug her and to pose for photos as she wiped away a few tears.
“We want great people, great teammates, great competitors — people who do it for the right reasons to the best of their abilities and are going to overachieve, knowing the process will take care of itself," Stuckmeyer said. "And that's Gracyn. When she leaves, I'll be saying 'We want a Gracyn Gilliard-type player.' … It’s a tribute to her legacy."
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen. Get IndyStar's high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA girls basketball: Gracyn Gilliard voted Indiana Miss Basketball
Continue reading...
