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Monday, December 1, 2008
Bright Lights, Big Distinction
Central Indiana, IN
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By: Rob Downey
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Photo(s) By: Jeff Solenberg
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Eminence senior Aulani Sinclair has brought recognition to her hometown since accepting a basketball scholarship with the Indiana Hoosiers. Now, she wants to bring home some IHSAA hardware.
The word “eminence” by definition means “a position of distinction or superiority.” In the far western portion of Morgan County, that designation goes without saying for one of the state’s top basketball players. Aulani Sinclair has brought distinction to both herself and her relatively little known hometown that bears the name Eminence.
Through tireless dedication and a rigid work ethic, the 6-foot-1 senior has put Eminence on the map, showcasing a superior basketball skill while earning the ultimate recognition – an athletic scholarship to Indiana University.
Of course, the real recognition that she seeks is for her Lady Eels basketball squad, which is why in her final season, Sinclair is focused on making a deep run in the Indiana High School Athletic Association state tournament.
She honed this dream when she was young and inexperienced, and it has been an aspiration that the basketball standout intends to follow through.
Sinclair first demonstrated her passion for basketball while still in middle school. She volunteered as team manager for the high school team.
Though a few years from wearing Eels’ varsity red, white and blue, she was able to practice with the team and become familiar with the offensive and defensive sets that former coach Jason Sims employed. Sinclair received another boost as she began playing with one of the top girls’ AAU basketball programs, Indiana’s Finest, while still in middle school.
However, attending a high school with a student enrollment of 170 and a senior class of a mere 43, notoriety is often impeded when it comes to athletics.
However, Sinclair believes the close-knit community of Eminence has helped her remain grounded even as her reputation has grown within larger basketball circles in the state.
“I really began to feel like I could play at the college level during my summers with my AAU team (Indiana’s Finest),” Sinclair said. “Many of my teammates were being recruited by some pretty big schools, and I was holding my own with them, so I thought it could happen for me as well.”
As her game began to blossom, Sinclair also engaged in additional workouts with the 100 Percent Hoops program, instructed by Shawn Bolden.
As a result, Sinclair has seen her game broaden to the point where she has developed the ability to play with equal effectiveness on both the interior and the perimeter.
Her scoring average increased from 15.4 points per game as a freshman to 23.0 as a sophomore and 23.8 in her junior season.
Sinclair’s rebounding averages were 6.7 and 6.3 per game as a freshman and sophomore, respectively, before she nearly doubled those norms last year when she hauled in 12.4 rebounds per contest.
She has totaled 1371 points in three varsity seasons and will likely finish her career amongst the top 40 all-time scorers in Indiana high school girls basketball history.
But for Sinclair, it is not scoring that motivates her; it’s her team-first approach.
Yet to advance out of the sectional during Sinclair’s career, she and her senior teammates want to achieve what hasn’t occurred in Eminence since 1999.
“We have been working hard in practice, and we are a close-knit group that really wants to win a sectional title for our school,” Sinclair said.
Eminence head coach Brian Udovich believes it’s possible and has noticed that Sinclair has taken on a much more active leadership role this season, which has the team ready to challenge for a potential title.
“Aulani is developing into a great leader for us,” Udovich said. “Her maturity on and off the court has really helped raise her teammates’ confidence level.”
Sinclair’s confidence developed from hard work and has reached new heights with the reward of an athletic scholarship to a NCAA Division I program.
Udovich admitted it wasn’t much of a surprise despite the small-school stigma.
“I believe that if you work hard, they [colleges] will find you,” Udovich said. “If you are good, the big schools will notice you. Aulani’s work ethic and putting in the extra time to improve her game has been a key to her success. I never doubted that she could play at a high level. Her all-around game makes her somewhat unique in that she can play effectively on both the perimeter and the interior.”
However, Sinclair knows that a big challenge awaits once her small-town prep career ends and her big-city days at Indiana University begin.
“It will be a really big change going to such a large campus, but I am looking forward to it,” Sinclair said. “Bloomington is close to home, so my family can attend games, and I can come back and visit my friends here in Eminence.
“My parents, Wayne and Teresa were super happy when IU offered me a scholarship, and everyone in the community has been extremely supportive of me and my decision to attend IU.” •
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