By Rex Kirts
Kaila Hulls knew a long time ago, from watching older brother Jordy, what she wanted to do.
"I always wanted to be like Jordan," she said Monday. "He's the reason I work so hard after practice and want to get better all the time."
Jordy, a sophomore at IU and becoming more of the leader on the team every game, helped South win the state basketball championship and became Mr. Basketball.
A four-year starter, Kaila has made her youthful goal come true and is creating her own outstanding career. With 1,320 points going into the regular season finale against Bedford North Lawrence she is only six points shy of tying Cyndi Valentin for second place on the all-time Panther record set by Beth Morgan.
Kaila Hulls knew a long time ago, from watching older brother Jordy, what she wanted to do.
"I always wanted to be like Jordan," she said Monday. "He's the reason I work so hard after practice and want to get better all the time."
Jordy, a sophomore at IU and becoming more of the leader on the team every game, helped South win the state basketball championship and became Mr. Basketball.
A four-year starter, Kaila has made her youthful goal come true and is creating her own outstanding career. With 1,320 points going into the regular season finale against Bedford North Lawrence she is only six points shy of tying Cyndi Valentin for second place on the all-time Panther record set by Beth Morgan.
Kaila Hulls
This year Hulls is averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Conference Indiana champions.
"SHE'S A GYM RAT," coach Larry Winters said. "She made up her mind early that she wanted to be a basketball player."
The 5-11 Hulls might have excelled at other sports, too, such as softball. In her early years she played first base on a baseball team and made the all-stars.
Her mom, Joni, a former player herself and a South assistant coach, said, "Kaila is very competitive, like Jordan. She's very much a perfectionist and doesn't want to make mistakes. She's very focused and very disciplined."
Kaila's workout regimen has been structured a lot by her father, J.C., another outstanding player in his high school days.
"Before the season I shot a lot in the gym on my spot shooting," she said. "After school I work on my conditioning, doing something different every day, and shoot after that.
"Dad has helped a lot, with everything I need to know. He's taught me there's always room to improve."
WITH GROWTH and a lot of work in the weight room Kaila has trimmed out. She's strong and quicker than last year.
"I've worked on defense and to get faster," she said. "I still need to work on that."
Winters knew was inheriting a good thing four years ago and has seen her get better.
"Kaila's understanding has always been above most," Winters said. "Her progression this year has come on the defensive end of the floor as well as her patience offensively. She doesn't rush it any more on offense.
"She's still got to work on her quickness (for playing in college at Bowling Green in Ohio), but she'll work in it because she knows that's what she has to do."
The Panthers have had good success this season even after losing another Division I player, Jessica Parker, to graduation. And they've been successful without having to change Hulls' role.
"KAILA'S ROLE hasn't changed, but she's picked up what the team needs," Winters said. "We lost Jessica and Morgan Woodruff, and Kaila's rebounds went up from seven to 10."
Hulls is driven by the love of the game and the desire to be successful like Jordy. Her goals this year included winning the conference, and that's been done, and to win sectional and regional and get a crack at state champion Ben Davis in the semistate. First up in the sectional is Columbus East, which the Panthers barely beat last week at South.
"We were a little shaky against East. It was just crazy," Hulls said. "We beat them by 30 in the summer. We just didn't play very well (last week). I think we'll be a lot more focused in the sectional."
The Panthers drew East in the short bracket in the sectional. The game will be Friday, Feb. 11 at East Central.
A 4.0 student, Hulls wants to study pharmacy. Bowling Green doesn't have a pharmacy school, so she's thinking of attending Purdue after Bowling Green. In between colleges she may try to play basketball professionally in Europe.
