Insider: Heritage Christian's Darby Foresman is a team player who could be a star
Darby Foresman’s individual numbers don’t pop off the page. Her 9.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game are solid, if not spectacular.
But that doesn’t take into account the entire picture, Heritage Christian girls basketball coach Rick Risinger said. Foresman will play for a third consecutive state championship, this year in Class 3A, when Heritage Christian meets North Harrison at 6 p.m. Saturday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
“Darby is very much a role player in the sense that she’s about the team,” Risinger said. “She could get a lot more stats. Quite honestly, I’ve encouraged her to do that. But that’s not really her personality. She’s more interested in the team being successful.”
Risinger thinks the best is yet to come for Foresman, a 6-3 forward with perimeter skills. Foresman originally committed to Indiana coach Curt Miller in May 2014 and stuck with the commitment after Teri Moren replaced Miller as coach.
It looks like a smart decision, now, as Moren has the Hoosiers in the mix for an NCAA tournament bid. Moren, a Seymour native and former coach at Indiana State and the University of Indianapolis, wanted to establish a precedent for recruiting in-state talent.
The truth was, Foresman wanted to be in Bloomington all along.
“It’s close to home,” she said. “It’s close to my family. The girls that are there now are awesome girls and I thought I would fit in really well, even with the coaching change. I knew the coaches before they came to IU and I knew they were good people. (Moren) came in and made it known that she wanted me there. That was good to hear.”
Foresman is a highly ranked national prospect, slotted at No. 55 in the country by ProspectsNation.com and No. 66 by ESPN. Her versatility on both ends of the floor, footwork and ability to shoot from distance make Foresman a unique player.
But Heritage Christian has other star players. Senior Tyasha Harris (23.4 ppg, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists) is one of the best guards in the country and 5-10 sophomore Katlyn Gilbert (12.6 ppg, 6.0 rebounds) is one of the top prospects nationally in her class.
Risinger said Foresman has the right personality to play a team-first role on a team of standouts. But he also sees unlimited potential in where she can take her game.
“When you take someone at her size and ability, and she’s not really a post player, she can dominate any time she really wants to,” he said. “Sometimes that doesn’t come through when you watch her play. But she’s one of the top elite players in the state. Darby’s potential is off the charts. It’s up to her how far she wants to go.”
Foresman would be in elite company with a third consecutive state championship. A win over North Harrison would give the Eagles seven state titles in all, breaking a tie with Fort Wayne Bishop Luers for the most in girls basketball.
“This is the best team I’ve ever played on,” Foresman said. “On and off the court, they are my best friends. Because we hang out off the court, our chemistry is even better on the court. It’d be awesome to go out with one last win and one last state championship.”
Call IndyStar reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.
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