INDIANAPOLIS — There were some nerves, but Elliot Leffler was hungry more than anything when she came off the bench for her varsity debut. People had heard about the 5-9 guard, Roncalli's up-and-comer in the Class of 2027 who was already drawing Division I interest, but few outside the program actually knew about her.

"I was excited to prove myself," Leffler said. "And I knew I had a good supporting cast, good coaches and teammates to help me get there."

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The freshman had a few minutes to get acquainted, then in the second quarter … she took an elbow to the face and broke her nose.

It was bad.

"I heard it snap," Leffler recalled. She was cleared to finish the game — and did so with 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting, five rebounds and three steals to earn a spot in the starting lineup — but it wasn't exactly an enjoyable experience.

That's a pretty terrible introduction to high school basketball.

"I know," Leffler replied with a smile. "It just pushed me a little bit, like toughness, and got me used to the pace of the game."

The injury required Leffler to wear a facemask for the next nine games, which also wasn't exactly an enjoyable experience, with the shield restricting her peripheral vision and limiting her head movements up-and-down. She spent time outside practice getting accustomed to playing with it and had a few notable performances: Cleared 18 points twice and logged a near-double-double vs. Ben Davis. But to get a better idea of what sets Leffler (12.1 points per game) apart, it's best to examine her summer.

Senior Taylor Turk recalled her teammate's performance at a preseason shootout at Franklin. Leffler was all-in from the jump, ruthlessly attacking the basket and drawing and-one after and-one, despite playing against seniors who made her look undersized in comparison.

She came in with a unique toughness and intensity, Turk said of Leffler, who averages 13 points, four rebounds and two steals. "Dang, this girl is insanely good."

"Elliot doesn't play like a freshman," Turk continued. "She has no fear. And that's something — because I feel like I go out there and I'm intimidated or I'm nervous, but she's just cool as a cucumber. … She's just ready to play and eager to learn."

The daughter of two former college athletes — Leffler's mom, Allison, played softball at IU; her dad, Nate, played football at Ball State — and younger sister of two former Roncalli athletes, Leffler discovered her love for basketball during a grade-school camp at Cathedral. She had given softball a try. "I wasn't very good," laughed Leffler, who played outfield when she wasn't catching because "no one hit the ball out there." And still plays volleyball. But basketball was different.

"It just sparked something where I was like, 'I could go somewhere with this,'" Leffler said. "I fell in love with the game after that."

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Leffler found her passion and dedicated herself to it, investing countless hours to perfecting her shot and, as she entered high school, expanding her shot arsenal. "We knew she was going to be special," coach Jason Sims said.

A 44% shooter from the field (37% from 3), Leffler's coaches talked with her about "picking up the pace." She accepted their feedback, Sims said, and has done a good job of shot-faking, then taking the 15-foot jumper. Leffler is beginning to understand she can shoot a 10-foot jumper and be really effective, he continued, and is realizing she doesn't always need to drive and force something in the lane.

It's "just amazing," Sims said of Leffler's shooting prowess. "You don't see shooters like that very often at her age."

Playing high-level AAU helped jump-start Leffler's development, but Sims said there are occasions when she has to readjust to "the physicality" of the pace at the high school level.

She's taken it all in stride.

Leffler acknowledges she may not be as strong as the upperclassmen she's matched up against, but she's willing to match their physicality and play through contact.

Leffler is "super competitive" and brings a necessary intensity, Turk said. She wants what's best for the team and is constantly trying to better understand the game, asking "great questions" and analyzing plays with her coaches and teammates.

For her part, Leffler credited her older teammates with preparing her both physically and mentally, helping keep her spirits up when she's having an off-night and reminding her that mistakes happen.

"She doesn't have a sense of pride about her," Turk said, later praising her teammate's court vision. "She's very open to hearing other people's suggestions, then she'll also give you suggestions of what she thinks you can do. That's a (byproduct of) our team chemistry. We're open. There's not a sense of superiority among the classes."

Leffler has only begun to scratch the surface with her recruitment, attending a few elite camps and establishing communication with a couple coaches. She hasn't received any offers yet, but knows her time will come and is staying patient.

"I just keep working hard," Leffler said. "It pushes me to work harder if I see other people getting offers. I'm just like, 'OK, I can do this, too.'"

Roncalli (10-4) plays at the Plainfield Winter Classic on Thursday.

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA girls basketball: Roncalli freshman Elliot Leffler impressing