LAPEL — Among Kenzie Koch's most-prized possessions is a blue-and-yellow basketball she kept on her bed growing up. Won during a game of knockout at an Eastern Hancock girls basketball camp, the ball is signed with a personalized message from longtime Royals coach Shari Doud. Keep working. You've got this.

Eight years later, the basketball now resides in a container in Koch's room and the youngster who Doud recalled showing up to camp as a first grader looking like "a little jock" with her wristbands and braided ponytail is now a 5-8 freshman starting at point guard for Class 2A No. 2 Eastern Hancock (11-0).

"My goal was to get one of those basketballs and I got one," Koch said. "I had it on my bed for so long, like, oh my gosh, I'm going to play for (Doud) someday. Now I'm finally doing it and it's been so much fun."

Tasked with replacing record-setting senior Grace Stapleton, Koch has made the transition seamlessly. The Royals' lone non-senior starter, she's averaging over 20 points (48% FG), three steals, four rebounds and three assists through her first 11 games, with eight 20-point performances, including a career-high 28 in her second game of the season.

Koch has fit in exactly as expected, Doud said, seamlessly running point and earning her teammates' trust, while providing a prolific scoring punch alongside guard Samantha Bolding and 6-1 forward Ruby White. No. 1 has "an army around her," Doud continued, but they still need the ball in her hands because of her ability to both score and facilitate. "Kenzie's just a cool kid to coach."

Koch shined in a 62-55 win over Lapel on Tuesday, dropping 23 points on 8-of-19 shooting (three 3-pointers), with four rebounds, four assists and four steals.

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Guarded by 6-0 sophomore Laniah Wills and 5-10 senior Madelyn Poynter most of the game, Koch was able to get to the basket and find (or create) open looks. She secured an eight-point lead in the third, spinning around a defender and hitting a contested jumper in the lane, then delivered a massive 3-pointer with Lapel rallying in the fourth. Koch ran around a screen, caught a pass from Bolding at the top of the arc and drilled a long 3-pointer over Wills, holding her follow-through as she bounced back on defense.

"She is just one confident kid," Doud said.

Koch's prowess as a passer is equally impressive. She attempted to navigate a pair of defenders with her back to the basket, which captured the attention of a third Lapel player. Koch picked up her dribble and knew immediately where to go with the ball, passing to an unmarked White for the mid-range jumper.

"Kenzie is a great point guard," said Bolding, whose go-ahead 3-pointer in the third was set up by Koch. "She passes the ball well, sees the court and knows where to lead people, how to help each other. She knows the game really well."

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Even some of Koch's passes that didn't result in an assist were impressive.

She had a fast break opportunity in the second half with Wills running step-for-step to her left. Koch came to an abrupt stop halfway down the lane and nearly went into a full-split as she kept her right foot planted. She regained her balance, pivoted and swung a pass around a defender to Makenzie O'Neal, whose shot was altered by Wills (credit to her for recovering in time to make the play).

Koch's 23-point performance marked her fifth consecutive 20-point performance. She averaged 22 points over a three-game stretch vs. North Decatur (one-point OT win), 4A's Cathedral and 2A No. 4 Lapel. Her life is basketball, Doud observed, and this early-season success is a byproduct of the countless hours of work she's put in behind the scenes.

It's also helped that Koch's teammates trust her and have encouraged her to step up as one of the team's vocal leaders. That confidence, she said, has helped her further elevate her game.

"It's been better than I even expected," Koch said of her freshman season. "Even outside of basketball, everyone is so welcoming and it feels like home for me. You're obviously going to be nervous as a freshman, but all the seniors have welcomed me in and have made me have more fun than I even expected."

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA girls basketball Kenzie Koch making waves as freshman