In Zionsville High School girls basketball coach Andy Maguire’s view, junior forward Laila Hull has improved in every aspect of her game.
“Her outside jump shot has improved,” Maguire said. “She spent a lot of time this summer and offseason working on her shooting form and improving her shot. She has also gotten much stronger inside. Her work in the weight room has paid off and she is able to finish better through contact. Her rebounding has been outstanding.”
Prior to Dec. 16, the 6-foot-1 Hull was averaging 19.4 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game for the Eagles (7-3).
“Overall, she has become a better leader on and off the court, and her maturity has been a big part of our success this season,” Maguire said. “Her play on the court has been very valuable. Her scoring is important to our success, but her rebounding and ability to defend have been keys to our success.”
Hull averaged 17.9 points and 7.8 rebounds as a sophomore and 13.4 points and 7.8 rebounds as a freshman.
“I feel like my patience and rebounding have made the biggest improvement in comparison to my previous seasons,” Hull said. “I have been taking the weight room a little more seriously this year and it has definitely assisted in my rebounding improvement. I started taking APC, a weightlifting class, during school and it has been really helpful.”
Hull is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked 57th in the class of 2023 by HoopGurlz/espnW rankings. She already has 15 college offers, including from Big Ten schools Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Purdue. She also has received offers from Butler, Florida, Seton Hall and Oklahoma.
“I am looking to narrow down my list sometime in 2022 for sure, but I’m not completely sure (of) the exact time,” Hull said. “I am really looking for strong relationships, similar to how my high school team is now, and a system that is supportive and not adamant on putting restrictions on my game or anyone else’s.”
Hull said she is extremely optimistic about Zionsville’s potential.
“I think the sky is the limit for us if we can be consistent and play the way I know and have seen us play,” Hull said.
Hull has played basketball since kindergarten. She played soccer when she was younger and ran for the track and field team in middle school.
Meet Laila Hull
- Favorite athlete: Anthony Davis.
- Favorite movie: “The Wizard of Oz”
- Favorite musician: Steve Lacy.
