Jasper standout Shelby Merder, one of Southern Indiana’s top college prospects in the graduating Class of 2013, will stay in-state for college and play at Ball State, she confirmed to Hoosier Hills Hoops on Monday evening.

“Definitely the coaching staff was a big reason for my decision,” said Merder, a 6-foot-3 forward. “The coaches and I created a great relationship, and that was a big thing for me.”

Merder selected the Cardinals — and first-year head coach Brady Sallee — over scholarship opportunities from Austin Peay, Maryland-Baltimore County, New Mexico and Southeast Missouri State. She also entertained serious interest from Miami (Ohio) and St. Louis,.

Merder said that Jill Morrison, also a Ball State recruit in the 2013 class, was a big factor in her decision.

“She helped me and talked with me a lot about the school,” she said of Morrison, who hails from Winchester High School.

Merder, who expects to “be a forward who plays in the high-post” for the Cardinals, is planning to major in communication.

“I felt the campus and school were a perfect size for me. The campus is really pretty and the closeness of being able to walk everywhere is really nice. It’s a place where I can see myself spending four years of my life.”