By Chris Parker

2021 All-O-Zone Boys Basketball Team

By Chris Parker

The All O-Zone Boys Basketball team as voted on by the KY3 & OzarksSportsZone.com staff is below. There are more than 100 boys basketball teams in the area, which makes this list extremely difficult to narrow down. Below are this year’s top players in a first-team, second-team and honorable mention. Each team is in alphabetical order after the Player of the Year Aminu Mohammed.

FIRST 5

Aminu Mohammed, Greenwood Senior (Player of the Year)

Class 3 Player of the Year. Mr. Show-Me Basketball. MaxPreps Missouri Player of the Year. McDonald’s All-American. Naming Aminu Mohammed our Player of the Year was not a hard decision. He is now a three-time O-Zone Player of the Year. Mohammed is the best high school basketball player to ever come through southwest Missouri. He became the first area boys basketball player to be named to a McDonald’s All-American team, which is one of the highest honors a high school basketball player can receive. In 20 years, you will be able to simply say ‘Aminu’ to any local sports fan and they will know exactly who you are talking about.
STATS: 23.2 points, 10 rebounds, 3.1 assists
HONORS: McDonald’s All-American, Mr. Show-Me Basketball, Class 3 Player of the Year, MaxPreps Missouri Player of the Year

Anton Brookshire, Kickapoo Senior

This year’s Kickapoo team will go down as one of the best in the program’s history, and Anton Brookshire is a big reason why. The Chiefs made the final four last year before the season got cut short by the pandemic. They came back this year with new a new look, but Brookshire remained as a constant for Kickapoo this year and over the past four years. He was an effective floor general for the Chiefs with a team-high 18.2 points and 5.4 assists per game. Brookshire shot 40% from three-point range. He has a very bright future ahead of him playing at Mizzou. He is a three-time First-Team All-O-Zone selection.
STATS: 18.2 ppg, 4 rpg, 5.4 apg, 2 spg
HONORS: Class 6 All-State, Ozark Conference Player of the Year, First-Team Ozark Conference

Isaac Haney, Kickapoo Senior

The most consistent argument I get on these teams when a small school player gets on is: “What would *small school player* do at *insert Class 5 or 6 school*”. I present Isaac Haney. Haney went from Class 1 Player of the Year as a junior to Class 6 All-State this season. His numbers fell from his 31 ppg average as a junior at Dora, but he didn’t need to put up 31 ppg when he started sharing the court with a talented Kickapoo squad. He finished his career with 3,141 points, which is No. 4 all-time in Missouri. Local sports fans aren’t done with him either, as he will play his college basketball for Missouri State.
STATS: 17.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.1 apg, 3 spg
HONORS: Class 6 All-State, First-Team Ozark Conference

Drew McMillin, Republic Senior

Drew McMillin had the individual game of the year when he knocked down 16 3-point shots on his way to 61 total points in a game against Camdenton on Jan. 28. The 16 3’s tied a state record while the 61 points broke a school record of 56 that had stood since 1989. The most impressive thing about McMillin’s performance was that he needed just 19 attempts to knock down those 16 3-point shots. His efficiency is one of the best parts of his game as he posted marks of 41%-52%-86% shooting from three, the field and the free throw line. SBU got a steal when they signed McMillin, who was named the Central Ozark Conference Player of the Year.
STATS: 23 ppg, 4 rpg, 3 apg, 52% FG, 41% 3FG, 86% FT
HONORS: Class 6 All-State, Central Ozark Conference Player of the Year, First-Team Central Ozark Conference

Ryce Piper, Hartville Senior

Hartville had an unbeaten state championship season that will be remembered forever in southwest Missouri. Ryce Piper was the best player on the team that will go down in the history books. He scored in double figures in each of Hartville’s first 29 games of the year. Hartville was a balanced team with four players averaging double figures, but Piper really made them go. He was the guy who could get a bucket when the Eagles sorely needed one. If the defense tried to take away his offense, he would find the open man often for easy buckets. He shot 61% from the field, which included 68.3% mark from inside the arc. This Hartville team will be remembered most for its balance and defense, but Piper had his hand in everything leading Hartville in scoring, rebounding, assists, free throw makes, field goal percentage and field goal attempts.
STATS: 17.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2 spg, 61% FG
HONORS: Class 3 All-State, First-Team All-Summit Conference

SECOND 5

Logan Applegate, Nevada Senior
STATS: 23.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4 apg, 2.6 spg, 105 made 3’s
HONORS: Class 5 All-State, Big 8 West Player of the Year, First-Team All-Big 8 West

Trevon Brazile, Kickapoo Senior
STATS: 13.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.2 apg, 2.8 apg, 73% FG
HONORS: Class 6 All-State, First-Team Ozark Conference

Zach Howell, Catholic Junior
STATS: 26 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 2 apg, 1.3 spg, 92 made 3’s
HONORS: Class 5 All-State, First-Team All-Big 8 East

Kyle Pock, Bolivar Sophomore
STATS: 25.1 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.4 bpg
HONORS: Class 5 All-State

Colin Ruffin, Nixa Junior
STATS: 12 ppg, 6.3 apg, 5 rpg, 2.1 spg
HONORS: Class 6 All-State, First-Team Central Ozark Conference

HONORABLE MENTION

Jordan Andrews, Thayer Junior
STATS: 21 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.0 spg
HONORS: Class 3 All-State, SCA Player of the Year, First-Team All-SCA

Lawson Beem, Skyline Junior
STATS: 19.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.4 apg, 1.6 spg, 67 made 3-pointers
HONORS: Class 3 All-State, First-Team All-Mid-Lakes

Braden Branstetter, Hartville Senior
STATS: 13.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.1 spg, 48.2% from 3 (made 66 3’s)
HONORS: Class 3 All-State, First Team All-Summit Conference

Kael Combs, Nixa Sophomore
STATS: 13.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.9 apg, 57% FG
HONORS: First-Team All-COC

Andrew Dalton, Ava Junior
STATS: 22.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.1 apg, 62.8% FG
HONORS: Class 4 All-State, First-Team All-SCA

Garrett Davault, Norwood Junior
STATS: 25.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.1 spg, 51.4 FG%
HONORS: Class 2 All-State, Class 2 District 10 POY

Jonathan Dunn, Rogersville Senior
STATS: 23 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.7 apg. 1.4 spg, 62.6% FG
HONORS: Big 8 East Player of the Year, First-Team All-Big 8 East

Kanon Gipson, Rogersville Senior
STATS: 16.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 5.3 apg, 3.1 spg
HONORS: Class 5 All-State, First-Team All-Big 8 East

Nickhai Howard, Webb City Senior
STATS: 14.3 ppg, 8 rpg, 4.9 apg, 2.7 spg
HONORS: First-Team All-COC

Kyson Lahman, East Newton Senior
STATS: 15 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.4 spg
HONORS: Class 4 All-State, First-Team All-Big 8 West

Cam Liggins, Kickapoo Senior
STATS: 11.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1 apg
HONORS: First-Team Ozark Conference

Elijah Whitley, Parkview Junior
STATS: 19.7 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 apg, 46% 3-point (65 made)
HONORS: Class 6 All-State, First-Team Ozark Conference