Basketball season is underway in Missouri. Below are the area’s Class 5 Boys Basketball Players to Watch this year.
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Haden Brown, Willard (Senior)
Brown is another player that is a four-year letterman, seeing some great days and tough times as a Tiger. But, he’s also leading the rebirth after averaging 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds. At 6-foot-4, the All-COC pick is also an incredibly versatile defender.
Cole Griesemer, Hillcrest (Junior Guard/Forward)
One of few juniors on this list, Griesemer is set to have a breakout campaign. The 6-foot-6 wing has a long, athletic frame and impressive skill set. As a sophomore he averaged nine and six, but a monster summer has helped boost his recruitment.
Carter Harrell, Glendale (Senior Guard/Forward)
Entering his fourth year as a starter, Harrell has been a matchup nightmare since Day One. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 14.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists. He’s already over 1,000 career points, becoming the 13th player in program history to do so. He could crack the top five by season’s end.
Zach Howell & Liam O’Reilly, Springfield Catholic (Senior Guards)
The dynamic duo has been a part of 63 wins during their career at Catholic and will go down as two of the best in program history. Howell is a 6-foot-4 guard currently juggling D1 offers, with Texas Tech being the biggest in contention for his services. As a junior, he averaged 26 points and 9.8 rebounds. O’Reilly is taking his talents to Missouri State to play football next year, but the 6-foot-2 point guard averaged 11.3 points, 5.2 assists and 4.3 rebounds as a junior.
Gage Klossner, Rolla (Senior Guard)
Rolla has had quite the tradition of guards over the last decade and Klossner is next on that list. As a junior he led the Bulldogs in 3-point and free throw shooting, while also emerging as one of the league’s top defenders.
Connor Lair, West Plains (Senior)
Lair just finished up a historic season on the gridiron but let’s not forget how solid he is on the hardwood where his athleticism led him to 9.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals. Much like in football, his versatility on the basketball court makes him difficult to match up with; he’s too big for guards and too quick for bigs.
Peyton McBride & Zack Mings, Marshfield (Senior & Junior)
Marshfield has quite the duo with McBride and Mings. The 6-foot-2 McBride is the team’s sniper, averaging 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds while knocking down a team-best 66 triples. Mings opened his sophomore season by flirting with a triple-double. That would be a theme for his season as he averaged 13.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists. At 6-foot-4 he’s a big guard with a bright future.
Kyle Pock, Bolivar (Junior Guard/Forward)
Pock will be a Gatorade Player of the Year candidate for Bolivar this year. As a sophomore he averaged 24.2 points and 10 rebounds, leading the Liberators to a Class 5 runner-up finish. The 6-foot-7 combo forward is one of the most recruited juniors in the state and made significant progress playing with MOKAN Elite this summer.
Cohl Vaden & Kaden Turner, Webb City (Seniors)
Webb City will have one of the area’s most explosive scoring duos in Vaden and Turner. Vaden is a four-year letterman that has 70 career games under his belt and is on pace to reach the 1,000-point mark this year. Turner is a 6-foot-4 wing that is as physically gifted as they come in the COC. It’ll be tough to stop either one of them this winter.
Elijah Whitley, Parkview (Senior Guard)
There are few better scorers in the area than Whitley. The 6-foot-2 combo guard can get downhill at will, but is also a 40% shooter from deep. His 19 PPG earned him All-State honors and has had D1s and elite D2s checking out Parkview’s practices this fall.
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Best of the Rest
Josh Bowes, Bolivar Senior
DeeVon Braxton, Hillcrest Senior
Amarre Clark, Parkview Junior
Carter Fenske, Neosho Junior
Lukas Gabani, Bolivar Senior
Grant Givens, Glendale Senior
Kade Goodwin, Branson Senior
Isaiah Green, Neosho Junior
Brett Hall, Willard Senior
Adam Hounsom, Rolla Senior
Ethan Jones, Branson Senior
Ty Locklear, Rolla Senior
Devin Oliver, Hillcrest Senior
Kevin Parker Jr., Parkview Junior
Kyler Perry, Carl Junction Senior
Aaron Poage, Camdenton, Junior
Marcus Price, Parkview Senior
Trey Pulford, Willard Senior
Teddy Reddybacon, McDonald County Senior
Kyle Scharbrough, Branson Senior
