By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Basketball season is underway in Missouri. Below are the area’s Class 6 Girls Basketball Players to Watch this year.
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Kaemyn Bekemeier, Republic Senior
Over the last three years we’ve said just about everything there is to say about the incredible career Bekemeier has put together. Entering her senior year the thing to know is that she keeps getting better, which is scary. She has an NBA-like bag that allows her to score at every level and her ability to create for others and score without offense being run for her is rare. It’s not easy to improve on 22.8 points and 7.5 rebounds, but she’ll find a way.
Norah Clark, Nixa Senior
Her numbers don’t jump off the page, but they in no way speak to the impact she makes every time she laces them up. The 5-foot-11 UT-Martin signee has a super high motor blended with a versatile skill set. She can step out and shoot the 3, she can post and she can switch 1-5. Combo forwards like this don’t grow on trees and she has that Nixa-branded toughness to how she competes.
Bre Hurd, Waynesville Junior
Hurd has long been known as one of the top players in her class nationally and yet she continues to back it up. As a sophomore she averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks per game. She’s going to be another player that exceeds the 2,000-point mark by the time all is said and done. She’s also going to be in that McDonald’s All-American conversation in Spring 2024.
Kya Johnson, Kickapoo Junior
If you’re going to play for Jim Pendergrass, you have to sit down and guard and that’s exactly what Johnson does. As a sophomore, she averaged 7.1 points and 5.4 rebounds while often taking on the toughest defensive assignment on the court. With Bella Fontleroy gone. She’ll take on an even larger role.
Reagan McCowan, Lebanon Senior
Western Illinois is the latest D1 program to come in and snag an Ozarks product that will have a chance to have a great career and McCowan is no different. Her ability to take advantage of mismatches is rare, with her 5-foot-11 frame making her too tall for guards and too quick for bigs. She averaged 19.5 points and 8.6 rebounds as a junior and could reach the 2,000-point mark this winter.
Aaliyah Pittman, Central Senior
She already has 74 starts to her credit and has tallied over 100 blocks in her career. The 6-foot-1 post averaged 5.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks as a junior. She can completely change a game without scoring a point.
Heaven Shockley, Lebanon Senior
The Central transfer averaged 14.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, to go along with 2.3 steals and 2.2 blocks. The 6-foot-1 forward is a defensive nightmare and relentless on the glass. Over the last two years she’s one of the only players to record 100 steals and 100 blocks. She will provide an instant boost to an already talented Lebanon team.
Kianna Yates, Carthage Senior
Yates has been a mainstay in Carthage’s lineup for going on four years and she just keeps getting better. Early on she was a big-time defender and facilitator. Now her offensive game is even more refined. She averaged 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.1 steals. She’s super shifty with a calm but intense demeanor. D2s should be beating down her door for her services.
Honorable Mention
Jacy Bray, Nixa Junior
Brynn Driver, Joplin Senior
Karlee Ellick, Neosho Senior
Jordyn Foley, Ozark Senior
Lily Mahy, Nixa Junior
Miya Nieto, Kickapoo Senior
Hope Schatz, Republic Senior
