Monett girls basketball returns six of its top eight players from last season.
By Derek Shore (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Monett girls basketball team has seen its win total increase in the last two seasons and — entering Josh Kleine’s fourth season — the Cubs look to continue that upward trend.
Monett brings back three starters from last year’s 12-15 group. Meredith Merriman, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, comes off a standout All-Big 8 West Conference freshman campaign in which she averaged 10.3 points and 4.6 rebounds.
“Meredith had a great freshman season,” Kleine said. “She provided consistent scoring from inside the paint and mid-range. She had a great summer and has improved her ball handling and her overall skill set. We look for her to show improvement in all areas of her game.”
Junior Halle Schoen (5-9) and sophomore Kilee Wilson (5-7) are also back. Wilson contributed 5.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 steals and nearly two assists last season, while Schoen chipped in 5.1 points and 4.1 rebounds.
“Halle was our most improved player last season,” Kleine said. “She scores well around the basket and is not afraid to get in there and fight for tough rebounds. She also gained confidence late in the season from the 3-point line. We look for her to continue to be one of our hardest workers and gain more confidence on the offensive end.
“Kilee had a great freshman season. She is one of our best overall athletes, and she can get to the basket and has good court vision. She is also one of our best rebounders, even though she is only 5-7. She is a good on ball defender. We look for her to be able to cause problems for the other team on both ends of the floor.”
Senior Aryanna Seelye (6-2) is another upperclassmen Monett will lean on. She averaged nearly four points and three rebounds last year.
“Aryanna is a force on the defensive end,” Kleine said. “She blocks and alters a lot of the opposing teams’ shots. She also has good touch around the rim. She has the potential to have a big impact for us this season.”
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Abby Inman, a 5-8 junior, returns after averaging 3.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists, while sophomore Kalli Hohensee (5-7) looks to build on getting significant varsity minutes as a freshman last year.
“Abby is a streaky shooter and has a nice mid-range game,” Kleine said. “She sees the court well and does anything we ask of her. Kalli is also a streaky shooter and great on ball defender. She causes a lot of headaches for the other team’s guards. She has good vision in the lane to find the open girl. We expect her to have a great season on both ends of the floor.”
Newcomers Jayden Hohensee (5-7 senior), Jocelyn Arreola (5-7 sophomore), Addy Brownlee (5-8 sophomore) and Hannah Parris (5-10 sophomore) will fight for varsity time. Kleine said Hohensee is an athletic player that makes exciting plays on the defensive end, while Arreola is
a guard with a knack for getting to the basket and was one of Monett’s better players on JV in 2023.
Brownlee did not play basketball last year, but Kleine said she is a good defender and has the ability to spread the defense with her shooting. Parris is a post player that looks to contribute as well for the Cubs.
Another name to watch, 5-7 freshman Fenli Wilson, looks to compete for varsity minutes right away.
“Fenli will look to step in right away to fight for varsity minutes and make a big impact,” Kleine said. “She has good range and can attack the basketball well. She has the ability to score from all three levels and is crafty around the basket. She had a good summer both working on her game and playing a lot. We are excited to see what she can do at the varsity level.”
Kleine said he’s excited about the makeup of this year’s group.
“We are still relatively young, so it’s exciting that we return six of our top eight players from last year,” Kleine said. “They will come in every night ready to compete and do the things that it takes to win. We should be deeper this year and have a nice inside-outside game that we can rely on with our post players and guards. We will be a defensive-minded team that tries to create offense from our defense.
“If our girls play together and play the way we need to play to be successful, I think we can continue our upward trend.”
Monett will host a jamboree with Joplin, Hillcrest and Sarcoxie on Nov. 14. The Cubs open the season at Sarcoxie on Nov. 20.
