By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Basketball season is underway in Missouri. Below are the area’s Class 2 Boys Basketball Players to Watch this year.
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Landen Campbell, Mansfield Senior
Campbell has patiently waited his turn to be “the guy” as Mansfield has been incredibly loaded the last several years. But now it’s his turn. He scored 500 points the last two years as a role player on Final Four-caliber teams, now the 6-foot-5 senior returns as the guy after averaging 9.1 points and shooting 55 percent from the field. He was at his best in big games, averaging 15 points against Fair Grove, Thayer and Fatima.
Ethan Cotter, Bakersfield Senior
Cotter is a walking highlight reel and one of the most dynamic guards in the Ozarks. His line is one of the most ridiculous we’ve seen since the O-Zone launched, with Cotter averaging 24.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists. The crazy part is that he’s maybe, approximately 5-foot-9(ish). From his ankle-breaking moves to eye-popping blocks, Cotter is absolutely electric every time he steps on the floor.
Jalon Cryer, Hartville Senior
He’s the latest Eagle to earn all-state honors, something that has nearly become an annual thing for Hartville players under Brett Reed. As a junior, Cryer averaged 14.4 points and 3.1 rebounds, leading Hartville back to the Final Four. The crafty senior is great at getting to the paint and making things happen, but also shot 36 percent from 3 as a junior.
Grant Culver, Hartville Senior
What he lacks in explosiveness he makes up for in skill and IQ. Culver is a 6-foot-5 big that can step out and shoot the 3, in addition to making great reads and passes. As a junior, he averaged 10.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He makes it really hard for opposing bigs to stay in the paint defensively.
Noah Drake & Peyton McDaris, Norwood Juniors
You can throw Copper Vaughan in the mix here too and this is one of the most productive trios in the Ozarks. McDaris is the floor general; he runs the show and makes sure everyone gets where they need to, which is why he also led the team in assists (4.6). Drake and Vaughan score the points, with Drake averaging 17.7 and Vaughan adding 15.1 points. This team will be one of the most dangerous in the class for the next two years.
Gage Johnson, Weaubleau Senior
This list is full of scorers and Johnson is in a class of his own. It would be one thing if he were just really shifty or just a knock down shooter, but Johnson is both. He has a knack for taking and making tough shots. He averaged 19.2 points as a junior, shooting 45 percent from 3, knocking down 118 in total. He was an all-state selection and the Polk County League Player of the Year.
Cody Jones, Galena Sophomore
Freshmen who come in and play at a high level immediately are rare, freshmen who come in and fill up the stat sheet immediately are called Cody Jones. He averaged 17 points and 4.3 rebounds, knocking down at least four 3’s in five different games, including a season-best eight 3’s against Exeter. Jones is on the fast track to be the area’s next 2,000-point scorer.
Carter Keeling, Purdy Junior
At 6-foot-3, Keeling is a big guard, especially for Class 2. His brother was one of the best to ever put on a Purdy uniform, but Carter is rapidly carving out his own niche as one of the best shooters in program history. He averaged 15.1 points and 5.2 rebounds as a sophomore, earning All-Conference and All-District honors. He also knocked down 58 3’s.
Easton McGee, Gainesville Senior
McGee was an All-Summit and all-district selection last year in what was a rebuild for the program. The senior guard was solid all the way around, averaging 13.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists. His ability to impact a game in a variety of ways should help Gainesville compete for a district championship.
Brady Nicholson, Ash Grove Senior
The future Drury Panther is one of the most efficient scorers in the Ozarks and there’s not a shred of wood on the floor he can’t score from. As a junior he averaged 27 points and six rebounds, surpassing the 1,500-point mark last season. The 6-foot-3 guard broke his uncle’s single-season scoring record last year and should make a run at 2,500 career points when all is said and done.
Jacob Presley & Landen Burrow, Marion C. Early Seniors
They’re not quite Kobe and Shaq, but they’re pretty dang good. Presley averaged a double-double as a junior, posting 17.5 points and 10.8 rebounds with eight games of multiple blocks. Burrow added 17.4 points, 4.4 assists and a pair of steals. The lefty is one of the best shooters in the class locally. MCE will be a force in Class 2.
OTHERS TO WATCH
Andrew Buschmann & Garrin Grear, Summersville Seniors
Blane Durnell & Dawson Stewart, Weaubleau Seniors
Gage Guerin, Marionville Senior
Andrew Hambelton, Gainesville Senior
Carter Hayes, Crane Senior
Garret Lewallen, Galena Senior
Andrew Martinez, Verona Senior
Will Morrow, Stoutland Junior
Adam Newton, Crocker Junior
Caleb Quade, College Heights Senior
Tanner Patterson, Iberia Junior
Emmitt Price, Pierce City Junior
Ricky Riott, Spokane Senior
Josh Shockley, Cabool Senior
Logan Simpson, Hartville Senior
Andrew Woodruff, Plato Junior
Copper Vaughan, Norwood Junior
