By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Basketball season is underway in Missouri. Below are the area’s Class 1 Boys Basketball Players to Watch this year.
NOTE: NAMES ARE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER. THERE WILL ALSO BE A SEPARATE BREAKOUT PLAYERS LIST.
Chase Brown, Walnut Grove
To score 34 points in a district playoff game as a sophomore is a little wild, but that’s really the way Brown scored it all year. He averaged 19.1 points with multiple 30-point efforts. He can go get it in a variety of ways and he’s only getting more comfortable and confident.
Clayton Garrison, Chadwick
It wasn’t that he was just good during his entire junior season, averaging 21.9 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in leading Chadwick to a Class 1 title while adding Class, District and Mark Twain Conference Player of the Year honors along the way. It’s that he got better on the biggest stage, totaling 35 points, 24 rebounds and 11 steals in two Final Four games. He had some monster games this summer with Standout Prep and should be ready for an encore this winter.
Maddox McCarthy, Halfway
He closed his sophomore season with 25 points, six rebounds and four assists in a four-point district loss to Dadeville; don’t be shocked to see him maintain those kinds of numbers all year. After averaging 19 points and nine rebounds a night last year, McCarthy is already well-known around the Polk County League after being the only sophomore named first-team all-league. The rest of the area will be put on notice this winter.
Will Morrow, Stoutland
Morrow is the kind of player that would help you win a lot of games in fantasy basketball. As if his 19.5 points weren’t enough, he added 8.5 rebounds and four assists. Stoutland returns nearly everyone and should be a contender in Class 1 with Morrow being one of the most underrated players in the area.
Chance Shaffer, BillingsÂ
As a freshman, he averaged 11.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and three assists. Blayne Armstrong gave him more freedom and responsibility as the year progressed and Shaffer thrived. Don’t expect a sophomore slump as Billings returns a great roster and now has a full grasp of Armstrong’s system.
Nik Thieman, Lockwood
If you’ve seen him play football, then it won’t shock you to know that Thieman is a relentless and physical player. As a junior, he averaged 13.5 points and seven rebounds, leading Lockwood to a district championship game. The Tigers will rebuild but should be sneaky good with Thieman back in the mix, as well as the return of classmate Finley Masterson.
Cash Turner, Hermitage
Turner is a gritty guard that just gets it done. As a junior, he averaged 16.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.2 steals. He’s everywhere all at once, always in the mix. Hermitage has a new coach but don’t expect Turner to slow down much as a senior.
Casyen Youngblood, Hurley
Entering his senior year, Youngblood has already knocked down 194 3’s, one of the largest totals among anyone returning to the Ozarks. As a junior, he averaged 18.8 points and 5.2 rebounds for a program that should have its best season in nearly a decade. If he duplicates what he did last year, he’ll end up top 20 all-time in made 3’s.
OTHERS TO WATCH
Justin Bos, Billings
Chayse Coose, Dadeville
Dylan Edwards, Billings
Drew Foster, Eminence
Isaac Ingram, Halfway
Michael Kincaid, Stoutland
Zach Laney, Halfway
Andrew Murphy, Wheatland
Michael Parrigon, McAuley Catholic
Spencer Parrill, Golden City
Diesl Phillips, Walnut Grove
Nathan Sawyer, Wheatland
Jaxon Wheeler, Hermitage
