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.
NOTE: NAMES ARE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER. THERE WILL ALSO BE A SEPARATE BREAKOUT PLAYERS LIST.
Payton Cogdill & Jackson Ward, Hartville
These two really embody what Hartville Basketball is with their toughness, selflessness and willingness to compete on the defensive end. Cogdill worked in silence for Hartville as an undersized post, averaging 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds. Ward added 9.2 points and 5.7 rebounds. Both will shoulder more of an offensive role this year and at 6-foot-2, both have the ability to work inside out.
Morris Collins, Bakersfield
Ethan Cotter is gone but the cupboard is hardly bare and it starts with Collins. The 5-foot-10 guard is a willing passer and extremely shifty, which makes him difficult to defend in James Denton’s up-tempo attack. Bakersfield has averaged 70 PPG or better reach of the last two seasons, that won’t change this winter.
Blake Henry, Mansfield
He’s not a big guy, but Henry hustled his way to averaging 12.3 points and 11.3 rebounds by simply chasing everything off the rim on both ends of the floor. He’s great at using his body and finishes extremely well around the rim. He’s a sneaky pick to win Summit Conference POY honors.
Cater Keeling, Purdy
On a list full of great shooters, Keeling is as good as any at putting the ball in the basket. As a junior, he averaged 21.8 points and 6.2 rebounds, with multiple 30-point games. He’s a big-time shooter but has also developed his game to be able to create off the bounce and finish at the rim. Brad Stewart has had several elite scorers throughout his career and is known for giving them the latitude to work, this will make Keeling even tougher to stop.
Peyton McDaris, Norwood
McDaris has spent the last few summers lighting it up with Yanders Law, which has made the high school season feel like a walk in the park. The lefty can score it from anywhere on the floor and has a great frame that he understands how to use to get downhill or create space. He’s as gifted a scorer that we have in the Ozarks, regardless of class.
Adam Newton, Crocker
It’s not often you find true 6-foot-3 guards in smaller classes but meet Adam Newton. He led Crocker to a Frisco League championship behind 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists. He’s a three-time All-Frisco League pick and his ability to create off the dribble will again be a problem for anyone on Crocker’s schedule.
Owen Vaught, Crane
The first family of Crane Basketball is the Vaughts and Owen is the latest example of why. He was an All-SWCL selection as a sophomore, largely because of his ability to change a game by knocking down shots. Crane has a loaded 2026 class and a coach that threw them right into the fire. This should be a great year for all of them.
Drew Woodruff, Plato
He’s relatively unknown because of location, but Woodruff terrorized the Frisco League, averaging 20.8 points and adding nearly 10 rebounds a night as well. His frame and game make him a mismatch that most teams in Class 2 just aren’t equipped to deal with 1-on-1.
OTHERS TO WATCH
Noah Drake, Norwood
Beck Eckhoff, Lincoln
Bobby Harris, Galena
Kolton Hoffman, Crane
Brady Isbell, Blue Eye
Cody Jones, Galena
Grant Leeker, Gainesville
Braylon Merritt, Crane
Aiden Sullivan, Winona
Kohl Thurman, Thomas Jefferson
Cooper Vaughan, Norwood
