By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Basketball season is underway in Missouri. Below are the area’s Class 4 Girls Basketball Players to Watch this year.
NOTE: NAMES ARE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER. THERE WILL ALSO BE A SEPARATE BREAKOUT PLAYERS LIST.
Brooklyn Adney, Strafford
Adney is the perfect complement to Elsie Larsen. The 5-foot-7 senior can play on or off the ball, shoots the fire out of it and locks up defensively. Strafford is much deeper and more balanced than people realize and it starts with Adney.
Cheyenne Bieber, Mount Vernon
We are all Beliebers that Cheyenne is really good on the court. As a junior she averaged 13 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and a pair of steals. Her all-around game helps make everyone in the program better.
Hailey Buckman, Logan-Rogersville
As a 6-foot combo guard, Buckman is already receiving heavy college interest. Last year she exploded for 30 points against a really good West Plains team, knocking down six 3’s in that game. Her size and athleticism allow her to impact a game in a variety of ways, the fact that she has a burner is just a cherry on top.
Kylee Cole, Aurora
Cole had a monster junior season for Aurora, leading the Dawgs to 25 wins behind 20.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals. She’s already over 1,000 points for her career and the summer she had playing with Dale Lamberth’s Missouri Flight program suggests that an even bigger senior season is on the horizon.
Carly Cribbs, Bolivar
Yet another Missouri Flight product, Cribbs is one of the best scorers in the area, specifically with her ability to shoot it. She opened the season with a 28-point performance in a win vs. Clinton. Last year she averaged 15.9 points and 3.9 assists. With Darin Archer back at the helm, Cribbs will have the freedom to create with the ball in her hands.
Elsie Larsen, Strafford
Strafford is no stranger to elite players and Larsen fits that mold. Like the elite guards before her (Oliver, Compton, etc.) she has the ability to change a game by scoring herself or creating for others. She averaged 19 points and four assists on her way to Class 3 Player of the Year honors as a sophomore, and her summer with All-Iowa Attack only added to the D1 buzz surrounding her recruitment.
Meredith Merriman, Monett
Last year she anchored the paint for a 16-win Monett team, averaging 13.5 points and 6.8 rebounds. The All-Big 8 pick returns with a talented group that understands how and where to get her the ball, along with a coach that understands how to coach bigs. Merriman should build on her great sophomore campaign.
Raylee Stenzel, Mountain Grove
Elite multisport athletes at Grove isn’t a new thing but Stenzel has taken it to a new level. The 5-foot-11 senior is heading to Missouri State to play beach volleyball after another all-state season stacking kills. But as a junior, she averaged 11.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists for a sneaky good Grove team.
Leah White, Buffalo
A 6-foot guard, White has the ability to score inside and out, which led to her averaging 13.4 points and 7.2 rebounds as a sophomore. She’s too big for most guards and too athletic for most bigs which makes her unguardable for most programs.
OTHERS TO WATCH
Kami Bryan, Bolivar
Kylie Fitzwater, Reeds Spring
Addison Fulton, Salem
Makena Hall, Aurora
Kyler Hayward, Cassville
KaCee Jenkins, Bolivar
Allie Johnson, Reeds Spring
Eden Kibby, Logan-Rogersville
Ashtyn Lannon, Seneca
Reagan Rasmussen, Logan-Rogersville
Halle Schoen, Monett
Kadie Sesay, East Newton
Kilee Wilson, Monett
Zoe White, Forsyth
