Place your bets now… it’s time for district basketball and plenty of memorable (or heartbreaking, depending on your team) moments.
Here’s a rundown of what to watch on the boys’ side for local Class 1-3 tournaments.
CLASS 1
DISTRICT 4 @ COLLEGE OF THE OZARKS
Synopsis: Coming off its first district title in school history, School of the Ozarks seeks title No. 2 in just its third full varsity season. To do that, the Patriots will likely have to go through one of two conference foes that played them within two points in the regular season.
1. Strong at the top. I know the jinx risk I’m leaving by saying this, but you may want to look elsewhere for an early-round district upset. This is a top-heavy district, with six of the eight teams representing the Mark Twain Conference. Three teams have 20 or more losses, with two others currently holding eight or fewer wins. Crazy stuff happens in districts, but regular season outcomes from this group indicate the top three seeds have a pretty good chance at advancing at least to the semifinals.
2. Foreshadowing or fluke? Barring a major upset in the first two rounds, School of the Ozarks likely faces Hurley or Bradleyville for a district championship. S of O pulled out a 69-67 home win over Bradleyville in mid-December. Looking over the box score from that game, it was pretty even in most major categories. S of O didn’t shoot it particularly well; both teams made 23 field goals despite the Patriots having 12 more attempts. Bradleyville didn’t have an answer for Keaton Tillack, who went for 26 points and 11 rebounds and was 9-for-11 at the free throw line. School of the Ozarks couldn’t slow Cole Thomas, who went for 22 points, 5 steals and shot nearly 70 percent from the field. Four days later, School of the Ozarks won 49-47 at Hurley. As mentioned below, Hurley’s Dyllon Jackson went for 23 points in that game, and S of O struggled to shoot from the perimeter (3-for-16 on 3s). The rematch last weekend saw S of O pull away in the third quarter for an eventual 24-point win. For what it’s worth, Hurley beat Bradleyville twice in the regular season, both coming in late January (77-65 and 58-55).
3. Star power. School of the Ozarks, Hurley and Bradleyville each have go-to players to utilize each night. For Hurley, senior guard Dyllon Jackson is having another stellar season after averaging around 18 points per game as a junior. Jackson had 23 points in Hurley’s two-point loss to S of O in mid-December, but was limited to 14 points as the Patriots won big in the Mark Twain Conference Tournament finals Feb. 13. Bradleyville is led by 5’9” senior guard Cole Thomas, who’s averaging around 20 points, 4 assists and 4 steals per game this season. Patriots senior Keaton Tillack is one of the better forwards in the local Class 1-2 scene. He’s averaging around 16 points and 7 rebounds. He’s taken the most field goal attempts on S of O (256), but he makes the most of it by also leading the Patriots in field goal percentage (57 percent).
DISTRICT 5 @ WILLARD HIGH SCHOOL
Synopsis: Walnut Grove, after losing by two in the state quarterfinals last season, seeks redemption and its second straight district championship. Five of the eight teams in this district currently have sub-.500 records, so the road to the state playoffs is favorable for the Tigers.
1. Class domination. Walnut Grove won its third straight Polk County League championship Tuesday night with a home win over Fair Play, continuing a trend of in-Class dominance in the process. In nine games against fellow Class 1 competition this season (seven being PCL games), Walnut Grove won by an average of 37. All nine wins were by 20 points or more. Walnut Grove played a very good non-conference schedule against several top Class 2 and 3 teams, but when they were against their own kind, the Tigers were dominant. The bottom-half of the PCL may not be that great this season, but the league does feature a pair of teams that may reach the 20-win plateau in Hermitage and Weaubleau, both of whom Walnut Grove blew out. Maybe WG is due for a let-down/close game? Maybe not. That close quarterfinals loss last season seems to be motivating them this year. Between Hunter Gilkey, Logan Thomazin and Dallas Meinders, the Tigers have one of the best backcourts in the area regardless of class.
2. Youth movement. Verona may not win a district championship this year, but the future looks to be very bright for the Wildcats. Verona’s top three scorers this season – Kolton Pinkly, Eddie Gutierrez and Caleb Hillhouse – are a trio of freshmen who are averaging between 10-to-14 points per game. The Wildcats don’t rebound it particularly well, not surprising considering they have just one player over 6-foot, but they love, love, love to shoot 3-pointers. Verona takes about 20 3-pointers per game. They only make about 6.5 of those attempts, but when the Wildcats are on – which they were against Wheaton on Feb. 9 when they went 15-for-29 on 3-pointers and won 69-20 – the Wildcats can be a dangerous team. Verona’s most frequent 3-point shooter is actually a senior, Spencer Shue, who’s 41-for-122 from that range this season. The 3-pointer is a great equalizer and Verona will need to make a lot if they’re to beat Everton in the first round and have a chance against Walnut Grove in the semifinals.
3. Scouting the Cavaliers. This is a wide-spread district with representation from the Polk County League, Spring River Valley Conference, Mark Twain Conference and Ozark 7. One team local fans may not know much about is Thomas Jefferson Independent, a private school in Joplin. The Cavaliers began this week 15-7 overall, with notable wins over Verona (twice) and Class 2 College Heights Christian. TJ has losses to Class 2 schools such as Galena and Purdy and their overall strength of schedule is much weaker than that of Walnut Grove’s. The Cavs’ success is centered around the senior tandem of Michael Joseph (11.7 ppg, 45-for-139 on 3s) and Noah Wells, a 6’4” forward who’s averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds per game. Wells has had nine games of 12 or more rebounds, including a pair of 17-rebound performances.
DISTRICT 6 @ MACKS CREEK HIGH SCHOOL
Synopsis: Continuing the theme, we have our third straight Class 1 district where the 4-through-8 seeds all have losing records. Macks Creek has won this district the past three seasons, but finds itself as the 3-seed this time around. Top seed Hermitage beat six of the other teams in this district, including Macks Creek by four, in the regular season and plays a seventh district team (Wheatland) on Friday night.
1. Running Hornets. The Hornets’ main rotation only goes six deep, but Hermitage doesn’t shy away from an up-tempo, aggressive style. Hermitage is led by the junior trio of Austin Hostettler, Jeff Salmon and Dillon Meyer, along with senior Cory Nicholson. The four average around 12-to-16 points per game, with Nicholson, Hostettler and Meyer each hovering around eight rebounds. After losing to Weaubleau in December, Hermitage beat the Tigers 79-50 at home in early January then by 12 in a tournament final two weeks later.
2. Pirates’ crown. No Cody Eidson manning the lane this season for Macks Creek, but the Pirates have still put together a winning season under first-year coach Matt McCarthy. Senior Matt Hicks and junior Austin Zollman have keyed the Pirates’ success. Hicks, an all-state selection last season, has done it all for Macks Creek this season. He leads the Pirates in points (18.3), rebounds (9.0), assists (6.4), steals (2.6), and blocks (1.0) per game. Hicks is also a good very free throw shooter (77 percent) and averages about seven attempts per game from the line. Zollman averages about 17 points per game and has scored 20 or more eight times. The Pirates will need big games from this tandem to defend their crown. Against potential semifinals opponent Weaubleau, Macks Creek lost 67-43 to the Tigers in early December then beat them 62-52 in late January.
3. King of the boards. If you like rebounding, you’re going to enjoy watching Weaubleau senior Kaleb Minica do work. After averaging 15 points and 12 rebounds per game as a junior last season, Minica has bested those number as a senior. Coach Matt Johnson said Minica is averaging about 20 points and 16 rebounds per game this season. Minica has posted 22 double-doubles in 24 games, including two 30-plus point games and five 20-plus rebound games. The Tigers, who improved to 19-5 after a Tuesday night win over Halfway, are also getting solid production from senior Gatlin Freeman (18.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg).
OTHER: DISTRICT 3 @ EMINENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Synopsis: The Red Wings are the notable local team here, as they seek their fourth district title in five years. Eminence has one of the top freshmen in the area in Trent McBride, a 6’4” wing. Eminence, which would likely face Zalma in the semifinals, played top seed and potential finals opponent South Iron to a 69-61 loss just last week (Feb. 9).
CLASS 2
DISTRICT 9 @ LAQUEY HIGH SCHOOL
Synopsis: After sitting atop the Class 2 poll all season, Hartville goes for its fourth straight district title and second in a row since returning to Class 2. Hartville will have only played one district opponent in the regular season (Laquey), but has dominated much of the Class 2 and 3 competition it’s seen this season.
1. Newburg reunion. There’s a scenario here where we could see a Hartville-Newburg title game, if the third-seeded Wolves can beat 2-seed Cabool in the semifinals. Eagles senior Ryan Ward played his first three seasons at Newburg, where he was an all-state player as a sophomore and junior. Current Hartville assistant coach Doug Ward was the head coach at Newburg during Ryan’s time there. Ryan Ward, who surpassed 2,000 career points earlier this season, could help Hartville end his former team’s season.
2. Bulldog bite. After winning six straight games at one point in January, Cabool’s hit a bit of a skid to close out the regular season, losing four of its past five games. That streak will be tough to end Friday night when the Bulldogs visit league leader Mountain Grove – with the Panthers going for an SCA title – so Cabool will hope for a fresh start come districts. Cabool features one of this tournament’s top players in senior Tanner Barnes, who leads the Bulldogs in scoring (19 ppg) and rebounding (8.6 rpg). Junior Jonathan Smith is the team’s top 3-point shooter, leading the Bulldogs (16-9 overall) with 75 treys on the season.
3. Eagle eye. I won’t pick a winner or favorite here, but if Hartville doesn’t win this district, it’d be the biggest “upset” of any of our local Class 1-3 district tournament besides maybe Walnut Grove’s. The Eagles have played the toughest schedule of anyone in this district and I expect it to pay off for them here. Their four losses have come to teams that currently have, or will end the season with, 20 or more wins (St. Joseph Lafayette, Nixa, Republic and Strafford). The Eagles have blown out some really good competition of similar size, such as Mountain Grove, Iberia and Licking.
DISTRICT 10 @ MANSFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
Synopsis: Finally, we have a district where there’s not a heavy favorite at the top. The 1-through-6 seeds here all have between 12-17 wins. Gainesville won this district the past two seasons but is the 7-seed this year and faces an 18-7 Bakersfield team in the opening round.
1. Mansfield ascension? We could be in the midst of a good three-to-four year run for Mansfield. The Lions won 20 games last season and will return three of their top four scorers next season. Currently 17-7 overall and the 1-seed in the district this year, the Lions have a good chance to win their first district title in at least eight years. Mason Roy leads a balanced Mansfield team in scoring, averaging about 13 points per game. Senior Justin Campbell (12.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg) is next, followed by freshman Dylan Caruso (12 ppg, 8.8 rpg), who is the younger brother of 2015 1 Awards nominee Jacob Caruso.
2. Lion pride. In a district filled with Summit Conference teams, 2-seed Bakersfield will try to bring a trophy back for the White River Conference. Bakersfield is 18-7 overall and has beaten the likes of Seymour and Norwood (twice) and has a seven-point loss to Mansfield. Bakersfield held up well in non-conference games against top competition, playing the likes of Thayer and Walnut Grove to close losses. The Lions feature versatile senior forward Wyatt Summers, who recently surpassed 1,000 career points. Summers is averaging 16.7 points and 9.6 rebounds and 2 blocks this season. “He does a little bit of everything and is very unselfish,” said coach Jonathan Winslow. Guard Noah Shrable averages nearly 13 points per game and has made a team-high 55 3-pointers. Forward Joe Vaughan adds 11.3 points and 6 rebounds and does some dirty work (15 charges taken) on defense.
3. Let’s get weird. If you’re looking for a district where upsets may happen, this would be it. Mansfield split a pair of regular season meetings with 4-seed Seymour. Seymour split two regular season meetings with first-round opponent Norwood. Sparta will have to beat first-round opponent Fordland for a third time this season, which is never an easy task, and the Trojans actually lost to 7-seed Gainesville on the road Jan. 11. Gainesville-Bakersfield in the first round may not be a given; Bakersfield beat Gainesville in two regular season meetings but one was an eight-point game. Gainesville, despite only having six wins, has played the likes of Thayer, Mountain Grove and Sparta (in a second meeting) to close losses. Expected the unexpected in this district.
DISTRICT 11 @ CRANE HIGH SCHOOL
Synopsis: Crane looks to christen its new gym with a fourth straight district championship. The Pirates have dominated this district the past two seasons, winning by an average of 34.6 points over six games.
1. Pirates’ hook. If you’re going to beat Crane, you’ll need to limit senior guard Tanner Gold and junior guard Dalton Hayes. Gold (18.4 ppg) and Hayes (14.3 ppg) account for roughly half of Crane’s scoring and 45 percent of its shot attempts. The Pirates have struggled somewhat since the calendar turned to 2016, particularly after getting blown out at home by Strafford, but this is their district to win until proven otherwise. Along with Macks Creek (Class 1) and Hartville (Class 3/2), Crane is tied for the second-most consecutive district titles of any local team with three straight, behind only Strafford who has won four in a row.
2. Memorable moments. We’ve had a few wonky things happen in this district recently. In 2013, it was Crane “upsetting” defending state champ Billings in the title game after losing to the Wildcats by 31 in the regular season. In 2014, Billings senior Dawson Meyer went for 44 points as the 6-seed Wildcats fell to 3-seed Marionville in an upset bid, 100-86. Last year… ok nothing quite as memorable as those first two things happened, but Blue Eye and Marionville did play a close semifinals game (34-32) before Crane rolled Blue Eye (74-43) in the finals.
3. First-round throw down. The 4-5 matchup is usually the safest bet for the best opening-round game in any district tournament, and that’s the case here with Greenwood-Blue Eye. Greenwood may have the best player in this tournament in junior forward Julius Walker, who’s averaging 24.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. One of the leading scorers in SWMO this season, teams are going to do everything they can to stop Walker, so the Blue Jays will need some of their perimeter players to step up and make shots. Blue Eye has a very young team but will finish the season with a winning record. Freshman Andrew Mitchell is averaging around 17 points per game this season as Blue Eye’s leading scorer.
OTHER: DISTRICT 2 @ VAN BUREN HIGH SCHOOL
Synopsis: With Scott County Central down compared to recent seasons, the road is open for Thayer to make another Final Four run and give us two Class 2 teams at state. Thayer’s success starts in the backcourt with the tandem of Ayden Henry (20.7 ppg) and Zach Horton (15.8 ppg). Senior Will Tillman (6.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg) is the Bobcats’ top rebounder. Horton is one of the most efficient 3-point shooters in the area, tallying a 48 percent mark on 57-for-119 shooting from 3. This would be the third straight district title for Thayer, which lost to eventual state champion Sacred Heart in the 2014 Class 2 semifinals. No. 2 seed Winona beat 4-seed Alton (10-12 overall) 73-70 at home Feb. 5 but lost to Thayer by 16 in early December. Despite its sub-.500 record, Alton has one of the better players in this district in 6’3” junior guard Caleb Steele. Through 22 games, Steele leads the Comets in scoring (20.1 ppg), rebounding (9.3 rpg), assists (4.2 apg), steals (2.9 spg), and blocks (1.8 bpg). He scored 21 in Alton’s 62-42 loss to Thayer in early January.
OTHER: DISTRICT 12 @ SOUTHWEST (WASHBURN) HIGH SCHOOL
Synopsis: It’s been a so-so year for the Ozark 7 and Spring River Valley Conferences and this district shows some of that. Pierce City, currently 12-12 overall, is the 2-seed here and one of just three teams in the district currently with a .500 or better record. Pierce City beat 3-seed Purdy (15-8 overall) 67-57 at home in mid-January. Top seed McCauley Catholic has won 17 games for the second straight season and its top four scorers will be back next season. Sophomore Jake Doyle averages 18.0 ppg and 7.8 rpg to lead the Indians, followed by the junior trio of Tommy Doyle, Hunter Huthsing and Brendyn Taylor, who all average between 9-12 points per game. Getting the 1 seed here is a big advantage for McAuley Catholic. In the regular season, 2-seed Purdy played McAuley to a pair of close losses (62-60, 74-73, the latter of which was last Friday night). No. 2 seed Pierce City lost 66-65 at home to McAuley on Jan. 22. The top three seeds here all seem to have an even chance to win this district.
OTHER: DISTRICT 13 @ RICH HILL HIGH SCHOOL
Synopsis: From what I gathered, only four undefeated boys teams remain in the state. And one of them resides in this district with top seed and host Rich Hill, who entered this week 24-0 overall. A member of the Western Missouri Conference, Rich Hill owns victories over fellow district members Jasper (75-53), Greenfield (71-52), Adrian (72-62) and Lockwood (53-30). Rich Hill has won by double digits in all but two of its games: 51-49 versus Butler on Dec. 15 and 70-62 versus Metro Academy (Kan.) on Jan. 30. This is the third straight 20+ win season for Rich Hill, who won this district last year. Lockwood (17-7 overall) would likely need to beat 2-seed Adrian to reach the finals and face Rich Hill, but Lockwood is playing well at the right time. Lockwood has won 10 of its last 11 games, the lone loss coming to Stockton in the title game of the Stockton Tournament last month.
OTHER: DISTRICT 14 @ WINDSOR HIGH SCHOOL
Synopsis: Skyline heads north to try to pull an upset against three-time defending state champ Sacred Heart, who is closing in on a decade’s run of consecutive 20-win seasons. Skyline must first get past 5-seed Smithton in the opening round, but playing in the Mid-Lakes Conference and facing a respectable non-conference schedule may give Skyline the edge there. On the other end of the bracket is 3-seed Osceola, whose notable wins came against Adrian (Class 2) and Hermitage (Class 1). Skyline owns a 55-41 win over Osceola at the Skyline Tournament in mid-December. Osceola’s likely semifinal opponent is 2-seed Lincoln, who’s 20-4 overall and features leading scorer Boone Kroenke (18.8 ppg).
CLASS 3
DISTRICT 10 @ MOUNTAIN GROVE HIGH SCHOOL
Synopsis: Top-seed and host Mountain Grove seeks redemption following a shocking first-round loss last season. Defending district champion Licking returns as the 2-seed. The Wildcats, who won their first district title since 1997 last season, have won at least 18 games each season since 2011-12.
1. Bounce-back time. It was a rough ending to the 2014-15 season for the Panthers, who enjoyed their best season in several years. Mountain Grove entered districts as the 2-seed, SCA champs and 17-8 overall, but was bounced in the first round by 7-seed Hollister, 52-49. Mountain Grove, at 21-4 overall, is a better team this year. Throw out a blowout loss in their second meeting with Hartville and the Panthers have had a chance to win in their three other losses, which were to Clever, Nixa and Hartville the first time around. If seeds hold for this district, we should get a good title matchup as Mountain Grove beat 2-seed Licking 64-57 at home in mid-January. Mountain Grove has the reigning SCA Player of the Year in D.J. McNew, who figures to win the award again, as he’s averaging 19 points and 7 rebounds per game. Brock Coffman (13 ppg, 6 rpg) and Carter Otwell (10 ppg, 4 rpg, 4 apg) fill out Mountain Grove’s main scoring. Guard Treye Collins dishes out 6 assists per game.
2. No Lane, same results. Graduating a player like Lane Duncan can be a big blow for most small- to mid-size teams in high school ball. But Licking is still winning games at a high rate after graduating Duncan, who averaged nearly 30 points per game last season. With junior wing Nathan Wilson (25.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and Brady and Dillon Smith taking on bigger roles, Licking reached the 20-win mark with Tuesday night’s regular season finale win versus Plato. Brady Smith is averaging 16.3 ppg and 7.7 rpg for Licking. A potential Liberty-Licking in the second round would be one of the better semifinals matchup, as Licking beat Liberty twice in the regular season in single-digit outcomes.
3. Eagles stepping up. When you graduate four of your top five scores like MV-BT/Liberty did last season, you’re going to depend on some new names the following season. Senior Corbin Dewick has done that for Liberty, averaging 17.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, which are nearly double from his averages last season. Junior Josh Pruett is pitching in 12 points as the Eagles’ second-leading scorer. Liberty, at 16-8 overall, has single-digit losses to the likes of Licking (twice), Bakersfield, Salem and Thayer. Liberty also played Strafford to a 10-point loss on the road. The Eagles lost by 18 to Mountain Grove in early February, but it was a nine-point game at halftime before things got out of hand in the third quarter.
DISTRICT 11 @ FAIR GROVE HIGH SCHOOL
Synopsis: A loaded field among the top 4 seeds. Clever, Fair Grove, Strafford and Conway are four of the five best Class 3 teams in SWMO and all four stand a good chance of making it to Columbia if they can make it out of this Group of Death.
Shoot ‘em if you got ‘em. Having a 20-point scorer is something many teams don’t have, but two? That’s rare, but it’s what Fair Grove puts on the floor each night with Garrett Kesterson (21.6 ppg) and Kyle Cavanaugh (21.1 ppg). Kesterson, a 6’5” wing, is one of the premier 3-point shooters in the area this season in terms of overall makes. He’s made 86 3-pointers on 195 attempts, a success rate of 44 percent, and also shoots 84 percent from the free throw line. When they’re both on, watch out. Kesterson went for 40 in a 107-74 home win over Hollister in mid-December. The same night, Cavanaugh scored 38.
2. Cardiac Jays. Clever’s an example of how close and unpredictable this tournament may be. The Blue Jays (20-5 overall) are 7-2 in games decided by six or fewer points. Either you think they’re clutch and have a knack for winning these close games, or – if you’re a Conway fan, for instance – you think they’re due to lose another close game. In regular season meetings, Clever beat Conway by four, Fair Grove by three and Strafford by 11. Junior forward Jakob Partee is averaging 19 points and 7 rebounds per game to lead Clever, with Jakob Albright, Dawson Little, Jared Sopok, Derek Sopok and Devan Hampton all averaging between 6-8 points per game. Hampton, a sophomore point guard, leads the team in assists (86) and steals (57).
3. Power in the tribe. Three of the top four seeds have at least one go-to player, with Andrew Huckaby (Conway), Jakob Partee (Clever) and Garret Kesterson and Kyle Cavanaugh (Fair Grove) leading the way for their respective teams. Strafford may not have that one marquee player or dynamic duo, but they have several guys (Wyatt Eubanks, Tanner Lawler, Trevor Roebke, Sam Morton, Wyatt Cogdill, Chanler Collins, Tristan Losh, etc.) who can score anywhere from 6 to 14 points on a given night. That’s the advantage Strafford has in this tournament; no glaring weaknesses, solid if not great at each position and they may have the best depth 4-through-8.
DISTRICT 12 @ STOCKTON HIGH SCHOOL
Synopsis: Another wide-spread district which features teams from the Big 8, Mid-Lakes, Crossroads (Butler), Spring River Valley and Independent classification. All eight teams have at least six losses, the 5-seed (Seneca) is 8-16, while four teams have between 11-17 victories. What I’m trying to hint at is this is a fairly wide-open district.
1. There for the taking. Since the O-Zone’s first season in 2012-13, this district has had a different winner each season. Twice it’s been the 3-seed that won it all – Seneca in 2013 and Ash Grove in 2014 – before top seed Mt. Vernon claimed the title this year. Top seed Lamar owns two wins over potential semifinals opponent Seneca, but one of them was a six-point game. Lamar also beat 3-seed East Newton by only three in mid-January and split a pair of regular season meetings with Stockton. No. 2 seed Stockton didn’t play first-round opponent Mt. Vernon or potential semifinals opponent East Newton in the regular season. Stockton won (17-6 overall) won its first eight games of the season but is just 9-6 since. East Newton’s notable games include a three-point loss to Class 2 Marionville, a 12-point loss to Class 3 Springfield Catholic and a two-point win over 7-seed
