By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Basketball season is underway in Missouri. Below are the area’s Class 3 Boys Basketball Players to Watch this year.
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Jordan Andrews & Gaige Pitts, Thayer Seniors
Guards win games at the high school level and these two are really good. Andrews is one of the top two-way guards in the Ozarks, coming off a junior campaign that saw him average 21 points, four rebounds and two assists. He’s the reigning SCA Player of the Year. Pitts is a stat sheet stuffer that averaged 13-4-4 as a junior. Both are a major reason why Thayer could be Final Four bound this spring.
Lawson Beem, Skyline Senior
Beem is everything you want in a point guard. As a junior he averaged 19.2 points and 4.4 assists, knocking down 67 3’s at a 38-percent clip. He even posted a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. More than anything else, he’s just a winner. There’s a reason Skyline has won 73 games over the last three seasons.
Layne Colvin & Jay Baxter, Stockton Senior & Junior
These two flew under the radar but put up monster numbers as the Tigers transitioned to a new head coach. Colvin averaged 17.6 points and six rebounds while Baxter – a blue-collar combo forward – added 15.9 points and 11.5 rebounds. This is a team that is sneakily good enough to make a run in March.
Jacob Lafferty, Sparta Sophomore
At 6-foot-5 with a great frame and soft touch, Lafferty has some tools not many young bigs display. As a freshman he was dominant, averaging 17.3 points and 11 rebounds a night. He’s only going to get better as he gets more comfortable with his frame.
Jaden McCoy & JD Tate, Spokane Senior & Junior
Spokane will be the small school that nobody wants to play at the Blue & Gold because of these two. McCoy has next-level athleticism with an advanced frame which makes him a problem for high school basketball players. The 6-foot-4 guard dropped 35 in the season-opener. Tate is a 6-foot-8 big that averaged 13 and nine last year and is rapidly improving. There aren’t many Class 3 programs that can match up with them.
Sam Moreland and Brady Nicholson, Ash Grove Senior & Sophomore
The Pirates could go from a single win to district champs in just two seasons, with Moreland and Nicholson being at the heart of it all. Two years ago, Moreland was a skinny freshman thrown to varsity wolves. Last year he was the big dog, averaging 19.6 points and shooting 44 percent from 3. Like Moreland, Nicholson saw major minutes as a freshman and thrived, averaging 17.2 points. Like dad and uncle, he’ll go down as an all-time great Pirate.
Tommy Pinegar & Tanner Jones, Greenwood Senior & Sophomore
Greenwood loses Aminu, but they’re not lacking in talent. Pinegar is one of the best shooters in Missouri, returning after averaging 6.9 points last year. Jones will be one of the premier athletes in the area this year and moving forward. The 6-foot-3 combo guard is a two-way game changer.
Seth Soden & AK Rael, Strafford Senior & Junior
Strafford has a pair of big guards that can really shoot it in Soden and Rael. Soden is a 6-foot-6 wing that averaged 13.4 points and five rebounds a night as a junior. Despite his size, he’s more comfortable on the perimeter. Rael will give Beem a run for Mid-Lakes POY honors after averaging 17 a game last year. He’s a 6-foot-4 guard that is a matchup nightmare.
Others to Watch
Kaden Burley, El Dorado Springs Sophomore
Jaytin DeFreece, Skyline Senior
Tom Emerick, Mansfield Junior
Tanner Hillenburg, Pleasant Hope Senior
Cruz Marquez, Southwest (Washburn) Senior
Brody McNew, Houston Junior
Grant Pellham, Clever Senior
Brenden Thom, Miller Senior
Korbyn Tune, Houston Senior
Jackson Ward, Hartville Freshman
Zack Williams, Skyline Senior
