2017 Pink Bracket Preview

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By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

The Pink & White Lady Classic is loaded this year on both sides. Find out the things to watch for in the Pink Bracket below. Click play above for a video preview of the tournament.

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Strafford’s Tournament to Lose

The Lady Indians are coming off of a Pink and White title last year and several key pieces are back. Mizzou commit Hayley Frank is again doing Hayley Frank things (26.5 points, 12 rebounds, 4.5 assists; 68-37-94 shooting split), Madison Chittenden (13.1 points, 4.4 rebounds), Kayley Frank (12.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists) and Zoey Mullings (10.2 points, 4.9 rebounds) are about as difficult a quartet to defend as you’ll find. Strafford has beaten everyone by double digits, including Republic, Rogersville, Walnut Grove and Lutheran North. In my opinion, this is the best team in the tournament and deserving of the 1-seed. We’ll see if anyone can halt their winning streak, which is now north of a half century.

CLICK HERE FOR THE WHITE BRACKET PREVIEW

Any Seed Could Win

Outside of Strafford this thing is wide open. Branson is the 3-seed and have the most dynamic player in the tournament in Priscilla Williams. The sophomore wing is averaging more than 30 a night and has fit in nicely to what Kip Bough wants to do. Yes, West Plains was able to hold her under 30 for the first time all season and upset Branson, but Scott Womack and the Lady Zizzers are one of the best defensive teams you’ll see. Branson has beaten a solid Bolivar team and an underrated Central group.

Mount Vernon is a scary 4-seed because they’ll typically have the best player on the floor in junior guard Cameron Call, but Dusty Killingsworth has a roster full of players that won a district title last year and gave Strafford its most competitive playoff game. In addition to adding a loaded freshman class. The Fair Grove loss was tough, but MV shoots it well enough to give anyone a run.

If this tournament was seeded a week later Kickapoo likely would’ve received a 2 or 3. The Poo keeps rolling behind players that weren’t household names entering the season. Hannah Collins and Jaden Wiley are the most recognizable faces, but wins over Nixa and Republic in the last 10 days prove what this team is about. It’s not a rebuild, but a reload.

You may not know much about Blue Eye now, but you will after next week. Their lone loss came to unbeaten Berryville (Ark.) and few teams are able to pressure and come at you in waves the way the Lady Bulldogs can. Turbo clocking Class 4 district runner-up Cassville was impressive, even more impressive was beating them for a second time earlier this week. Fordland, Spokane and Bradleyville have all fallen to Blue Eye as well. Kohnnar Patton (15 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists) is an absolute stud and transfer Taylor Arnold (15.2 points) has been the other scorer that the Lady Bulldogs needed. But the ability of Kendi Larson, Ayshia Betlach and Kezie Hobbs to create pressure has been huge. As a team they average more than 15 steals per game and that pressure will give teams fits. Patton might steal the stage if we get the much-anticipated Branson-Blue Eye tri-lakes matchup.

Willard was rolling before being upset by Central last week. But, that’s a testament to how good Central is. Willard has beaten Bolivar, Rogersville and Glendale. Honestly, you can make a case that they’re a bit under-seeded from a resume standpoint. Their tempo and pressure will cause problems, especially with less time to game plan for it.

Clever is another team that in a typical year receives a much higher seed. Their wins include Catholic and West Plains and their losses are Fair Grove and Fayetteville (Ark.), which has one of the nation’s top players in Sasha Goforth. Guard play wins games and Dan Jones has two beasts in Harper Little (18.4 points, 6.6 assists, 7.8 steals and four blocks) and Allie Clevenger (17 points, 3.8 assists). Little’s stat line sounds outrageous but she’s just that good and that athletic. She already has a triple double and has flirted with three others. She’s only a junior and Clevenger is just a sophomore. Both score well at all three levels and if they get going this team can easily find itself in the semifinal.

Unseeded Sleepers

Bolivar is about as dangerous as it gets for an unseeded team and ironically enough the Libs are matched up with Clever. Bolivar’s two losses came against seeded teams Branson and Willard. Darin Archer also has the liberty of having the most productive player on the floor most nights in C of O signee Michelle Gabani. She’s averaging 16 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.1 steals and 3.1 blocks, with double-doubles in eight of her nine games. She’s impossible to completely stop. But, the addition of freshman guard Lexi Berry (11.9 points, 48 percent from 3-point range) has made Gabani and the Lady Libs that much more difficult to contain

Lamar is quietly 6-1 and winners of five straight games. The Lady Tigers have a new coach in Mandy Moyer and she’s been able to get the most out of a team that finished as a Class 3 district runner-up last year. Senior Katelyn Mooney provides a versatile low post threat and Lamar has plenty of help around her. They’ll give White Station a run for their money. If they lose you could see them win three straight on the backside

Parkview and West Plains are also tough matchups, especially in the first round. The Lady Vikings have a pair of juniors in Paiton Acord and CJ Stiles that can give opponents fits. Beating Catholic and going toe-to-toe with Carl Junction show you what this team is capable of. West Plains just beat Branson and three of their four losses have come by fewer than six points. Scott Womack is so good defensively and his teams are always competitive and play about as well at Drury as the Lady Panthers do. They’ll be a tough out.

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