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.
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Ellie Creasey, Aurora Senior
There’s not many hoopers playing in long sleeves, but Creasey isn’t known for just fashion; she puts on scoring clinics. She shoots it well off the catch or dribble, but has an array of finishes in the paint too. She averaged 13.6 points and 5.4 rebounds as a junior, earning herself All-Big 8 honors. A coaching change and faster tempo will only help those numbers increase.
Brisa Gere, Hollister Senior
Inheriting a player that nearly averaged a double-double isn’t a bad thing at all and that’s what Kevin Besch gets in Gere. She was an All-Conference pick behind 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists. She’s great with her back to the basket but can also make plays from the perimeter. Her versatility is rare.
Hazley Grotjohn, Seneca Sophomore
She was an All-Big 8 pick and one of the league’s top shot creators and makers as a freshman, averaging 16 points, and 4.7 steals. If your last name is Grotjohn you’re born with a ball in your hands and your first learned skill is shooting that thing. She’s staying true to her genes.
Reagan Hoerning, Mountain Grove Senior
She’s a four-year letterwinner that has built a career full of accolades on being the hardest worker on the court. Always. She’s not very tall, but her motor has led her to become one of the area’s top rebounders, averaging 11.8 boards to go along with 10.5 points. She’s a walking double-double.
Savannah Koen, Forsyth Junior
Volleyball is where she first made her name, but Koen is a stud on the basketball court as well. She doesn’t really have a position, she just makes plays averaging 12.8 points, eight rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.4 steals. She’s just 5-foot-9 but her athleticism allows her to play like she’s a 6-footer.
Sara Mendel, Ava Senior
After back-to-back All-State seasons, Mendel isn’t sneaking up on anyone. The 6-foot-3 senior averaged 16.5 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. She’s a post that can rim run, rim protect and dominate the block. Southwest Baptist and Kelsey Keizer snagged a hidden gem in Mendel.
Marcy Miller, Lamar Senior
She was a double-double machine as a junior, averaging 15 points and 11 rebounds. The All-Big 8 selection is unique in that she’s 6-foot-1, but she also plays with an extremely high motor. She’s also one of the top offensive rebounders in the area.
Clara Swearingen, Nevada Junior
Lil Steph Curry is one of the most entertaining players in the Ozarks. She averaged 16.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists. She’s one of the best shooters in the area and maybe the best shooter off the dribble we’ve had locally since Toshua Leavitt. The scary part is that she’s just a junior.
OTHERS TO WATCH
Ashton Bowers, Salem Senior
Olivia Gastineau, Ava Senior
Abbey Heathman, Nevada Senior
Parker Long, Seneca Senior
Savannah Manthey Salem Senior
Marianna McCrackin, Cassville Senior
Aryanna Seelye, Monett Senior
Raylee Stenzel, Mountain Grove Sophomore
Ashlyn Stettler, Lamar Senior
Harley Watson, Reeds Spring Junior
