By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Basketball season is underway in Missouri. Below are the area’s Class 3 Girls Basketball Players to Watch this year.
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Kameron Green, Fair Grove Senior
Green is a 1,000-point scorer and four-year letterwinner at Fair Grove. She averaged 12.6 points and 6.6 rebounds, but where she excels is her ability to defend; she’s one of the top shot blockers in the Ozarks. The 6-foot senior is an absolute physical presence in the paint on both ends of the floor.
Laney Humble, Strafford Senior
The Baptist Bible College signee returns to Strafford after averaging 12.2 points and 5.2 rebounds as a junior. While Strafford lost a ton of talent, keep in mind Humble helped Sparta win a ton of games early in her career as a leader on that team. She’s more than capable of taking on a larger role offensively.
Lauren Jones, Mansfield Senior
Gary Greene has helped produce several talented players over the last two decades at Mansfield but Jones might be at the top of the class. The 5-foot-8 guard averaged 17 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists as a junior. She’s literally good at everything she does but she’s a handful on the hardwood. Monster senior year coming.
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.
Macie Mays, El Dorado Springs Senior
Mays will be sporting some new bling this winter after helping El Do win a state championship last year where she averaged 15 points and four rebounds in the Final Four. Her junior year she averaged 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists. She has one of the most complete games in the Ozarks. She’ll make a run at the school scoring record this winter and with the graduation of a decorated senior class, Mays numbers could be mind-blowing this year.
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.
Jaylin Miner & Kyle Tucker, Pleasant Hope Seniors
Before these two arrived, Pleasant Hope hadn’t been at .500 since 2013. In fact, the program won just 3 games prior to their freshman year. The duo has elevated the program. Miner averaged 17 points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals. Tucker added 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists. They’re dynamic and impossible to keep out of the paint while also being disruptive defensively. Scott Wolf has a cheat code in these two.
Lillie Rasmussen, Seymour Senior
The fact that she’s going to play D1 soccer despite going to a school that doesn’t have a soccer program tells you all you need to know about the Missouri State signee; Rasmussen is just different. As a junior she averaged 18.5 points and 4.9 rebounds. She has truly limitless range and the confidence to let it fly from anywhere.
Abbie Sullins, Licking Senior
The senior has been a mainstay on the All-Frisco League list and in the playoffs, winning 67 games, a pair of district championships and a Final Four run in 2020. The lefty can score it from anywhere and has an off the charts basketball IQ.
Reagan Wells, Liberty Junior
She made a name for herself last year on a loaded team, emerging as a perimeter scorer alongside a talented senior class with 12.5 points and 4.5 rebounds. With those seniors now gone, Wells is going to step into a primary scoring role, which won’t be a problem for the gym rat.
OTHERS TO WATCH
Megan Brown, Sparta Senior
Molly Brown, Hartville Senior
Sydney Bryan, Spokane Junior
Kenzi Cheek, Skyline Sophomore
Hadley Chowning, Liberty Sophomore
Maddie Donahue, Thayer Senior
Grace Edge, Skyline Senior
Emily Edwards, Skyline Senior
Katie Galligos, Catholic Junior
Ashlen Garrett, Skyline Sophomore
Josie Guinn, East Newton Senior
Brynn Holt, Sparta Senior
Ireland Jones, Clever Junior
Lauren Jones, Strafford Junior
Jenna Kelley, Hartville Junior
Summer Kenney, Stockton Senior
Katie Lopez, Sarcoxie Senior
Breanna Thompson, Conway Senior
Ashlyn Stettler, Lamar Senior
