Top ladies in Southwest Missouri

The Basketball Movement has its final ranking for the top girl hoopers in Southwest Missouri for 2021-22.

This has been one of the strongest crops of talent for ladies’ basketball that our area has had in a long time. Multiple D1 athletes popped up around the Ozarks, with one being a coveted recruit on a national scale.

All of the talent made ranking players difficult, but certainly, the most challenging part was having to leave off so many young ladies that are still deserving of shoutouts. The work that goes into being one of the best cannot be understated. So, we commend the below on doing what it took to stand out in a crowded season for strong girl hoopers.

Here we go:

  1. Bella Fontleroy (Kickapoo)

  2. Ashton Judd (West Plains)

  3. Kaemyn Bekemeier (Republic)

  4. Reagan McCowan (Lebanon)

  5. Breona Hurd (Waynesville)

  6. Destiny Buerge (Carl Junction)

  7. Reese Schaaf (El Dorado Springs)

  8. Riley Arnold (Blue Eye)

  9. Avery Arnold (Blue Eye)

  10. Macie Conway (Nixa)

Honorable mentions: Emma Compton (Strafford), Khloe Moad (Ash Grove), Alyssa Joyner (West Plains), Ali Kamies (Nixa), Claudia Hadlock (Miller), Tara Masten (Parkview)

Congratulations to all of the above for their fantastic seasons. We will continue watching with interest and are excited for the future of girls basketball in Southwest Missouri!

Zach Howell and Kyle Pock duel

In a meeting of the two top hoopers in Southwest Missouri… who came out on top?

Who you taking? In one corner is Zach Howell, a 6’5 lights-out scorer with multiple D-1 offers and the ability to carry his team through games. In the other corner, 6’7 Kyle Pock, who can shoot over anyone in the area and has a knack for hitting the big shots when it matters most.

This matchup is between two of the top teams in the area, but at its core, the anticipation comes from Howell vs. Pock.

Two of the best players around going at each other, both boasting multiple D1 offers, is a recipe for a feast among basketball fans. Rob Yanders’ rankings of the top players in Southwest Missouri had Howell number one and Pock number two going in.

Last year Pock got the best of Howell when it mattered most. So how is the rivalry looking in 2022?

Kyle Pock had a big first half or Bolivar. After being knotted at 17 after the first quarter, Coach Jack Simpson put Howell on Pock to start the second. Unphased, Pock elevated Boliver to take a nine-point lead into halftime.

Howell willed his team within reach in the fourth quarter, capping off an impressive run with a game-tying layup with 40 seconds to play. After running down the clock, Bolivar rightly trusted Pock to hit what would be the go-ahead bucket on a smooth, two-point jumper. Catholic tried to find Howell for an answer but could not get a shot, sealing their fate.

Does Southwest Missouri have a new number one hooper?

In The Basketball Movement’s updated rankings, you will still see Zach Howell’s name at the top (though there are a few other changes from our last update). Rob Yanders maintains that Howell’s skill keeps him at number one, though this head-to-head matchup absolutely narrowed the gap in his professional opinion.

“Both guys are dominant against local talent,” Rob Yanders says. “Facing another top guy from your area is something that myself and others with scouting backgrounds can use to evaluate players to see what they can do at the next level. This was an exciting game, and I hope we get another between the two.”

Area basketball fans will be left hoping for a rematch between these young stars, which could happen in the state quarterfinals should both teams secure district wins.

For more player coverage from around Southwest Missouri, you are already in the right place. The Basketball Movement Exclusive aims to be your number one source for player-focused prep hoops content. Stay tuned!

Top players in Southwest Missouri

These are The Basketball Movement’s top-10 high school players in Southwest Missouri.

Below you will see the updated list of The Basketball Movement’s top-10 high school players in Southwest Missouri. Our original list has already seen some shuffling over the last month or so. After a heated showdown between the two top athletes, Rob Yanders remains firm in his assessment of who the best player is in the area.

Here are your top players:

  1. Zach Howell - Springfield Catholic

  2. Kyle Pock - Bolivar

  3. Zaide Lowery - Kickapoo

  4. Elijah Whitley - Parkview

  5. Colin Ruffin - Nixa

  6. Brayden Shorter - Kickapoo

  7. Andrew Dalton - Ava

  8. Kael Combs - Nixa

  9. Liam O’Reilly - Springfield Catholic

  10. AK Rael - Strafford

If you could not tell by the changes from our last list to this one: things are subject to change. The more games are played, the clearer it becomes in terms of who stands above the rest. Competition is key and Rob Yanders and The Basketball Movement know just what to look for.

Stay tuned to The Basketball Movement Exclusive to keep track of updated lists like these (Fab Five Freshman, anyone?) and news from around the area!

Top players in Southwest Missouri

The Basketball Movement’s top-10 high school players in Southwest Missouri:

Last year, The Basketball Movement began ranking the area’s top prep talent for boy’s basketball. So much talent graduated and moved on, but, as always, area players step up in big ways on their journey to filling those players’ shoes and elevating their teams.

The below players pass the eye test, and nothing escapes the eye of the veteran coaches, former trainers, scouts, and specialists at The Basketball Movement. Here we go:

  1. Zach Howell - Springfield Catholic

  2. Kyle Pock - Boliver

  3. Elijah Whitley - Parkview

  4. Zaide Lowery - Kickapoo

  5. Kael Combs - Nixa

  6. Colin Ruffin - Nixa

  7. LIam O’Reilly - Springfield Catholic

  8. Andrew Dalton - Ava

  9. AK Rael - Strafford

  10. Ahlante Askew - Republic

This list is absolutely, one-hundered percent subject to change. If any of these guys show us they have what it takes to move up - they will. Better yet, if anyone thinks they are left off and can show us they have what it takes to be here - they will.

Stay tuned to The Basketball Movement Exclusive to keep track of updated lists like these and news from around the area.