Here are 12 players to watch at the Sophie Cunningham Classic this weekend
Plenty of high-level girls basketball games will play this weekend. That's thanks to the Sophie Cunningham Classic.
The Classic, in its second year of play, will bring dozens of players to Columbia. This includes ones who will eventually play basketball at the college level.
Here are the players to watch this weekend at the Sophie Cunningham Classic at Columbia College.
Boo Anderson - Battle
Battle has Tayla Robinson and Nautica Washington, but Anderson is a player who understands the Battle program. The senior has been a part of Dustyn Yung's first team and had a massive hand in the Spartans' success. This weekend, she'll show how talented she is in every phase of the game.
Aubrey Shaw - Blue Valley North
Shaw, the younger sister of Missouri forward Aidan Shaw, already has plenty of offers, including one from Missouri. The 6-foot-1 forward is tough to guard and pairs well with her top-ranked teammate Jaliya Davis. Shaw will have the chance to show off against Link Academy and Incarnate Word.
Jaliya Davis - Blue Valley North
Shaw's teammate could be a household name in women's college basketball next season. Davis has plenty of offers from Power 5 programs, including South Carolina. She set the Blue Valley North single-season scoring record last season and has a chance to reset it this season.
Marcayla Johnson - Booker T. Washington
Johnson and Booker T. Washington will kick off the classic with a game against Rock Bridge. Johnson, a Baylor commit in the Class of 2025, gets every chance to show off why the Bears want her against the Bruins' tough defense.
Braylin Brunkhorst - Centralia
Brunkhorst had a fantastic freshman season in Centralia. She was the Tribune's Newcomer of the Year and is getting better. On Saturday, she'll have the chance to show a clutch gene in a rematch against 10-1 Moberly, which already has wins over Battle, 8-2 Boonville and 10-1 Montgomery County. Centralia handed Moberly its lone loss this season.
Keyona Hall - Hickman
The Kewpies have benefited from incoming transfers, but one who has a chance to make the biggest difference is Hall. She came to Hickman from Liberal High School in Kansas. The senior has played plenty of basketball and will have a chance to lead an experienced Hickman team. That'll be needed against the reigning state champion, Vashon, on Sunday.
Nevaeh Caffey - Incarnate Word
Incarnate Word is, in a word, a dynasty. The Red Knights have won 11 state titles in the past 14 seasons and players like Caffey are why. She has offers from Michigan, Mizzou and Oklahoma, to name a few. She's already a high level player, and gets to show why against Park Hill South and Addison Bjorn.
Ja'Nyla Bush - Link Academy
The former Vashon player and current Missouri State signee will come to Columbia with the newly formed Link Academy team. Bush will have a chance to show off how talented the inaugural Link Academy roster can be.
Addison Bjorn - Park Hills South
Bjorn is in the Class of 2026, but will soon become one of the most coveted high school players in the nation. The Park Hills South forward has offers from SEC schools and UConn after earning a gold medal with the 2023 USA Basketball Women's U16 National Team.
Elli Porter - Rock Bridge
Rock Bridge's young talent team has plenty of potential stars, but this weekend will be a big chance for Porter to show how she fits against some really talented teams. Porter, no relation to teammate Jayda Porter, is one of the best shooters in the state. Against Booker T. Washington and Link Academy, both of which have college-level guard play, Porter can show off that shooting and help space the floor at an elite level.
Chloe Bukowsky - Southern Boone
Bukowsky is steadily climbing up the list of Southern Boone's top-scoring players with her ability to shoot and score on every level. Against a successful 10-1 Montgomery County team, Bukowsky has a chance to show off this ability as well as her leadership skills.
Chantrel Clayton - Vashon
Reigning state champion Vashon comes to town and so does Illinois-Chicago signee Chantrel Clayton. She chose UIC over a handful of other Division I offers and is living up to that status. In November, she had a 40-point game in a 75-51 win over Springfield (Ill.) Southeast.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Sophie Cunningham Classic: Key players at girls basketball tournament
