Here are the 2024 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions' best players

Another loaded group of high school basketball stars will make their way to Great Southern Bank Arena for the annual Bass Pro Tournament of Champions.

This year's tournament features a pair of top-five prospects including one that has been recently teased as the No. 1 player in the current senior class. There are several players with NBA potential playing across a few of the best high school basketball teams in the nation.

The tournament tips off in Springfield on Thursday.

Here is a look at the players you need to know entering the biggest sporting event Springfield has to offer. All rankings are courtesy of 247Sports unless otherwise noted.

More: Here is the 2024 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions bracket, schedule

Dylan Warlick, Edmond North

Warlick is a 6-foot-5 power forward ranked as the No. 2 senior in Oklahoma. He signed to join former Nixa star Kael Combs and play at Wyoming. He's a three-star prospect who also held offers from Davidson, San Jose State, South Alabama and others.

Chiante' Tramble, Edmond North

Tramble is a 6-foot-2 senior point guard who recently committed to play at Division II Indianapolis. He's a three-star prospect who stands at 6-foot-2.

Ace Bailey, McEachern

Bailey will enter the tournament as one of its premier players. He's a 6-foot-8 small forward with five stars to his name and is ranked as the No. 3 overall player in the senior class. He committed to Rutgers over pretty much every major college basketball fan that you can think of. Rutgers, of all schools, has an extremely talented 2024 signing class after Dylan Harper, the No. 2 player, committed to the program in early December.

Bailey is touted for his athleticism and size as a high-level wing. 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein wrote as recently as Jan. 1 that Bailey could be elevated to the No. 1 spot in the senior rankings above Duke commit Cooper Flagg. He made that proclamation after he watched Bailey score 40 points with 21 rebounds and three assists. If he comes anywhere close to those numbers in Springfield, he'll be remembered for quite a while.

Jaye Nash, McEachern

Nash is a coveted 6-foot-2 senior point guard who is ranked No. 148 in the 247Sports Composite with three stars. He holds offers from Illinois, Alabama, Mizzou, Mississippi State, Texas Tech and others. He started his career playing high school ball in Memphis before flirting with Oak Hill and then ending up at McEachern. He averaged 11 points and six assists per game last season playing for Briarcrest in the Memphis metro.

Jeremiah Wilkinson, McEachern

Wilkinson is another standout guard for McEachern who is signed to play college ball at California. He's a 6-foot combo guard who held several offers from Power 5 programs like Florida and Mississippi State. He's a three-star prospect and ranked as the No. 244 player in the senior class.

Patrick Ngongba, Paul VI

The 247Sports Composite ranking has Ngongba as a five-star prospect and as the No. 22 player in the country. He's a 6-foot-11, 235-pound center signed to play at Duke. He is a modern big man who can stretch the floor by shooting from the outside while dominating inside the paint. There won't be another player quite like Ngongba in this year's field.

Darren Harris, Paul VI

Another Duke commit, Harris is a 6-foot-6 small forward rated with four stars and is the No. 56 player in the country. Harris is praised for his shooting ability which is made even better at his height along with how he finds ways to get open. He's also touted as a good passer and someone who can crash the boards.

Isaiah Abraham, Paul VI

Another four-star prospect with size, Abraham is the No. 72 player in the senior class who is signed to play at reigning national champion UConn. He's a 6-foot-7 power forward and is cousins with Ngongba. He's a bigger, stronger scorer whose frame already projects at an NBA level.

Garrett Sundra, Paul VI

Sundra is a 6-foot-10 senior power forward who is signed with Notre Dame. He's a three-star prospect and ranked No. 124 in his class. He also held Power 5 offers from the likes of Iowa, Maryland, Miami and others. Sundra is billed as a versatile big man with a soft touch, according to 247Sports.

Ben Hammond, Paul VI

Hammond is the first Paul VI player we've listed in here who doesn't stand above 6-foot tall. He's a 5-foot-11 three-star point guard who is signed with Rhode Island. He's the No. 178 senior in the country, according to 247Sports' Composite. He's been a go-to player for the Panthers in crucial moments. He knocked down a go-ahead floater in the final seconds to beat IMG Academy in the City of Palms semifinals.

Adlan Elamin, Paul VI

Paul VI will bring a roster that looks more like an NBA team as it also touts a 6-foot-7, 165-pound junior wing who is ranked No. 69 in the country. He holds a handful of offers from the likes of Arizona State, Penn State and VCU with interest coming in from Ohio State, Virginia, TCU, Virginia Tech and others. He's touted for his jumper along with his defensive versatility.

JaQuan Womack, Paul VI

A backup center for Paul VI, Womack is a 6-foot-7 junior center who is rated as the No. 187 player in his class with three stars. He holds an offer from George Mason

Jordan Smith, Paul VI

Paul VI doesn't only feature big men as Smith is rated as a five-star shooting guard by the 247 Composite and as the No. 16 player in the country. He's a 6-foot-3, 170-pounder with offers from Michigan, Kansas State, Villanova, Georgetown and others. A bigger guard, Smith's jump shot is what he's known for and his ability to finish above the rim. He's also a freak athlete.

Elzie Harringon, St. John Bosco

Harrington is a four-star combo guard who stands at a tall 6-foot-6. He's rated as the No. 29 junior, according to the 247Sports Composite and he's received offers from UCLA, USC, Arizona State and Harvard. He's billed as a big-time scorer and playmaker who creates for himself and others.

Brandon McCoy, St. John Bosco

McCoy is another one of the premier players in this tournament and he'll be the highest rated. The 6-foot-4 junior point guard is a five-star prospect and is the current No. 2 player in the 2026 class. He's already receiving offers from most big-time college basketball programs and was recently dubbed a "teenage basketball prodigy" by the LA Times.

McCoy averaged 8.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game as a freshman last season at St. John Bosco. Those numbers have taken a big leap in 2023-24 as he's put up big numbers and has been the reason his team has come out on top against several of the best teams in the country./

Kaden Powers, Rainier Beach

Powers is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard in the 2025 class who is starting to receive some attention. Prep Hoops Washington ranks him as the state's No. 3 player in the current junior class. Recent offers include Texas Arlington, Montana, Idaho, Seattle and San Francisco.

Nicholas Randall, Vashon

Randall is a four-star 2025 prospect out of Vashon who is attracting attention from many big-time schools in the midwest. He's a 6-foot-7, 225-pound power forward with offers from Mizzou, Kansas State, Louisville, Ole Miss and others. His nickname is "Butta" which has to be because he has a smooth game. He's been putting up big offensive and rebounding numbers this year.

Amare Witham, Glendale

The top basketball prospect in the city, Glendale's star sophomore has shown that he's ready to be under the bright lights. Witham's 3-point shooting at the recent Blue and Gold Tournament was ridiculous as he knocked down seven shots from deep in a single quarter. He's on track to be one of the area's all-time leading scorers before it's done and is worth the price of admission.

Ta'Veaion Washington, Glendale

Washington is a heck of a second option on the Glendale basketball team and would be the best player on most other teams in the area. The senior does a little bit of everything for the Falcons including being the team's go-to leader. If Witham's having an off-shooting night, Washington will be right there to pick him up.

Tyrique Brooks, Central

Even when there are five- and four-star prospects coming in, Brooks enters the tournament as one of the most explosive and exciting players to watch. His athleticism is the best southwest Missouri has to offer and you'll be on your feet when he gets the ball on a breakaway because he treats every dunk in a game like he's in a dunk contest. If you were to bet on a dunk contest champ (please don't, they're kids), this would be the player to put your money on. We've also seen his jump shot start to turn into a threat at all times. He's not just a dunker.

Keion Epps, Central

Epps is the leader of the Central Bulldogs basketball team and he was recently named our MVP of his division during Central's Gold Division championship run at the Blue and Gold Tournament. Epps has secured his spot among the elite players by being one of the area's top scorers and being one of the toughest players on each court he steps on. He's not afraid to do some dirty work and fight for loose balls. He's been the best, most consistent player on maybe the best team in southwest Missouri.

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or X at@WyattWheeler_NL. He's also the host of the weekly "Wyatt's World Podcast" on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcasting platforms

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: 2024 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions best players, top prospects