Coaches Confidential: Who will be the Springfield area's best player two years from now?
At the end of the 2023-24 high school basketball season, the News-Leader reached out to many coaches in the area with several questions to answer with anonymity. We will run a few of these stories throughout the week.
Today's question: Who will be the best player in the area next season and two years from now?
Here are the responses by head basketball coaches throughout the area.
High school boys' basketball
Clayton Garrison at Chadwick is going to be a Senior next year, and he is going to be an incredible all-around player. He will dominate Class 1 but he would be a great player for any program in the area. This season he took a big step adding some perimeter scoring to his explosive dunks but I expect him to be an even more versatile scorer next season. Defensively, he already can guard any position on the floor and adding another year to his frame will make him even more intimidating.
---
Collin Clark at Greenwood is another player that is going to be really good next season. He is a do-everything player who will fill up the stat sheet and lead his team to wins.
More: Meet the News-Leader's 2023-24 All-Ozarks high school boys' basketball teams
---
Two seasons from now, it will be a fight between Amare Witham at Glendale and Chase Branham at Rogersville. Both have had incredible seasons as underclassmen. I was only able to watch Chase on film this season but his intelligence jumps off the tape. As he matures into a more physically gifted athlete, he will be a major threat in the area. Amare had some incredible performances this season and will only add more and more to his game.
---
Next year I think it's Amare Witham and Collin Clark. 2 years from now I think Amare and Reese Kimrey from Kickapoo.
---
Branham kid from Rogersville will be a stud for several seasons. Garrison kid from Chadwick will be a stud next year again.
---
More: These Springfield area boys' high school basketball underclassmen showed they're next
Next year is Collin Clark. Great length. Can't take it from him. Great vision and a great passer and great teammate. Two years? I really don't know
---
Brenley Hagwood (Republic). He can shoot the 3, get to the basket and make free throws. Very tough to defend.
---
That’s easy, Ethan Brown (Rolla). He plays the game the right way. He is a great passer, good teammate and someone who plays with great poise. He is going to be a Division I player in a few years. Kid can go!!!!
---
Chase Branham.
---
Brown from Rolla. He is only going to get better.
---
Collin Clark will be looked at as one of the area's best next season. In a few years look for Kolby and Brady James out of Willow Springs to be quite the dynamic duo.
More: Dominant Dozen: Southwest Missouri's best boys' basketball players of 2023-24 season
---
Next season? Brenley Hagewood (Republic). Brenley is a three-level scorer with a high motor. He guards and rebounds as well. Two seasons? Adam McKnight (Nixa). He can be an absolute monster with how athletic he is. He plays strong and physical already! If he keeps developing he is going to be a nightmare!
High school girls' basketball
Elsie Larsen (Strafford) and Ashlen Garrett (Skyline). Two very good players.
---
Taylor Wood and Brooke Teter from Nixa. They both have the potential to score in bunches. When/if they get on the same page they will be a hard team to beat next season.
---
Peyton Ward from Marshfield. Has all the tools and composure to be an outstanding player in the area.
More: Ozarks girls' basketball coaching performances we were most impressed by in 2023-24
---
Elsie Larsen from Strafford is really good. Class 3 Player of the Year as a sophomore. She just keeps getting better. She changes the game on both ends of the floor and does a really good job of getting her teammates involved.
---
The freshmen girls' class has a lot of really good players in the area.
More: Dominant Dozen: Southwest Missouri's best girls' basketball players of the 2023-24 season
---
Mikayla Pilley (Kickapoo) will be one of the best in the area next season. She has many facets to her game and her competitive edge puts her out front.
---
Payton Ward of Marshfield. She had an amazing freshman season…. In 2 years who knows what she will be doing on the court? She can flat-out play!
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.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield area high school basketball coaches confidential future players
