These Springfield area girls' high school basketball underclassmen showed they're next
Southwest Missouri high school basketball is in good hands thanks to the young talent in the area.
A handful of underclassmen proved to be among the best players in the area and others showed they have the potential to make some noise for their teams in the future.
Here are the underclassmen who caught our eyes this year:
Elsie Larsen, Strafford
It's difficult to call Larsen "next" when she might already be "it" but we can't go recognizing young players without her on the list. Larsen earned the Class 2 Player of the Year honor by averaging 18.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, an assist and two steals per game. The guard is going to command a lot of attention from college coaches over the next two years.
More: Dominant Dozen: Southwest Missouri's best girls' basketball players of the 2023-24 season
Logan-Rogersville's sophomore group
The Wildcats have taken steps forward in the last two years and it's no coincidence that it started when this past season's sophomore group first took the court. The group of Hailey Buckman, Reagan Rasmussen, Eden Kibby and Taylor Wray helped lead Rogersville to its first district championship since 2024. It appears that even brighter days are ahead. Buckman leads the way with 17 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Rasmussen averages 13.5 points with Kibby contributing 12.
McKinli Mays, El Dorado Springs
El Dorado Springs will have a shot at returning to the state championship game, for the third year in a row, come 2025. With standout returners, including Mays, a sophomore from this past season, the Lady Bulldogs will have a shot at winning their first title over the stretch. Mays was the team's leading scorer this season at 13.6 points per game. She scored a team-high 14 points in El Dorado Springs' semifinal victory over Centralia.
More: Fair Grove girls repeat as Class 3 state champions by beating El Dorado Springs
Miller's sophomore trio
After having a historic senior group leave after the 2022 season, a dip in production from the Lady Cardinals in 2023 and 2024 wouldn't have been that big of a surprise. It didn't happen because of a talented trio that helped Miller continue to win district championships. Miller has a shot at making its first semifinal since 2010 over the next two years thanks to the play from Loghann Leivan, Ashlynn Helton and Rachel Nunez. Each averaged over 10 points per game this past season with Leivan leading the team at 16.5 points, 6.1 boards and 3.4 assists per game.
Josie Salazar, Kickapoo
The future of Kickapoo girls' basketball is in good hands with a few key players from its state runner-up finishing returning and the potential in Salazar, a sophomore who looks like she can be among the best players in the area. There aren't many better athletes on the basketball court than Salazar after averaging nine points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists this season. Those numbers will increase over the next two years as her duties expand and she's pushed into more of a central role.
More: Why Kickapoo girls basketball took in every second after state championship defeat
Peyton Ward, Marshfield
The Lady Jays will lose a few key seniors from their third-place run but don't expect them to go anywhere. Ward, a freshman this past season, showed she's capable of being one of the area's best as early as next year. She's a 6-foot-1 wing who could still be growing. She plays taller than she's listed and can score from everywhere on the court. Ward averaged 13 points and 6.1 rebounds this season and could be the next big thing out of Marshfield.
More: Marshfield girls rally late to advance to state semifinals for first time in decade
Taylor Wood, Nixa
Opposing coaches are already circling Nixa as a team with a ton of potential heading into the next two years and Wood has much to do with it. Wood averaged 13.8 points and 4.8 rebounds as a sophomore, complimenting Brooke Teter who averaged 11.9 points and 5.6 boards as a junior. Nixa has a lot of talent returning heading into the team's second year under championship-winning coach Jenny Talbert.
Mattie Zingg, Glendale
Get to know Zingg heading into her next two years as the leader of the Glendale Lady Falcons. She tied for the team lead in scoring as a sophomore with the team's leading scorer, Avery Givens, graduating. Zingg will get a shot at being the team's go-to player after already proving capable this past season. The 6-foot guard has a lot to look forward to.
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 girls basketball underclassmen of 2023-24
