The Springfield area's boys high school basketball state contenders entering 2023-24

Tip-off for the 2023-24 high school basketball season across the Ozarks has already taken place for some teams but it really gets going this week with different early-season tournaments across the area.

While some teams will take home titles from these tournaments, southwest Missouri should have a handful of teams that are capable of going on deep postseason runs and maybe even claiming a state championship at the end of the year.

Here are the teams we have our eyes on as state-contenders heading into the year.

Hartville

Class 2

The Eagles have four of five starters back from a Class 2 team that finished fourth in the state last season. Brett Reed is also still Hartville's coach. Those two combined make Hartville one of the best programs in the state.

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Grant Culver, Logan Simpson, Jalon Cryer, Payton Cogdill, Jackson Ward and Mason Cogdill are among the standouts on this roster and each knows what it takes to make a deep postseason run. The Eagles loaded up their schedule with tough competition in bigger classes and will be ready come postseason time.

Hartville should make some noise early in the season come Blue and Gold Tournament time.

Sparta

Class 3

Jacob Lafferty is still around and he's going to be one of the better players in the area, and state, heading into the year. He makes Sparta an instant favorite to, again, be one of the best teams in the area.

The Trojans did have a few graduations around him but they return starting point guard Walker Loveland who made some big plays in the postseason and Blue and Gold last year.

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Seeing the development of others around the two, with a heavy senior class, will be key. Deric Link has built Sparta into a pretty respectable program that should be one to keep an eye on even after Lafferty graduates. Lucky for all of us (except his opponents), that's not this year.

Sparta has a tough district with teams it beat last year to come out with a title. Fair Grove, Greenwood and Forsyth could be challenges. The winner of the district could have to play Thayer in sectionals — which should be one of the best teams in the state. Win that game and anything can happen.

Parkview

Class 5

There might not be a team in the area that will look like a really good basketball team more than Parkview. It has multiple solid athletes with great length. The Vikings should be the best Class 5 team in the area.

Jack Simpson's second go-around with the Vikings features junior Elias Govan who could be the best junior in the area. T.J. Hill is a 6-foot-2 guard who can emerge as one of the better shooters. Others like Dassaiah Green and Carlitos Sanchez are among those who will have big roles on this team.

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Parkview had a young team last season that started 0-5 and then won its last five in the regular season. It fell by five to Hillcrest in a district final then the Hornets fell in overtime in the state quarterfinals. Parkview was close last year and it should be even better in 2023-24.

The winner of Class 6, District 5

A district with Central, Glendale, Kickapoo, Nixa, Ozark and Republic is as good as it gets. Only one is going to come out with a district title and have a shot at a state championship when all of these programs appear to be elite.

Central might be the most talented team on paper this season and it will be about how well this team comes together. The Bulldogs' schedule is loaded with teams like Link Academy, Staley, Nixa and Ozark early in the season and it will be battle tested heading into a Blue and Gold appearance.

This Republic team is also considered maybe the best one Tim Brown has had since taking over the Tigers. Brenley Hagewood is as good as it gets in the area and we'll also see the addition of C.J. Uhl, who was injured last season, and how that will make this team better. He was a great power forward at Monett two years ago.

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Then you also have your typical powers in this league. Nixa has a lot to replace but you know it will get there. Kickapoo lost some from its Class 6 runner-up finish last year but you know Mitch McHenry will develop these guys into some of the best in the area — particularly with Jackson Shorter who is expected to make a big jump. Ozark has a lot returning after it started to play at an extremely high level toward the end of last year.

This district is loaded. Whoever wins this one will have already accomplished something pretty remarkable and be ready to go on a deeper run.

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: Southwest Missouri high school basketball state contenders 2023-24