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Springfield boys basketball Class 1 districts preview: Schedule, top players, predictions

Wyatt D. Wheeler, Springfield News-Leader
·4 min read

It's postseason time for high school basketball across southwest Missouri.

Classes 1-3 will tip off district play on Monday all across the area. We went through and provided the brackets, top teams, players to watch and predictions for each local district.

Check MSHSAA.org for the most accurate times and brackets throughout the postseason.

SPRINGFIELD AREA GIRLS BASKETBALL DISTRICT PREVIEWS: Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3

SPRINGFIELD AREA BOYS BASKETBALL DISTRICT PREVIEWS: Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3

Class 1

No. 1 team: South Iron

The Panthers have won the last three state championships and are showing no signs of slowing down. It's put together its best regular season over the stretch and is winning its games by an average of 29 points per game. South Iron has multiple players who are capable of putting up big numbers on any given night. It's a Class 1 powerhouse.

District 4 at Bradleyville

Feb. 20

  • No. 4 Couch @ No. 5 Koskonong

  • No. 3 Chadwick @ No. 6 Bradleyville

Feb. 22

  • No. 1 Eminence vs. 4/5

  • No. 2 Niangua vs. 4/5

Feb. 24

  • Championship at 3 p.m.

Team to beat: Eminence. The Redwings kept a game with South Iron within six when not very many others can say that this year. They've played a tough schedule all year and should be in a good spot to win their first district title since winning a state championship in 2018.

Next best: Niangua. The Cardinals have some great wins this season including ones over Marionville and Lamar which should compete for district titles in larger classes. They have a six-point win at three-seed Chadwick from Dec. 12.

Sleeper: Chadwick. These Cardinals only have one loss since falling to Niangua in mid-December. This team is a lot better than what it was back then with its only loss being to Class 2 No. 2 Hartville on Feb. 2. Ethan Scheetz has been a big-time player for Chadwick throughout the year in addition to Clayton Henderson.

Prediction: Eminence over Chadwick.

District 5 at Walnut Grove

Feb. 20

  • No. 4 School of the Ozarks vs. No. 5 Exeter

  • No. 2 Billings vs. No. 7 Everton

  • No. 3 McAuley Catholic vs. No. 6 Hurley

Feb. 22

  • No. 1 Walnut Grove vs. 4/5

  • 2/7 vs. 3/6

Feb. 24

  • Championship at 6:30 p.m.

Team to beat: Walnut Grove. The home team in this district is the favorite and there's a chance that Walnut Grove could come away with district titles on both the boys and girls side. It would be the Tigers' first district title since finishing as a state runner-up in 2018 to cap off three straight trips to a state championship. Walnut Grove is led by the McMillen triplets of Rhett, Tanner and Landon as they look to finish their senior years with some hardware.

Next best: Billings. The Wildcats are seeking their first district title since winning a state championship in 2012. There have been some confusing losses in recent weeks including one at Purdy and one at Crane — both being at least 10 games below .500. However, wins over Blue Eye and School of the Ozarks should instill some confidence.

Sleeper: McAuley Catholic. The Warriors are playing their best basketball at the right time as they enter the postseason on a five-game winning streak.

Prediction: Walnut Grove over McAuley Catholic.

District 6 at Greenfield

Feb. 20

  • No. 4 Humansville vs. No. 5 Fair Play

  • No. 2 Dadeville vs. No. 7 Golden City

  • No. 3 Halfway vs. No. 6 Greenfield

Feb. 22

  • No. 1 Lockwood vs. 4/5

  • 2/7 vs. 3/6

Feb. 24

  • Championship at 6 p.m.

Team to beat: Lockwood. The Tigers earned the top seed by sweeping Dadeville in their two appearances with a 37-30 win at the Golden City Tournament and a 45-44 overtime win at Lockwood on Jan. 25. Junior small forward Nik Thieman has been great for the Tigers inside. The big man has been an active defender and a double-double waiting to happen.

Next best: Dadeville. The Bearcats have been right there with Lockwood in their previous matchups.

Prediction: Lockwood over Dadeville.

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 high school boyss basketball Class 1 districts preview