Freshmen of Influence
Prep Girls Hoops Missouri takes a look at some of the top Class of 2023 players from around the Show-Me State. There were several excellent first-year players around the state and here are six of them who stepped in and…
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Continue ReadingPrep Girls Hoops Missouri takes a look at some of the top Class of 2023 players from around the Show-Me State. There were several excellent first-year players around the state and here are six of them who stepped in and became impact players.
Jada Williams Jada Williams 5'6" | PG La Jolla Country Day | 2023 State #6 Nation CA 5’7″ Blue Springs: The talented point guard lived up to her billing as one of the country’s top young players as she led the Wildcats to a berth in the Class 5 Final Four. She averaged 17.5 points, three assists and three steals a game while making 55 3-pointers. She came up big in the postseason as she broke loose for 31 points, five rebounds and five assists in a victory over Lee’s Summit West in the sectionals. She followed up with 22 points in a victory over undefeated Liberty in the state quarterfinals.
Grace Straughter 6’1″ Grain Valley: The young forward had a dominant first campaign in leading Grain Valley to a berth in the Class 4 state quarterfinals. She averaged 23.4 points a game while making 44 3-pointers and shooting 51 percent from the field. In one postseason game, she had 35 points and 10 rebounds in a victory over Center.
Raychel Jones 5’10″ Vashon: A talented all-around athlete who earned Public High League Co-Player of the Year honors after leading the Wolverines to a Class 4 district championship. She could play all five positions on the court and play them all well as she averaged 17 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.8 steals a game while making more than 40 percent from 3-point range.
Hannah Linthicum 6’4″ Jefferson City: The talented post player is the youngest and tallest of a excellent Jefferson City front line that enjoyed another banner season. She has a very skilled game around the basket where she uses her height well, but she is also quite capable on the perimeter with her passing skills and 3-point shooting ability.
Kaemyn Bekemeier Kaemyn Bekemeier 5'9" | SG Republic | 2023 State MO 5’9″ Republic:The talented wing stepped in and really took over during the second part of the season as a bucket getter and standout 3-point shooter. She scored 29 points in a big victory against Jefferson City at the Capital City Classic. She also had 24 points and seven rebounds to lead the Tigers to a victory in a district championship game.
Brooklyn Rhodes Brooklyn Rhodes 6'0" | PF Whitfield | 2023 State MO 6’2″ Whitfield: The athletic post player enjoyed a big first year in helping the Warriors to a third-place finish in the Class 3 state tournament. Her size and length were a big asset at both ends of the floor as a scorer on offense and on defense at the top of her team’s zone. As a freshman, she averaged 10.3 points and 11.5 rebounds while shooting 59 percent from the field.