Class 2 MSHSAA Final Four Standout Underclass Players
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The Class 2 final four teams featured many young players. In fact, the best players on each team were underclassmen and each one of these teams have a great shot at getting back here next season. Ellington won the Class 2 championship after defeating Blue Eye in the semi finals and then defeating Wellington-Napoleon, who beat Scotland County in their semi final game, to win the state championship. Blue Eye bested Scotland County in the third place game.
Here are some of the top underclassmen we saw in these games, in no particular order…
Ayden Shannon Ayden Shannon 5'5" | PG Wellington-Napoleon | 2022 State MO , Wellington-Napoleon 2022, G – Shannon put up some gaudy offensive numbers this season, her junior year. She scored 23.5 ppg while shooting 49% overall and 39% frrom 3. In the Class 3 state title game against Ellington, Shannon scored 23 points in their 63-56 loss. She has great size for a guard at 5’8 and can defend, handle, and pass well and she does not take bad shots, as evidenced by her shooting percentages and overall offensive efficiency. One of the most complete players in the state, Shannon should be back for a great senior season and another title chase, given that Wellington’s top three scorers are all juniors.
Kaylee King Kaylee King 5'4" | PG Ellington | 2023 State MO , Ellington 2023, G – King led her team to the Class 2 championship, first getting past Blue Eye in the semi finals and then defeating Wellington in the finals. In the first half of the Blue Eye game, King nailed 4 of 5 from three and scored 16 points, eventually finishing with 25 in that one, and then scored 17 in the final game. She came into the final four averaging 28 points a game, one of the highest averages in the entire state, along with nearly 5 assists per game. She shot 50% overall from the floor, 43% from 3, and 85% from the line. A better shooter you will not find anywhere… and the amazing thing is that King is just a 5’4 sophomore. She does not need much of an opening to get a good shot off and can also get to the rim almost at will. King made quite an impression on us and obviously has a bright future.
Riley Arnold, Blue Eye 2022, G – Arnold is the floor general for Blue Eye who along with her twin sister Avery took a major step forward this season. She led Blue Eye in scoring at 17.6 per game and also averaged nearly 6 assists per game and 4 rebounds per outing. And her best asset may be her defense and overall motor. She makes winning plays on both ends and knows when to turn it up a notch. With her team down by 16 against Ellington, she set the tone and helped bring her squad back in that game, but nonetheless, Ellington prevailed. Arnold is quick and fast and always a threat to shoot it from most anywhere on the court. She can even score inside when it is called for over smaller guards at 5’7. Blue Eye returns all five starters for next season, all of whom are juniors, and that makes them the odds on favorite to make a third consecutive final four appearance.
Gretchen Hackworth Gretchen Hackworth 5'8" | CG Ellington | 2022 State MO , Ellington 2022, F – Watching Hackworth play this weekend, one would swear she was at least 5’10 given her ability to score around the basket, but she is listed at just 5’6. But she is very strong and deceptively quick and explosive, attributes that enable her play bigger than her size well beyond most players. She also has a nice soft touch on inside shots and was a big key especially in the win against Blue Eye. With Blue Eye pressuring out on the perimeter, Hackworth would get the ball within 15 feet of the basket isolated against a single defender and score or get fouled more times than not. She finished with 20 points and 9 rebounds in the win over Blue Eye. In the championship game, a win over Wellington, Hackworth scored 17 points, again using her close to the basket offensive skills to get buckets. She is an unique player to be sure and is fun to watch.
Bree Shannon Bree Shannon 5'3" | CG Wellington-Napoleon | 2022 State MO , Wellington-Napoleon 2022, G – Shannon is a nice lefty 5’6 guard who impressed with her athletic ability and defense. Quick and fast, she defended the other team’s best player more often than not this weekend. She also is very adept at driving to the basket with good elevation on her finishes. Against Ellington in the championship game, she carried her team in the first half, scoring 12 points, and while the strength of her game is driving and defending, she can also knock down the 3 ball.
Dylan Price Dylan Price 5'9" | CG Ellington | 2024 State MO , Ellington 2024, G – At first glance, one would have guessed that Price was a seasoned varsity player, watching her play this weekend. But no, the 5’8 guard is just a freshman, and she made quite an impression with her poise, smart decision making, ball handling, and rebounding ability from the guard position. She averaged over 11 points per game this season and strong for her age, led her team with 8 rebounds per game while having the second most assists. In short, she is as versatile as they come already, and it is scary to imagine how much better she will become in her last three seasons of varsity.
Avery Arnold, Blue Eye 2022, G – Avery compliments her twin sister Riley well with her ability to find the open spot to launch her 3 pointers. She scored 14 per game this season and shot 37% from 3 and can also finish close to the basket, favoring a floater or driving under the rim for reverse layups. She also excels on defense, causing turnovers with her 5’7 size and quickness. This weekend, she led her Blue Eye team in scoring in both games, with 17 points in the semi final loss to Ellington and 19 in the third place win over Scotland County.
Laura Gore, Ellington 2022, G – Gore is the fourth player for Ellington to be mentioned in this article and for good reason. She is an excellent 3 point shooter who nailed 37% on the season from out there and was especially knocking them down this weekend. In the win over Blue Eye, Gore made 4 of 9 threes and scored 12 and then late in the fourth quarter of the championship game, Gore knocked down a big 3 to help propel her team to the Class 2 title. She is an excellent compliment to her star teammate Kaylee King Kaylee King 5'4" | PG Ellington | 2023 State MO as the pair gives Ellington two excellent 3 point shooters to contend with.