Class 1A Arkansas high school girls basketball preview
With the start of a new season, SBLive is previewing Arkansas high school basketball. Today, we feature eight teams to watch from the girls ranks of Class 1A. Over the coming weeks there will be features for each classification as well as player position lists.
Head over to the website for complete coverage and standings throughout the season. You can also listen to our weekly podcast, Arkansas Prep X-tra, for even more in-depth coverage.
EMERSON PIRATES
Head Coach: TC French
Conference: 1A-8
2022-23 Finish: 25-10
Notable Departures
None.
Players To Watch
G Sidney Tinnell 5-2 SR | all-conference
G Savannah Pyle 5-7 SR | all-conf, all-state
F Layla Tell 6-0 JR
G Bra'lee Phillips 5-7 SR | all-conference
F Niya Franklin 5-7 SR
G Meg Ainsworth 5-5 SR
G Kalee Hansen 5-1 SO
F Dana Hampton 6-0 JR
Outlook
There are a few teams to keep your eye on in south Arkansas, but this group of Lady Pirates may be the most unknown. Everyone returns from the last season's squad that won 25 games, including sharpshooting seniors Tinell (10 PPG, 106 three-pointers made) and Pyle (19.8 PPG, 46% from three-point range on 96 made). Another top scorer, Phillips (10 PPG), is back along with leading rebounder Franklin, who averaged 11 per contest. Tell is a talented move-in from Haynesville (La.) who expects to be a huge addition, while Coach French added that Hampton has drastically improved over the offseason and expects her minutes to pick up.
Coach Said
"We have some tough games at the first of the year, but we really want to start well against good competition. Our goal is to reach our potential, whatever that may be. If that is a championship, then that is what we want, but we want to know when we look back at the season that we reached our potential. We think we are the favorite in the conference and feel we should be a top team in the region."
- TC French
JASPER PIRATES
Head Coach: Ben Grice
Conference: 1A-1E
2022-23 Finish: 25-13, 1A state quarterfinalist
Notable Departures
Aubrey Henderson | all-conference, all-state, all-state tournament, Ouachita Baptist signee
Skylea Lager | all-conference
Bryleigh Davis | all-conference
Brielle Brasel | all-conference
Players To Watch
F Lyla Raulston 5-10 JR
G Laney Daniels 5-5 SO
G Jadeyn Middleton 5-6 SO
G Willa Young 5-4 FR
F Tiana Siebert 5-8 JR
Outlook
Don't be fooled by the amount of departing experience, the Lady Pirates are not going away anytime soon. Raulston (13.2 PPG, 5 RBG, 40% 3PT) returns as the team's leading scorer and provides plenty of length, while Daniels brings experience in the back court after moving up to varsity late last season and averaged nine points per game while shooting 38% from three-point range. Grice expects Siebert and Young to take the next steps forward and add even more quality depth to the back court with the addition of Middleton, a transfer from nearby Deer.
Coach Said
“We are optimistic about a successful season. We feel we have the quickness and athleticism to compete with anyone. We are a young team, but we do not lack experience. These girls have worked extremely hard the last few months in order to be prepared for a tough non-conference and conference schedule this year.”
- Ben Grice
Mammoth Srping guard Brynn Washam (Photo by Tommy Land)
MAMMOTH SPRING BEARS
Head Coach: Scott Small
Conference: 1A-3
2022-23 Finish: 38-4, 1A state champions
Notable Departures
Sara Crowe | Williams Baptist College signee, all-state, all-conference
Lauren Skaggs | all-conference
Players To Watch
G Tay Davis 5-9 SR
G Adrianna Corbett 5-9 SR
G Brynn Washam 5-9 SR
G Laney Young 5-6 SR
Outlook
Young sophomore star Brynn Washam and head coach Small Small mentioned following Mammoth Spring’s loss to Norfork in the 2022 state finals that they felt like they had a chance to make it back in 2023. The Lady Bears followed through on that and earned the program’s first state championship by defeating, coincidentally, Norfork. Crowe’s presence will be missed down low, but overall the Lady Bears return the corps of length and experience with seniors Davis, Corbett, Washam and Young that could propel them to winning consecutive state titles and add another layer of success for this heralded senior class.
Coach Said
“We hope to have another successful season. Losing a key starter from last year's group has caused us to have to change our style of play slightly, but the strength of our schedule, a core group of veteran leaders, and some promising underclassmen will hopefully combine to put us into a position to make a good postseason run.”
- Scott Small
MARKED TREE INDIANS
Head Coach: Colten Frazier
Conference: 1A-3
2022-23 Finish: 23-10, 1A state first round
Notable Departures
Kiasia Burns | Williams Baptist University signee, all-conference
Players To Watch
F Journi Versie 5-10 JR
G Zyonna Anderson 5-4 JR
G Kimyhe Jones 5-6 JR
G/F Lakrissa Dupree 5-9 FR
G Alyssa McGuire 5-8 FR
Outlook
A young corps did a lot of good things for the Indians last season, but there is no question they are out to make a statement following a tough finish to the 2022-23 season in which they lost four of their final five games. Versie (10 PPG, 10 RPG) provides the most experience down low, while Anderson (13 PPG, 5 APG, 4 SPG) and Jones (6 PPG, 3 SPG, 3 APG) return in the Lady Indians' back court. Dupree and McGuire have moved up from the junior high squad and expect to figure into the rotation. Two of Marked Tree's opponents early in the season feature 2A power Riverside on November 9 and defending 1A state champion Mammoth Spring on December 8.
Coach Said
"We are really looking forward to the '23-24 season and hope to improve from our early state tournament exit. We had a strong finish in summer camp play and these girls have worked extremely hard all summer on "buying-in" to the little things. We have several returning starters with a lot of experience and some incoming freshman that will contribute in a big way."
- Colten Frazier
Norfork's Keely Blanchard (Photo by Tommy Land).
NORFORK PANTHERS
Head Coach: Luke Cornett
Conference: 1A-2
2022-23 Finish: 28-8, 1A state runner-up
Notable Departures
Kiley Alman | all-conference all-state tournament
Jordan Rasmussen | Crowley's Ridge College signee. all-conference
Players To Watch
G Keely Blanchard 5-10 SR
G Kasey Moody 5-7 SR
G Liza Shaddy 5-9 SR
G Hadley Acklin 5-2 JR
G Marlee Shields 5-2 JR
P Jenna Rasmussen 5-7 SO
G Shelby Free 5-5 SO
G Cate Shaddy 5-8 FR
G Maggie Tyrone 5-9 FR
Outlook
The Lady Panthers, as well as head coach Luke Cornett, have become familiar with mid-March trips to Hot Springs. Cornett won the 1A championship with Rural Special in 2021, then led Norfork there last season where it feel to Mammoth Spring, the same squad it defeated in the 2022 state finals. One of the more experienced back courts in Class 1A, featuring the trio of Blanchard (15.1 PPG, 7.1 APG), Moody and Liza Shaddy (14.2 PPG, 8.3 RPG), will be mentoring a talented corps that hopes to continue the tradition and winning the program's second state title in the past three seasons would be a great way to keep it going.
Coach Said
"We have a really returning corps, I could not ask for a more experienced team to play with. There were some things that we worked on this summer that I think can make us even better than last year from a guard standpoint. The ones that I have returning, I hope they return even better. It is a tall task once you get to where they have been and had so much success, you just minutely pick things out to improve on. I am going to have two players at all times on the floor who are inexperienced, so there is going to be some growing pains that we will go through this year while trying to get to know each other. I think I have got enough kids who can step up and help us get back to Hot Springs, that is our goal. Hopefully we can build throughout the year and land there in March."
- Luke Cornett
RURAL SPECIAL REBELS
Head Coach: Hanse Bowman
Conference: 1A-2
2022-23 Finish: 19-16, 1A state semifinalist
Notable Departures
Kylan Stevens | Crowley’s Ridge College signee, all-conference, all-state
Braylen "T" Morgan | Crowley's Ridge College signee, all-conference
Players To Watch
G Rayleigh Turner 5-8 SO
G Emma Goins 5-4 JR
F Kendall Kocher 5-9 JR
G Rieley Sutterfield 5-2 SO
G/F Aubrey Linville 5-7 SO
Outlook
A late-season surge led to Rural winning six of its final eight contests and a run to the semifinals, the two losses coming to state finalists Mammoth Spring and Norfork. The only thing this squad currently lacks is experience with the departure of Morgan and Stevens, but there is no shortage of talent. Turner is, for now, one of the better kept secrets in Arkansas, while Goins joins her as a returner in the back court, while Kocher provides the most length. Sutterfield and Linville each stepped up during during the postseason and will take larger roles. The Lady Rebels will be heavily battle-tested early, as their season begins with defending 1A champion Mammoth Spring, followed by Wonderview.
Coach Said
"We are a really young team, but we will have a lot of depth compared to what we had last year. We are a little bit undersized and there are going to be some things that we have to learn and grow through, but I am excited to know that we have some kids that will play really hard."
- Hanse Bowman
TAYLOR TIGERS
Head Coach: Devin Graves
Conference: 1A-7
2022-23 Finish: 24-7, 1A state quarterfinalist
Notable Departures
Maggie McHenry | all-conference, all-state tournament
Players To Watch
G Heidi May 5-7 SR | all-conference
G Brooke Nunn 5-7 JR
G Gracyn Lyons 5-6 SR
F Genna Braswell 5-10 SO
P Gabi Bradford 5-11 SO
Outlook
It would be difficult to find a sport Taylor does not excel at, and there is no exception to that on the basketball court. The Lady Tigers' quarterfinal run was ended by eventual state champion Mammoth Spring, but they won 14 of their last 17 games and hope to build off of that. May battled through an injury late in the year, but returns healthy in the backcourt along with Nunn and Lyons, who played mostly in a sixth man role last season. Braswell and Bradford bring additional length to the floor that should earn them extra minutes.
Coach Said
"We had a good summer of team camps and got better with each game! The girls work hard and are great competitors. I am looking forward to an exciting year."
- Devin Graves
WONDERVIEW DAREDEVILS
Head Coach: Mark Simmons
Conference: 1A-4
2022-23 Finish: 26-10, 1A state semifinalist
Notable Departures
Abbi Baker | all-conference
Madison Stovall | Webster (Mo.) University signee, all-state tournament
Players To Watch
F Riley Gottsponer 6-1 SR | John Brown University commit, all-conference
P Layla Terry 6-3 SR | all-conference, all-state
G/F Anna Ford 5-11 SR | all-conference
G Allison Pruitt 5-8 SR | all-conference
G Autumn McClaren 5-5 SR
G Kyah Simmons 5-7 FR
G/F Shaelyn Dockery 5-10 SO
G Jeslyn Ward 5-9 JR
Outlook
There are a lot of great things you can say about this group, but Wonderview might just have the most size of anyone in Class 1A with college prospects Gottsponer (14 PPG) and Terry (12 PPG, 10 RPG), along with Ford who can also really snipe from long range (76 three-pointers made). Floor general Pruitt (5 APG, 3 SPG) is possibly the most unheralded returnee, while McClaren provides additional depth in the Lady Daredevils backcourt. Following a 1A semifinal run, Wonderview has made sure to challenge themselves as they will face off against the likes of defending 1A semifinalist Rural Special, defending 2A state champion Mt. Vernon-Enola, along with defending 3A runner-up Lamar all in the first month.
Coach Said
"Coming off a successful 2022-2023, this year's team has the right ingredients to build off the success of last season. This group has worked extremely hard to improve and are hungry for success this season."
- Mark Simmons
OTHERS TO WATCH: Bradley, Concord, Kirby
--Kyle Sutherland | @k_sutherlandAR
