2024 Season Review-Top Freshmen

Bobby Brown

March 30, 2024 @ 07:32 AM

What a year! A ton of new faces as I traveled the state to watch games. The competition seems to get better and better and the post season was as exciting as ever. Many new faces popped up on the varsity scene and a handful were only freshmen. The following is a list of the freshmen that got my attention and made a huge impact on their teams;   [player_tooltip player_id='1090299' first='Makenlie' last='Campbell']-5'6" SG, Springdale Har-Ber H.S. 2027-Super mature is my view on this very talented freshman. Makenlie, pictured above, adapted to the speed of the game at the Class 6A level very early this season and has produced ever since. She handles the ball on every possession. Her anticipation skills are excellent and she can hit the three ball. What a great feeling to know she'll be leading the way for the Wildcats for the next 3 seasons!   [player_tooltip player_id='593261' first='Syniah' last='Coachman']-5'10" F, Fayetteville H.S. 2027-What caught my eye about Syniah is her basketball IQ and her length. She has no problem getting in the paint and mixing it up. She will be a dominate player the next three years for the Lady Bulldogs. During the second half of the season she played facing the basket and will hit the trey or attack the basket to draw a foul. She'll take one of the leadership roles next season.   Brooklyn and Brianna Burnham-5'9" SG, Vilonia H.S. 2027-These are the Vilonia Eagle bookends. Both have very similar games. Both logged several minutes this season as freshmen in a high level 5A program. That spells trouble for their opponents. I was impressed by their balanced play and advance basketball IQ's. They both need to get stronger but the skill-set is there. Look for another deep post season appearance next year.   [player_tooltip player_id='1090355' first='Regan' last='Crusinbery']-5'7" SG, Bentonville West H.S. 2027-I watched Regan play just before the Christmas break and she certainly got my attention. Tough year for the Lady Wolverines but with Regan at the helm, things definitely are looking up. She's a streak shooter. If one drops, you'll see several drop! She goes 100% on every play, and has a knack to find a way to get open. Her footwork is excellent, and she'll be a big part of the team's turnaround in the 2024/25 season.   [player_tooltip player_id='593252' first='Jacey' last='Halitzka']-5'5" SG, Bergman H.S. 2027-I've been following Jacey since 7th grade during the summer campaigns. This young lady can shoot! Her basketball IQ is advanced and she moves very well without the ball. Jacey needs to get stronger when in traffic but if you leave her open she'll nail the three. Jacey help lead the Lady Panthers to defend their 3A State title next season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1196095' first='Natalie' last='Babb']-5'10" SG, Cutter Morning Star H.S. 2027-I had the opportunity to see Natalie play several times this season. Each time she got better. She handled the ball on almost every possession. That's big for a freshman. However, she can be affective at all 5 possessions so her versatility is huge for the team. She's strong and will lead the Lady Eagles to a post season appearance this coming season.   [player_tooltip player_id='883555' first='Kyah' last='Simmons']-5'6" PG, Wonderview H.S. 2027-Kyah popped up on my radar mid-season. Her basketball IQ was very advanced for a freshman. I liked her footwork on the defense side of the ball and she shoots the basketball at a high percentage rate. She has excellent form in all aspects of the game. Look for Kayh to take a leadership role for an outstanding 1A program at Wonderview.   [player_tooltip player_id='871171' first='McKenzie' last='Williams']-5'6" PG, Hot Springs Lakeside H.S 2027-Took in a couple of H.S. Lakeside games this season and McKenzie's growth and impact of the game has grown immensely! At the end of the season she was playing like a sophomore. She has excellent court vision. Her experience in this year's playoffs will carry forward and make her a better player. Next year she'll be leading the Lady Rams to another post-season appearance.   Every year new player pop up and get my attention. I'm looking forward to following these young ladies as they lead their respective schools. Next up, 2024 Top Sophomores!

What a year! A ton of new faces as I traveled the state to watch games. The competition seems to get better and better and the post season was as exciting as ever. Many new faces popped up on the varsity scene and a handful were only freshmen. The following is a list of the freshmen that got my attention and made a huge impact on their teams;