These 2025 3A Guards will steal the show this upcoming season

The 3A, 2A, and 1A classifications in Arkansas are small, but they are mighty. Most of these schools are in small towns, and they are the pride of their communities. The support from these schools is tremendous, and it trickles down to the athletes, and I would argue that it helps them play better. For these 3A senior guards, it is their last rodeo on their hometown teams. Expect these players to have monster seasons in what could be make or break years for a lot of the athletes.    Kierstan Lowry is one of the most important players on this Bergman team. She may not be the go-to scorer for the Lady Panthers, but she is their best 3-point markswomen. Every college in America needs at least one shooter, and that is her bread and butter.   Lowry has a very smooth shot. Her release is quick and her shot's arch is high. She understands spacing and can find her spots in any situation. Whether it is in the half-court or on the break, Lowry is able to get herself open and move without the basketball well. Her teammates do a great job finding her for open shots and she is a highly consistent shooter. The only critique I have on her shooting form is that she occasionally fades/leans back when shooting from downtown. Lowry still manages to make these shots, and it is a minor critique.   The Bergman Lady Panthers ran a devastating full-court press at times last season. Bergman caused a lot of turnovers and Lowry was the one on the benefitting-end of those turnovers. Lowry recorded numerous steals every game, showing her worth on more than just the offensive end.   Kierstan Lowry is a fantastic shooter with solid defensive capabilities. Bergman is set to have a dominant season in the 3A-2, so watch out for Lowry and the Lady Panthers.     I do not know what [player_tooltip player_id='1056355' first='Destiny' last='Burks'] cannot do on the court! She is Rivercrest High School's best player and maybe the best guard in 3A-3. She has averaged double digit points per game since her sophomore year and was even playing with Rivercrest's freshman team in the 7th grade. This past season, Burks averaged 16.7 points, 5.4 rebounds per game (1.7 offensive rebounds per game), 2.5 assists per game, and 3.1 steals per game. All of those totals were career highs. Do not be shocked if Burks has one of the best years out of any player in Northeast Arkansas.   Burks clearly has the green light to launch it from anywhere along the 3-point line, and I mean ANYWHERE. Burks might be halfway between the arch and the half-court line, but if no one is out there trying to guard her, she just says "don't mind if I do" and dials up the long ball. Her shot has great arch, and once it is up there, it takes three business days to come back down. Once it does, it is straight through the net. Burks also has the ability to knock down mid-range shots. If the defense flies by her on a pump fake, she will take and make dribble pull-ups. If the defense overplays her along the arch, Burks' handles and easy acceleration allow her to get straight to the basket, where she has the option of shooting a floater or taking it amongst the trees. Her finishing ability is tremendous. She might lack some size for her position, but she is able to glide inside and finish with both hands.   On defense, Burks makes winning plays. Opposing ball-handlers have to be careful not to be sloppy with the rock around Burks, because she will swipe it away and take it to the other end for an easy basket. While on the fastbreak, she makes smart passes, setting up her teammates for open looks at the rim.   [player_tooltip player_id='1056355' first='Destiny' last='Burks'] is a star, and sooner or later colleges will see that, too. It would not be surprising if Burks averaged upwards of 20 points per game this season, so make sure to keep an eye out for the Lady Colts.     [player_tooltip player_id='1049471' first='Dixie' last='Moulton'] is an excellent 3&D player for Greenland High School. She can torch the opposition from deep and she can wreak havoc on the defensive end. With a strong senior season, Moulton can be one of the most dynamic role-playing guards in the 3A classification.   Moulton has a great 3-point shot, and she can light it up so quickly. In January of her sophomore season, she exploded for 7 made threes against Eureka Springs High School. She was drilling her shots from the corner, the wing, and from the top of the key. The defense could not close out on her quick enough, especially when she was knocking down shots from several steps beyond the arch.   In the same month of her 3-point explosion, Moulton was devastating against Life Way Christian's offense, recording 8 steals! She was picking pockets, jumping the passing lanes, and picking up every loose ball. The Lady Pirates had so many fastbreak opportunities because of Moulton, and she actually had more steals than any statistic in that game.   [player_tooltip player_id='1049471' first='Dixie' last='Moulton'] did not replicate those dominant sophomore games in her junior season, but now is the time for that type of performance to reappear.     [player_tooltip player_id='435887' first='Macy' last='Willis'] has managed to become one of the best guards in the state of Arkansas, despite playing for 3A-2 Valley Springs High School. Most of Willis' play that has caught college scouts' attention has been with her AAU squad, the [program_tooltip program_id='712401' first='Arkansas' last='Sting']. This past summer, Willis was able to improve her stock and made some great plays.   Willis' best offensive ability is her shot-creation from beyond the arch. She is fantastic in catch-and-shoot situations, but Willis is perhaps even better when she is taking her defender off the dribble. Tight contests do not bother her when she is going up for a shot, and she is able to collect and balance herself while going up for a triple. Her shooting form is very fluid, and all of her makes seem to be nothing but net.   On defense, Willis can create plays off of turnovers, usually off of ones that she forced. From there, Willis can take it to the rack against the teeth of the defense. Her finishing ability is phenomenal. She is able to find every crease in the defense and she can squeeze her way in for tough layups.   Unfortunately for college coaches, Willis committed to play at Henderson State University on August 27th. She may be off the recruiting market as of now, but Willis will be one of the best guards in Arkansas this upcoming season, so she will be worth keeping up with.     PSA: [player_tooltip player_id='465498' first='Kadee' last='Keaster'] is no longer at Atkins High School, she is now at Dover High School.   [player_tooltip player_id='465498' first='Kadee' last='Keaster'] was a great player with the [program_tooltip program_id='712401' first='Arkansas' last='Sting'], and played great alongside Sting teammate [player_tooltip player_id='435887' first='Macy' last='Willis']. They will both be playing together once again with Henderson State University, as Keaster committed to play for the Reddies this past summer.   This past summer with the [program_tooltip program_id='712401' first='Arkansas' last='Sting'], Keaster showed off much of her ability as a point guard. Keaster can shoot, score inside, defend, and make plays for others. Being a playmaker and floor general is her best overall skill, as she has shown that she is a brilliant passer. She looks like a hall-of-fame quarterback when she is making one-hand passes from one end of the floor to the other. Keaster is also great at recognizing her teammates' off-ball movements. She identifies when and where her teammates will cut and hits them with perfect passes for easy assists. Whenever she assists one of her teammates, Keaster makes sure she goes to them after the play to high-five them. That is a small indication that Keaster is a leader, which is important for a point guard.   Scoring-wise, Keaster can just about do it all. She drives hard to the paint and she uses a variety of ball-fakes to get around the defense to score. Keaster has no problem taking on contact and finishing over taller defenders. She can also make slick passes to her teammates if the defense collapses on her. Keaster's jumpshot is another strong part of her game. She feasts on short jumpers, especially on the fastbreak, but she is also a solid 3-point shooter who does well in dribble pull-up and catch-and-shoot situations.   [player_tooltip player_id='465498' first='Kadee' last='Keaster'] is no longer an uncommitted prospect, so for colleges finding out about her late, too bad so sad. But it will be interesting to watch her with her new school of Dover High, especially when they take on fellow 3A-5 opponent Atkins High School (Keaster's former squad).     Livi McClain is an offensive juggernaut for the Charleston Lady Tigers. She can just about do it all: shoot from outside, score inside, and play solid defense. McClain has been offered by almost every NAIA, JUCO, and Division 3 school in the state, but with a strong senior season, expect even more offers to come flooding in.   McClain is at her best on offense, especially when she is shooting from beyond the arch. Her 3-point and mid-range shooting are nearly impossible to stop. She comes off of screens for catch-and-shoot looks almost every possession for Charleston, and she is usually cashing in. Her release is very quick and she does not mind shooting a few steps beyond the line. When defenses close out too hard against her, McClain does not hesitate to drive the lane and find ways to score inside. McClain can finish over taller defenders, but she is better shooting floaters and runners in the lane--it is just about as good as her outside shooting. She also takes on contact well, and she must have Lady Luck on her side because of the way she is able to make impossible shots.   McClain has also shown that she defends well. She is not a major threat to steal the ball multiple times a game, but she does not need to. McClain plays tight on-ball defense and forces the opposition to have to pass away from her or take bad shots.   Livi McClain has been offered by South Arkansas College, Lyon College, Crowley's Ridge College, North Arkansas College, and from McPherson College in Kansas. All of those offers came in this past summer, but look out for McClain to receive more in 2024/25.     [player_tooltip player_id='1049417' first='Annabelle' last='Perry'] should be a top 15 player in the state of Arkansas. I thought about ending her evaluation there so you could go watch her yourself, but I guess I will do my job. Perry is a tall guard who can do literally everything for her team. Paris High School relies on her for much of their production, and frankly, she could play 1 v 5 against their opponents and she would still put up good numbers. Perry is a fantastic basketball player, and if she has not already heard from colleges, she should soon.   Perry's best attribute is that she is versatile. She is Paris's primary ball-handler and her on-ball usage percentage has to be through the roof, but she can also score off the ball and out of position. Her 5'10" athletic frame makes Perry a great forward, and even though she is most affective as a guard, she could be used at the 1, 2, 3, and possibly 4 positions at the next level.   Perry averaged 21 points per game as a junior driving inside and being able to knock down open perimeter shots. Her shooting percentages will need to increase as she enters her senior year, but she has the tools to be a knockdown shooter. Her shot release is extremely quick and she has equal comfort level shooting anywhere from the 3-point line. She can hit those shots off the dribble, but she has shown that she shoots it well off the catch. When it comes to the interior, Perry has no regard for the defense and can take it up against the best defenders and still score. That is another reason why her height is so important; she may be a guard, but not even bigs can stop her inside.   On defense, Perry again uses her height to her advantage by being able to block shot after shot. She is also a fantastic on-ball defender, with the ability to play the passing lanes.   Her junior season totals tallied up to 21.6 points per game, 10.2 rebounds per game, 3.3 assists per game, 3.0 steals per game, and 1.1 blocks per game. Perry also shot 50% from the field, and that is with the defense's total attention on her. There is no reason why [player_tooltip player_id='1049417' first='Annabelle' last='Perry'] is not a college prospect, and she has serious Division 2 or Division 1 talent. Expect her to pop off in 2024/25.     [player_tooltip player_id='1049473' first='Heather' last='Buffalo'] will be starting her first and only season with the Centerpoint Lady Knights this season after playing previously with 2A Carlisle High School. Back in August, Buffalo picked up an offer from Ecclesia College, and with an impactful senior season, do not be surprised if she puts herself further onto the college map.   Offensively, Buffalo provides shooting consistency to her team. She has a quick and flexible release from beyond the arch, and she has shown that she can hit dribble pull-ups in the mid-range. Buffalo is also able to attack along the baseline if the defensive closeouts are too tight and score with a floater. She has also shown the ability to crash the offensive glass and score second-chance points.   On defense, Buffalo has active hands and is able to poke a number of balls away. Once she records the steal, her full-court ball-handling is solid enough for her to drive the length of the floor for fastbreak buckets.   [player_tooltip player_id='1049473' first='Heather' last='Buffalo'] will be on a Centerpoint team that has a lot of potential. Keep an eye on Buffalo and her squad in 2024/25.     When watching Harrisburg basketball, it becomes clear that [player_tooltip player_id='1056360' first='Elisabeth' last='Green'] is one of their best players on both sides of the ball. She is asked to initiate the offense, be the number one scorer, and be Harrisburg's best perimeter defender. For her two seasons on varsity, she was able to do that well, especially as a junior averaging 16.2 points, 6.3 rebounds (2.6 offensive rebounds), 2.5 assists, 42% from the field, and 3.9 steals per game.   Green is at her best when she is being used as a slasher. She drives hard to the rack and finishes through contact. She uses her long stride and a mix of ball-fakes to create some distance between her and her defender. Green's shooting ability is not her strong-suit, but she does have potential to be a consistent shooter with her quick release and fundamental form.   There is a reason why Green averaged 3.9 steals as a junior and 3.4 as a sophomore, and it is because she is a hard-nosed, aggressive defender. She plays extremely tight defense along the perimeter, utilizing her length and wingspan to keep the opposition in front. Green has active hands and is hungry for the basketball. She loves to rip the ball out of the opposition's hands when they come down for a rebound. Good luck trying to dribble around her, because she will swipe it and take it to the other end.   [player_tooltip player_id='1056360' first='Elisabeth' last='Green'] was all-state and all-conference in the 3A-3 for a reason. Expect Green and her squad to find a lot of success this upcoming season.     [player_tooltip player_id='1049476' first='Kylea' last='Morgan'] is one of those basketball players that every coach in America would love to have ten of. Melbourne is certainly lucky they have her, and she is being used to the best of her abilities. Morgan is a scrappy player who hustles hard every possession, and what college coach would not want that?   Morgan has a nice jumpshot and can shoot the three and mid-range jumpers, but her offense is best when she is running out on the fastbreak or crashing the glass for second-chance points. Not many guards are like this, but she makes a living doing her job.   In a game against Cave City High School last season, Morgan essentially had 4 steals in a row that led to easy fastbreak buckets. Her speed and athleticism help separate her from other guards in 3A. Her hands are very active and she steals the ball multiple times in what seems like every quarter. Once she has the ball in her hands, do not bother trying to race down to the other end to stop her on the fastbreak. Her handles are solid and once she has her sights on the basket, she is going to go up and finish those plays.   Her offensive rebounding is frustrating for other teams. She sets her team up for so many second chances and she herself grinds her way inside to score some putbacks. She is a threat every game to put up a double-double in points and rebounds.   [player_tooltip player_id='1049476' first='Kylea' last='Morgan'] has been impressive so far in her high school career, but to put her on the recruiting map, she will need a strong senior season. Keep an eye on Melbourne High School in 2024/25.    This article could easily be nearly a 45-minute read with all of the talent that 3A has to offer. The 3A 2025 guard class is stellar, with so much more depth that I did not cover. The 3A 2025 forward group also has a lot of talent, so keep an eye on my next article which will release soon.

The 3A, 2A, and 1A classifications in Arkansas are small, but they are mighty. Most of these schools are in small towns, and they are the pride of their communities. The support from these schools is tremendous, and it trickles down to the athletes, and I would argue that it helps them play better. For these 3A senior guards, it is their last rodeo on their hometown teams. Expect these players to have monster seasons in what could be make or break years for a lot of the athletes.