Excellent Guards in the Midland Empire Conference

There is some tremendous basketball being played in the Midland Empire Conference this season. Multiple teams are currently in the state rankings with impressive records. There are four teams that are in the latest Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Class 4 state poll.   St. Joe Lafayette is currently ranked No. 3 in the state rankings. The Irish (17-2) have spent some time at the No. 1 spot in the state poll. Chillicothe (16-2) is ranked No. 4, St. Joe Benton (xx) is ranked No. 7 while Savannah (16-1) is ranked No. 9 in Class 4. Maryville also checks in with a 13-4 record.   We had a chance to watch a number of games involving MEC teams. Here is a look at some of the top guards of note in the Midland Empire Conference.     [player_tooltip player_id='351758' first='Eliana' last='Arambula'] (Benton): A 5'6" 2026 point guard who has been the consummate floor general for the Cardinals ever since she entered the program as a freshman. She has helped lead Benton to a pair of state championship-game appearances. She has tremendous quickness and ball handling ability along with her feel for the game. Her passing skills are excellent as she can drop nifty dimes with either hand. She can also score from all three levels as she can break down defenders with dribble penetration.     [player_tooltip player_id='1113094' first='Rozlyn' last='McDevitt'] (Lafayette): A talented 5'6" 2028 point guard who is an excellent playmaker with elite passing ability. She can thread the needle through the lane and she feeds the ball into the low post very well. She distributes the ball well and she can also score when she is assertive on offense. She is effective in the open court and she is always looking up the floor to make the pass. She can break down defenders to create her own shot.     [player_tooltip player_id='905750' first='Ella' last='Scott'] (Savannah): A 5'7" 2026 guard who is one of the best perimeter shooters in the NWMO area. In one game that I watched her, she made four 3-pointers in a half in the championship game of the xx Tournament. She has a quick release on her shot and she can shoot it from well beyond the 3-point line. She is shooting 40 percent from 3-point range while making 55 triples. She can also attack the close out and score on slashing drive into the lane.     [player_tooltip player_id='910379' first='Lexy' last='Smith'] (Chillicothe): A 5'7" 2028 point guard who has a nice combination of playmaking skills and scoring ability. She plays the game at her own pace and she does well in the pick and roll. She hits 3-pointers off the high ball screen and she can also score on a runner in the lane. Her court vision is also very good as she can thread the needle through traffic to a teammates for a bucket.     [player_tooltip player_id='897896' first='Mylee' last='Schrick'] (Savannah): A 5'6" 2026 guard who impacts the game in a variety of ways to help her team succeed. She is very effective when she attacks in the lane as she can draw contact. She can also dial it up from 3-point range. She is currently averaging 10 points, four rebounds and three assists a game.     Jade Price (Maryville): A 5'4" 2028 guard who has excellent speed and quickness to excel in the open court. She has a nice shooting stroke from 3-point range and she can also penetrate in the lane and hit the runner. She also does a good job of the defensive end applying good on-ball pressure.     Jerzey Ziolkowski (Benton): A 2026 guard who does a solid job of impacting play at both ends of the floor with her high energy and motor. She really gets after opposing ball handlers on the defensive end. She will take the ball if you are not careful with it. She can make the open 3-point shot and she loves to attack in the lane. She's constantly making things happen.     Taylor Hilsabeck (Savannah): A 5'10" 2028 who has good height and length for the point guard position that she plays. She is a solid ball handler with good athleticism. She was grabbing rebounds and going coast to coast on the dribble. She comes off the down screen to hit open 3-pointers. She is currently averaging eight points, three assists and two steals a game.     Payton Kurz (Maryville): A 5'2" 2029 point guard who is very quick and who is very good at keeping defenders off balance with her addition to change speeds and directions while on the move. Her hesitation move is also very effective. She turns the corner and can get downhill on the drive with good speed. She will find the open teammate or hit the pull up jumper on the move.

There is some tremendous basketball being played in the Midland Empire Conference this season. Multiple teams are currently in the state rankings with impressive records. There are four teams that are in the latest Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Class 4 state poll.