Top Arkansas Player by County: Craighead-Hot Spring Counties

Here is Part 2 of the top player in each Arkansas county as we head into the 2026-27 season. Of course, these are preseason picks, so a lot can change once the season starts in October.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Craighead County</h2>   In Craighead County, Jonesboro is by far the largest school, and they have a lot of championship history. Valley View competes in the 5A classification and also has a winning history. You can't forget about Buffalo Island Central, which has been a powerhouse for a long time. Ridgefield Christian, Bay, Riverside, and Westside Consolidated round out the schools in the county, and of all these schools, I believe Riverside has the best player in this region.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/arden-vaughn/" id="1202885">[player_tooltip player_id='1202885' first='Arden' last='Vaughn']</a>   Vaughn is young, but already heavily accomplished. During her sophomore year, she was an all-conference and all-state selection, while leading her team to a conference and district championship. On top of that, she eclipsed 1,000 career points and won Player of the Year.   She had some incredible statlines last season. In one of her last conference games, she put up 34 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 steals against Cross County, but she was even better earlier in the year against Sloan-Hendrix, the eventual 2A runner-ups. In that contest, she stuffed the stat sheet, logging 35 points, 16 boards, 3 assists, and 4 steals.   Vaughn can score from just about anywhere, can grab rebounds at both ends, and defend like her life depends on it. What more can you ask from your star forward?   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Crawford County</h2>   This county was tough to choose from. Alma is top-heavy with their star guards, and so are both Mountainburg and Cedarville. Van Buren and Mulberry have incredible tough players, but Alma's [player_tooltip player_id='881178' first='Brooklynn' last='Holt'] takes the cake, for now.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/brooklynn-holt/" id="881178">[player_tooltip player_id='881178' first='Brooklynn' last='Holt']</a>   Holt can do it all when she has the ball in her hands. This past season, she set a new career-high in scoring with her 33-point performance against Siloam Springs in February. During the 2025/26 campaign, Holt averaged 18.2 points and 2.5 steals per game on 47% EFG. She earned an all-conference selection and somehow only an all-state honorable mention selection. Obviously her offense is great, but she is a two-way star.   Holt's impressive average when it comes to her steals per game is glaring, and it helped cement her all-defensive selection this past season. The incoming senior is just about the perfect fit on any modern basketball team; she is a deep range deadeye who can lock down anyone in front of her. An easy pick for county's best player if you ask me.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Crittenden County</h2>   For basketball, Crittenden County is small, but mighty. West Memphis and Marion are the larger 5A schools in this portion of the state, but 1A Earle has a winning reputation, and the county's best player.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/journey-jefferson/" id="1091190">[player_tooltip player_id='1091190' first='Journey' last='Jefferson']</a>   Jefferson has been a crucial piece to multiple Earle Lady Bulldog championship runs, and she has been a consistent star for them, earning all-conference and all-state selections every single season of her high school career.   Jefferson is another scorer who is unguardable. She is a lethal outside shooter who is creative off the dribble. With that creativity, she picks apart defenses, and loves to get into the paint, finishing up and over any defender. On the defensive end, Jefferson attacks offensive players, forcing them into poor decisions and turnovers.   Earle just graduated its top guard this past offseason, so now it's Jefferson's turn to cement herself as the top player in the county, and in the classification.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cross County</h2>   Cross County is populated by just two schools: Wynne and Cross County. Both teams have talent who are still flying under the radar, and who are without a doubt underrated. However, Cross County's [player_tooltip player_id='1180790' first='Brooklyn' last='Miller'] might just be the most likely player to claim best player in her school's namesake.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/brooklyn-miller/" id="1180790">[player_tooltip player_id='1180790' first='Brooklyn' last='Miller']</a>   Miller has been one of Cross County's top scorers for years, even going back to her junior high days.   This past season, she earned her team's offensive MVP starting at point guard. Miller is a threat to score from the perimeter, but once she finds a lane to the basket, then she is automatically getting two points. As a point guard, Miller was tasked with leading the Lady Thunderbird offense, and she did so well.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Dallas County</h2>   Fordyce is the only school in the county, which means the choice here is easy: [player_tooltip player_id='1826409' first='Jelisa' last='Lotts']. However, even if there was another school or two in this county, I would still give the mantle of "top player in Dallas County" to [player_tooltip player_id='1826409' first='Jelisa' last='Lotts'].   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/jelisa-lotts/" id="1826409">[player_tooltip player_id='1826409' first='Jelisa' last='Lotts']</a>   Lotts is in for a much larger role this coming year, but she still put together a solid string of good performances this past season. She started the year with a 15-point, 3-steal outing against Bearden, and then she picked her game up almost every week after that. Lotts had 16 points the next week against Ouachita, then 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals versus Rison, then a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds in a contest with Woodlawn.   I'm considering Lotts for the county's top player because of her all-around impact. She is going to score the ball effectively--especially inside--rebound on both ends of the floor, and defend the perimeter well.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Desha County</h2>   For the last couple of seasons, Dumas and McGehee have been hot beds for deep talent. Both teams had rosters that were extensive, and whether they were the first off the bench or the last, they more than likely deserved to play. However, McGehee's [player_tooltip player_id='1198791' first='Makaelah' last='Green'] has broken through and cemented herself as the county's biggest star.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/makaelah-green/" id="1198791">[player_tooltip player_id='1198791' first='Makaelah' last='Green']</a>   Green is a great scorer, truly one of the best in the 3A classification. She has a handle that will make defenders fall backwards, and she can pull up off the dribble and drain a jumper in someone's face. But, Green isn't always the one doing to scoring for the Lady Owls. She trusts her teammates and she makes sure to deliver passes on time and on target.   McGehee was the 3A runner-ups this past year, and based on what I've seen from Green thus far, she is going to take them back to that game, even if she has to do it all by herself.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Drew County</h2>   Drew County only has Monticello and Drew Central, but both schools feature solid players. But for Monticello, they might just have the best in [player_tooltip player_id='1807464' first='Janiyah' last='Goodman'].   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/janiyah-goodman/" id="1807464">[player_tooltip player_id='1807464' first='Janiyah' last='Goodman']</a>   After averaging 15 points a night, Goodman is back and ready to get it done with Monticello again.   Goodman shot 41% from 3-point land last season, proving just how deadly she is along the perimeter, being a player who cannot get good looks off the catch or the dribble. She can get to the basket whenever she wants, and she is a solid finisher, making sure to draw contact.   Monticello is an underrated 4A squad, and if Goodman has another great year like she had in 2025/26, the Lady Billies are going to make some noise come tournament time.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Faulkner County</h2>   Faulkner County has quite a few high schools, with Conway Christian, Conway, and Conway St. Joseph being in just the county seat. Outside of Conway, there are some truly solid teams: Greenbrier, Vilonia, Mount Vernon-Enola, Mayflower, and Guy-Perkins. There are not many counties with numerous schools where I can legitimately say every school in that county has a solid basketball team, but Faulkner County is one. However, [player_tooltip player_id='1090383' first='Kylie' last='Johnson'] of Conway High School clears as the county's top player.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/kylie-johnson-3/" id="1090383">[player_tooltip player_id='1090383' first='Kylie' last='Johnson']</a>   In the middle of a stacked 2028 class, Johnson has been a star. She is coming off a season where she was given a lot more responsibility, and she walked away with all-conference, all-state, and all-defensive selections.   Johnson is a physical forward who can do no wrong when the ball is in her hands. She has the capability to push defenders around inside and score through contact, but she is a very talented driver, and is excellent at creating off the dribble. From the perimeter, Johnson is letting it fly from deep whenever she gets a look that she likes, and pretty often, she is knocking them down.   To round out her game, Johnson has progressed into an elite defender and rebounder, and it's not a surprise that Division I schools have been all over her already.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Franklin County</h2>   On that I-40 corridor is Ozark and Charleston. Both teams are solid, but Charleston takes the edge, as their young star [player_tooltip player_id='1806191' first='Anna' last='Kate Lovett'] will soon be a household name.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/anna-kate-lovett/" id="1806191">[player_tooltip player_id='1806191' first='Anna' last='Kate Lovett']</a>   Lovett earned a lot of local recognition this past season as a freshman, in addition to her all-state selection.   She put together numerous strong performances, but one of her best in my opinion was late in the year in February, where she put up 12 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals, showcasing just how impactful she is everywhere on the court. However, she went off earlier that month against Booneville, posting 26 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 steals.   Offensively, Lovett is both a beast in transition and from behind the arc. In that Booneville contest, she hit 5 triples off the catch, and she had no trouble shooting from well beyond the 3-point line. Her defense, rebounding, and playmaking help round her out as a true star.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Fulton County</h2>   Fulton County consists of several small schools, including Salem, Viola, and Mammoth Spring. For this county though, Viola's Taylor Richardson is the big time standout, and has been for a while   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/taylor-reese-richardson/" id="877662">Taylor Richardson</a>   Richardson had another great season wearing the orange and white, winning all-state tournament and all-conference, while also averaging around 17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks per game. She recorded 11 double-doubles this past regular season, picking up her 11th against Bradley when she put up 18 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks. Richardson was just as good to start her AAU slate, scoring 14 points and pulling down 12 boards against UBUNTU   Richardson can clearly do a bit of everything. She can score from inside and out, rebound on both ends of the floor, facilitate, and lock down some of the opposition's best guards. Easy choice for this preseason award.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Garland County</h2>   Like Faulkner, Garland County has a bunch of different schools. There is Lake Hamilton, Lakeside, Hot Springs, Jessieville, Christian Ministries Academy, Mountain Pine, Gospel Light Christian, Fountain Lake, and Cutter-Morning Star. Combined, the county is scary good when it comes to basketball talent, but [player_tooltip player_id='1251732' first='Maylee' last='Robinson'] of Lake Hamilton stands out among the rest.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/maylee-robinson/" id="1251732">[player_tooltip player_id='1251732' first='Maylee' last='Robinson']</a>   Robinson had a solid season with Lake Hamilton, and she is still developing into a star player.   Robinson is already very comfortable with the ball in her hands, and she is a very fluid scorer. Though she plays a lot of power forward and center, she is a highly skilled 3-point shooter who will actually run off screens, get open, and knock down a catch-and-shoot jumper. When she is down low, she does a great job getting defenders to fly by on pump fakes and then she is able to easily finish through traffic.   I want to see Robinson take a major step up this coming season, and with at least 3 starters graduating this past May, she will have a chance to make that major next step.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Grant County</h2>   Grant County is another small Arkansas county, but with Sheridan and Poyen, they offer a lot of offensive firepower, especially with Poyen's [player_tooltip player_id='952547' first='Kenady' last='Barrett'].   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/kenady-barrett/" id="952547">[player_tooltip player_id='952547' first='Kenady' last='Barrett']</a>   Barrett is truly one of the best players in the state. She is coming off a season where she averaged just shy of 30 points per game, clocking in at 29.6. When it comes to shooting, Barrett is going to burn the laces off the ball, as she is a phenomenal 3-point shooter off the catch and the dribble. The rising junior can get to the basket at any time, thanks to her great handle and superior scoring IQ.   Barrett is also more than a scorer, as she collected 358 rebounds this past year, which is 10.8 a game. This is highly impressive, especially as a guard, which may be one of many reasons why she is collecting D1 offers (she has received recent ones from Arkansas, Abilene Christian, Drake, etc).   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Greene County</h2>   Paragould is the major city in Greene County, consisting of Greene County Tech and Paragould. Crowley's Ridge Academy and Marmaduke are also in this county. With GCT undergoing some major changes with personnel, [player_tooltip player_id='1091135' first='Kinsley' last='Patterson'] is the one player who they will look for to take over the offense.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/kinsley-patterson/" id="1091135">[player_tooltip player_id='1091135' first='Kinsley' last='Patterson']</a>   During her first season with the Lady Golden Eagles, Patterson averaged 11.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks per contest. She shot 44% from the field and 72% from the charity stripe, while knocking down 17 triples on the year.   Patterson is a physical forward who loves to attack the basket. She absorbs contact and seems very comfortable when attempting to finish through traffic. Her physicality extends to her work on the glass and defensive end, as no opponent can box her out, nor can they back her down in the post.   I think she has a college basketball future, but that will all depend on her performance and role increase this coming year.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Hempstead County</h2>   Hope competes in the 5A classification, but outside of that, Hempstead County features some small schools: Garrett Memorial, Spring Hill, and Blevins. However, I believe the latter of schools has the best player in the count, currently.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/majesty-manning/" id="1251537">[player_tooltip player_id='1251537' first='Majesty' last='Manning']</a>   Manning is coming off an all-conference, all-state, and all-region campaign in her first season with the Blevins Lady Hornets.   She makes scoring look easy, as Manning has had impressive performances against teams like Bradley and Umpire, where she had 25 points and 24 points respectively. She is capable of putting up 20+ on any given night thanks to her outside shooting ability and her skills as a slasher.   Manning was vital to Blevins' solid 2025/26 campaign, and I would imagine she will have a similar impact this coming season.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Hot Spring County</h2>   Hot Spring County (which I will never understand why Hot Springs is not in this county) has Malvern, Ouachita, Glen Rose, Bismarck, and Magnet Cove. Though all of these teams have great players littered on their rosters, I think [player_tooltip player_id='1192817' first='Grace' last='Efird'] may have the best season of them all.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/grace-efird/" id="1192817">[player_tooltip player_id='1192817' first='Grace' last='Efird']</a>   This past season, Efird was truly spectacular. She averaged 24.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 3.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per contest. Her shooting numbers were tough to beat, as she knocked down 49.5% of all of her shots this past season, including 55% of her 2-pointers. She only shot 30% from 3-point range, but still knocked down over 1 a game.   Thanks to her incredible play as just a sophomore, Efird eclipsed 1,000 career points and has already attracted collegiate attention, with Hendrix College extending her an offer last month.   Based on those numbers and what she means to this Bismarck squad, there is no doubt in my mind that Efird won't be the top player in Hot Spring County this year.

Here is Part 2 of the top player in each Arkansas county as we head into the 2026-27 season. Of course, these are preseason picks, so a lot can change once the season starts in October.