Springfield boys basketball Class 2 districts preview: Schedule, top players, predictions

Wyatt D. Wheeler, Springfield News-Leader

It's postseason time for high school basketball across southwest Missouri.

Classes 1-3 will tip off district play on Monday all across the area. We went through and provided the brackets, top teams, players to watch and predictions for each local district.

Check MSHSAA.org for the most accurate times and brackets throughout the postseason.

SPRINGFIELD AREA GIRLS BASKETBALL DISTRICT PREVIEWS: Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3

SPRINGFIELD AREA BOYS BASKETBALL DISTRICT PREVIEWS: Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3

Class 2

No. 1 team: Salisbury

Only Class 4 Hallsville has been able to hand Salisbury a loss this season. Outside of those two blemishes, the Panthers have been ranked No. 1 for most of the season while coming off a state championship from a year ago. Cooper Francis, the Panthers' lone returning all-state performer, remains on the roster and has been putting up big numbers with his eyes on another title.

District 10 at Mansfield

Feb. 20

  • No. 4 Mansfield vs. No. 5 Bakersfield

  • No. 2 Gainesville vs. No. 7 Fordland

  • No. 3 Norwood vs. No. 6 Dora

Feb. 22

  • No. 1 Hartville vs. 4/5

  • 2/7 vs. 3/6

Feb. 24

  • Championship at 5 p.m.

Team to beat: Hartville. The No. 2 team in the state plays in Hartville and will contend for its third title in the last five years. The Eagles are coming off a fourth-place finish from a year ago and return the majority of their roster. Hartville has seen jumps in its offensive and defensive numbers from last year and its lone losses came to Willard and Logan-Rogersville at the Blue and Gold Tournament when it played without its head coach. The Eagles are going to have a shot at another title.

Next best: Gainesville. The Bulldogs are the No. 2 seed and just received a 30-point loss at Hartville on Feb. 13.

Prediction: Hartville over Gainesville.

District 12 at ETG Sports & Events Center (Joplin)

Feb. 20

  • No. 4 Liberal vs. No. 5 Jasper

  • No. 2 Miller vs. No. 7 Thomas Jefferson

  • No. 3 College Heights vs. No. 6 Verona

Feb. 22

  • No. 1 Ash Grove vs. 4/5

  • 2/7 vs. 3/6

Feb. 24

  • Championship at 6 p.m.

Team to beat: Ash Grove. Since Brady Nicholson first stepped on the court, he changed the outlook of this program. It's gone from one that went 1-23 in 2020 to one that will likely put together its third-straight 20-win season and a shot at its second district title over the same span.

Next best: Miller. The Cardinals are seeking their first district title since 2021. They've come away with solid wins in recent weeks over Marionville, Lockwood and Stockton. The 69-45 loss to Ash Grove on Jan. 30 will be difficult to make up if the two meet again.

Prediction: Ash Grove over Miller.

District 13 at Osceola

Feb. 20

  • No. 4 Osceola vs. No. 5 Lakeland

  • No. 2 Rich Hill vs. No. 7 Appleton City

  • No. 3 Marion C. Early vs. No. 6 Lincoln

Feb. 22

  • No. 1 Weaubleau vs. 4/5

  • 2/7 vs. 3/6

Feb. 24

  • Championship at 6 p.m.

Team to beat: Weaubleau. The Tigers are the fourth-ranked team in the state and have beaten everyone they've played at the Class 2 level. This is a team seeking its third-straight district championship with what appears to be its strongest team yet.

Next best: Rich Hill. These Tigers haven't lost since Jan. 25 and no final has been closer than 15 since then. Their losses from earlier in the year came against the tougher teams on their schedule while their best victories were against the likes of Lockwood and Osceola.

Prediction: Weaubleau over Rich Hill.

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or X at @WyattWheeler_NL.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield high school boys basketball Class 2 districts preview

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