Dominant Dozen: The Ozarks' best boys basketball players of the 2021-22 season

Southwest Missouri, once again, proved to be a region rich in talented high school boys basketball players who are capable of putting up big numbers on the biggest of stages.

Multiple Division I prospects in addition to some of the best players to come through their respective schools shined throughout the Ozarks during the 2021-22 season.

The News-Leader's second annual Dominant Dozen postseason list highlights the 12 best boys' players from this past season. These players stood out above the rest as some led their teams to state championships while others put up big numbers throughout the season.

Observations and stats along with feedback from coaches across the area helped us decide who we thought this season's top 12 players were.

The group is listed alphabetically by last name:

Ahlante Askew, Republic

Stepping into the starring role, Askew flourished during a junior season in which he stood out as one of the best guards in southwest Missouri.

A 15-12 Republic squad was led by Askew's 15.4 points and four rebounds per game. He bumped his game up from the season before in which the Tigers boasted one of the better shooters to ever come through the school.

Askew was also named a first-team All-Central Ozark Conference performer in addition to an all-district spot in one of the more difficult districts in Missouri.

Kael Combs, Nixa

Perhaps the best athlete in the Ozarks, Combs stood out on the basketball court while leading Nixa to a Class 6 runner-up finish this season.

Combs averaged 14.5 points and 4.2 rebounds for the Eagles during a standout junior season. He was an all-state selection in addition to all-district and first-team All-COC selections.

This is Combs' second appearance on a Dominant Dozen list this school year after also being selected to the football list as a wide receiver. The 6-foot-4 standout is going to have plenty of colleges calling for him in both sports.

Andrew Dalton, Ava

Dalton's standout high school basketball career comes to an end after another season in which he was one of the more productive players in the area.

Dalton averaged 25.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per game while leading the Bears to a 23-4 record. The team averaged 54.3 per game which shows you just how important and dominant he was.

Ava finished up one of the great three-year stretches in the school's history with Dalton leading the way. The Bears went 70-16 with two district championships in the last three years.

Garrett Davault, Norwood

As the only player on this list to win a state championship this year, the Class 2 Player of the Year put up the numbers that put his name among the best the state has to offer.

Davault had an outstanding senior year in which he averaged 24.4 points per game while grabbing six boards and dishing out 5.9 assists per game. He was a 56.2 percent shooter and went 35.7 percent from beyond the arc.

The 6-foot-3 guard saved one of his best performances for last in a 64-63 state championship win. He made a game-winning layup with 22 seconds left before coming down with the last-second rebound. He scored 24 points with nine rebounds and eight assists to give Norwood its first state title in school history.

Zach Howell, Catholic

No player in the area saw his stock rise up more than Howell in his senior season as he went from one of the best players to becoming maybe the best player.

Howell was phenomenal on every stage he stepped on during his senior season with the Fightin' Irish. He was the best player on one of the best teams in the area which finished fourth in the Class 5 state tournament.

Howell's numbers were great with an average of 24 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Some of his best performances came on the biggest stages including a 33-point outburst in a win over Nixa at the Blue and Gold, 30 points against Paul VI in the Tournament of Champions and 25 in a three-point loss in the state semifinals.

The two-time Dominant Dozen selection will go down as one of the better players to come through Catholic. He's still uncommitted to a college and is going to be a steal for whoever lands him.

Tanner Jones, Greenwood

Southwest Missouri saw the breakout of a young point guard who should attract plenty of college attention during the remainder of his college career.

Jones, a sophomore, shined for Greenwood with 16.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game. After Aminu Mohammed graduated, Jones stepped into the role and helped lead the Blue Jays to a 20-8 season.

Jones has everything you'd want to see in a young point guard with his smooth shot, ability to lead his team and his high basketball IQ. Jones is going to be a name that a lot of college coaches should get to know.

Zaide Lowery, Kickapoo

After the graduation of four starters off a state championship-winning team, Lowery stepped into the starting lineup and became the best all-around player in southwest Missouri.

Lowery, a junior, averaged 15.5 points per game on 55 percent shooting and 38 percent from deep. He grabbed 7.1 rebounds, dished out three assists and blocked one shot per game.

At 6-foot-4, Lowery has freakish athleticism that has made him a four-star and top-100 recruit in the country. He's always willing to defend the best player on the opposite team and he's worth the price of admission if you're looking for the best dunks in the area.

We knew Lowery had a chance at being a star coming into the year. He more than proved it and has Kickapoo looking like a team that can make it back to the state title game during his senior year.

Kyle Pock, Bolivar

A repeat selection to the Dominant Dozen, Pock kept his name among the elite players in the Ozarks with yet another standout season.

Pock averaged 20.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.9 steals and a block per game. He was a 51 percent shooter including 35.3 percent from deep.

Pock was the Libertors' playmaker throughout a season that ended in the state quarterfinals. He's scored over 1,700 points, and racked up more than 700 rebounds and 200 assists in his career with one to go.

At 6-foot-6, Pock is one of the more difficult players to guard in the area as he can shoot from anywhere and also has picked up guard skills during the season. He's special when he gets in the paint and posts players up and also is committed to playing hard on the defensive side.

Look for Pock to be the first three-time selection around this time next year.

AK Rael, Strafford

One of the better stories of the high school basketball season came with Strafford's midseason turnaround that nearly led it to the state semifinals.

Rael was a big reason why as he averaged 12.6 points and 4.7 boards per game. He was consistently counted on during the biggest moments which included scoring 13 of his 19 points in the second half during a district championship win over Sparta.

The 6-foot-5 shooting guard is a difficult guard for anyone in the area. He was expected to come into this season as one of the better players and he delivered.

Colin Ruffin, Nixa

Ruffin proved this season that he was the best point guard in the area as he led the Nixa Eagles to a state championship runner-up finish as a senior.

Ruffin was phenomenal all season with 16 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He could have had more but his unselfishness stood out as he commanded the Eagles' offense at a high level.

The senior showed up in the biggest of games and he shined in the many blowouts Nixa handed out over the course of the season.

The two-time Dominant Dozen selection finished a great Nixa career as one of the area's elite players. He's still uncommitted to a college but he's certain to make a program better.

Ethan Whatley, Ozark

No team in the Ozarks plays harder than the Ozark Tigers. The great play from Whatley made the Tigers a challenger to all they faced.

Whatley averaged 17.6 points and grabbed 137 total rebounds during the season. The Tigers went 20-8 and were a threat in nearly every game they played.

Whatley saw his numbers go up from a season ago in which he averaged 13.7 points per game. He was half of a great backcourt that includes Next Dozen selection Tyler Harmon. Ozark is always a fun watch and Whatley is one you can thank for that.

Elijah Whitley, Parkview

Parkview broke out as one of the better teams in the area and it was led by Whitley playing his senior year in a Vikings uniform before playing at Drury next season.

Whitley averaged 16 points and 5.3 rebounds throughout the year. At 6-foot-2, Whitley has a strong frame to be a problem on the inside to go along with one of the better shots in the area.

Whitley led a Parkview team that went 19-9 this season and came up a little short in a district championship game against Bolivar in which Pock stood out. The Vikings finished off a great three-year stretch with Whitley contributing to teams that combined to go 50-29.

Next Dozen

Nic Burri, Greenwood

Devin Carroll, Fair Grove

Gavin Davis, Willard

Grant Givens, Glendale

Tyler Harmon, Ozark

Gavin McGraw, Norwood

Isaiah Mitchell, Blue Eye

Jaret Nelson, Nixa

Liam O'Reilly, Catholic

Brayden Shorter, Kickapoo

Seth Soden, Strafford

Antonio Starks-Fewell, Central

Honorable mention

Josh Barlow, Hollister

Lawson Beem, Skyline

Cole Griesemer, Hillcrest

Ty Lyon, Catholic

Jaden McCoy, Spokane

Sam Moreland, Ash Grove

Brady Nicholson, Ash Grove

Trae Oetting, Kickapoo

Scottie Osborn, Willow Springs

Tommy Pinegar, Greenwood

Kyle Scharbrough, Branson

Always Wright, Joplin

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 Twitter at @WyattWheeler_NL. He's also the co-host of Sports Talk on Jock Radio weekdays from 4-6 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Dominant Dozen: Ozarks boys basketball postseason team 2021-22