Here are the top players and what to expect during the 2022 Ozark Mountain Shootout this week

The best shootout that southwest Missouri has to offer returns this week with the Ozark Mountain Shootout taking place Wednesday through Friday at Glendale High School.

This year's field features the return of Link Academy along with other standout players from Arkansas and Texas. A lot of talent will see the floor in a shootout that's featured the likes of Trae Young, Caleb Love and others in years past.

Here's what you can expect from this year's field.

Link Academy highlights the field with a Thursday night appearance

For the second year in a row, Link Academy will make an appearance at the Ozark Mountain Shootout. It will be one of three appearances for the Lions in Springfield this week as it will play a pair of games in the new 48 Hours of Basketball event at Greenwood which begins Friday evening and lasts through Sunday evening. The Lions will also appear next month in the 2023 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions.

Link Academy features a handful of the top basketball players in the nation with Ja'Kobe Walker (2023, Baylor commit) and Elliot Cadeau (2024, five-star) perhaps being the two main attractions. Those are just two of a roster full of Power 5 commits. For more in-depth information on the Lions' roster, go to News-Leader.com and search "Link Academy" for a breakdown.

More:Southwest Missouri high school basketball takeaways from early-season tournaments

Link Academy will play Mansfield Legacy (Texas) on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

Dallas Thomas of Parkview Magnet is one of the top recruits in the nation

The son of a former Missouri State starter from the early 90s is one of the top recruits in the country and will play in Springfield on Thursday.

Thomas is currently the No. 49 player in the country with four stars to his name as a junior. He has an offer from the Bears in addition to Illinois, Arkansas, Houston, Oklahoma State, Auburn and many others. Thomas' dad, Clint Thomas, started for the Bears from 1991-95. He averaged 4.7 points and 5.7 boards per game over the stretch.

The 6-foot-8, 175-pounder is ESPN's No. 11 small forward. He averaged 14.6 points, 6.8 boards and 2.3 assists per game as a sophomore.

Justin Duff impressed last week during an Arvest Classic title for De Smet

De Smet will get back on the bus and come back to Springfield after winning the Arvest Classic this past weekend at Parkview. The Spartans are coached by former Southern Illinois standout Kent Williams who spent time on Cuonzo Martin's staffs at Missouri State and Tennessee along with a stint at Southern Illinois Edwardsville.

De Smet's Arvest title win came Saturday in a 60-49 win over Helias Catholic a day after the Spartans defeated Kickapoo 62-55. They were led by senior Justin Duff who won tournament MVP honors and looks to be a player who could end up playing at the mid-major level.

Top-tier small-school teams face off with Eugene, Bunker

Wednesday's nightcap will feature two of the best small-school teams in Missouri this season. Bunker is ranked No. 3 in Class 1, according to the latest coaches poll, with Eugene being a team receiving votes. Both won more than 20 games last season.

North Kansas City is currently the top-ranked team in Class 6

North Kansas City enters the shootout as the No. 1 ranked team in Class 6. It will play Hazelwood Central, coming off a .500 season, on Thursday before playing Mansfield Legacy (Texas) on Friday.

North Kansas City is putting up big numbers already which includes a 102-95 win over Park Hill on Nov. 29. The Hornets are led by sophomore guard Avian Webb who is averaging 31.3 points so far this season. He's a point guard recruit in the state worth watching with the Ozarks having Class 6 schools that routinely play for state.

Isaiah Manning leads Mansfield Legacy in two games

Mansfield Legacy brings Manning, a TCU signee, as its showcase player. He's a 6-foot-7 power forward who also held offers from Oklahoma State, SMU, Alabama, Arizona State and others. He leads a team that's already 10-1 this season and ranked No. 5 in the largest class in Texas.

Manning was among Legacy's leading scorers last season and led the Broncos to a 24-9 record and an appearance in the Class 5A regional quarterfinals. He's the 20th-ranked player in Texas.

Glendale, Forsyth represent southwest Missouri

Host school Glendale will play in a pair of games during its tournament with Forsyth making its way up for a Thursday evening game against Venus (Texas).

Glendale will start its season this week in the Ozark Mountain Shootout. Coming off a 13-12 season, the Falcons return four key seniors and a junior who averaged 6.3 points per game.

Forsyth has yet to lose this season as it won the Forsyth Tournament this past weekend with wins over Gainseville, Spokane and Hollister. The Panthers have standouts in Ryder Blevins and Tanner Baird and could be a dangerous area team in Class 4 this season.

Ozark Mountain Shootout schedule

Wednesday

• 6 p.m. - Little Rock Parkview (Arkansas) vs. De Smet

• 7:30 p.m. - Eugene vs. Bunker

Thursday

• 5 p.m. - Forsyth vs. Venus (Texas)

• 6:30 p.m. - Link Academy vs. Mansfield Legacy (Texas)

• 8 p.m. - North Kansas City vs. Hazelwood Central

• 9:30 p.m. - Crossover Prep (Oklahoma) vs. Glendale

Friday

• 5:30 p.m. - Hazelwood Central vs. Crossover Prep (Oklahoma)

• 7 p.m. - North Kansas City vs. Mansfield Legacy (Texas)

• 8:30 p.m. - Venus (Texas) vs. Glendale

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: Glendale hosts Ozark Mountain Shootout high school basketball event