Johnny Gray, Central, 5-9 senior: Gray helped bring Central basketball back to the forefront last season with his 16.2 points per game and slashing style.

Zack Kleine, Mount Vernon, 6-5 junior: He has been a dominant player since his freshman year. He averaged 19.8 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists last year and his perimeter shooting improved over the offseason.

Ryan Carmichael, Aurora, 6-4 senior: As a guard, he's a huge matchup problem for opponents. He averaged 18 points, 3.5 steals and 3.4 assists last year. At team camp this summer, he made his first 10 3-point attempts in a game. He's a big reason the Houn' Dawgs are Big 8 Conference favorites.

Steven Mallow, Willow Springs, 6-0 junior: Mallow averaged 10 points for a very balanced team last season, but should score more as the only returning starter. He also is a playmaker and one of the area's better defenders.

Jeremy Dresslaer, Clever, 5-10 junior: Dresslaer's double-digit scoring average will take a significant jump this season after the loss of two seniors from last year's 28-6 team.

Jordan Sukovaty, Fair Play, 6-3 senior: A key cog in Fair Play's state run last season, Sukovaty is a premier inside-outside threat in Class 1. He averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds last season.

Brad Cook, Greenwood, 5-9 senior: Cook will help lead an inexperienced Greenwood squad. His leadership speaks louder than last year's 4 points and 2 assists per game.

Colton Jones, Mansfield, 5-10 senior: A first-team All-Summit Conference pick, Jones makes the Lions go. He averaged 8 points per game and should increase that as a senior.

Logan Decker, Blue Eye, 6-0 senior: A three-time All-Southwest Central League pick, Decker averaged 17 points last season. He's equally good offensively, inside and out of the lane, and could top 1,500 career points this season.

Derek Ince, Forsyth, 6-0 senior: Want to see a scorer's mentality? Ince is better with the ball in his hands than without and a move to the point guard position probably means an increase in his 20.4 points per game average.

Nathan Stoutenborough, Cabool, 5-10 junior: He's a man among boys as his sheer strength defies his age. Great at creating his own shot, is often too unselfish, his coach says. He averaged 15 and 17 points, respectively, the past two seasons in earning All-South Central Association and All-District honors both years.

Michael Reeves, Clever, 5-8 junior: Reeves has been a very good point guard for two years for the Bluejays when his points rarely mattered. But now his points will matter and he has shown signs of being capable -- making five 3-pointers in two different games last season.

Landon Jarrett, Mansfield, 6-0 senior: Jarrett is a gifted athlete who has had a few big games and a few not-so big games. Look for him to be more consistent and emerge as the leading scorer for the Lions.

Chase Howerton, Aurora, 6-foot-senior: A lightning-quick left-hander, Howerton's basketball knowledge is catching up to his athletic ability. Solid from 3-point range, his penetration into the lane is deadly, too.

Trae Patton, Blue Eye, 6-0 senior: Adept at either shooting or point guard, Patton is one of the area's best mid-range jump shooters. He averaged 12.5 points and 5.5 assists and will anchor one of the area's best small-school teams.

Lance Schneider, Thayer, 6-1 senior: Schneider is a point guard of the first order and he averaged 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists last season. Opposing coaches know he makes the Bobcats go and a breakout year is at hand.

It's tough to try to lump everyone into this small spot, but I'm going to do my best. First, Central is reaping the benefits of a 21-7 season. The Bulldogs will appear in the Tournament of Champions and the Blue and Gold.

A lot of pressure is going to be on the shoulders of guards Johnny Gray and Jerome Small and center Thomas Chadwick. If the rest of the returning talent, plus 6-4 junior newcomer Nathan Wood, can help with the rebounding load, Central could keep that momentum.

Greenwood and New Covenant graduated most of their core from last season, but new blood could infuse some victories.

In the Big 8, look for Aurora to rise to prominence with 6-4 guard Ryan Carmichael at the forefront. Watching him and Mount Vernon's Zack Kleine should be entertaining.

The Southwest Central League is loaded with teams like Blue Eye, Clever and Forsyth.

Blue Eye returns all five starters from a 19-7 team, including seniors Logan Decker and Trae Patton, but Clever's Jeremy Dresslaer is set to make sure the Bluejays' amazing 2007-08 run isn't a dead end. Forsyth's Derek Ince is good enough to win games by himself.

Other teams to watch: Mansfield (Summit), Willow Springs and Thayer (South Central Association); Fair Play (Polk County League) and Miller (Spring River Valley).