10 Local College Basketball Players to Watch in 2022

December 06, 2021


College Basketball season is here! There's nothing better than grabbing an ice-cold draft and a whole mess of boneless wings and enjoying some local college basketball at Big Whiskey's! We'll get as many local games as we can this year for you to watch with us! There is some pretty eye-popping talent on these rosters, so we figured we'd give you a little preview of the stars in college basketball for this year!


Isaiah Mosley - G - MSU

Mosley gets buckets. Plain and simple. Last year he became the first Bears player to ever lead the conference in points per game at 19.8, a mark that was good enough for 24th in the nation. He's a three-level scorer, from driving to the rack to popping Curry-like threes he's comfortable scoring from anywhere. Naturally, he made the preseason all-MVC team and is on every watchlist for player of the year awards. Keep an eye on this dude!


Jasmine Franklin - G - MSU

Coach Mox and the Bears are already off to a hot start, blowing out their first few opponents. This is in large part to Jasmine Franklin's tenacity. She might be the best defender the Bears have had this century. Franklin's strength on defense keeps the Bears in games and she was recognized as the MVC's top defender in 2021. She confirmed that this year with 8 steals in the Bears second game. She's also a double-double machine, registering 26 of them in her career so far. She scares the hell out of every team she faces.


Gaige Prim - F - MSU

Mosley lead the way in scoring last year, but Prim lead the way in kicking asses. He's a 6'9 235-pound beast on the block, outmuscling everyone in the paint game in and game out. He's a no-brainer add to the preseason all-MVC squad and basically a lock for repeating his MVC All-Defensive Team nod from last year. Last year he lead the conference in rebounding and came in third in both scoring and blocked shots, a feat he'll be looking to duplicate this year, along with a conference title.


Brice Calip - G - MSU

Brice Calip is so fast she can flip the light switch and be in bed before the room gets dark. Speed and defense are her calling cards and along with a relentless scoring drive, she won The Jackie Stiles Player of the Year for the MVC in 2021. She was also the Bears leading scorer and finished with just two fewer steals than Franklin. Between the two of them, opposing backcourts are gonna have a hell of a time getting anything done.


Donovan Clay - F - MSU

Just look at the man. He's a Lebron-sized forward who is a force on both sides of the ball. He proved as much at Valparaiso where he lead the team in rebounding, steals and assists. Bears fans are excited to see what he can do at the Q this year.

Malek Davis - G - Drury

Down the stretch last year, "Leek" Davis really started to carve out a role for himself with the Panthers, averaging almost 17 points per game for the last nine games. He also hit a whopping 8 threes against Rockhurst leading to a 30-point outburst. Davis is set to lead the Panthers this year with the graduation of Conley Garrison and the transfer of Jason Montgomery, the top two scorers from last year.

Quinn Nelson - G - SBU

You gotta love seeing a local kid playing at a high level. Nelson is from our backyard in Ozark, MO continuing a great legacy of athletes from the city. He was the leading scorer a year ago for the Bearcats thanks in part to his deadeye shooting stroke. Quinn is a killer from 3 and from the line, he finished top five in the conference in both last year.

Manrique Alvarado - G - Evangel

It might be more obvious to choose Cade Coffman or Josh Pritchett from this Evangel squad who are both great players in their own right, but we're going with Alvarado. He chipped in a few minutes here and there off the bench last year, but he's a starter now and he's been lighting it up from three. He's an exciting player who isn't afraid to sling it from Downtown, just like us from our location on the Square in Springfield.

Kyleigh Vaught - G - SBU

The Bearcats leading scorer from 2021 is back and ready to push SBU into contention this year. They were picked to finish third this year thanks in large part to Vaught's leadership. She averaged more than 14 points per game and chipped in plenty with big numbers in rebounds, assists, and steals.

With so many great players in our area, you'll need a fun place to watch them all. Come on by Big Whiskey's and pull up a seat. We've got tons of TVs at all of our locations and you're sure to find some fellow fans along with great drinks and delicious dishes!