When Aubrey Janes joined the Montgomery County girls basketball team three years ago, she was thrilled to be part of a successful program in her freshman year.

Now, she’s trying to figure out her future plans after she graduates from MCHS in 2027.

So far, Janes has received offers from three schools — Greenville (Ill.) University, Central Methodist University and Ottawa (Kan.) University — to play basketball. She also visited a school in Kentucky – the University of the Cumberlands. But she has yet to pick out what school she’s playing for.

“It’s a very big decision, for sure,” Janes said. “It’s hard, but we’ll go with the best one. Hopefully, it works out.”

Still, Janes is happy that she is getting notice from colleges before her senior year begins in two months.

“I really enjoy playing basketball,” Janes said. “Hopefully, I’ll play at the next level and meet new people. I think it will be fun.”

Whatever school she chooses, Janes hopes to enjoy the same success she’s having right now at MCHS. She is a two-time all-Eastern Missouri Conference performer, earned two all-district awards and helped the Wildcats finish with three winning seasons, including a 17-11 mark in the 2025-26 season.

Last season, Janes earned first-team all-EMO honors and was named on the all-Class 3, District 7 team. She turned in numerous strong performances, including a career-best 30-point effort against Mark Twain.

Janes said she’s looking forward to her final year with the Wildcats this winter. She will be part of a senior class that includes Kaylee Daume, Reese Hill and Reaghan Hemeyer. Last year, MCHS didn’t have any seniors.

“I’m actually really excited,” Janes said. “It’s crazy that it’s already here, but I’m excited, trying to make it the best and hopefully I can get closer to my teammates and improve and help them get better before I leave.”

Janes and the Wildcats competed in the MCHS Shootout on June 8 and 15. They played Mexico, North Callaway and Osage on June 8 and Wright City, Fatima and Monroe City the following week. Janes scored 13 points against Monroe City.

The senior-to-be said she couldn’t believe that she played in the Shootout for the final time.

“It’s definitely crazy to think about, but we did really good,” she said. “We definitely have grown a lot over the summer already.”

When she was a freshman, Janes earned a varsity spot and played on a team that had five seniors. She helped the Wildcats win 22 games and reach the district championship game.

The next year, Janes played on a team that had just eight players, but still turned in a strong season that included all-EMO and all-district awards.

Out of the three schools Janes was offered to play basketball, two of them finished with winning seasons last winter. Ottawa and CMU, which both play in the NAIA level, finished 15-13 and 15-14, respectively. Greenville, a NCAA Division IIl school, was 9-17.

CMU is the closest out of the three schools as it is located 77 miles from Janes’ home.

“Central Methodist is really cool,” Janes said. “I like that it’s close. A lot of my family is trying to get me to go there.”

This summer, Janes is playing for the Napheesa Collier Elite select team in St. Louis, which is named after the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx star. She started playing with the team this year after competing in Columbia the last two years.

“They have a bigger organization there, so more people will see me,” Janes said. “I really enjoy the coach and the players are amazing. It’s very fun to meet new people and play with them.”

Janes plays for the 17-and-under team that is coached by Kevin Nordmann. Most of the players are from the St. Louis area.

“It will definitely get you prepared for college if you want to play at the next level,” Janes said. “They have very competitive teams that you play against, you travel far and have coaches call you, so it’s fun.”