South Dakota Series: Seven Skills
Looking forward to December 13th’s official start to SDHSAA GBB season. In anticipation of whistles and cheers, we offer opinions on early leaders in functional skill areas. Each area is critical to team success, and should be motivation to develop and improve. Each earned expertise deserves recognition- these leaders thru hard work stand above the crowd in ball handling, passing, bounces, high/low post footwork, floor vision, all-around versitility, scoring (3’s, mid-range, rim runs), and rebounding.
South Dakota is blessed with a few special BB genius’ who excell in multiple skills, e.g., the penetrating dribble driver passes well because of floor vision. Those unique players receive attention such as All State awards. In this series, a player is not named in more than one skill area. Also, area articles will highlight/analyze games which test the players’ capabilities versus high quality challenges from specific adversaries & teams.
Picking out ten players for seven skill areas is dicey, for sure. We’ll re-visit The Seven Skills periodically during the HS season, to adjust listings from game observations.
Just another reason to watch-and-go-WOW over the way you play the game.
Watch for the seven detailed posts on each skill area to coming soon.
Post Play: [ In no particular order or ranking ]
- Addison Rozell, Redfield 2021
- Sydni Shetnan, SF Washington 2021
- Madison Koepsell, McCook Central 2021
- Kadye Fernholz, Miller 2020
- Kara Niles, Beresford 2022
- Ainsley Shelsta, Brookings 2022
- Kyah Watson, RC Stevens 2020
- Cassidy Siemonsma, West Central 2021
- Lizzie Olson, Garretson 2021
- Avery Broughton, Corsica-Stickney 2023
Scoring: [ In no particular order or ranking ]
- Caelyn Valandra-Prue, White River 2021
- Bella Swedlund, Winner 2022
- Haleigh Timmer, STM 2021
- Alayna Benike, Castlewood 2021
- Lexi Plitauweit, Vermillion 2021
- Morgan Edelman, Menno 2021
- Cameryn Logan, Ethan 2021
- Madysen Vlastin, Lennox 2020
- Katlyn Briggs, MVP 2020
- Kennadi Buchholz, DeSmet 2022
Wing/Forward: [ In no particular order or ranking ]
- Morgan Hammerbeck, Winner 2020
- Emma Ronsiek, SF O’Gorman 2020
- Kaycee Groves, Faith 2022
- Lexi Unruh, SF Christian 2021
- Olivia Kieffer, RC Christian 2023
- Shalayne Nagel, Avon 2023
- Hannah Parsley, Flandreau 2020
- Brecli Honnor, Harrisburg 2021
- Ndakalenca Mwenentanda, SF Washington 2022
- Morgan Hansen, SF Lincoln 2020
Point Guard: [ In no particular order or ranking ]
- Bailey Conrad, Tea 2020
- Rianna Fillipi, Lennox 2020
- Emily Fox, MVP 2024
- Kylee Wadsworth, Hamlin 2021
- Rylee Haldeman, West Central 2022
- Emma Osmundson, 2020 SF Lincoln
- Sydney Altenburg, Harrisburg 2021
- Kalla Bertram, Winner 2021
- Kaela Martinez, SF Roosevelt 2022
- Jessy Vander Werff, Gregory 2023 –
Rebounder: [ In no particular order or ranking ]
- Kylah VanDonkersgoed, SF Christian 2022
- Signey Thue, Brandon Valley 2022
- Emma Yost, Parkston 2023
- Baliee Sobczak, RC Stevens 2022
- Johanna Miller, Brookings 2020
- Hana Behrens, Brandon Valley 2020
- Jaydyn Fiske, SF Lincoln 2021
- Gracie Traphagen, Groton 2023
- Olivia Ritter, Tea 2021
- Miakken Vincent, Sioux Valley 2020
Defender: [In no particular order or ranking ]
- Jayda McNabb, RC Stevens 2022
- Izzy Moore, SF O’Gorman 2021
- Jordan Heckert, RC Central 2021
- Cerington Jones, New Underwood 2021
- Hilary Albrecht, Howard 2020
- Aby Van Ruler, McCook Central 2020
- Autumn Wilkinson, DeSmet 2020
- Lilly Wagner, Wall 2021
- Remington Price, Pierre 2023
- Kelsey Sachjten, WInner 2022
Assists/Steals: [ In no particular order or ranking ]
- Zoey Wohlleber, Summit 2022
- Hannah Ronsiek, SF O’Gorman 2022
- Rylee Haldeman, West Central 2022
- Melanie Jacobs, Aberdeen Central 2021
- Skylar Sullivan, STM 2020
- Reyna Beck, DeSmet 2020
- Madison Wuebben, Yankton 2020
- Cierra Watkins, SF Roosevelt 2023
- Kalla Bertram, Winner 2022
- Adyson Sand, SF Lincoln 2022
Italics and Bold Font indicate named to an Argus-Leader All State Team. 28 All-State players from three classes return in 2020 – not all are on the above listings.