All-State Athlete Honors-South Dakota Class A and B Third Team
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South Dakota Class A and B All-State Honors were announced. With so many teams in Class A and B the committees are allowed to honor three groups of six athletes in each class. Let’s break down the final groups of…
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Continue ReadingSouth Dakota Class A and B All-State Honors were announced. With so many teams in Class A and B the committees are allowed to honor three groups of six athletes in each class. Let’s break down the final groups of these athletes in the form of the third team where we find 12 talented young ladies, many of which remain unsigned prospects in South Dakota basketball. This article will outline honors for each athlete, a short synopsis of their style of play and performance, commitments, and statistical averages. The All-State Recipients in the third teams of Class A and B are again dominated by upperclassmen as all 12 of these athletes were juniors or seniors. Only 5 of these 12 talented athletes have committed themselves to play at the next level which leaves 7 all-state players who remain eligible to bring their talent to the college level.
Class A Third Team
Kylah VanDonkersgoed Kylah VanDonkersgoed 6'2" | PF Sioux Falls Christian | 2022 State SD- Sioux Falls Christian (Senior) – F-C
- PPG – 13.9, RPG – 6.6
- Head Coach – Dan DeJong
- Commitment – Wayne State (NE)
- A physical presence Kylah is a very talented post-player. Her standout attributes are her shot-blocking abilities, smooth mid-range jumper, and physical interior presence. A bonus is that she can step out and hit the three as well with an impressive range to add to her other skills. The senior post is a very smart shot-blocker who trusts her length to alter shots without fouling. She has a rare combination of length and quickness and projects to have a ton of success at Wayne State. She is a team player but is capable of putting up 20-25 a night if you need her to. A very effective rebounder she gets it done on both ends of the court.
- Lakota Tech (Senior) – G
- PPG – 15.3, APG – 3.2, SPG – 3.2
- Head Coach – Laura Big Crow
- Commitment – Dickinson State
- Dickinson State will get an explosive guard in Carlow who has effective handles, a constant desire to improve, and a competitive mindset. She has a smooth jumper and is an aggressive attacker of the basket. She impresses on both ends of the floor with a constant motor and a winning mentality.
- Chamberlain (Senior) – C
- PPG – 18.7, RPG – 10.2, BPG – 3.0
- Head Coach – Zack Nelson
- Commitment – None
- Knippling is one of the better post players that remains unsigned in South Dakota basketball. She’s a double-double a game athlete who is capable of going off for over 20 points in many contests. A great shot disruptor the 6’1″ senior averaged three blocked shots per contest. She moves well in the paint and does a nice job getting herself to positions to score inside. Her range extends out to a jump shot at the high post and she can get to the rim in one dribble from that area and finds creases to score.
- West Central (Senior) – G
- PPG – 14.4, RPG – 7.0
- Head Coach – Joe Caffrey
- Commitment – Dakota Wesleyan University
- Dakota Wesleyan got an all-around solid athlete in Kramer. She’s a tough player who plays with great toughness and a desire to compete. On a very well-balanced talented Trojan squad putting up over 14 points and snagging 7 rebounds per contest were very solid numbers for this explosive guard. She has DEEP 3-point range and knows when to use it making her a very effective outside scorer. Attacking rebounds is a skill that stands out for this kid and she is super aggressive to get boards for her team on both ends. She’s a physical guard that makes an impact for her team on both ends and exhibits superb competitive spirit making her teammates around her better.
Allison Richards
- Red Cloud (Senior) – G
- PPG – 14.3, RPG – 6.2, APG – 4.8, SPG – 3.0
- Head Coach – Matt Rama
- Commitment – None
- Richards spent a season away from her program during COVID and went to a state tournament with Rapid City Central. She returned this year to the Lady Crusaders of Red Cloud and made another state tournament with her original group. The talented guard did a little bit of everything for her squad and she did it well. On the defensive end, she anticipates ball movement well and is a scrappy defender who can pick pockets. On offense, she is a natural spot up shooter from deep and hits efficiently from beyond the three-point line.
- Todd County (Junior) – F-C
- PPG – 18.5, RPG – 8.8, APG – 2.9, SPG – 1.7, BPG – 1.1
- Head Coach – Bob Boyd Jr.
- Commitment – None
- White Hat shot 50% from the floor this season and made trips to the FT line count knocking down 90/145 (62%) attempts. She is an all-around very solid athlete who impacts the game on both ends. Length and quickness offer a great matchup defensively who can pressure her opponent and move well to keep them out of the paint. An aggressive mindset and a knack for finding gaps to get to the rack fill out her game on offense. With nearly 3 combined blocks or steals per contest, Bailey was one of the better defensive disruptors in her class.
Class B Third Team
Kaycee Groves Kaycee Groves 5'11" | SF Faith | 2022 State SD- Faith (Senior) – G
- PPG – 7.0, RPG – 2.8, APG – 2.5 (These numbers were affected by injury this season.)
- Head Coach – Bryan Carmichael
- Commitment – Black Hills State University
- The numbers don’t tell the story for this talented guard as she battled injury most of the year this year. Groves is a super-talented guard who will take her talents to BHSU. She has a great blend of perimeter ability with shooting range and the ability to create off the dribble. Her stepback is one of the better you will find in South Dakota. She stands out with her ability to run the floor, attack off the bounce, and great defensive grit. This guard has the total package offensively as she has the strength and footwork to score in the paint, the handles and IQ to hit open threes, and great vision to find her open teammates.
- Castlewood (Junior) – G-F
- PPG – 18.6, RPG – 8.0
- Head Coach – Tyler Snaza
- Commitment – None
- At 5’11″ with perimeter shooting ability and solid handles, Horn is a huge threat on the offensive end. She put up nights of over 20 points often and has a great shot from all levels. This talented guard-forward uses her skillset effectively and understands how to get to her spots to score. She is well-balanced with a nice perimeter shot and a solid ability to get to the paint and find angles to finish or set up her teammates. She is a very effective rebounder and is capable of double-double numbers each night.
- Faulkton (Senior) – G
- PPG – 18.7, RPG – 5.0, SPG – 2.8
- Head Coach – Chase Casper
- Commitment – None
- A 5’ 7″ guard who can read the defense and play high IQ basketball, Aesoph is a great offensive talent who creates shots for her team and knows how to get her own. She is a talented point guard who understands the importance of reading defenders. This creates a solid dribble-drive player and a player who is going to get 15-20 points a night. She’s an aggressive defender who values both ends and does some of everything for her team. Her ball-hawking skills impress as she picks off passes to create points off of turnovers and her smooth jump shot impresses as she gets the ball in great rhythm and has a consistent follow-through to finish.
- Herreid-Selby (Senior) – G
- PPG – 17.5, RPG – 5.4, SPG – 4.4
- Head Coach – Steve Sawinsky
- Commitment – Hastings (NE)
- Sawinsky is one of the most underrated perimeter players in Class B. She is super competitive and is arguably the most aggressive attacker from the perimeter you will find. No fear headlines the mindset of this guard as she will drop her shoulder and get to the rim as she pleases. She is a great finisher in traffic and gets herself into good areas to score the ball off the dribble, as well as find open teammates. Averaging over four steals per contest this guard is a lock-down defender with an aggressive mindset who forces her opponents into compromised positions to force turnovers for her defense.
- Gayville-Volin (Senior) – G
- PPG – 20.1, RPG – 4.4, APG – 3.2
- Head Coach – Jason Selchert
- Commitment – None
- The Raiders are going to miss their long-time star as they prepare for life without Larson next season. If you want to demonstrate the importance of attacking the middle of the floor, getting to the front of the rim off the dribble to create high-quality looks for your team, put on some tape of this talented guard. She has a great euro-step finish as well as an ability to find seams with a step-through once she gets to the paint. Range that extends out to the college three and at times beyond, rounds out a very solid offensive skill set and helped her earn All-State honors.
- Gregory (Junior) – G-F
- PPG – 17.6, RPG – 3.6 , APG – 3.6, SPG – 2.6
- Head Coach – Lonnie Klundt
- Commitment – None
- VanDerWerff has an old-school jump shot where she can rise up over the defense and hit shots at will. Her range is extremely impressive as she hits from well beyond the 3 point line. She is an immense competitor who is capable off the drive, in transition, and can create space to get her shot off. At nearly three steals per outing, she makes an impact on the defensive end as well and positions herself well to force her opponent into turnovers. The Gorillas will look to center their offense around her next season as she looks to build on her junior year.
Congratulations to the athletes, coaches, and school districts represented on this impressive list.