Top 2024 Standouts at the “Who’s Next Combine”
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On Monday, June 27th, the Pentagon’s Heritage Court hosted a variety of superb SD girl’s basketball players. The athletes were put through a variety of skills/drills, had their verticals tested, competed in a 3-on-3 setting, and capped it all off…
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Continue ReadingOn Monday, June 27th, the Pentagon’s Heritage Court hosted a variety of superb SD girl’s basketball players. The athletes were put through a variety of skills/drills, had their verticals tested, competed in a 3-on-3 setting, and capped it all off with some live 5 on 5. There were many standouts in the 2024 class and this class struck me with their shooting ability, aggressive mindsets, and ability to run the floor. Here are a few standouts that stuck out for me on the day, and I’m sure caught college coach’s attention as well.
Top Standout
Skyler Volmer Skyler Volmer 5'9" | CG Lyman | 2024 State SD – Lyman – 5’8″ G
Skyler has a really smooth game and makes things look natural in a difficult sport. I noticed her play-making ability time after time during the combine and she looked like the best player on the floor often in the 5-on-5 portion. She can shoot the three, attacks the rim with decisiveness and impressive quickness, and is an absolute force on defense with great anticipation and a desire to win her 1-on-1 battles. As she enters the lane she reads the body of the defense well and was the best on the day in knowing how to draw contact getting to the FT line and even finishing through it for the and 1. Skyler was the most impressive player at the combine for me when it came to finding angles to get to the rack.
Top Shooter
Isabelle Bloker Isabelle Bloker 5'5" | SG Sioux Valley | 2025 State SD – Sioux Valley – 5’5″ G
If you didn’t already know…Isabelle can SHOOT! She lit it up from deep all day long at the combine. In fact, I honestly don’t remember seeing her miss a shot in the 5-on-5 sessions. For that reason, I have to make the statement that she may have been the best three-point shooter of all classes at the event. I didn’t get a chance to see her take shots off the dribble much but if she can develop a way to create her own shot she will be a really complete scorer. She does a nice job attacking the rim when gaps present themselves which is an easy combo to one of the deadliest deep-range games in her class.
Most Aggressive
Caylin Kelly Caylin Kelly 6'0" | SF Florence/Henry | 2024 State SD – Florence/Henry – 6’0″ F
I have been high on Caylin ever since the first time I watched her play. She has arguably the best combination of strength and speed in the state of South Dakota. Her outside shooting consistency is improving and she has some of the best footwork around the paint you can find. At 6’0″ she has the physical ability to overpower weaker defenders but she also has a nice euro-step, step-through, and pro hop combination to score with finesse as well. Caylin was really aggressive all day long and this is a common theme for the Florence-Henry Falcons. She scored at will off the weave with nobody wanting to step in front of her on the drive and she played tough defense on her opponent all day. Round this out with a high desire and IQ to go and get boards all day and you have a super aggressive, extremely effective basketball player.
Highest Riser
Lauren Grinde Lauren Grinde 5'7" | SG Tri-Valley | 2024 State SD – Tri-Valley – 5’6″ G
Lauren comes in ranked number 44 in the Class of 2023 but after her showing out in the combine I expect her to move into the top 15. She is a sparkplug on the floor and makes plays all over the floor. Attacking the basket and finishing with great IQ, setting up teammates with spot-on passes, winning 1 on 1 defensive battles, and knocking down shots from deep range headlined this star’s game all day. Grinde stood out on both ends amongst a crowd of super talented young ladies. This was an easy choice for the highest riser in this class. Lauren is sure to move up the rankings after yet another stellar performance this summer.
Best of the Rest
Carli Kuyper Carli Kuyper 6'2" | C Lennox | 2024 State SD – Lennox – 6’2″ F
At 6’2″ Carli literally STOOD OUT from the get-go in this one. Height isn’t her only attribute though and she showcased a ton of other skills. With her impressive height, physicality, shot alteration, stealing and tipping passes, and scoring in the paint, she is a popular name to project to the next level. But wait, there’s more…she is also athletic, can step out and shoot from three, and can handle the ball. This makes Carli one of the most impressive prospects in her class for sure.
Taylor Watson Taylor Watson 5'8" | CG Florence - Henry | 2024 State SD – Florence/Henry – 5’8″ G
Taylor is a solid prospect that I’ve covered before. She still remains one of the highest on my list in terms of getting to the rack and scoring. She blows by defenders and does a nice job finding her spots to score. She has an underrated three-point shot and continues to gain confidence hitting from the outside. Physical defense and a great athletic ability round out an overall really solid game and she performed well at the combine.
Stevie Wittler Stevie Wittler 5'7" | CG Sully Buttes | 2024 State SD – Sully Buttes – 5’7″ G
Wittler is an underrated guard with a really good game. She showed off some of the best handles and solid fundamental skills in the early skills sessions. In the team sessions, she showed great passing ability with a really high IQ. She is super competitive and never gives up on a play. A really nice guard prospect she is a stock riser in my book.
Hannah Leverson Hannah Leverson 5'4" | PG Sisseton | 2024 State SD – Sisseton – 5’4″ G
Hannah is an under-the-radar athlete, likely because she lacks size at only 5’4″ BUT she has game! She showed off her handles all day and in the 5-on-5 I witnessed at least five precision passes that nobody else in the combine was making. These included a couple of full-court one-handed tosses that would make Tom Brady proud. This kid was a super competitor and was my unsung hero of the event. Kudos to a kid who makes up for a deficit in one area by being extremely competitive, working harder than the competition, and exuding great confidence in her own abilities.
Ryann Barry Ryann Barry 5'8" | CG TF Riggs Pierre SD | 2024 State SD – Pierre – 5’7″ F
Ryann has a great combination of frame and speed. She’s a 5’7″ point guard that can play with the fastest and the strongest. A tough guard with a nice 3-point shot, solid handles and passing ability, and a high IQ Barry is a quality perimeter prospect. She hit a number of shots, played great 1-on-1 defense, and showed great endurance and mental toughness, finishing the end of the event strong.
Madala Hanson Madala Hanson 5'4" | PG Dell Rapids St. Mary's | 2025 State SD – Dell Rapids St. Mary’s – 5’4″ G
Madala was another smaller framed guard who showed out with her toughness, shooting, and handles. She is EXPLOSIVE and has a great variety of moves including a nice euro and step through to finish. One of the better 3-point shooters on the day if it wasn’t for a deep group of deep-range snipers she could have been voted my top shooter in this class.
Sawyer Stoebner Sawyer Stoebner 5'10" | CG Mitchell | 2024 State SD – Mitchell – 5’9″ G
Sawyer is one of the most complete players in this class. She can shoot it, drive it, and dish it making her team a candidate to win each time stepping on the hardwood. At 5’9″ with great ball-handling moves and quickness, she appears to have one of the more transitional games to the next level. A really solid prospect with yet another great performance with the rock in her hands.