Sioux Falls Christian captured its third Class A state championship back in March and will be a favorite in its potential repeat season.

The Chargers are coming off a 24-1 season, defeating Hamlin in the state championship, 61-51. The Chargers have only lost two games in the past two seasons, including the 2024 Class A state championship to Hamlin.

SFC opens as the preseason No. 1 team in Class A boys basketball according to the preseason prep media poll receiving 16 of the 18 first place votes. Lennox is second in the prep media poll, followed by West Central with two first place votes. Clark/Willow Lake and Hamlin round out the top-5, while Hamlin, Pine Ridge, St. Thomas More, Groton Area, Rapid City Christian and Dakota Valley round out the top-10 teams in the preseason prep media poll.

Storylines to Watch

Can Sioux Falls Christian run it back?: The Chargers are heavy favorites to win it all in Class A boys basketball, but graduated a crucial piece to their championship run last season in Griffen Goodbary, a freshman men’s basketball player for Drake. But the Chargers still return two all-state players in Brant Wassenaar and Cooper Goodbary to pace SFC this season.

Marvin Richard III to move up scoring list: Pine Ridge’s Marvin Richard III is nearing the 2,000-point milestone for his career. The future University of South Dakota Coyote currently has 1,946 career points and needs 54 points to become the 47th South Dakota boys basketball player to score 2,000 or more career points. Last season, Richard III had six games with 40 or more points, including a Class A boys basketball record 62-point performance. Richard III also set the Lakota Nation Invitational boys basketball single-game record (57). He nailed 87 3-pointers.

Who else will emerge?: After Sioux Falls Christian, plenty of teams are looking to make a splash in Class A boys basketball this season. Look for returning state tournament teams like Lennox, West Central, Clark/Willow Lake and Groton Area to make big strides in the 2025-26 season.

Players to Watch

Note: These players were all-staters in the 2024-25 season. 

Marvin Richard III, Pine Ridge: A 6-foot-1 senior guard, Richard III is a two-time Class A all-state first-team selection. Last season, the high-scoring Thorpe pumped in 764 points and currently has 1,946 career points. Richard III averaged 34.7 points, six rebounds and 3.8 assists per game this season. He will play college basketball at the University of South Dakota. 

Brant Wassenaar, Sioux Falls Christian: A 6-foot-5 junior bouncy wing, Wassenaar was a first-team all-state selection last season. Wassenaar tallied 14.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game last season. Wassenaar has received scholarship offers from a host of regional colleges, including a recent offer from Drake University. 

Trey Hansen, Vermillion: A 6-foot-4 senior forward, Hansen was a second-team all-state honoree last season. He averaged 20.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. 

Tate Gerdes, Lennox: Gerdes, a 6-foot-3 senior forward, was a second-team all-stater last season. He averaged 15.5 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game. 

Connor Mebius, West Central: A 5-foot-10 junior guard, Mebius was a third-team all-stater in 2025. He averaged 16.6 points, 4.1 assists and three rebounds per game. 

Carter Craven, Winner: A 6-foot-6 junior forward, Craven earned all-state third-team honors last season, averaging 21.7 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. 

Ryder Johnson, Groton Area: A 6-foot-5 senior guard, Johnson was a third-team all-stater last season. He averaged 18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. 

Isaak Hunter, Miller: A 6-foot-4 senior forward, Hunter was a third-team all-stater last season. He averaged 22.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. 

Sullivan Felberg, Clark/Willow Lake: A 6-foot-8 sophomore forward, Felberg was a third-team all-stater last season. He averaged 13.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and two assists per game. 

Cooper Goodbary, Sioux Falls Christian: A 6-foot-5 senior forward, Goodbary was an honorable mention all-state selection last season. He averaged 12.4 points and five rebounds per game. Goodbary will play college basketball at Northern State University.