Sioux Falls Christian starts the Class A boys basketball season No. 1 in the preseason rankings. 

The Chargers, who finished runner-ups to Dakota Valley last season, have no seniors and will headline a crowded field of contenders. Sioux Falls Christian received 10 first-place votes in the preseason poll. 

Hamlin, which finished third at state, is No. 2 in the preseason poll and garnered a first-place vote. Dakota Valley and Sioux Valley are No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. Dak-XII Conference members Lennox and Dell Rapids were tied at No. 5. 

Five storylines to watch

• Dak-XII Conference to continue reign?: Dakota Valley won its second straight Class A boys basketball tournament last season. It also continued a streak of Dak-XII Conference teams winning the Class A boys basketball championship. Since 2016, conference members Dakota Valley (twice), Sioux Falls Christian (twice), Tea Area (twice) and Madison have combined to win state championships. Sioux Falls Christian will headline a host of top-tier Dak-XII Conference teams vying for state tourney berths, joining the likes of Dakota Valley, Lennox, Dell Rapids, West Central and Madison. 

Sioux Valley's Alec Squires throws down a dunk last season at the Sanford Pentagon. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

• Big men bolster Class A: There’s no shortage of big men in Class A this season. West Central 7-footer Jake Kuhl, an Irene-Wakonda transfer, headlines the towering big men in the class. He will play at Northern State University next season. Will Kuhl is a 6-foot-8 sophomore forward for the Trojans. Sioux Valley’s Alec Squires is an athletic 6-foot-10 big that’s headed to South Dakota State next year. Sioux Falls Christian’s Griffen Goodbary is a 6-foot-10 junior forward that will garner headlines the next couple of seasons, while Dell Rapids’ senior Rhett Kloth (6-9) and junior Jack Kloth (6-10) will man the middle for the Quarriers. Baltic’s Kellen Artz is a 6-foot-9 sophomore forward. 
• Crowded Region 8A: Region 8A will be crowded with top contenders Custer, Hot Springs, Rapid City Christian and St. Thomas More battling for the two SoDak 16 spots. Hot Springs and St. Thomas More earned Class A state tournament spots last season, while Custer and Rapid City Christian return key players that’ll help push for state tourney spots. 
• Loaded Region 3A: Region 3A will again be filled with worthy state-tourney teams, including Sioux Falls Christian, Dell Rapids, Madison and West Central. The quartet of teams will duke it out for region seedings throughout the season and see who secures the two SoDak 16 spots come postseason. 
• 53 in a row: Dakota Valley continued an historic run last season. The Panthers won their second straight Class A boys basketball championship and are riding a class record 53-game winning streak entering the season. Last season, the Panthers broke Custer’s Class A boys basketball record of 49 straight wins. The state’s longest overall boys basketball winning streak is 64, set by Armour from 1978-80. 

Players to watch

• Porter Ihnen, Lennox: A future Coyote, Ihnen is the lone Class A first-team all-stater back from last season. Ihnen, a 6-foot-6 guard, logged 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game during his junior season. 

Lennox's Porter Ihnen, right, goes up for a shot last season at the Sanford Pentagon. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

• Alec Squires, Sioux Valley: A 6-foot-10 jumping jack, Squires posted 15 points and 11 rebounds per game last season. Squires, who will play college basketball at South Dakota State University, swatted 60 shots last season. He was a second-team all-state selection. 
• Easton Neuendorf, Hamlin: Neuendorf piloted Hamlin’s offense at the point guard spot. A lightning quick guard, Neuendorf averaged 13 points, five assists and four rebounds per game as a sophomore. The 5-foot-11 guard was a third-team all-state honoree. 
• Tyson Stevenson, Hamlin: Stevenson posted 14.4 points, three rebounds and 2.3 assists per game during his junior season. He was a third-team all-state selection for Hamlin, which earned a third-place finish at state.
• Jake Kuhl, West Central: An Irene-Wakonda transfer, Kuhl is a 7-foot center that will play college basketball at Northern State University. He averaged 12.6 points, 11 rebounds, 4.7 blocks and three assists per game playing with Sanford Sports Academy during the summer. 
• Benson Kieffer, Rapid City Christian: A 5-foot-10 junior guard, Kieffer powered the Comets with 16 points, 4.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game last season. He lifted Rapid City Christian to the 2022 Lakota Nation Invitational title and earned MVP honors of the four-day tournament.
• Marvin Richard III, Pine Ridge: A Lakota Tech transfer, Richard III is a rising sophomore point guard for the Thorpes. A 6-foot-2 guard, Richard III tallied 15.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game during his freshman season. 
• Lane Tietz, Groton Area: A 6-foot senior guard, Tietz earned all-Northeast Conference honors the past two seasons. Tietz registered 17 points, four assists and three steals per game during his junior year. He will play college basketball at Dakota State University. 
• Ben Brooks, Madison: A 6-foot-7 junior forward, Brooks earned all-conference honors in the ultra-competitive Dak-XII Conference last season. 
• Jaxson Wingert, Dakota Valley: A 6-foot-7 senior forward, Wingert has been a key piece in Dakota Valley’s back-to-back title runs. He averaged 15 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season. Wingert was an all-conference performer last season. 
• Griffen Goodbary, Sioux Falls Christian: A 6-foot-10 forward, Goodbary is a rising junior that will headline the Chargers the next two seasons. 
• Shawn Hammerbeck, Winner: A 6-foot-7 junior center, Hammerbeck is an imposing post player for the Warriors. Hammerbeck, who is also an outstanding football and track and field performer, was an all-conference player in basketball last season. He averaged 11.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for the Warriors on the hardwood. 
• Jack Henry, Dell Rapids: A future Jackrabbit quarterback, Henry is also a solid guard for the Quarriers. Last season, the 6-foot-3 guard was an all-conference performer in the Dak-XII Conference. 
• Kyle Virtue, Custer: A 6-foot-4 junior forward, Virtue has been a key cog for Custer the past two seasons. He’s an all-conference performer.