In 2023, Yankton emerged from the Class AA pack and captured its second state boys basketball championship since 2018. 

The Bucks outlasted Mitchell, 65-61, in an all-Eastern South Dakota Conference state championship. Yankton, which graduated eight seniors from the title run, projects to enter rebuilding mode this season. 

The rest of the class brings back key playmakers and parity figures to reign in the state's largest class. 

Sioux Falls Jefferson was the No. 1 team in the preseason South Dakota Prep Media Basketball Poll and received three first-place votes. Sioux Falls Roosevelt and Harrisburg were second and third, respectively. Mitchell (fourth) and Sioux Falls O’Gorman (fifth) rounded out the top-five teams. 

The five teams all received first-place votes, along with honorable mention team Sioux Falls Lincoln. 

Storylines to watch

• Who will emerge?: Expect the unexpected in Class AA, which features only 19 teams and regularly produces upsets come postseason. There’s no clear-cut favorite this season and it likely won’t take long for top teams to emerge, given the top-five head-to-head matchups that’ll take place. 
• ESD teams to contend: Last season, it was an all-ESD final between Yankton and Mitchell. Who will be among the conference’s contenders this season? Harrisburg, which is headlined by all-stater Jacoby Mehrman, will be among the top contenders. Mitchell, which won its 18th conference title last season, returns three key players. Pierre (fifth at state) and Brandon Valley will also be among the top ESD teams. 

Players to watch

• Jacoby Mehrman, Harrisburg: Mehrman is Class AA’s lone returning all-state player from last season. A 6-foot-4 senior guard, Mehrman averaged 15 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game last season en route to second-team all-state honors. He will play college basketball at the University of Sioux Falls. 
• Braeden VanBockern, Harrisburg: VanBockern helped the Tigers reach the Class AA state tournament last season, averaging 11.4 points per game. He’s a 6-foot-3 senior guard. 
• Blake Ellwein, Huron: A 6-foot-8 guard, Ellwein is a rising sophomore that will garner attention for the Tigers the next two seasons. 
• Markus Talley, Mitchell: Talley is a knockdown shooter for the Kernels. A 6-foot junior guard, Talley scored 7.6 points per game last season and will see increased scoring opportunities this season. 

Mitchell's Markus Talley goes up for a shot against Yankton last season at the state tournament in Rapid City. (Josh Jurgens / South Dakota Public Broadcasting)

• Colton Smith, Mitchell: A 6-foot-6 forward, Smith is a promising sophomore for the Kernels. He registered 10.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a freshman, including a career-high 28 points vs. Watertown. 
• Josh Olthoff, Brandon Valley: Olthoff, a 6-foot-8 senior center, was an all-conference honorable mention performer for the Lynx last season. 
• Jackson Brouwer, Sioux Falls Roosevelt: Brouwer tallied 10.6 points and four rebounds per game last season for the Rough Riders. He earned all-conference honorable mention status. 
• Seth Hamilton, Spearfish: A 6-foot-1 guard, Hamilton registered 16 points, six rebounds and two assists per game last season. 
• Jett Zabel, Pierre: Zabel, a 6-foot-5 senior forward, missed last season with a torn labrum. But the future North Dakota State University football player will lead the Governors, who graduated eight seniors, during the 2023-24 season. 
• Shun-Zi White Woman, Rapid City Stevens: A 6-foot-5 senior forward, White Woman transferred from Rapid City Central to Rapid City Stevens this season. 
• Tate Schafer, Sioux Falls Lincoln: A 6-foot-1 senior guard, Schafer recorded 14 points per game and hit more 60 3-pointers for the Patriots last season. Schafer will help pick up the scoring lack left by J.T. Rock, a 7-foot-1 center that reclassified to the Class of 2023 and is a current member of the Iowa State University men’s basketball team.