Aberdeen Christian

Record: 20-3

Coach: David Rohrbach

Key players: Malek Wieker (17 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.2 apg), Ethan Russell (14.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg), Jackson Isakson (11.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg), Kaden Clark (5.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg), Andrew Brennan (5.1 ppg).

Notes: The No. 5 seed Knights play No. 4 Potter County at 1:45 p.m. Thursday in the opening round. Aberdeen Christian gave Potter County its lone defeat, a 61-56 victory on Jan. 15. … The Knights were last year’s Class B runner-ups. … Aberdeen Christian has qualified for three straight Class B state tournaments, but the 2020 tourney was canceled due to the pandemic. … Wieker, an all-state guard, has knocked down 78 3-pointers this season. … The Knights do not have a senior on the roster.  

Castlewood

Record: 17-6

Coach: Mike Thyen

Key players: Tristan Nielsen (13.6 ppg); Carson Kirwan (12.6 ppg); Lane Tvedt (11.9 ppg); Jackon Schofield (8.2 ppg); Bryon Laue (8.0 ppg);  

Notes: The No. 7 seed Warriors play No. 2 seed Lower Brule at 6:00 p.m. Thursday in the opening round. … This is Castlewood’s eleventh appearance at the state tournament. … The last state tournament appearance for the Warriors was in 2012 where they finished in sixth place. … The Warriors have appeared in four state championship games (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003), with two championships (1999, 2001). … Two of Castlewood’s six losses have come against state tournament qualifying teams De Smet (77-34) and Flandreau (78-56).

De Smet

Record: 22-1

Coach: Jeff Gruenhagen

Key players: Kalen Garry (20.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 60 assists, 31 steals); Damon Wilkinson (14.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 47 blocks); Rett Osthus (10.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 106 assists, 40 steals); Tory Holland (9.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 33 steals).

Notes: The top-seeded Bulldogs play Waubay/Summit at noon on Thursday in the opening round. … De Smet is the defending Class B state champion. … This is the fourth consecutive year the Bulldogs have qualified for the Class B state tournament. … This is De Smet’s 25th appearance in a state tournament. … The Bulldogs have played in nine state championship games, winning six state titles (1970, 1971, 1987, 1995, 1999 “A”, 2021). … Head coach Jeff Gruenhagen was a member of the 1987 De Smet Class B championship team as a player, while Rett Osthus’ dad, Doug, and Tory Holland’s father, Terry, were also members of the title team. … De Smet’s lone loss came against Dream City Christian, Arizona (61-57) at the Sanford Pentagon on Dec. 17. … Garry, who will play hoops at South Dakota State University, has 2,054 career points. Garry’s point total is currently 28th all-time on the state’s boys basketball scoring list. Osthus, who will play college basketball at Dakota Wesleyan University, has 1,001 career points. 

Freeman Academy/Marion

Record: 21-2 

Coach: Austin Unruh

Key players: Quincy Blue (16.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.4 apg); Thalen Schroeder (16.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.9 apg); Connor Epp (14.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 5.0 apg, 110 assists); Donte Butler (6.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.4 apg, 74 steals); Matthew Hagen (6.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg)  

Notes: The No. 6 seed Bearcats play No. 3 seed White River at 7:45 p.m. Thursday in the opening round. … This is the coop’s first state tournament appearance. … Freeman Academy has never appeared in a state tournament, while Marion’s last trip was in 1999, a fifth place finish. … The Bearcats losses have come against Howard (56-53) and Lower Brule (75-60).

Lower Brule

Record: 20-3

Coach: Brian LaRoche Sr. 

Key players: Keshaume Thigh (18.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.6 spg, 2.5 apg), Brian LaRoche Jr., (15.6 ppg, 4.4 apg, 4 rpg, 2.6 spg), Gavin Thigh (10 ppg, 4.5 apg), Lane Gray (9.8 ppg).  

Notes: The No. 2 seed Sioux will play No. 7 Castlewood at 6 p.m. Thursday in the opening round. … Lower Brule is making its second consecutive trip to state and its third overall in school history. … Keshaume Thigh, LaRoche Jr., and Trevin McBride have all scored more than 1,000 career points. 

Potter County

Record: 22-1

Coach: Bryce Hall

Key players: Grant Luikens (21.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 3 apg, 3 spg, 11 blocks); Cooper Logan (19.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.6 spg); Drake Bassett (12.3 ppg, 2.1 spg); Seth Sharp (9.9 ppg, 7.5 rpg).

Notes: No. 4 seed Potter County will play No. 5 seed Aberdeen Christian at 1:45 p.m. Thursday in the opening round in a rematch of the Knights 61-56 win on Jan. 15 . … The Battlers are making their fourth state tournament appearance as a co-op (2013, 2014, 2016). … The co-op consists of the towns of Gettysburg and Hoven, with Gettysburg qualifying for six state tournaments in its history (1950, 1970, 1975, 2002, 2004, and 2005) and Hoven qualifying in 1989 (sixth-place finish).

Waubay/Summit

Record: 20-3

Coach: Mark Amdahl

Key players: Damon Opdahl (16.6 ppg, 153 rebounds, 90 assists, 74 steals, 13 blocks); Jonathan Johnston (14.1 ppg, 112 rebounds, 48 assists); J. Gulbraa (12.3 ppg, 141 rebounds, 26 steals, 22 blocks); Seth Gaikowski (6.3 ppg, 45 assists, 22 steals).

Notes: The No. 8 seed Mustangs will play No. 1 De Smet at noon on Thursday in the opening round. … This is the first state tournament appearance for the coop. … Waubay has made four state tournament appearances, with the last appearance in 1955 (fourth place finish), while the other appearances came in 1916, 1917, and 1931. … Summit’s lone state tournament appearance was in 1990, an eighth place finish. … Waubay/Summit’s losses have come against Bridgewater-Emery (58-41), Aberdeen Christian (57-50), and Ethan (61-54).

White River

Record: 19-2

Coach: Eldon Marshall

Key players: Joe Sayler (29.1 ppg, 6 rpg, 2.9 spg, 2.4 apg), Dylan Marshall (15.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.5 apg, 2.9 spg), Nicholas Marshall (9.1 ppg, 3.9 apg, 3.1 rpg), Gavin Folkers (7.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and Kendrell Cuevas (6 ppg, 4.9 rpg).