ABERDEEN — De Smet’s rich basketball tradition got richer on Saturday, March 18. 

The Bulldogs won their third straight Class B boys basketball state championship, cementing their place among the all-time Class B greats once again. De Smet (23-3) accomplished the three-peat against worthy challenger Lower Brule, 62-48, at a rocking Wachs Arena. 

De Smet became the first Class B boys basketball team to three-peat since Webster (1946-48). The Bulldogs are the first boys basketball team to three-peat in any class since Sioux Falls O’Gorman (2010-12).

De Smet’s impressive basketball résumé doesn’t stop there. In its storied basketball history, De Smet has played in 11 state championship games, winning Class B titles in 1970, ‘71, ‘87, ‘95, 2021, ‘22 and ‘23. The Bulldogs won the 1999 Class A state championship.

In the past five seasons, De Smet is 117-10, won three state championships, finished runner-up in 2019 and was robbed of potentially starting a four-peat in 2020 due to the pandemic. 

The latest championship run was fueled by some fresh faces. The Bulldogs lost five stellar seniors off the 2022 championship team, including current college basketball players Kalen Garry (South Dakota State University) and Rett Osthus (Dakota Wesleyan University).

De Smet all-stater Damon Wilkinson, a towering 6-foot-10 center, was De Smet’s headliner this season. He logged multiple monster double-doubles, including 18 points and 20 boards in the title game. 

But De Smet received key contributions from multiple players that served as primarily reserve players in the past. Wilkinson, Kadyn Fast and George Jensen were all-tournament selections. 

Kasen Janssen, Gannon Gruenhagen and Tom Aughenbaugh all shined at different moments throughout the weekend. 

De Smet’s smothering defense was also its calling card during the championship run. This season, the Bulldogs held their opponents to 40.5 points per game and outscored them by 24.4 points per contest. 

The defense was on display in Aberdeen and the ‘Dogs faced some adversity right out of the chutes. De Smet rallied back from a 15-point deficit to outlast Viborg-Hurley in the opener, 51-47. They proceeded to hold Aberdeen Christian (46-31) and Lower Brule (62-48) to season-low point totals. 

The win over Lower Brule also continued De Smet’s dominance against Class B teams. The Bulldogs haven’t lost to a Class B team since Feb. 15, 2020 against Canistota at the DWU/Culver’s Classic in Mitchell.

De Smet’s three losses this season were against Class A teams Sioux Valley, Hamlin and Tea Area. 

The Bulldogs could be back at Wachs Arena again next season. De Smet will graduate Wilkinson, Gruenhagen and Janssen off this season’s team. The Bulldogs will be powered by eight seniors next season and Wilkinson’s younger brother, Grant, is currently a 6-foot-7 freshman. 

De Smet’s rich basketball tradition could get richer again.