By Rich Winter

605 Sports

HOT SPRINGS — In the 11 years that Aaron Noteboom has been coaching the Hot Springs boys basketball team, he’s noticed a distinct parallel to success on the gridiron translating to the basketball season. 

Last fall the Bison finished 8-3 on the gridiron, bowing out to eventual state champion Elk-Point Jefferson in the Class 11B semifinals. Heading into Friday’s home game against Lakota Tech Hot Springs is 11-0 and one of the surprise teams in Class A basketball. 

“I feel like the energy of that football season coming into basketball has been a big factor,” Hot Springs senior Preston Iverson said. “Last fall we built a lot of chemistry from playing football and playing defense and that makes a difference on the basketball court.” 

Coach Noteboom says in a small school like Hot Springs most of the football players go out for basketball and he says that gives his basketball team some extra toughness.

“I feel like we have a pretty close knit group of guys,” Noteboom said. “They are friends throughout the year, not just in sports and I think that chemistry shows up on the floor.” 

While the Bison don’t have all-staters at every position, they have a bunch of guys that can get it done on any given night. 

Junior guard Josh Kleinsasser leads the team in scoring at just over 14 points per game. Another junior, Matt Close, checks in at 12 points per game.

Josh Kleinsasser puts up a shot against the Wall Eagles - Photo courtesy of Brett Nachtigall / Fall River County Herald-Star

“We have a lot of guys that score in that eight, nine, 10-point range and I think that makes us hard to prepare for,” Noteboom said.  

Iverson directs the Bison offense and says it is a luxury to have so many guys that can score each night. 

“It feels great,” he said. “I can pass it to anyone and the shots will fall. If they don’t fall right away they will fall later in the game.” 

Will Gilbertson, a 6-foot-4 senior, and Camron Maciejewski, a 6-foot-1 junior, combine for 15 rebounds per game. Noteboom has four players that are averaging over two assists per game. 

“A lot of guys can step into that scoring role,” Noteboom said. “We’ve had some guys come off the bench and contribute and no one on this team is worried about stats.” 

Camron Maciejewski is one of the top rebounders for the Bison -Photo courtesy of Brett Nachtigall / Fall River County Herald-Star

The 2022-2023 schedule has been favorable for the Bison with only three of the 10 teams they’ve beaten having winning records. Hot Springs did earn a win over Class B Faith (11-1) in the finals of the West River Tournament on Jan. 14. 

The undefeated team has Hot Springs fans coming out of the woodwork to attend games but Noteboom says the team isn’t too focused on the 11-0 start. 

“We try not to focus on the record,” he said. “We just focus on getting better. We’re looking to improve our practice habits and that’s been the biggest thing with our success so far this season.”

On Tuesday, despite having a few sick kids on the roster the Bison dispatched Wall, 76-46. The schedule ramps up down the stretch, starting with Friday’s matchup against battle-tested Lakota Tech. 

“From here on out we get to test ourselves and see where we stand up against the top teams in Region 8A,” Noteboom said.

On Feb. 14 the Bison have a road game at St. Thomas More, ranked No. 5 in this week’s Class A South Dakota Prep Media Basketball Poll. Hot Springs closes its regular season at Rapid City Christian, ranked No. 4 in this week’s poll.