MITCHELL — The 2025 Hoop City Classic schedule is set. 

The annual basketball event, which features South Dakota and non-South Dakota teams, is Dec. 29-31 at the Corn Palace. The event, which was formerly known as the Mike Miller Classic, has been a staple in Mitchell since 2010.

The 2025 event features 19 games, including boys and girls teams and one women’s college basketball game. It again includes South Dakota vs. South Dakota matchups, non-South Dakota teams vs. in-state teams and national powers facing each other. 

The event is under new leadership this year — albeit by familiar faces. Former Hoop City Classic Director Ernie Kuyper accepted the general manager position at Murray State University, where his cousin and fellow Mitchell native Ryan Miller is the new head men’s basketball coach. 

Due to Kuyper’s contract obligations and position with Murray State, he stepped aside from the Hoop City Basketball Club, a youth basketball program in Memphis, Tennessee.  

Emery’s Brad Bartscher and Memphis, Tennessee’s Buffy Kersey, who have assisted with the classic for several years, took over the organizing and directing the event. Kersey is the director of operations for the Hoop City Basketball Club. Scott Robinson, who is also with Hoop City Basketball Club, also helped organize this year’s event. 

Bartscher said it was a good experience organizing the 2025 classic, and it will again be a highly-anticipated South Dakota hoops event. 

“I just feel like with the games and the teams that we have, the environment is going to be pretty exciting throughout the whole classic and all three days,” Bartscher said. 

While South Dakota teams make up a bulk of the lineup — three out-of-state teams in Zephyrhills Christian Academy (Florida), Jonesboro (Georgia) and Totino-Grace (Minnesota) — will also highlight the event. 

“That will be a big-time matchup for everybody throughout the nation,” Bartscher said. “When you get those types of matchups they don't go unheard of very often and getting to play that game at the Corn Palace is very instrumental.”

Zephyrhills Christian Academy and Jonesboro will play on Dec. 29.

Jonesboro is loaded with future college athletes, including 6-foot Cortez Redding (Miami football commit), 5-foot-11 Jontavius Wyman (Miami football commit) and Frank Jackson (a 6-foot-5 college football prospect). Sophomores Calvin Goss (6-foot point guard/shooting guard), Tenaje Freeman (6-foot-10 power forward) and Jadarius Slaton (a 6-foot-4 guard) are also promising prospects for Jonesboro, which won state championships in 2014 and ‘15 under long-time coach Dan Maehlman.

Zephyrhills Christian Academy is headlined by Missouri commit Toni Bryant (a 4-star 6-foot-9 power forward), Austin Peay commit Traymaine Belanger (a 6-foot-5 shooting guard), Evan Roberts (a 3-star 6-foot-1 point guard) and Alexander Davis (a 3-star 6-foot-8 power forward). 

“You have a top player in the nation with the Zephyrhills Christian Academy out of Florida, with a very good supporting cast around him,” Bartscher said. “The team out of Jonesboro is loaded up and down the roster with Division I football players going to the University of Miami and mid-major college basketball players on that roster as well. It makes for a very intriguing matchup for the local people.”

On Dec. 30, Jonesboro will play Mitchell and Zephyrhills Christian Academy will play Totino-Grace, Minnesota. Zephyrhills Christian Academy will also play Brandon Valley on Dec. 30. 

On Dec. 31, Jonesboro will play Harrisburg. Totino-Grace, a Minnesota perennial power, will play Mitchell on Dec. 31. Lennox will also play Jonesboro on Dec. 31. 

Totino-Grace features Dothan Ijadimbola, a 6-foot-6 3-star small forward committed to Drake University. The Eagles also feature college basketball prospects Malachi Hill (5-foot-10 guard), Tian Chatman (6-foot-3 guard), DeAngelo Dungey (6-foot-4 guard) and AJ Taban (6-foot-6 forward). 

The classic’s long-time staple of South Dakota teams testing their brand of basketball against out-of-state teams will again continue this season. 

“So many years that we have done this, we’ve had the South Dakota style of basketball going against the out-of-state teams, and it’s been two very different styles of basketball,” Bartscher said. “It’s very fun to watch that play out where the out-of-state teams usually have a lot more size, but the South Dakota teams shoot the heck out of the basketball and it’s fun to watch a different variety of basketball from different parts of the nation.”

The Mitchell boys and girls basketball teams will play two games apiece in the event. The Mitchell boys will play Jonesboro on Dec. 30 and Totino-Grace on Dec. 31. The Mitchell girls will play Class B power Lyman on Dec. 29 and Sisseton on Dec. 31. 

The Kernel boys are led by all-stater Colton Smith, a 6-foot-5 forward. The Mitchell girls are headlined by Addie Siemsen, a 5-foot-8 all-state guard committed to Augustana University. 

On Dec. 29, Lyman and Freeman will play in a marquee Class B boys basketball matchup. The Raiders and Flyers qualified for last season’s state tournament, and both return a host of key players. 

On Dec. 30, Huron and Sioux Falls Christian will play in an intriguing Class AA vs. Class A tilt. Sioux Falls Christian won last season’s Class A state championship, and features all-stater Cooper Goodbary (a 6-foot-5 forward headed to Northern State University). Huron is headlined by 6-foot-9 Blake Ellwein, an all-stater committed to South Dakota State University. 

“That will be really fun for the local fans to watch,” Bartscher said. “You’ve got big-time players on both teams. Sioux Falls Christian just year in and year out is loaded. I don’t think they ever rebuild. They just reload every year and Huron is going to be a top-notch team.”

Pine Ridge, which is led by all-state scoring sensation Marvin Richard III, will again play in the event. The Thorpes will play Class A foe West Central on Dec. 29 and Class B power Viborg-Hurley on Dec. 30. 

A 6-foot-1 junior guard, Richard III pumped in 764 points last season and will begin this season with 1,946 career points. A future University of South Dakota Coyote, Richard III averaged 34.7 points, six rebounds and 3.8 assists per game last season.

He had six games with 40 or more points, including a Class A boys basketball record 62-point performance. Richard III also set the Lakota Nation Invitational boys basketball single-game record (57). 

The one college women’s game is a matchup between NAIA powers Dakota Wesleyan University and Northwestern College (Iowa).  

“It’s going to be a heckuva women’s basketball game and another highlight game for everyone to come out and watch and support,” Bartscher said. “It’s just good basketball at the Corn Palace all three days.” 

Monday, December 29

10:00 – Lower Brule vs Mount Vernon/Plankinton

11:30 – McCook Central/Montrose vs White River

1:00 – Timber Lake vs Ethan

2:30 – Parkston vs Dupree

4:00 – Lyman Girls vs Mitchell Girls

5:30 – Pine Ridge vs West Central

7:00 – Zephyrhills Christian Academy (Florida) vs Jonesboro (Georgia)

8:30 – Lyman vs Freeman

Tuesday, December 30

9:30 – White River vs Gregory

11:00 – Brandon Valley vs Zephyrhills Christian Academy (Florida)

12:30 – Bridgewater Emery vs Timber Lake

2:00 – Pine Ridge vs Viborg-Hurley

3:30 – Huron vs Sioux Falls Christian

5:00 – DWU Women vs Northwestern (Iowa) Women

7:00 – Jonesboro (Georgia) vs Mitchell

8:30 – Zephyrhills Christian Academy (Florida) vs Totino-Grace (Minnesota)

Wednesday, December 31

9:00 – Lennox vs Jonesboro (Georgia)

10:30 – Aberdeen Central vs. Harrisburg

12:00 – Sisseton Girls vs Mitchell Girls

1:30 – Totino-Grace (Minnesota) vs Mitchell