I’ve covered South Dakota’s best state tournament for 15 years. 

Minus the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Aberdeen has hosted the Class B state boys basketball tournament since 1995 and it’s become a South Dakota sports tradition unlike any other. 

No other city or venue can match what Aberdeen and the Barnett Center provides Class B’s players, coaches and fans. It’s been home to jam-packed crowds, classic games and legendary players. 

Since 2007, I’ve experienced first-hand as a sports reporter just how special the State Bs are to so many people. So when it tips off Thursday, State B memories will be dancing around in my head and new ones will be made at the 2022 tourney. 

Before we get to this year’s three-day event, here are 15 memorable State B moments (listed in alphabetical order) to get us ready for another fun tournament:

Bridgewater-Emery rallied back to complete perfect season

Bridgewater-Emery had a comeback for the ages to complete a season for the ages. 

In the 2017 state championship, the Huskies faced a 13-point third-quarter deficit against Wolsey-Wessington and rallied for a 63-58 victory, polishing off a 26-0 season. 

Bridgewater-Emery’s Jamin Arend, then a sophomore, scored the team’s final nine points and hit a late go-ahead 3-pointer to complete the comeback win. Arend scored 19 points, while Cole Gassman (17 points), Sam Arend (12 points) and Sawyer Schultz (12 points) also powered the win. 

In the state tourney, the Huskies also defeated Platte-Geddes (67-39) and Sully Buttes (61-58) on their way to the championship.

De Smet rolled to 2021 title

After COVID-19 took away our 2020 state tournament, De Smet made up for lost time and rolled to the 2021 state championship. 

The Bulldogs knocked off Lower Brule (80-53), Viborg-Hurley (56-44) and Aberdeen Christian (59-43) en route to their fifth Class B state championship. 

De Smet’s Kalen Garry powered the Bulldogs in the title game with 23 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. Garry’s breakaway jam in the closing seconds put an exclamation point on De Smet’s 25-1 season. 

Hanson won 2015 title in thrilling fashion 

Hanson had a state tournament to remember in 2015. 

The No. 5 seed Beavers won three games in the closing seconds and by a combined six points, including two straight overtime victories. 

They edged previously undefeated Wolsey-Wessington (56-55) in the opener, outlasted Hitchcock-Tulare (43-41, OT) in the semifinals and nipped Langford Area (47-44, OT) in the finals. 

In the opener, Taylor Nichols scored a go-ahead basket with eight seconds left to propel Hanson into the semifinals. Against Hitchcock-Tulare, Aaron Wenande’s elbow jumper with :1.7 seconds left sent Hanson into the championship. In the finals, Sam Vander Stouwe hit two free throws with seven seconds left for the final margin and finished with 18 points. Jordan Marquardt scored 19 points for Hanson’s first state championship since 1986. 

Fans pack Wachs Arena during the 2009 state tournament. (South Dakota Public Broadcasting Photo)

Hub City turned into Upset City 

Don’t always expect the No. 1 seeds to roll through the tournament. 

Three times in recent memory, No. 8 seeds recorded upset wins over No. 1 seeds in Thursday’s opening contest. 

In 2019, No. 8 Viborg-Hurley topped perennial power and No. 1 seed White River in the opener, 68-61. 

In 2015, No. 8 Hitchcock-Tulare handed No. 1 seed Faith a 54-40 defeat in their opening round contest. 

In 2011, No. 8 Sully Buttes upset No. 1 seed and previously undefeated Hitchcock-Tulare, 61-54. 

LaCroix’s heroics lifted Hurley to title

In 2007, seventh-seeded Hurley upset No. 2 Faith, No. 3 White River and No. 1 Mitchell Christian on consecutive nights to capture its first-ever state championship. The Bulldogs won the three games by a combined eight points, including a 44-42 win over Mitchell Christian in the championship. 

That’s when Bo LaCroix, then a sophomore, etched his name in State B lore. The Bulldogs trailed by seven with under two minutes left, but LaCroix drilled three 3-pointers in the final minute to spark the furious comeback. 

LaCroix’s final triple gave Hurley a 42-40 lead, while Coulter Boyer later sealed it with a layup in the closing seconds. 

Langford Area, White River played memorable 5OT contest 

In 2014, regular Class B entrants Langford Area and White River locked horns in a five-overtime marathon in Friday’s afternoon session. 

In the fifth overtime, Bo Fries scored eight seconds into it to spark a decisive 10-0 run as the Lions won by a 62-54 margin.

A few years before the shot clock debuted in South Dakota, the teams took advantage of it and stalled in the overtime sessions. 

It was tied 39-39 after regulation, knotted up at 45-45 after one overtime and 49-49 after two overtimes. They didn’t score in the third overtime session and they were evened up at 51-51 after four overtimes. 

Thank goodness we now have a shot clock in South Dakota. 

White River's Louie Krogman attacks the basket in front of 8,113 fans during the 2008 state championship game. (South Dakota Public Broadcasting Photo)

Louie Legend

No Class B player drew a crowd like Louie Krogman.

The White River scoring sensation finished as the state’s all-time leading scorer with 3,521 career points and scored 328 points in three state tournaments from 2006-08. 

Krogman set six State B boys records: most points in championship play (112, 2008), most points in first-round game (40, 2007), most points in semifinal game (35, 2007), most points in championship game (45, 2008), most points in consolation game (50, 2007) and most points in tournament, including consolation games (125, 2007). 

Louie goes out in style

On March 15, 2008, South Dakota basketball fans packed Wachs Arena to watch Louie Krogman’s final high school basketball game. 

The hoop heads started lining up around 4 p.m., and by the third-place game, it was buzzing with anticipation as fans wanted to witness history. The attendance in Northern State University’s Wachs Arena was reported at 8,113 fans. 

Krogman didn’t disappoint and went out with his elusive state championship, lifting White River to a 66-50 state championship over Langford.

South Dakota’s scoring king and future University of South Dakota Coyote pumped in 45 points on 13 of 28 shooting from the field and 17 of 20 at the free-throw line. 

Prouty powered Cyclones to 2019 title

In 2019, Jacob Prouty and Clark/Willow Lake simply would not be denied. 

One year after falling to Sully Buttes in the title tilt, Prouty powered the Cyclones to their first-ever Class B state championship. Clark/Willow Lake topped Lake Central Conference foe and upstart De Smet, 49-41, in the finals. 

Prouty put on an impressive offensive display in CWL’s title run. In the semifinals against Bridgewater-Emery, Prouty put in 37 points and scored 24 of CWL’s 28 first-half points, finishing 13 of 24 overall from the field and hit seven 3-pointers. Against De Smet, Prouty poured in 35 points on 14 of 24 shooting from the field.  

Sully Buttes, White River rivalry 

Class B powers — Sully Buttes and White River — became regular acquaintances in Aberdeen.

The Chargers and Tigers, who were once in the same district, regularly faced each other at Wachs Arena during the State Bs. They’ve combined for 29 state tournament berths since 2005. 

From 2006 to 2019, they played a total of nine times in Aberdeen and their meetings included everything from first-round games, semifinals and a classic 2009 title tilt.

The Tigers own a 5-4 advantage in the series at state, including the last meeting for the 2019 consolation championship. 

Sully Buttes/White River tournament series:

2006: Sully Buttes 83, White River 59 (3rd place)

2007: White River 69, Sully Buttes 64 (3rd place)

2008: White River 76, Sully Buttes 62 (Semifinals)

2009: Sully Buttes 74, White River 73 (Title game)

2011: White River 65, Sully Buttes 45 (Semifinals)

2012: White River 61, Sully Buttes 34 (Semifinals)

2017: Sully Buttes 65, White River 52 (1st round)

2018: Sully Buttes 56, White River 34 (Semifinals)

2019: White River 74, Sully Buttes 68 (5th place)

Sully Buttes outlasted White River in the 2009 state championship game. (South Dakota Public Broadcasting Photo)

Sully Buttes nipped White River in 2009 classic

Speaking of the 2009 championship, it was one for the ages. 

One year after graduating the state’s all-time leading scorer Louie Krogman, the Tigers found themselves back on the state’s biggest stage and a shot at back-to-back titles. However, Sully Buttes outlasted them for a 74-73 championship win in front of 6,354 fans and they were treated to a classic.

The Tigers bolted out to a 15-2 first-quarter lead, but the Chargers surged back for a 29-27 halftime advantage. The seesaw contest continued with White River leading by eight points in the third quarter and Sully Buttes grabbing a four-point advantage in the fourth quarter. 

The Chargers stretched their lead to seven points with 24 seconds left, but Matthew Bartlett willed his team back into the game. The Tiger center converted a four-point play to get within three points, and after Zach Merwin’s free throw gave Sully Buttes a four-point edge, Bartlett canned another 3-pointer to get within one point. 

But the Tigers ran out of time and Sully Buttes ran out the clock against their rivals for the win. 

It was also a family affair as first cousins Ryan Yackley (Sully Buttes), Jake Krogman (White River) and Wyatt Krogman (White River) played in the contest. 

Sully Buttes rallied back for 2018 title

Sully Butte picked a good time to erase a 10-point deficit. 

In the 2018 state championship, Clark/Willow Lake pulled away for a 10-point lead entering the final quarter. But the Chargers went on a remarkable 20-0 run and held on for a 58-55 win over the Cyclones. 

Nick Wittler, then a sophomore, hit three 3-pointers in the final quarter to power the comeback and his triple gave Sully Buttes a 49-48 lead it did not relinquish. 

Afterward, two missed Sully Buttes free throws left the margin at three points and CWL missed a desperation 3-pointer as time expired. 

Wittler (18 points), Lincoln Jordre (16 points/four blocked shots) and Jacob Howard (15 points/16 rebounds) powered the Chargers in the title game. 

Warner completed 2016 season in dominant fashion

In 2016, Warner made its first appearance since 1997 and the Monarchs rolled through the eight-team field. 

The Monarchs punctuated a 26-0 season with three double-digit wins and completed their dominant season at Wachs Arena. In Aberdeen, Warner defeated De Smet (61-46), Potter County (61-51) and Irene-Wakonda (60-43) en route to its third championship in school history.

In the finals, Tyler Rozell led the victory with 21 points and knocked down four 3-pointers. Warner’s 6-foot-10 center Michael Rogers added 14 points and 11 rebounds, while he scored his 1,000th career point. Ethan Westby also scored 14 points. 

White River outlasted Hitchcock-Tulare for 2010 title

In 2010, White River played in its third consecutive championship and it again went down to the wire. 

In front of 5,584 fans, the Tigers held Hitchcock-Tulare scoreless the final three minutes and picked up a 66-63 come-from-behind state championship win. The Tigers trailed by as many as 10 points in the third quarter, but behind R.J. Estes (25 points), Jake Krogman (15 points) and Wyatt Krogman (15 points), they rallied back for the win. 

Jake Krogman and J.D. Plume combined for five free-throw makes in the waning seconds to secure the win. 

White River’s 17-year run

The teams change every year, but the one constant has been the White River Tigers. 

In 2006, the Tigers qualified for state for the first time since 1993 and have continued to qualify for every state tourney since. 

The run started during the Louie Krogman era from 2006-08 and was highlighted by six consecutive state title game appearances from 2008-13. The Tigers won four of the six state championship games, winning titles in 2008, ‘10, ‘12 and ‘13. 

The Tigers will make another appearance this season and will play Freeman Academy/Marion in the opener on Thursday.