No. 1 Sioux Falls Jefferson at No. 2 Sioux Falls Lincoln 

The top teams in Class AA will collide for the second time this season.

On Dec. 30, Sioux Falls Jefferson picked up a 71-57 win over Sioux Falls Lincoln and the rematch is Friday on Lincoln’s home court. The Sioux Falls squads have emerged as the top teams in Class AA and have a combined two losses between them. 

Jefferson (16-0) is the lone undefeated team in Class AA, but it has escaped with narrow victories against Brandon Valley (59-58), Sioux Falls Roosevelt (63-60), Mitchell (61-54) and Sioux Falls Christian (70-66). It doesn’t get any easier after the Lincoln contest, as Jefferson will host Sioux Falls Washington on Saturday.

Lincoln (15-2) rattled off 13 straight wins after its loss against Jefferson. The Patriots are coming off a 70-56 setback against No. 5 Sioux Falls Roosevelt on Feb. 14. 

The all-Sioux Falls affair features a handful of next-level athletes. Sioux Falls Jefferson is loaded with future college athletes, including Taylen Ashley (University of Sioux Falls basketball), Griffin Wilde (South Dakota State football), Beau Giblin (South Dakota State football), Mason Riley (Dakota Wesleyan University baseball) and Ethan Koltz (Southwest Minnesota State basketball). 

Sioux Falls Lincoln counters with 7-foot-1 junior J.T. Rock, a four-star center committed to Iowa State University. Rock is complemented by other future college basketball players in Elliot Whitney (Gustavus Adolphus), Ethen Lincoln (Gustavus Adolphus) and Eli Olson (Mount Marty University).

RV Pierre at No. 3 Mitchell 

The Corn Palace will host an all-Eastern South Dakota Conference clash on Thursday.

Pierre (11-6) plays at No. 3 Mitchell (12-4) in a conference showdown that also includes major postseason implications. Mitchell (42.562) is currently No. 4 in Class AA seed points standings, sandwiched in between Yankton (42.933) and Sioux Falls Roosevelt (42.212). 

Pierre is currently No. 9 with 40.882 points and is just behind Harrisburg (41.706), Sioux Falls Washington (41.600) and Brandon Valley (41.588).

The Kernels have emerged from a preseason unranked team to No. 3 in the latest Class AA poll. Their defeats have come against Harrisburg (75-57), Lincoln (67-66), Jefferson (61-54) and Washington (47-42). Mitchell has relied on Aiden Meyers, Markus Talley, Dylan Soulek, Charlie McCardle, Steele Morgan, Gavin Soukup and Colton Smith to carry the balanced-Kernels. 

The Governors, meanwhile, were the preseason No. 5 ranked team and recently dropped out of the top-five in the Class AA poll. Pierre’s six losses have been against Lincoln (72-62), Washington (63-57), Brandon Valley (53-52), Aberdeen Central (84-82), O’Gorman (68-64) and Yankton (56-51).

Pierre features all-state guard and future Ohio State University quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, who is currently the No. 13 all-time leading scorer in Class AA boys basketball history with 1,340 career points. Jackson Edman, a future Black Hills State University men’s basketball player, Brecken Krueger, Jacob Mayer, Benjamin Heisler, Carson Ahartz and Christian Busch are also key contributors. 

Howard at RV Viborg-Hurley 

Two Cornbelt Conference teams jockey for postseason positioning will meet Thursday in Hurley.

The Cougars (15-2) and Tigers (13-4) are currently in the top-10 in Class B seeds standings as they both eye postseason runs. Viborg-Hurley is currently No. 6 with 44.353 points, while Howard (43.765) is not far behind at No. 10. 

The Cougars have emerged as a Class B challenger and are currently on a nine-game winning streak. The Cougars suffered losses against Class A Elk Point-Jefferson (59-53) and Class B Bridgewater-Emery (60-57). They’ve beaten Class A teams Hanson (11-6) and McLaughlin (9-6), along with Class B Philip (14-4) to bolster their seed points.

The Cougars start three players 6-foot-3 or taller in Kobee Sherman (6-3),Gage Goettertz (6-4) and Nick Hanson (6-6), while Bryson Morrison and Brady Schroedermeier round out the starting five. 

The Tigers are coming off a 61-56 setback against Canistota, but won their nine previous contests in a row. Howard counters Viborg-Hurley’s size with 6-foot-7 junior Kolt Koepsell and 6-foot-3 sophomore Luke Koepsell, along with other starters Ryder Erickson, Colby Claussen and Taiden Hoyer. 

RV Dell Rapids at RV Lennox 

A pair of Dak-XII Conference teams — Dell Rapids and Lennox — will meet Friday in Lennox. 

The Orioles (15-2) and Quarriers (14-4) are No. 6 and No. 10, respectively, in the current Class A seed points standings as the postseason is around the corner. 

Lennox dropped its first game of the season against No. 3 Sioux Falls Christian, but won 12 consecutive games before falling to Moorhead, Minnesota (83-74) on Feb. 4. The Orioles recently knocked off Tea Area, 63-57. The Quarriers, meanwhile, were clipped 59-58 by the Titans earlier this month. 

Friday’s contest will feature a pair of all-state guards in Lennox’s Porter Ihnen and Dell Rapids’ Brayden Pankonen. Ihnen and Pankonen both scored their 1,000th career points this season. 

Ihnen, a 6-foot-6 junior with scholarship offers from South Dakota State and South Dakota, is complemented by Jaxon Plank, Conner Eich, Talan Diercks, Braeden Wulf, Braxton Musser and Tate Gerdes. 

Pankonen, a 5-foot-9 senior guard, is complemented by Taj Tjaden, Jack Henry, Rhett Kloth and Camden Justice. 

No. 3 Sioux Falls Christian at No. 2 Sioux Valley 

Class A pundits have their eyes on this one. 

No. 3 Sioux Falls Christian plays at No. 2 Sioux Valley on Friday in a contest between two familiar foes. The Chargers and Cossacks have played three times the past two seasons, with Sioux Falls Christian winning twice. The Chargers won last season and defeated Cossacks for the 2021 Class A state championship. 

The Chargers (14-4) and Cossacks (17-1) both dropped games against Class A No. 1 Dakota Valley this season. Sioux Valley lost 82-57, while Sioux Falls Christian lost 73-57 to the defending state champs.

The contest is oozing with all-state caliber players. Sioux Valley is powered by all-state guard Oliver Vincent, who recently became the program’s all-time career assists leader. He’s surrounded by 6-foot-10 junior Alec Squires, a South Dakota State University commit, Patrick Carey, Boden Schiller, Maxwell Engebretson, Maverick Nelson and Hudsyn Ruesink.

The Chargers are led by 6-foot-6 Ethan Bruns, a 2022 Class A all-stater. Tayton Snyder, Cole Snyder, Griffen Goodbary and Britton Mulder are other key contributors. 

Wolsey-Wessington vs. No. 3 Lower Brule 

The Warner Classic will host a big Class B matchup as the postseason inches closer. 

Lower Brule plays Wolsey-Wessington featuring two teams among the top-12 teams in the current Class B seed points standings. Lower Brule (16-3) is No. 2 in the standings, while Wolsey-Wessington (14-4) is No. 12 in the standings. 

The Sioux and Warbirds share a pair of common opponents this season in De Smet and Wessington Springs. Lower Brule lost to De Smet by nine points, while Wolsey-Wessington dropped a three-point game to the Bulldogs. Lower Brule beat Wessington Springs by six points, while Wolsey-Wessington lost to the Spartans by 10 points. 

Lower Brule is headlined by a pair of 1,000-point scorers in Brian LaRoche Jr., and Gavin Thigh, along with Ellwyn Langdeau, Lane Gray and Tayshawn Battese. 

Wolsey-Wessington counters with Ricky Maurovic, Tate French, Moshe Richmond and Blaze Herdman.