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White River's Joe Sayler is the 2023 South Dakota Mr. Basketball
White River's Joe Sayler (11) is the 2023 South Dakota Mr. Basketball.
(Matt Gade / For 605 Sports)

White River's Joe Sayler is the 2023 South Dakota Mr. Basketball

May 7, 2023
  

By Ryan Deal

605 Sports

Joe Sayler is the 2023 South Dakota Mr. Basketball. 

The White River High School senior boys basketball player received the honor at the Hansen & Anderson Basketball Banquet on Sunday in Sioux Falls. Sayler is the second White River boys basketball player to receive the honor, joining Louie Krogman (2008). 

A 6-foot-3 guard, Sayler averaged a Class B-best 30.8 points per game and racked up 769 points this season. The bouncy shooting guard also posted 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, while throwing down a number of highlight reel dunks. 

He broke the White River school record for 3-pointers in a game (13) and season (106). Sayler tossed in a career-high 51 points this season against Kadoka Area. Sayler scored 2,702 career points, the fifth most in South Dakota boys basketball history. Sayler led White River to its 18th consecutive Class B state tournament berth, where it finished fourth this season. 

He will play college basketball at South Dakota State University. Sayler is the third consecutive South Dakota Mr. Basketball winner to play for the Jacks, joining De Smet’s Kalen Garry and Yankton’s Matthew Mors.

Mr. Basketball Winners

2023: Joe Sayler of White River 

2022: Kalen Garry of De Smet 

2021: Matthew Mors of Yankton. 

2020: Ryder Kirsch of St. Thomas More.

2019: Noah Freidel of Tea Area. 

2018: A.J. Plitzuweit of Vermillion.

2017: Matt Cartwright of Sioux Falls O’Gorman.

2016: Ty Hoglund of Dell Rapids.

2015: Bo Fries of Langford Area.

2014: Steven Schaefer of Rapid City Stevens.

2013: Zach Hanson of Pierre.

2012: Skye Warwick of St. Thomas More.

2011: Zach Horstman of Winner and Liam Duffy of St. Thomas More.

2010: Jared Hannigan of Aberdeen Central.

2009: Tony Fiegen of Madison.

2008: Louie Krogman of White River.

2007: Matt Malloy of Parkston.

2006: Zach Finley of St. Thomas More.

2005: Eric Krogman of Elkton.

2004: Eric Hall of Huron.

2003: Paige Paulsen of Custer.

2002: Matt Hammer of Elkton.

2001: Josh Mueller of West Central.

2000: Steve Anderson of Rapid City Central.

1999: Denver TenBroek of McIntosh.

1998: Austin Hansen of Brandon Valley and Mike Miller of Mitchell.

1997: Austin Ledeboer of Armour.

1996: Todd Schlekeway of Mobridge and John Sivesind of Sioux Falls Roosevelt.

1995: Chris Janssen of Emery.

1994: Chuck Welke of Warner.

1993: Jason Sutherland of Watertown.

1992: Lance Luitjens of Custer and Eric Lappe of Harrold.

1991: Eric Kline of Aberdeen Central.

1990: Brent Lindskov of Isabel.

1989: Eric Piatkwoski of Rapid City Stevens.

1988: George Bettelyoun of Pine Ridge.

1987: Kyle Jordre of Platte.

1986: Sam Goodhope of Winner.

1985: Bart Fredrick of Mitchell and Randy Leslie of Sioux Falls Washington.

1984: Todd Smith of Wakonda.

1983: Luther Hippe of Sioux Falls Washington and Troy Schaefer of Pierre.

1982: Lonni Stover of Webster.

1981: Alan Miller of Stickney.

1980: Rod Merriam of Huron.

1979: Mark Smidt of Sioux Falls Washington.

1978: Barry Glanzer of Armour.