Quick View: Dakota Schoolers
The Dakota Schoolers roster for the 2017 is big, long, and talented and includes some of the best players South Dakota has to offer.
Roster
Aaron Fiegen of Madison (6-7 power forward)
Trevor Hanson of Sioux Valley (6-8 center)
Jonah Larson of Beresford (6-5 power forward)
Mason Larson of Langford (6-7 power forward)
Trevor Olson of Sioux Valley (6-4 shooting guard)
Koln Oppold of SF Christian (6-4 small forward)
AJ Plitzuweit of Vermillion (6-2 shooting guard)
Nate Rook of Aberdeen Central (5-9 point guard)
Jeffrey Schuch of Dell Rapids (6-5 small forward)
Lincoln Unruh of SF Christian (6-1 guard)
Five Points
- A year ago Rook, Larson, and Hanson played with the Dakota Schoolers 17U team so they have been through not only the SPTS gauntlet of play but they also competed against a strong level of teams in the NY2LA league a year ago. So this is an experienced crew leading the way. Rook was a tough, dependable lead guard while Hanson and Larson were among the leaders of this 17U team a year ago. Hanson of course played his way right into a scholarship from South Dakota State (he’s committed there).
- The additions are huge for the club. Schuch was a top contributor for the South Dakota Heat last year and he also played up at the 17U level so the top notch SPTS division is nothing new to him. Oppold was the top player consistently when we watched him with BBA Force a year ago so his addition is also huge. Then you have maybe the biggest addition, AJ Plitzuweit who had a fantastic junior year earning a scholarship from all the D2 schools in South Dakota.
- No we aren’t done. There are also the Schoolers from the 16s to talk about. Sharp shooting Trevor Hanson who has added to his game, Aaron Fiegen who is a comfortable face-up player from Madison who adds an inside-out dimension, and Lincoln Unruh who I believe played with BBA although my mind slips (he may have been with the Schoolers last year). Add in the size of Larson and this is a heck of a squad.
- The Schoolers 17s weren’t as deep last year and it led to some Ls that they aren’t used to. That’s not going to be the case this year. This is a very deep team that can go to their bench and continue their pace of play, and high effort of play.
- The Schedule. The Schoolers start with the event they host, the Sanford Pentagon Spring Jam in Sioux Falls. In May they have their three events within the SPTS series meaning games in Lakeville (MN), Omaha, and finishing up in Sioux Falls. They then play in the Great Plains Alliance followed by a July that includes another event they host (Pentagon is hosting three events this year and why not, great place to do it) as well as the Mullens event in Kansas and the Jayhawk Finale also in Kansas.