The Black Hills Conference Preview
How is the Black Hills Conference shaping up entering the season? PHD takes a closer look at the league now!
Conference Commentary
State Title Contenders: St. Thomas More
As we previously stated in the first look article on St. Thomas More, this group brings nearly everything back from one of the best teams in the state. Notice that the majority of our preseason all conference team is Cavalier players. They’ve earned that as this is a very talented group that has state gold on their minds. At the moment they have football on their minds (8-1 record and heading into the state quarters on Halloween) but whenever their football season ends this group will move right into their goals of basketball gold.
Potential Top Ten: Hot Springs, Red Cloud
As a 20 game winner last year that played in the state tournament the Bison will have high expectations once again. Hot Springs lost a lot of their guard play but they have size back up front with a big senior class. If the young guards and wings step forward this could be another fun year. That said experience is lacking. Red Cloud lost a very talented senior class but Beau Donovan had a fantastic sophomore season that they will build off of. Red Cloud will likely play a bit bigger this year too.
Compete with Most: Belle Fource, Custer, Douglas, Spearfish
The Broncs have their best player returning from a nine win season plus some other pieces returning as well. A step forward is expected, but how big? Custer lost their best player, but the rest of the roster returns including a solid group of juniors. Douglas only won a couple games last year but with nearly their entire rotation back their experience alone should mean more wins. How many? Tough to say but a ten point loss to Belle Fourche and a two score loss to Custer could turn around. Spearfish won only four games a year ago but the current seniors were the best players on the team and should be able to push the squad to 9-10 wins.
Rebuilding: Hill City, Lead-Deadwood, Sturgis Brown
Not only did the Rangers only win seven games a year ago, they lost their most productive playmakers and key pieces from a season ago. There are some excitement in the sophomore group plus the seniors (Mezas, Miralles, Milliken) are all multi sport guys. Lead_Deadwood has a talented guard back in Jordy Stulken but last year he was one of only two juniors on the team. The Golddiggers will be inexperienced and they won’t have much size either. Sturgis Brown is not rebuilding in the same way the other teams are. Sure they lost a talented backcourt from a 15-6 team but Marcus Myrick returns up front and there are good players from the bench and JV stepping up to bigger roles. They just are short on varsity experience so it’s a rebuilt backcourt, but with some good players.
19-20 Conference Predictions
- St. Thomas More
- Red Cloud
- Hot Springs
- Sturgis Brown
- Custer
- Belle Fourche
- Spearfish
- Douglas
- Hill City
- Lead-Deadwood
Preseason All Black Hills Conference
First Team
Ryder Kirsch of St. Thomas More (Sr) 6-ft-6 210
Caden Casey of St. Thomas More (Sr) 5-ft-11
Ryan Wojcik of St. Thomas More (Jr) 6-ft-2 205
Connor Hollenbeck of St. Thomas More (Sr) 6-ft-3
Beau Donovan of Red Cloud (Jr) 5-ft-11
Second Team
Kelby Olson of Belle Fourche (Sr) 6-ft-1/170
Michael Glyten of St. Thomas More (Sr) 5-ft-11
Alex Bilbruck of Hill City (Sr) 6-ft-6
Kearby Jindra of Douglas (Sr) 6-ft-5
Marcus Myrick of Sturgis (Sr) 6-ft-5
Third Team
Grant Huber of St Thomas More (Sr) 5-ft-10
Ryan Peldo of Spearfish (Sr) 6-ft-0
Jace Kelley of Custer (Jr) 6-ft-0/165
Jordy Stulken of Lead-Deadwood (Sr) 5-ft-9 150
Dustyn Fish of Custer (Jr) 6-ft-0
Fourth Team
Braden Grill of Hot Springs (Soph) 6-ft-3
John Nickles of Spearfish (Sr) 6-ft-5
KJ Haggins of Douglas (Sr) 5-ft-10
Ryan Tompkins of Douglas (Sr) 5-ft-11
Jake Powell of Spearfish (Sr) 6-ft-0