Class AA Title Contender Series: Yankton

<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="732175" first="Matthew" last="Mors"]</strong> is a senior.  This is expected to be the biggest season of his high school career.  Damn right Yankton is a top contender. </p> <p><strong>Moving On</strong>:   Yankton lost two starting seniors:  all state level shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id="732103" first="Cooper" last="Cornemann"] and 6-foot-10 senior center [player_tooltip player_id="732148" first="Hunter" last="Kotrous"].  Hunter is now a freshman center at Mount Marty while Cooper is a walk-on wing for South Dakota State.  It’s just two starters lost but it’s a graduated pair that will be very tough to replace.  Why?  Hunter was a true center and without his size in the middle that means Mors will have to play more at the five.  And Cornemann was an elite shooter, replacing that is tough any way you look at it. Also graduating was Dylan Horn, the final player off the bench. </p> <p><strong>Returning Starters</strong>:  Yankton has three returning junior starters: Mors at 6-foot-7 and nationally ranked, and a pair of six foot seniors in <strong>Aiden Feser</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="975562" first="Trevor" last="Fitzgerald"]</strong>.  Mors is the ultimate mismatch because most teams won’t have a player with the right combination of strength, height, and agility to guard him in any way. And if somehow a team does have that, the player most likely won’t have the discipline to defend Mors the full 32 minutes that it will take.  Mors is considered one of the best players in the history of South Dakota High School Basketball because of his work rate in addition to his all around talent/skill.  Feser and Fitzgerald are familiar with one another in a big way as they have spent much of their life competing together.  Wether it was their QB to WR combo coming up, their DB combo, or their playing together in the backcourt on the hardwood for many years they are a familiar pair.  </p> <p><strong>Reserves Playing a Bigger Role:   </strong>Yankton has a pair of starting caliber sophomores that already have big game experience.  Six-foot-4 forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="963743" first="Michael" last="Mors"]</strong> and 5-foot-10 guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="963752" first="Rugby" last="Ryken"]</strong> have the talent to move right into starting jobs.  It will depend on what the coaching staff wants to do with their rotation when it comes to size and match-ups.  The Mors pair up front with Feser, Fitzgerald, and Ryken as a backcourt is a good look of talent and experience.  Mors had a solid summer playing up a level competing with the Attack 16u squad.</p> <p><strong>Potentials from the JV:  </strong>A pair to watch is sophomore <strong>Tyler Sohler</strong> and junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="968184" first="Jaden" last="Kral"]</strong>.  Both players played some at the younger levels but also saw varsity time too.  Sohler is a six foot guard that is a part of the Bucks long term future with [player_tooltip player_id="963743" first="Michael" last="Mors"] and Ryken. Jaden is very important because at 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds he’s the next player that will supply frontcourt help.  Kral earned time last year and if he’s ready, the Bucks can use him up front at times which would allow Mors to move away from the paint.  S-foot-3 sophomore <strong>Cody Oswald</strong> could play a bigger role this year and keep an eye on 6-foot-5 sophomore <strong>Walker Kotrous</strong> who was solid for the freshmen team. </p>