South Dakota Stars on Monday!

PHD had a fun night of watching South Dakota hoops! Two of the games were closely contested and the other was dominated by De Smet. We saw action from all three classes in SD on Monday. See below for comments on who looked impressive on Monday night.

SCORES

Clark-Willow Lake 40 #3 De Smet 59

Lakota Tech 65 Red Cloud 64

O’Gorman 41 Sioux Falls Washington 49

Gavin Muirhead Gavin Muirhead 6'7" | PF O'Gorman | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’7 PF| O’Gorman

4 points, 1 rebound, 1 block, 3 steals. His stat line was not super impressive but Gavin still had an impact on the game with his rim protection. His arms are long and Muirhead is very bouncy. He started the game with a blocked shot and he deflected passes/took away passing lanes with his wing span. Gavin is dangerous when he catches at the high post, rips, and gets downhill to the basket. He is an impressive/above-the-rim finisher.

Matt Eng Matt Eng 6'2" | PG Sioux Falls O'Gorman | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’2 G| O’Gorman

13 points, 2 triples, 2 rebounds, 3 steals. His quick hands on defense deflected and stole passes. Eng scored with jumpers, a transition bucket, and a big step-back 3 late in the game. Eng has a hair trigger and his shot is close to perfection. He can explode from beyond the arc and put up big points in a hurry. The other night against Tea, Eng hit 4 triples and scored 39 points!

Zander Benz Zander Benz 6'7" | PF O'Gorman | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’7 PF| O’Gorman

8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block. I like his size and toughness. Benz is an intriguing player with his length, unselfishness, and hard work. He looked good with a sharp cut, and he finished through contact at the rim. I like how he used a power dribble, gathered himself, and finished off two feet. I am not sure where he will be going to college, but Benz will make a college coach very happy with his measurables and intangibles.

Zharic Sheppard Zharic Sheppard 6'5" | SF Sioux Falls Washington | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’5 F| Sioux Falls Washington

4 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals. I really like his length and versatility. Sheppard is an excellent passer for his size, he has a great feel for the game. Zharic played solid defense around the rim when he went straight up. He altered shots, deflected passes, and he stole the ball. Z had a few crazy-impressive slashes to the rim. This lefty can ball! He had a sick spin move that fooled his defender. Zharic is another player with loads of potential

AJ Akot AJ Akot 6'4" | SF Sioux Falls Washington | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’3 SF| Sioux Falls Washington

13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal. AJ was huge last night. He made some great cuts that resulted in dunks and grabbed some rebounds that only he could go get. This kid is a freak athlete! His 2-handed WHAM in the first half was thunderous! His elevation for rebounds is beyond impressive and he gets deflections on defense with his athleticism and anticipation. Akot is a DUDE!

Cole Peterson Cole Peterson 6'2" | PG Sioux Falls Washington | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’2 PG| Sioux Falls Washington

14 points, 3 triples, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal. He had a great game. Peterson knocked down some big shots and he really facilitated the offense nicely. He was impressive when slashing to the hoop, he turned on the spin cycle, left his defender in the dust, and scored at the rim. Cole is shooting a high percentage from behind the arc on the year and he hit 3 of them last night. When I watch him play, Peterson looks to be a deadly shooter from the corners. He also scores with a sweet runner/floater. Cole is a precision passer with great court vision.

Mandalla Mohamed Mandalla Mohamed 6'2" | SG Sioux Falls Washington | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’2 SG| Sioux Falls Washington

12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal. Mohamed certainly passes the eye test. He is big, strong, and he is very mobile. He rises to the rim quickly and is fast down the court. Mandalla scored with an AND1 bucket and I loved when he posted up a smaller defender. He can be very good at playing bully ball on the block. I was impressed with his 2-foot finishing around the hoop. Mohamed made winning plays down the stretch. Mandalla attacked the basket and he made a couple of finishes at the rim that ended up being the separator near the end of regulation.

Daniel Sanchez (2023) |5’10 G| Sioux Falls Washington

6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal. Dan has stepped into the starting role and is really playing well. He has been great at attacking the rim and making the right play time and time again. He is a gamer that finds ways to get things done. WHS is excited that Sanchez is getting this experience, he is improving with every game. I was impressed with his offensive rebounding last night. Dan somehow grabbed a sneaky board among the OG trees and put it in for a bucket. He scored on another O-board later in the game. He looked like a football DB on defense when stepping in for of a pass for a turnover. Sanchez looks like a great role player that will be a key to the Warrior’s success this season.

Brady Jordan Brady Jordan 6'1" | PG Clark/Willow Lake | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’1 G| Clark-Willow Lake

13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal. He is a very quick and speedy guard. Jordan was impressive on a coast-to-coast score with the 6’10” defender on his back. Brady has a high-speed first step that the uses to beat his defender. He gets to the rim in a flash. He had a couple of great assists last night where he set up his teammate perfectly for a layup. Jordan had multiple AND1 baskets and he looked good finishing after contact. Brady showed multiple clever/smart fakes. One came from a shot fake and the other with a fake handoff. Jordan is a playmaker.

Mitchell Larson (2023) |6’4 F| Clark-Willow Lake

3 rebounds, 1 block. He made this article because he took two charges! He gave up his body and took a charge on the Bulldog BIG, that is a sacrifice! Larson also blocked a shot. He went up and swatted it out of bounds like a volleyball.

Tyson Huber (2024) |6’0 G| Clark-Willow Lake

7 points, 1 triple, 2 rebounds, 1 steal. He came off the bench and drilled a triple right away, that was big as the Cyclones went on scoring droughts last night. Huber also scored off an O-board on his own miss. He is a quick guard with potential.

George Jensen George Jensen 6'5" | SF De Smet | 2024 State SD (2024) |6’5 F| De Smet

12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists. He had a great game last night. Jensen is a hard worker, can really jump, has excellent hands, and has a high ceiling. Jensen is definitely a stock riser. I really like Jensen’s game. On offense, he can score from the block, off the bounce, and can hit jumpers. George showed a sweet baby hook from the post. He scored multiple times at the rim, and his athleticism was on display when going up for rebounds. Jensen is also a great defender that can guard any position. This Bulldog is a STUD!

Gannon Gruenhagen Gannon Gruenhagen 6'0" | SG De Smet | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’0 G| De Smet

5 points, 1 triple, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 2 steals. He has excellent anticipation. Gannon picked off a baseline pass to start the game. Shortly after Gruenhagen slashed across the lane and banked home a soft floater. It took a lot of skill and touch to make that shot. He had another nice slash but this time he dished off to Wilkinson. Gannon is a smart player. I really liked when he jabbed at the D, got them to back up, and Gannon smoked the triple. He is clever, smart, and a crafty lefty. That makes a dangerous combination!

Kadyn Fast Kadyn Fast 6'1" | PG De Smet | 2024 SD (2024) |6’0 G| De Smet

6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal. He is electric off the bounce. Fast is like they say, FAST! After an athletic drive, Kadyn showed his finishing ability when scoring with a hand in his face. He scored with a short jumper and a breakaway bucket after he stole a pass. Kadyn looks like a great on-ball defender.

Damon Wilkinson Damon Wilkinson 6'10" | C De Smet | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’10 PF| De Smet

Everyone knows that he is big and strong. Even better, this kid is a BEAST! Damon had a great night playing through foul trouble in the first half to put up 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks. I was impressed with Wilkinson’s movement without the ball. He is not a BIG that just camps on the block. Wilkinson stretched the floor for a smooth triple and he hammered a 2-handed WHAM in traffic. Wilkinson had a boatload of offensive rebounds and he scored after contact. When the defense fronted, Damon sealed, caught with soft hands, and scored with ease. His rim protection was also noteworthy. Wilkinson is hands down the best low post in Class B!

Marvin Richard III Marvin Richard III 6'0" | SG Lakota Tech | 2026 State SD (2026) |5’9 G| Lakota Tech

13 points, 1 triple. This kid is marvelously skilled. Marvin has all the tools and skills to be great. He showed a sweet shot fake, a deadly Euro, and a silky smooth jumper. Marvin is explosive for just being a 9th grader, he does not look like a frosh on the court. He is effective off the bounce and catch. He has great feet and he plays with perfect flow. Marvin is also a gamer and clutch shot maker.

Jordan Whirlwind Horse Jordan Whirlwind Horse 6'4" | SF Lakota Tech | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’3 SF| Lakota Tech

13 points, 3 triples. His footwork when going into his shot is perfect. Jordan is a fluid shooter with a beautiful J. He is long, skilled, and has excellent timing. Jordan put in an AND1 score and he produced in transition. He had a big O-board late to help get the rivalry win. He showcased a sick step back as well. Whirlwind Horse is a baller!

Jamiah Bianis (2023) |5’7 G| Lakota Tech

10 points. He is a grinder and a hard worker. Bianis gobbled up multiple O-boards and he scored after contact. He also scored when slashing downhill and he finished with great body control.

Nathan LeBeaux (2023) |6’3 F| Lakota Tech

8 points, 2 triples. He is a long and stretchy player. LeBeaux showed good feet when scoring around the rim. He spread the floor and hit two 3-balls. One of them came off a pick-n-pop.

Josiah Cottier Josiah Cottier 5'11" | SG Marty | 2023 SD (2023) |6’0 G| Red Cloud

13 points, 3 triples. He plays longer than 6’0″. Cottier is another Crusader that can score from multiple levels. He is crafty and skilled. I really liked his silky smooth fadeaway from mid-lane. Cottier is a creative scorer with some shake/swag in his game.

Monty Montileaux (2024) |6’2 G/F| Red Cloud

14 points, 3 triples. He looks to be an effective scorer from all levels. Monty can hit from deep and score with his athleticism at the basket. I like his potential.

Haedyn Haas Haedyn Haas 5'11" | SG Red Cloud | 2023 State SD (2023) |5’11 G| Red Cloud

20 points, 6 triples. He had a slow start but became RED HOT in the second half. Haas hit 3 after 3 during the crazy comeback. Haas drilled a big one late to make the end of the game interesting. Haedyn is a game changer from beyond the arc.

Gabriel Brooks (2023) |6’5 F| Red Cloud

10 points. Brooks has very long arms and they make him an excellent rebounder. He scored multiple times with O-board putbacks. He also had a tip-in at the end of the game. Gabriel was effective in slashing to the cup. I loved when he attacked, jump stopped, and scored off 2 feet. Brooks is a long athlete.