Brandon Valley: Program on the Rise!
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Hot take! The BV Lynx will be a top 5 team in AA next year! Why? Excellent coach, experienced players returning, plenty of size, intriguing PG play, exciting young talent. BV has one of the best head coaches in SD.…
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Continue ReadingHot take! The BV Lynx will be a top 5 team in AA next year!
Why? Excellent coach, experienced players returning, plenty of size, intriguing PG play, exciting young talent. BV has one of the best head coaches in SD. Craig Nelson is a Don Meyer disciple and he teaches the game the right way. Brandon Valley is on the brink of becoming a powerhouse and everyone in AA should be aware!
School: Brandon Valley
Mascot: Lynx
Head Coach: Craig Nelson
Class: AA
Record: 13-8
Playoffs: Lost to Harrisburg 54-52 in SoDak 16
Wins Against: O’Gorman, Brookings, Watertown, Spearfish, Douglas, Marshall, Pierre, Yankton, Rapid City Central, Rapid City Stevens, Tea, Harrisburg, Huron.
Team Stats
PPG: 55 RPG: 28.8 ORPG: 9.2APG: 10.6 SPG: 6.6 BPG: 1.8 TOPG: 11.2
FG%: 46 3FGM: 53 3FG%: 26 FTM: 149 FT%: 62 Charges Taken: 15
Stat Leaders
Lukas Morgan – 14.3 ppg, 5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 48.6 FG%
Josh Olthoff – 9.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.3 apg, 53.5 FG%
Nathan VanDeBerg – 7.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.3 apg, 48.9 FG%
Landon Dulaney Landon Dulaney 6'1" | CG Brandon Valley | 2025 State SD – 7.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.4 apg, 36.4 FG%
Dylan Langerock – 6.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.6 apg, 45 FG%
Cole Decker – 5.6 ppg, 3 rpg, .8 apg, 37.5 FG%
Jameson Kreutzfeldt – 3.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg, .3 apg, 48 FG%
Briggs Knutson Briggs Knutson 5'8" | PG Brandon Valley | 2026 State SD – 2.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.4 apg 23.7 FG%
Player Comments from coach Nelson
Nate VandeBerg (2023) |6’3 F| & Dylan Langerock (2023) |6’4 G|
“They were very underrated players for us. Each started every game and brought the team together. Great leaders, great role models, can’t ask for better guys.”
Cole Dekker (2023) |6’2 G| & Jameson Kreutzfeldt (2023) |6’4 G|
“Senior guards that came off the bench for us and always gave us a lift. Cole with defense and rebounding and Jameson with knocking down shots.”
Lukas Morgan (2024) |6’7 G/F|
“He led us in scoring. Has a ton of upside as a 6’7″ guard. Shot it around 40% from 3. Could be one of the top couple of players in the state next year.”
Josh Olthoff (2024) |6’8 C|
“Has really good hands and feet. Great offensive post play. Can score it and is even better at passing it out of the post.“
Landon Dulaney Landon Dulaney 6'1" | CG Brandon Valley | 2025 State SD (2025) |6’1 PG|
“We have asked a lot of Landon over the last 2 years, to run our team as an underclassman. He has now learned how to be a point guard and not just an athletic scoring guard. He is becoming a more vocal and more demanding leader. Has immense upside. I could see him being a very coveted guard for colleges due to his speed and athleticism. Has a chance to be a state champ in the 400 this spring if he stays healthy. Last year missed football with a back injury and missed part of track with hip flexor issues.”
Briggs Knutson Briggs Knutson 5'8" | PG Brandon Valley | 2026 State SD (2026) |5’10 PG|
“He played a ton of good minutes off the bench for us. Could knock down the 1 or 2 open shots a game that he took. Ran our offense unbelievably well for a freshman. He’s as tough and hard-nosed as they come, as he led us in varsity charges taken.”
Hayden Anderson Hayden Anderson 6'6" | PF Brandon Valley | 2024 State SD (2024) |6’5 F|
“A backup post, had a great JV season. Can score well down low and just keeps it simple. Plays very physical.”
Q&A with coach Craig Nelson
PHD: How would you sum up the season for your squad?
Coach Nelson: “I thought we were really good at times. Our size could force a lot of mismatches with some teams, but then also limited us vs. other teams. We didn’t shoot 3’s consistently enough to be great, but that was the only struggle that we had over the long run.”
PHD: What were some of the highlights that stick out?
Coach Nelson: “Our home games were just great for our fans. Tip in win vs. then #3 ranked Pierre! 1 point loss to #1 Jefferson where we had the ball with 8 seconds left going down to score. It was just a fun season of such tight AA games. You learn a lot about your team when you’re put in those situations over and over again.”
PHD: How did your team overcome adversity?
Coach Nelson: “We had seniors that did not get rattled. Had unselfish kids that could rely on each other.”
PHD: Who were some of your hardest workers?
Coach Nelson: “Basically described up above in the player profiles. Could add Cole Dekker leading us in offensive rebounds as a 6’1″ guard off the bench playing 15 minutes a game. Cole is just relentless!”
PHD: Can you talk about your seniors and what will be missed?
Coach Nelson: “Never had a bad day, never moody, never without great work ethic. Helped keep things stable no matter what.“
Good luck with the offseason, the Lynx are going to be SCARY next season!