James Valley Thunder 15U: Team Info
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We are back from more James Valley Thunder! PHD is looking at JVT 15U in this article. This is a talented group of players and they are coached by Brian Dolan who is also the Groton head boys coach. JVT…
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Continue ReadingWe are back from more James Valley Thunder! PHD is looking at JVT 15U in this article. This is a talented group of players and they are coached by Brian Dolan who is also the Groton head boys coach. JVT 15U has played in two tournaments and they have two tournaments reaming. Take a look below at these players, a few of these guys will be impact players this winter on their high school teams.
“All the players work extremely hard and have a great passion for the game. We play just like we did last Summer. Defensively we pick up 94 feet man-to-man and try to speed teams up and create turnovers. Offensively we want to play fast. We push the ball in transition and in the half-court, we will set a lot of ball screens. We try to use our quickness and length to get to the rim and create inside-out three-point shot opportunities for our shooters.” -Coach Brian Dolan
JVT 15U Schedule
DATE | TOURNAMENT | LOCATION |
June 9-11 | SoDak Hoops | Watertown, SD |
June 30-July 2 | River Cities | Omaha, NE |
July 7-9 | Sioux City Classic | Sioux City, IA |
July 14-16 | Falls Brawl | Sioux Falls, SD |
Roster & Player Comments from Coach Dolan
Becker Bosma Becker Bosma 6'5" | SG Groton | 2026 State SD (2026) |6’4″ F| Aberdeen Christian
“Becker adds length and athleticism to our team. He has a very high basketball IQ, he can score at the rim, as well as shoot a good percentage behind the three-point line.”
Ryder Johnson Ryder Johnson 6'3" | SG Groton Area | 2026 State SD (2026) |6’3″ G| Groton Area
“Ryder is a very unique basketball player. He has point guard skills in a 6’3 body. He can score at all three levels and he’s a tremendous defender put all that together and add his leadership skills and it makes and it makes Ryder one of the best players in his class in the state of South Dakota.”
Keegen Tracy Keegen Tracy 5'10" | SG Groton | 2026 State SD (2026) |5’10” G| Groton Area
“Keegen is an extremely quick and athletic guard. He can get to the rim as well as shoot from behind the three-point line. He’s a tremendous on-ball defender with a knack for causing turnovers and creating easy points for his teammates.”
Isaak Hunter Isaak Hunter 6'4" | SF Miller | 2026 State SD (2026) |6’2″ G/F| Miller
“Isaac is a big strong perimeter player who can also score on the block. He is really improved his consistency from the three-point line and his ball-handling skills with both hands. He has tremendous length which causes opponents a lot of problems on the defensive end. When Isaak put his mind to it, he’s one of the best rebounders that I’ve seen all summer.”
Gage Sippel Gage Sippel 6'7" | C Groton Area | 2026 State SD (2026) |6’6″ F/C| Groton Area
“Gage is as long as the day is. He has worked so hard on his game. He is a very skilled big man with a nice shooting touch 19 feet in. He has worked hard in the weight room to add strength. Gage is really coming into his own on the defensive end. Sippel has nice timing on blocking shots and rebounding the ball out of his area. Gage is one of those players that gets better every time he steps foot in the gym. His work ethic is going to take him places.”
Kassen Keough Kassen Keough 5'11" | SG Groton | 2026 State SD (2026) |5’10” G| Langford Area
“Kassen is a quick athletic point guard. He has great ball skills and he can get to the rim and make plays for his teammates. He is a tremendous three-point shooter. What really makes Kassen special is his passion for the game of basketball.”
Jack Bertsch Jack Bertsch 6'5" | C Aberdeen Central | 2026 State SD (2026) |6’5″ F/C| Aberdeen Central
“Jack is a big athletic post player. He is very bouncy around the rim and is an animal on the boards for us. Jack runs the floor and scores a lot of easy baskets in transition. Jack has continued to get bigger and stronger off the court which has made him better on the floor.”
Winston Clark Winston Clark 6'2" | PF Leola-Frederick Area | 2026 State SD (2026) |6’2″ G/F| Leola/Frederick
“Winston is a bigger-bodied guard for us and adds some versatility. He can bang with bigger guards but has the athleticism to attack those bigger guards on offense. He is not afraid to mix it up with the BIGs when it comes to rebounding on both ends of the floor. We have a lot of length on this team, and Winston brings physicality to this team.”
Spencer Melius Spencer Melius 5'10" | SG Faulkton Area | 2026 State SD (2026) |5’8″ G| Faulkton Area
“Spencer is one of the kids that does everything for us. He possesses good ball-handling skills, he can defend quick guards on the defensive end, he makes threes, and he makes every hustle play on the floor. He always seems to be around the ball making plays. He brings a lot of energy to the floor every time he checks into the game.”
BEST OF LUCK WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON!