Watchdog Preview: Beresford
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PHD has a plethora of information for basketball fans to read about. Time to take a look at the squad from Beresford! The Watchdogs have a dedicated and up-n-coming coach, they also have some serious talent. Want to know more?…
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Continue ReadingPHD has a plethora of information for basketball fans to read about. Time to take a look at the squad from Beresford! The Watchdogs have a dedicated and up-n-coming coach, they also have some serious talent. Want to know more? See below………
School: Beresford
Mascot: Watchdogs
Class: A
Region: 4
Head Coach: Ben Short
2022-23 Team Stats
Record: 15-6 PPG: 57.2 FG%: 38.5 eFG%: 43.4 2FG%: 48 3FG%: 24.5 FT%: 56.4
APG: 12 ORPG: 14.2 RPG: 37.2 DEFLPG: 10.4 SPG: 9.4 BPG: 3
2FGM: 347 3FGM: 121 FTM: 145 AST: 251 Charges Taken: 7
Top Statistical Returners
Malachi James Malachi James 6'2" | SG Beresford | 2026 State SD – 5.1 ppg, 5 3FGM, 3.7 rpg, 1 apg
Aidan Hamm Aidan Hamm 5'10" | SG Beresford | 2025 State SD – 9.5 ppg, 31 3FGM, 3.8 rpg, 1.5
Jon DeLay – 1.8 ppg, 9 3FGM, 1.7 rpg, .8
Andrew Atwood Andrew Atwood 6'2" | SG Beresford | 2024 State SD – 10 ppg, 23 3FGM, 5.1 rpg, 2.5
Seth James Seth James 6'5" | PF Beresford | 2024 State SD – 2.4, 2.8 rpg
Q&A with coach Ben Short
PHD: Could you write a couple sentences summing up last season?
“Last season we finished 15-6. 4 of those 6 losses came to teams that competed in the State Tournament. The 22-23 season was by far the best season by the numbers that the Watchdog program has had in over 20 years. One of those seasons that we honestly felt that we could win every game we went into. The talent, comradery among the guys, and skill level were all there for high-level play and competition. I hope what comes out of last season’s success is that feeling that it’s possible and obtainable to play at the level consistently here in Beresford. The excitement and energy around our program are there because of last season’s success. We hope to build on that moving forward.”
PHD: How did the offseason go for your team/program? What did you do?
“In the offseason, the coaching staff and I always like to challenge our program grades 6-12. By having them focus on consistency when it comes to the weight room and our individual goals while we are there. Not only competing on the court but becoming bigger, faster, stronger. Making sure we are improving our overall game, not just through skill development. Saying that though, the varsity boys attended multiple team camps. We also participated at the Pentagon Summer Jam where they played some great competition from the surrounding area.“
PHD: What are the expectations for this upcoming season?
“The goal this year for us is to prove we are here to stay, that consistency piece to the Beresford program that has been missing in the past. To be able to compete and be considered a program that is known to be tough year after year. A team that can make runs come postseason time is ultimately where we want to get to year in and year out. With that on our minds, we still have very high expectations set for this upcoming season, just like a year ago. We look to have just as many successes wins and losses as we did last year, hopefully using our experience to our advantage come postseason time. We will return 2 of our starters from last season. Several underclassmen could have easily started last year for us if not for the talented senior class that we had. I am excited, guys dealing with injuries this past summer, we should start the season at 100%. Every year we challenge ourselves to take it to the next level as a program. I believe with the group of guys that we have we can do just that as long as we can stay healthy and can work together as a team.“
PHD: Who are a few of your top players to look out for?
-
Malachi James
Malachi
James
6'2" | SG
Beresford | 2026
State
SD
, SO. 6’1.
- “Malachi has been waiting for his opportunity and will finally have it this season! Our 6th man last year, playing behind Tate VanOtterloo. Malachi has an unmatched love for the game and it has driven him insane that he couldn’t participate this summer due to injury. Now 100% healthy his length, athleticism, and skills should be tough to stop. Elite defender and slasher, his outside game behind the arc is the next piece to his progression. When this becomes consistent Chi will be very tough to stop.“
-
Andrew Atwood
Andrew
Atwood
6'2" | SG
Beresford | 2024
State
SD
, SR. 6’3.
- “Don’t let his looks deceive you. Quiet-mannered, tall, thin frame, you might think he is just an outside shooter. Out of nowhere, he will then decide to pull it all the way back and power a two-hand dunk on top of a defender. Andrew is a Division 1 athlete; makes everything he does look effortless. Andrew, now being a senior, will be looked at by his peers to be the leader of the team on and off the court. His commitment to the weight room and skill development has been amazing, putting on 20 lbs. and being at the school at 5:30 a.m. every morning working on his handles and putting up shots. Should be a great senior campaign for Andrew this winter.”
-
Aidan Hamm
Aidan
Hamm
5'10" | SG
Beresford | 2025
State
SD
, JR. 5’11.
- “Aidan started every game for us last season as a sophomore. His never-stop attitude is contagious and makes his teammates around him step up their game to match his. Aidan is very self-driven and has done everything you can imagine, raising his game to the next level. Aidan, is now the single-game record holder for most 3’s made, will continue to spread the floor, and will be looked at to be our floor general as he will be one of our most experienced playmakers in our program.“
- Jon Delay, SR. 6’1
- “Jon has been one of the leaders of our program for several years now. His high character traits, hard work, and coachability make him a role model for underclassmen to look up to. Jon plays his tail off at all times. His commitment to the weight room over the past 12 months is noticeable as well. Once known for just his three-point shot, he has really shown us he is now a threat at finishing around the rim. We are excited to see his progression and how he continues to impact our program positively.“
-
Seth James
Seth
James
6'5" | PF
Beresford | 2024
State
SD
, SR. 6’5
- “ Seth James Seth James 6'5" | PF Beresford | 2024 State SD , a very strong, wide frame. He is surprisingly athletic and has great hands for a big man. A future college athlete, Seth, will be a huge part of our varsity program this upcoming season. Sitting out this past summer due to an injury, he is now 100%. Big things are expected from Seth and his post-play this winter! Should complement our guard play very well.“
PHD: Who are a couple of up-and-comers to look out for in the near future?
-
Tiegan Nyhaug
Tiegan
Nyhaug
6'4" | SG
Beresford | 2026
State
SD
, SO. 6’4
- “Natural born shooter. The joke is that he has the green light the moment he walks into the gym. The coaching staff has been really impressed with his effort to improve his overall game. Increasing his strength, doing the work to become faster, and putting a concentrated effort to play better defense. He’s done the hard work, now it will be time to put it to fruition as he has the chance to have a breakout year. Tiegen will be a great addition to our varsity squad rotation and a key piece for future years to come!“
- Cooper Nelson JR. 6’2
- “Mr. Consistent. Cooper is reliable in many facets of our program. Always very well prepared, watches a ton of scout film, and studies the game. This makes him have a really good feel on where to be at the right time. On top of that, Cooper is one of the strongest individuals walking the hallways of Beresford High School and any given time. Between his strength and basketball IQ and his continuous improvement of skills, Cooper Nelson will be a vital piece in our varsity rotation. Specifically down low in the post.“
PHD: What style of basketball will your team play?
“Similar to last year, I see us as an athletic team. Our varsity team has a lot of interchangeable parts, and guys who can play multiple positions. We are pretty guard-heavy this season. You might expect to see lineups this winter with only one post player in at a time. We might even go with lineups with all 5 guys that most would consider as them being guards. We feel confident going “smaller” because we have several guards that are long and lengthy and can easily defend at the rim. With that in mind, I would love to see us as a team that likes to run and jump defensively, pushing the tempo created by our defense. I feel that we have a group of guys that complement each other’s style of play really well. We have really good comradery on and off the court. We have some great dribble drives, slashers that can get to the rim as well as a handful of knockdown shooters. Together I hope we can spread teams out defensively, get them out of position, and create some mismatches that sway in our favor.“
PHD: Who are some of the top teams in your Region?
- “Dakota Valley– Their success last 2 years, winning back-to-back State Titles. Only fair to give them a nod as they look to continue their dominance.“
- “Lennox has to be up there. They are so deep this season. Their level of play won’t drop even if they play a 9-10-man rotation. Long, athletic, college talent around the board. Going to be tough for any team in any class to beat.“
2023-2024 Game Schedule
12/09/23 vs. Baltic (DH) 8:00 pm
12/12/23 vs. Dakota Valley (DH) 8:00 pm
12/14/23 @ Flandreau (DH) 8:00 pm
12/19/23 @ Sioux Valley (DH) 8:00 pm
12/29/23 vs. Parker (DH) 2:00 pm
1/04/24 @ Garretson/Flandreau Conference Tournament
1/05/24 @ Garretson/Flandreau Conference Tournament
1/06/24 @ Baltic Conference Tournament Championship
1/09/24 @ MCM (BB) 7:30 pm
1/19/24 @ Canton (DH) 8:00 pm
1/20/24 vs. Chester (DH) 3:00 pm
1/23/24 @ Irene/Wakonda (DH) 8:00 pm
1/27/24 Irene Classic vs TBD (BB)
1/30/24 @ Vermillion (DH) 8:00 pm
2/01/24 vs. Madison (BB) 7:30 pm
2/03/24 vs. Alcester-Hudson (DH) 8:00 pm
2/06/24 @ Garretson (DH) 8:00 pm
2/09/24 vs. Elk Point-Jefferson (DH) 8:00 pm
2/13/24@ Lennox (DH) 8:00 pm
2/19/24 vs. Wagner (BB) 7:30 pm
2/27/24 Region Round 1 vs.TBD
3/01/24 Region Round 2 vs.TBD
3/05/24 SoDak 16 vs.TBD
3/14-16/24 State Tournament vs. TBD