Top 10 Shooters from SD 2023 Rankings

<p>In this article, we are taking a look at the Top 10 shooters from the 2023 Class in South Dakota. We have a mix of AA, A, and B players. What makes a great shooter? These are few things that come to mind: confidence, short memory, conditioning, proper mechanics/fundamentals, athleticism, smooth follow-through, good feet, great balance, clean release, ability to get open, perfect timing, reacting to the defense, smart shot selection, doing the work before you get the ball, patience, creating separation, change of speeds off the bounce, shooting in-rhythm, and many many more. I guarantee all of these guys below have many of the above attributes. Now, let’s take a look at the shooters!</p> <h4><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Top 10 Shooters</strong></span></h4> <pre>(alphabetically ordered)</pre> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="963773" first="Brayden" last="Pankonen"] |5’11 SG| Dell Rapids</strong></p> <p>You can not talk about 3pt shooters in SD without mentioning Pankonen. Two seasons ago, Brayden made 11 threes in one game! He was 11-16 that night. Wow, he had a hot hand. This season, Brayden scored 17 ppg, shot 44 FG%, 36 3FG%, and 80 FT%. He is a lightning-quick guard that spaces the floor and is always ready to shoot. Pankonen is a game-changer from beyond the arc but he also has a sweet mid-range jumper. This lefty can light the nets on fire!</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="963749" first="Elliot" last="Whitney"] |6’1 PG| Sioux Falls Lincoln</strong></p> <p>When I first saw him play, I thought that Whitney was just a shooter. I was wrong about that, he is a stud PG. He is still one heck of a shooter. I like his mechanics, his butter-smooth release, and his footwork. Elliot is great at stepping into the shot and shooting it with proper balance. He is can also stroke it off the dribble. Whitney hits J’s from beyond the arc and from mid-range. To end the high school season, Elliot helped Lincoln beat Mitchell for 5th place at State and he scored 24 points with 5 three-pointers. Talk about a big game to end the season! Check out this shooter in July with the Pentagon Schoolers.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="963803" first="Ethan" last="Determan"] |6’2 SG| Harrisburg</strong></p> <p>This hot-shot Tiger shot the cover off the ball in the high school season. Determan is also shooting very well this spring with the Schoolers. In high school ball, Ethan was All-State and he averaged 20 ppg, shot 53.3 FG%, 43.7 3FG%, and 82 FT%. Determan racked up 73 triples this season. Determan is hands down one of the best 3-pt shooters from beyond the arc in SODAK. Watching this kid shoot is like watching an artist paint a masterpiece. Determan is as good as they come. He is going to shoot the lights out his senior season.  </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="963742" first="Isaac" last="Bruns"] |6’5 SG| Dakota Valley</strong></p> <p>This shooter led his team to a perfect season (26-0) and to a State Championship. Bruns averaged 24.2 ppg, shot 50 FG%, 36 3FG%, and 87 FT%. Bruns is an artist when it comes to using screens and manipulating defense. He is so good at getting open and at creating space. Bruns is also a long guard with a picture-perfect shot. The DV kid did it all season long and Bruns has proved that he can do it against top competition in AAU ball as well. D1 coaches have taken notice, Isaac has an offer from USD. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="963747" first="Joe" last="Sayler"] |6’3 SG| White River</strong></p> <p>He is a cold-blooded scorer, plain and simple. Sayler averaged 29.1 ppg and he shot 48.6 FG%, 35.3 3FG%, and 82.2 FT%. The SDSU commit drained 79 3-pointers this year. Joe is a special athlete and he can elevate over anyone to get his shot off. His pull-up and stepback moves are filthy. Sayler is a one-man wrecking crew. When he gets rolling, look out! Sayler can put on a show and light up the scoreboard. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="963759" first="Landon" last="Wallman"] |6’3 SG| James Valley Christian</strong></p> <p>He knocked down a wildly impressive 84 3-pointers this past season. Wallman averaged a crazy 3.8 three-pointers a game! If you thought that was impressive then you will love this. Landon shot a crazy 43.8 3FG%! 84 made three points on 43.8%. Wallman averaged 20.5 ppg this season and he also shot a very nice 80% from the charity stripe. Landon is a baller, a basketball junky, and he plays with a high hoops IQ. I am excited to see how his senior season goes, I am guessing that it will be epic! </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="963783" first="Malek" last="Wieker"] |6’0 CG| Aberdeen Christian</strong></p> <p>He is another player that put up eye-popping numbers this past season. Wieker scored 17 ppg, shot 47 FG%, 46 3FG%, and 71 FT%. Malek made an abundance of three-pointers, make that 68 to be exact! Wieker is a lefty sniper that shoots with confidence. He has a quick trigger that is soft and smooth. Wieker knows how to get to his spots for shots and he is a pure shooter. His pull-up game is also very nice and Wiker can hit them from NBA range on in This Knight is a deadeye from downtown!</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="963746" first="Matt" last="Eng"] |6’2 PG| O’Gorman</strong></p> <p>His numbers this season looked like this: 16.8 ppg,40 FG%, 39 3FG%, and 84 FT%. Eng hit 72 three-pointers. That is an attractive number, it is very tough to get loose in Class AA and make that many trips. Matt is equally deadly off the dribble and the pass. I love his confidence and demeanor. When watching him play you can not tell if he has made 3 in a row or missed 3 in a row. Eng is a microwave, this OG kid gets hot in a hurry! He has shown that he can hit shots against top competition. Matt has been one of the best shooters this spring on the Prep Hoops Circuit. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="963744" first="Oliver" last="Vincent"] |6’1 PG| Sioux Valley</strong></p> <p>This player has all the tools and one of his best is his shotmaking ability. Oli can pull up from about anywhere on the court. He is super creative with his pull-up game and he knocks down off-balance shots like it’s nobody’s business. Vincent has extended shooting range from beyond the arc. I have watched him drill triples from NBA range. Late in the game, the Cossacks want the ball in Oli’s hands and it usually goes well for Sioux Valley! Vincent averaged 17.5 ppg and he shot a highly respectable 44 FG%, 42 3FG%, and 82.6 FT%. Expect big things from Mr. Vincent in his senior season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="963750" first="Spencer" last="Barr"] |5’11 CG| Aberdeen Central</strong></p> <p>He missed some of the high school season with an injury, but Barr has been back and has been 100% healthy all spring. Barr averaged 15.2 ppg, shot 52 FG% and 48 3FG%. Talk about efficiency! Spencer is also shooting 50.2 FG% in AAU ball. If you have ever watched Barr play, than you know that his shooting form is textbook. I like his mid-range pull-up. He gets the D moving and he pulls up on a dime, elevates, and shoots it with a smooth release. He is also effective at moving without the ball on the perimeter while spacing and knocking down triples. Barr is a smart, clever, and knockdown shooter. </p>