Class B Battle: #3 De Smet vs. Castlewood

On Monday night, we had a big-time Class B matchup. De Smet is ranked #3 and Castlewood received votes in the last State poll. It was a slow start and the entire game was a defensive battle. The Bulldogs dominated on defense and on the glass. This game was also a matchup with two of the best BIGs in the State, [player_tooltip player_id='963766' first='Damon' last='Wilkinson'] vs. [player_tooltip player_id='1327459' first='Bryon' last='Laue']. These two did not disappoint!   See below for numbers, stats, and player comments.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/GameReport.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/GameReport.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1735684" /></a></figure>   SCORES   1Q: De Smet 8 Castlewood 6   2Q: De Smet 26 Castlewood 18   3Q: De Smet 47 Castlewood 26   FINAL: De Smet 56 Castlewood 36   Bulldog Team Stats   FG%: 43 3FG%: 33 3's Made: 6 FT's: 10/11 Reb: 35 Ast: 17 TO: 14 Blk: 3 Stl: 9   Warrior Team Stats   FG%: 32 3FG%: 16 3's Made: 2 FT's: 4/8 Reb: 21 Ast: 4 TO: 14 Blk: 1 Stl: 5   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/ImpressivePlayers.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/ImpressivePlayers.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1487735" /></a></figure>   Bulldogs   [player_tooltip player_id='963766' first='Damon' last='Wilkinson'] (2023) |6'10 C|   25 pts, 14 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 2 stl. Damon played fierce again on Monday. He put up big numbers even though the defense doubled down hard. He has been working hard all year and lives to compete. Great hustle and effort from Wilkinson. The BIG dog cashed in multiple J's from midrange and he constantly scored through contact at the rim. No doubt an All-State player. Wilkinson and the Bulldogs might be the best team in Class B!!   [player_tooltip player_id='1552589' first='Kasen' last='Janssen'] (2023) |6'5 F|   17 pts, 3/3 on 3's, 1 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl. Janssen got the Bulldogs going and he hit key shots in the first half and throughout the game. He has been shooting it well all year, but he does not shoot a ton. Kasen looks to be a serious offensive threat. I like his size and shooting ability. Kasen is an X-factor for the Bulldogs.   [player_tooltip player_id='1725470' first='George' last='Jensen'] (2024) |6'5 F|   5 pts, 12 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk. This kid's stock just keeps on rising. Jensen did not have a huge scoring night but he did everything else very well. He gobbles up rebounds as if they were cookies and he jumps like a kangaroo. I really like his game. George hits the glass hard, scores around the iron, and moves well without the ball. Stock riser!   [player_tooltip player_id='1625203' first='Kadyn' last='Fast'] (2024) |6'0 G|   3 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl. It was not his best night on the offensive end. Fast still showed that he is an impressive athlete. He looks to be a frustrating on-ball defender. Kadyn showed off his speed, hustle, and unselfishness.   [player_tooltip player_id='1764168' first='Tom' last='Aughenbaugh'] (2024) |5'11 G|   6 pts, 2 triples, 3 ast, 1 stl. He looks like a serious shooting threat, especially from beyond the arc. He is a fundamental player with noteworthy mechanics. Aughenbaugh hit his first triple at the start of the second quarter and at the end of the 3rd quarter. Jensen and Wilkinson are studs, having Aughenbaugh spotting up and spreading the floor make the Bulldogs a scary team.   Warriors   [player_tooltip player_id='1625205' first='Lane' last='Tvedt'] (2024) |6'0 G|   11 pts, 1 ast, 2 stl. He stuck out with hustle and when he stole the ball when recovering on defense. Tvedt is a skilled player with good feet when working into his shot. Tvedt scored in transition multiple times and he looked very fast when going up and down the court. He showed some craftiness when scoring with an up-and-under. He looks to be an opportunistic scorer and he knows how to get to the FT-line. His shot was off from beyond the arc, but that is not typical for Tvedt. He is a talented baller.   [player_tooltip player_id='1327459' first='Bryon' last='Laue'] (2025) |6'8 C|   12 pts, 4 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl. He had some excellent moves last night vs. the BIG from De Smet. Laue was in a bit of foul trouble, so he had to sit more than normal. I was super impressed with his ability to finish with both hands around the rim. On multiple occasions, Laue scored with a hand in his face. The youngster must have excellent concentration. He definitely has great shooters touch, multiple times his shots bounced around and rolled in after being on the rim for a long time. Bryon scored with an athletic spin move, and off-balance bucket, a step-through scoop shot, an alley-oop bucket. He was fantastic at using his pivots and at creating space. Laue is the real deal. There is a reason why he is ranked #2 in the 2025 class.   [player_tooltip player_id='1638961' first='Jackson' last='Schofield'] (2024) |6'3 F|   1 pt, 4 reb. He did not stuff the stat sheet but it was easy to see his potential. Schofield is long and he moves well. I like his aggressiveness on the O-glass and he made hustle plays. I liked how Jackson attacked the basket and got to the FT-line.   [player_tooltip player_id='1421603' first='Quincy' last='Thu'] (2024) |6'0 G|   5 pts, 1 triple, 6 reb. A good athlete and a hardworking/stout defender. Rebounds well for a guard. He drained his 3-ball in the 4th. Thu looked good with a shot fake from the arc, he penetrated into the paint and hit a soft runner in the lane. Offensively, it was an off night, but Quincy showed that he is valuable as a defender and rebounder.

On Monday night, we had a big-time Class B matchup. De Smet is ranked #3 and Castlewood received votes in the last State poll. It was a slow start and the entire game was a defensive battle. The Bulldogs dominated on defense and on the glass. This game was also a matchup with two of the best BIGs in the State, Damon Wilkinson Damon Wilkinson 6'10" | C DeSmet | 2023 State SD vs. Bryon Laue Bryon Laue 6'9" | C Castlewood | 2025 State SD . These two did not disappoint!