South Dakota 2023 Class: Top Prospects

There isn’t a ton of depth in the South Dakota 2023 class but there is some top-end talent toward the top that will be exciting to see how they develop and progress. PGH Dakotas has a list and analysis of five 2023 prospects that are worth noting because they have already put together great careers or project to be top of the class when they are ending their high school careers. Many of these names have already previously been mentioned, so treat this as more of an update on how they’re progressing this season. [player_tooltip player_id="154266" first="Reese" last="Ross"] - St. Thomas More - SD Network - (6’0/SF/2023) - Reese has all of the potential in the world. She was dealing with an injury last season, as to why we’re now realizing what Reese is and will be capable of. She’s in the starting five for STM and is their second best playmaker behind #2 ranked 2021 and South Dakota State commit [player_tooltip player_id="98666" first="Haleigh" last="Timmer"]. Reese is a very lengthy 6’0 wing with skills and superb athleticism. A long-striding mover but still has great quickness and first-step. 9-0 St. Thomas More upended then top-ranked AA Sioux Falls Washington and Reese was a big part in the Cavaliers doing so. She did not back down against the 6-5 Louisville commit and took it at her, using her length to even score over Schetnan. Reese is one of the best leapers in the state and was rising up within Schetnan’s reach. She was challenging her with her verticality and it was highly impressive. Reese is rising towards the top of the 2023 class and her ranking will be revealed in our next update in February. Reese may have the highest upside in all of the class. There will be no [player_tooltip player_id="98666" first="Haleigh" last="Timmer"] next season as she moves on to college ball. WATCH out for the [player_tooltip player_id="154266" first="Reese" last="Ross"] show! Scoring stats recovered: 22 points vs Bridgewater-Emery 18 points game vs Custer 16 points vs Rapid City Christian 13 pts vs Sioux Falls Washington 10 pts vs Cody (Wyo) 12 points vs Scottsbluff (Neb) [player_tooltip player_id="100467" first="Hilary" last="Behrens"] - Brandon Valley - SD Network - (6’0/SF/2023)- Hilary is continually progressing year after year and is now a go-to player and one of the top prospects in the state by everyone's eyes. At the Prep Girls Hoops Dakotas Top 250 Expo, Hilary and Reese matched up and it was a battle. Reese had a breaking out but Hilary also showed why she is currently the #1 2023 prospect. She's been battle tested at the AA level and has very valuable playing time experience against the top competition the state offers. Hilary can do-it-all as well, by getting to the hoop and shooting the three. She's leading Brandon Valley in scoring at an efficient 14.2 ppg., shooting 49% from the field, 7-21 (33%) from three, and 20-24 (83%) from the free-throw line. Her best performance of the season was a 26 point night against powerhouse Sioux Falls O'Gorman. In her most recent game vs Brookings she put in 17 points and added six steals. According to a source, Hilary is garnering interest from Big Ten and mid-major Division 1 programs. [player_tooltip player_id="100468" first="Avery" last="Broughton"] - Corsica-Stickney - SD Attack - (6’0/PG/2023) - Avery has already put together a storied career and she’s only a Sophomore. She recently broke Corsica-Stickney’s career scoring record of 1,279 points. Impressive feat. She’s a household name that is a steady producer, and you can count on her for putting up numbers across the board every time she steps on the court. She’s a Division 1 prospect that most likely projects as a point guard at the next level. Her announced offers include Drake, University of North Dakota, South Dakota State, University of South Dakota, and Dakota Wesleyan. She’s the leader of an 8-0 team that is running through their opponents. A matchup to watch will be Corsica Stickney’s matchup with the class A 8-1 Winner Warriors. The [player_tooltip player_id="14248" first="Bella" last="Swedlund"]/[player_tooltip player_id="100468" first="Avery" last="Broughton"] head-to-head will be a must-watch. [player_tooltip player_id="100478" first="Olivia" last="Kieffer"] - Rapid City Christian - SD Attack - (5’10/PG/2023) - Olivia is a scoring machine. She has put up a 41 point game this season vs Lyman and has also reached 1,000 career points. Her game-by-game scoring outputs this season are a 28 point game, 25, 41, 15 (foul trouble), 3(fouled out), 25, and 31 points in her most recent game. She’s averaging 24.0 points per game with an outlying 3 point game against New Underwood where she went 1-14 from the field and fouled out. She brushed that game off and continued her excellence. Scoring does not define Olivia’s game. She makes defensive plays and steals by attacking the ball-handler at their weak points with precision timing. She has two games where she has had 9 steals. She’s a good-sized point guard that storms the ball up the court, in attack mode. She looks to attack the basket and finish before looking for her shot. The defense must stop her or she will keep on going at the hoop. If she improves her mark from three, she would be even more problematic for defenses. She’s 10-39 from three for 26%. She’s now apart of the SD Attack program and monitoring her summer performances will be high on the PGH priority list. Season stats: 24.0 ppg., 7.0 apg., 6.6 rpg., 4.9 stls. [player_tooltip player_id="100473" first="Brooklyn" last="Harpe"] - Sioux Falls Washington - SD Network - (5’11/SF/2023) - Brooklyn’s defensive ability is her strength and why she is one of the top prospects in the class. She uses her arms and length actively, swarming the ball handler, and giving them no passing lanes or clear looks. If everything comes together and she progresses some offensively, she could be a sought after prospect. Playing on a stacked Washington roster, it somewhat limits her offensive numbers and opportunities. She is not a poor offensively player by any means as she can get to the hoop and shoot the three as well. She’s still scoring 8.5 points per game with two nationally recognized prospects on the roster. She may be a year or two away from us seeing what she can truly be and become. The next two seasons will be crucial for Brooklyn and the Sioux Falls Washington team. Notable stats through six games: 8.5 points/game 5-17 from three for 30% 14 assists with only 4 turnovers for a 3.50 A/TO ratio Team leading 16 steals