City Rankings: Top Prospects in Sioux Falls Suburbs
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The Sioux Falls area has a variety of prospects ranging from freshmen to seniors, and guards to forwards to posts. Let’s take a look at returning athletes from the I-29 corridor, ranging from Canton in the South, to Dell Rapids…
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Continue ReadingThe Sioux Falls area has a variety of prospects ranging from freshmen to seniors, and guards to forwards to posts. Let’s take a look at returning athletes from the I-29 corridor, ranging from Canton in the South, to Dell Rapids in the North and including communities like Brandon, Baltic, Garretson, Harrisburg, Tea, and Hartford. There are a number of programs containing players that are poised to be some of the best players statewide. The surrounding areas of Sioux Falls are loaded with high-quality programs led by superb prospects.
- Hilary Behrens Hilary Behrens 6'1" | SG Brandon Valley | 2023 State SD – Brandon Valley – Class of 2023 – Commitment – South Dakota State University
- Katie Vasecka Katie Vasecka 6'2" | CG Tea Area | 2024 State SD – Tea – Class of 2024 – Commitment – South Dakota State University
- Jenna Miller Jenna Miller 5'7" | CG Dell Rapids St. Mary | 2026 State SD – Dell Rapids – Class of 2026
- Alyvia Padgett Alyvia Padgett 5'7" | PG Brandon Valley | 2026 State SD – Brandon Valley – Class of 2026
- Amanda Lease Amanda Lease 5'8" | PG Brandon Valley | 2025 State SD – Canton – Class of 2025
- Madala Hanson Madala Hanson 5'4" | PG Dell Rapids St. Mary's | 2025 State SD – Dell Rapids St. Mary’s – Class of 2025
- Carli Kuyper Carli Kuyper 6'2" | C Lennox | 2024 State SD – Lennox – Class of 2024
- Logan Bly Logan Bly 6'0" | SF Garretson | 2023 State SD – Garretson – Class of 2023 – Commitment – Dakota Wesleyan University (Volleyball)
- Lauren Grinde Lauren Grinde 5'7" | SG Tri-Valley | 2024 State SD – Tri-Valley -Class of 2024
- Abigail Flanagan Abigail Flanagan 5'11" | SF Harrisburg | 2024 State SD – Harrisburg – Class of 2024 – Commitment – University of Sioux Falls
Hilary Behrens Hilary Behrens 6'1" | SG Brandon Valley | 2023 State SD earns the honors as the number 1 prospect in the Sioux Falls surrounding areas. South Dakota State scoops up yet another top SD prospect and got a good one in Behrens. This kid is smooth and plays with an extremely impressive IQ. She has a smooth jump shot and isn’t afraid of the big stage. She averaged 16.3 points per contest last year and shot an efficient 40% overall from the floor. She made 38 threes and shot 38% from downtown. The ball finds her often in the waning moments of her Brandon Valley squad’s games and she is clutch late in contests and hit on 73% of her free throws last season. This all-around forward is a fun player to watch, has a very complete game, and provides great leadership.
Coming in closely behind Hilary is the tremendously talented Katie Vasecka Katie Vasecka 6'2" | CG Tea Area | 2024 State SD from Tea. She gets my second-best player honors primarily due to very similar reasons as Behrens. Vasecka plays with great intelligence, sees and runs the floor well, facilitates for teammates, defends hard, and creates scoring opportunities for herself. At 6’2″ she looks the part and 100% plays it. She has great length which bodes well on each end as she finishes well when she gets to the rim and is a tough defensive presence on the other end. She can guard AND play positions 1-5 and has one of the most polished games in the state. Kudos to South Dakota State for scooping up homegrown talent with yet another signing here. What stands out the most about this particular athlete to me is the handles, composure, and athleticism she possesses at her height.
The number 3 spot goes to a young talent from Dell Rapids in Jenna Miller Jenna Miller 5'7" | CG Dell Rapids St. Mary | 2026 State SD . This guard is absolutely electric and is already garnering D1 attention. She is one of the most competitive players I have watched and plays with a tenacity that motivates her squad to be better. A high IQ guard even at a young age, she does a great job moving off of screens, cutting, and plays on the offensive end with great motion and finds ways to get the ball in the basket. Her range is infinite and you have to guard her as soon as she hits half court or she makes you pay. Great ball-handling skills and the ability to find her teammates off the drive round out a really solid offensive game. The energy and passion that this young lady plays with are about as good as it gets. Look for her to lead her Dell Rapids squad to a much-improved outcome this year and start developing into a leader for the Quarriers.
Coming in 4th in my rankings is another young talent Alyvia Padgett Alyvia Padgett 5'7" | PG Brandon Valley | 2026 State SD . This is another young SD guard that is gaining attention from Division I colleges. Behrens (for good reason) draws most of the attention on the Lynx squad at Brandon Valley, but don’t sleep on Padgett. Energy, hustle, and intensity are demonstrated each time this kid hits the floor and she competes on both ends of the floor to help her squad win games. She has a solid point guard game and helps an offense operate smoothly with skilled guard play. Look for Padgett to burst onto the scenes this year on a very deep, super-talented Brandon Valley squad.
Number 5 on my list goes to another Canton C-Hawk talent, Amanda Lease Amanda Lease 5'8" | PG Brandon Valley | 2025 State SD . Defensively she is the definition of a juggernaut and makes opposing guards’ lives miserable. She plays with high intensity and provides her team with a ton of spark. Her fundamental skill is sound and you can catch her playing at gyms all over the state as she spends a ton of time working on her craft on AAU teams in the summer. Lease is as explosive as they come and can get to the rim at will, has a nice shot from the perimeter, and is continuing to get even better. Keep your eye on her as a young talent that will look to be one of the top players in Class A.
Next on my list is another player that plays with impressive energy and explosive energy, Madala Hanson Madala Hanson 5'4" | PG Dell Rapids St. Mary's | 2025 State SD from the St. Mary’s Cardinals. Her squad is better because of her ability to knock down shots from the deep perimeter paired with a quick first step and variety in her finishes at the rim. She has great range, solid handles, and moves well in a motion offense to find her spots to score. She is one of the more undersized guards on the list but doesn’t let that fool you because she makes up for it with pure tenacity, hustle, and a desire to win. Another extremely capable guard that makes my top 10 list.
Checking in at number 7 is a player that was gifted with strength and length. Carli Kuyper Carli Kuyper 6'2" | C Lennox | 2024 State SD is one of the most impressive prospects from a post position in the state of South Dakota. At all of 6’2,” Carli is a shot disruptor and wreaks havoc on the defensive end swatting multiple shots per game. She has a solid back-to-the-basket game with a variety of moves to score and continues to shoot the ball better as well from outside. Look for Carli to continue to be a force in the middle for her squad and solidify her position in the top 10 of the Class of 2024.
Number 8 goes to the talented G/F from Garretson, Logan Bly Logan Bly 6'0" | SF Garretson | 2023 State SD . A leader on the Dragon squad and an all-around solid game she is a strong number 8 on the list and points to the plethora of talent in these areas of South Dakota. She has chosen to take her talent to the volleyball world at the next level but don’t sleep on her basketball season as she looks to continue to show off her deep range, 1 on 1 defensive ability, and leadership.
A fellow Class A standout, Lauren Grinde Lauren Grinde 5'7" | SG Tri-Valley | 2024 State SD from Tri-Valley cracks my list at number 9. I think she has the most potential to continue to improve as anyone on this list, and I think she could vault higher than anyone in the 2024 class this year. She currently sits at number 44 but don’t be shocked if she cracks the top 20 before the season’s end, and maybe higher. I’ve covered her game a lot and what always stands out is her explosiveness. A lot of fast-twitch muscle makes her a huge threat on offense on the attack and she has a great 3-point shot as well.
Rounding out the list is a player who was scooped up by the University of Sioux Falls in Abby Flanagan. She has a solid perimeter game and has one of the faster releases you can find. She is a high-IQ player that does whatever it takes to help her squad win. I look forward to covering her game more because from what I have seen, she has a really good one!