City Rankings: Top Prospects in the Southeast

The southeast corner of our state has a lot of small towns that fight participation numbers yet produce high-quality basketball teams year after year. There are a ton of under-the-radar athletes working hard in these small-town prospects. Let's take a look at my top 10! This area will include small towns ranging from Alcester to the east, to Elk Point, Dakota Valley, and Vermillion in the south, to the talented Wagner in the West, and Freeman to the north. Other small-town programs such as Beresford, Centerville, Irene-Wakonda, Gayville-Volin, Scotland, Bon Homme, Menno, and Avon will be considered for this list, as well as the bigger city of Yankton and the returning Class B state champion, Viborg-Hurley Cougars. There are some great prospects in this area and all of them remain unsigned!     <ol><li>[player_tooltip player_id='166689' first='Coral' last='Mason'] - Viborg/Hurley - Class of 2023</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='329047' first='Thea' last='Gust'] - Centerville - Class of 2025</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='317765' first='Brooke' last='Jensen'] - Vermillion - Class of 2025</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='375369' first='Kate' last='Miller'] - Freeman - Class of 2023</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='100500' first='Denae' last='Mach'] - Viborg/Hurley - Class of 2023</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='329052' first='Emma' last='Marshall'] - Irene/Wakonda - Class of 2025</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='182475' first='Courtney' last='Sees'] - Avon - Class of 2024</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='166684' first='Leah' last='Herbster'] - Vermillion - Class of 2023</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='275728' first='Ashley' last='Brewer'] - Elk-Point Jefferson - Class of 2025</li><li>[player_tooltip player_id='201470' first='Peyton' last='Tritz'] - Dakota Valley - Class of 2024</li></ol>     My number 1 prospect from this group goes to one of the most experienced ballers from the group in returning state champion, [player_tooltip player_id='166689' first='Coral' last='Mason']. Coral has a very balanced attack and does great things on both ends of the floor. She can operate in nearly any position on offense as she can attack off the dribble, create for herself and others, use footwork to finish in the paint, and hit shots from the perimeter. Strong physical play paired with intelligence allows her to score from all over. Look for Coral to continue putting up big numbers in every statistical category. The fact that she remains unsigned should have colleges working hard in this final year to add her to the next level.   Coming in closely behind Coral, and mostly due to experience level is the super-talented sophomore from Centerville, [player_tooltip player_id='329047' first='Thea' last='Gust']. Her squad missed the state tournament narrowly with a loss in the SODAK 16 to the more experienced, more physically ready Aberdeen Christian Knights. This young lady had a fantastic freshman season and you can let her numbers speak for themselves in earning her the number 2 spot in a very talented group of athletes. She scored close to 14 points a game on a very balanced team who had multiple plus 10 per outing athletes and did it shooting a very impressive 55% from inside the arc, 42% from beyond the arc, and 78% from the FT line. Add in around 3.5 assists and a steal and block per game, and you have a really well-rounded talent, and oh by the way...she guards the other team's best player nearly all game every game as well. Gust impresses on offense with her college-ready range and high IQ, but is an underrated defender, possibly the best 1 on 1 defending on the perimeter in the state.   The number 3 spot goes to another young talent from the Class of 2025, Vermillion's [player_tooltip player_id='317765' first='Brooke' last='Jensen']. This guard is absolutely electric and is already garnering D1 attention. She has an extremely impressive blend of length and quickness. A guard IQ and athleticism in a forward's body, this young lady does a ton well. With great basketball sense she does a great job moving off of screens, cutting, and finds a way to get into successful spots to score. Her range is impressive and if you give her a step to the basket she will make you pay with great finishing ability when she gets there. Great ball-handling skills and the ability to find her teammates off the drive round out a really solid offensive game. Look for Jensen to lead her much improved, developing young Vermillion squad to a successful season this year.   Coming in 4th in my rankings is a more experienced player from the last two and the first true post player on the list in Freeman's [player_tooltip player_id='375369' first='Kate' last='Miller']. The epitome of hard work and hustle this young lady is a fantastic leader, efficient scorer, and an intense rebounder and defender. Energy, hustle, and intensity are demonstrated each time she steps on the floor and she makes plays that others just aren't willing to in order to help her Flyer squad win games. She is a great passer and scorer out of the high post and shreds gaps in zone defenses. Snatching a ton of boards, blocking shots, snagging loose balls, and hitting mid-range jumpers make for one of the more intense, entertaining athletes to watch in South Dakota.   Number 5 on my list goes to another incoming senior and defending state champion in Class B, fellow Cougar to [player_tooltip player_id='166689' first='Coral' last='Mason'], [player_tooltip player_id='100500' first='Denae' last='Mach']. Defensively she can match up with most positions and she plays with high intensity providing her team with a ton of spark. Her fundamental skill is sound and she has invested a lot of time into the game of basketball. Rounding out her offensive game is great court vision, the ability to knock down shots off of screens and effective cuts, and great length to be disruptive on defense. Keep your eye on where she and her teammate Mason potentially land at the next level.   Next on my list is another player that plays with impressive energy and explosive play, [player_tooltip player_id='329052' first='Emma' last='Marshall'] from the Irene-Wakonda Eagles. Her squad is better because of her ability to knock down shots from the mid-range and extend out to the 3, a quick first step that gets her past defenders, and hops that are out of this world. She has great defensive length and disrupts shots and passes all game long. She is one of the more underrated guards/forwards on the list but doesn't let that fool you because she makes up for it with a desire to improve, immense athletic talent, and great basketball sense. Another extremely capable player that I expect to climb up the rankings in her class as she looks to be the number one option on a young Eagle squad.   Checking in at number 7 is a player that was gifted with explosive athletic ability and has put in a lot of time to becoming a very poised, experinced junior. [player_tooltip player_id='182475' first='Courtney' last='Sees'] is one of the most impressive prospects from a guard position in her tenacious approach to attacking the basket and not backing down from any defender. Her sister Lauren is a standout at Augustana University and a great resource for Courtney's development. One of the more undersized guards on the list, she makes up for it with outstanding mental toughness, a great competitive mindset, and high-intensity defense. She has a solid shot from beyond the arc and can navigate the point guard position's job requirements with ease. Look for Courtney to be one of the leading scorers in her region and gain more attention as a prospect at the next level.   Number 8 goes to the talented forward from Vermillion, [player_tooltip player_id='166684' first='Leah' last='Herbster']. A leader on the Tanager 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 rural areas of South Dakota. She has a 6'0 frame and can step out and hit the three, making her a very intriguing prospect. She blocks a lot of shots on defense and anticipates well on the help side. She has a solid game at all levels of the offense and is a very diverse talent who can score from all over. Leah looks to be a leader of a solid team to keep your eye on in Vermillion.   A fellow Class A standout, [player_tooltip player_id='275728' first='Ashley' last='Brewer'] from Elk Point-Jefferson 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 in the 2025 class and improve in every statistical category as she helps her Huskie squad win a lot of games this winter. 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. Demonstrating a great work ethic she gives great energy on both ends. She is a really solid 1 on 1 defender and will create multiple turnovers for her opponent each game. She plays the game fast and is tough to stop on the offensive end when she makes up her mind to score the basketball.   Rounding out the list is a player who shows the impressive depth of these rankings, [player_tooltip player_id='201470' first='Peyton' last='Tritz'] from Dakota Valley. She has a solid basketball IQ and one of the more complete guard games you can find in the area. She is a high-IQ player that does whatever it takes to help her squad win. She can operate from the point-guard position and is equally as good off the ball as well though as a scorer. Great passing abilities, solid handles, and a smooth shot from downtown makes her a great offensive talent. On defense, she pressures the ball well and is a great vocal leader on the court. She will look to step into a much bigger role this year after some departing seniors left the DV squad. This looks to be the makings of a big year for Peyton!

The southeast corner of our state has a lot of small towns that fight participation numbers yet produce high-quality basketball teams year after year. There are a ton of under-the-radar athletes working hard in these small-town prospects. Let's take a look at my top 10! This area will include small towns ranging from Alcester to the east, to Elk Point, Dakota Valley, and Vermillion in the south, to the talented Wagner in the West, and Freeman to the north. Other small-town programs such as Beresford, Centerville, Irene-Wakonda, Gayville-Volin, Scotland, Bon Homme, Menno, and Avon will be considered for this list, as well as the bigger city of Yankton and the returning Class B state champion, Viborg-Hurley Cougars. There are some great prospects in this area and all of them remain unsigned!