Preseason Freshman to Watch

As we approach the 2022-23 basketball season in South Dakota Girls Basketball, here is a list of exciting freshmen who appear poised to play big-time minutes for their teams this year.   [player_tooltip player_id='488317' first='Emmerson' last='Eppard'] - Chester - Guard   The dynamic duo of Emmerson and Emery at Chester is going to be fun to watch for the next 4 years. These two are electric, have great chemistry together, and will come in with some of the most experience for any freshman in the state. Playing since 7th grade, Eppard has great handles, a high IQ at a young age, and is a superb athlete. She excels in multiple sports and is a player to keep on your radar that can fill it up on offense, create havoc on defense, and figures to be a cornerstone for the Flyers. Last year she played in all 21 games for Chester and ironically tied with Larson for the team's lead averaging 16.3 points per game. She shot 32% overall from the floor and 29% from downtown. From the free throw line, she hit 66% of her tries and was a very efficient overall scorer.   [player_tooltip player_id='488318' first='Emery' last='Larson'] - Chester - Guard   The second member of talented young pair of Flyers also averaged 16.3 points per game and hit 36% of her shots including a solid 34% from downtown and an equally impressive 80% from the charity stripe. Larson has solid handles, can light it up from three, and puts great pressure on her opponent on defense. She had a productive summer developing for the Sanford Sports Academy and looks poised to once again put up great numbers from the field and help her Chester team get back to a consistently competitive level.   [player_tooltip player_id='488325' first='Ava' last='Kellenberger'] - Brandon Valley - Guard   Kellenberger is an electric athlete with poise and the capability of hitting the big shots. She can attack the basket with success and shows off a variety of finishing moves in the paint. Huge confidence from three and good fundamental shooting form leads to her being able to fill it up from deep as well. She is a superb competitor and looks to be a candidate to break out this season for the Lynx and will try to work herself into a key role on the team.   [player_tooltip player_id='377192' first='Ashlyn' last='Koupal'] - Wagner - Guard/Forward   Koupal is one of the most highly-touted prospects in the state and for good reason. She has already begun receiving D1 offers and will undoubtedly garner more. She may have the best basketball build in the state with fantastic length and impressive athleticism and she plays the game at a level well beyond her age. Expect Koupal to be a key scorer and defender for a REALLY good Wagner team who looks like one of the favorites to win the Class A State Championship.   [player_tooltip player_id='342456' first='Jenna' last='Miller'] - Dell Rapids - Guard   Anyone following South Dakota basketball right now knows [player_tooltip player_id='342456' first='Jenna' last='Miller']. She has gained a lot of attention statewide as a really talented scorer who projects to play at the next level. Look for her to be one of a handful of players who consistently puts up 20 points a night. She has an impressive range from three and is one of the best attackers of the basket you can find.   [player_tooltip player_id='443690' first='Halle' last='Olson'] - Andes Central / Dakota Christian - Forward/Center   Olson is an undervalued talent and a potential hidden gem. A 6'0" frame, great length, quickness, and a high-energy motor makes for an easy addition to the watchlist. After losing Lexi VanderPol to graduation she appears to be a key piece for the Thunder squad. Look for her to put up near-double-double numbers as she rebounds hard and scores effectively in the paint. If she develops outside shooting consistency she will be a big-time stock riser.   [player_tooltip player_id='488202' first='Talya' last='Vincent'] - Sioux Valley - Guard   Talya is a player to keep your eye on, playing on a team to keep your eye on as well. Sioux Valley looks ready to take a big step and is loaded with young talent. Look for her to take on a larger role and compete to be a major contributor. She is a coach's kid and plays the game with a veyr high IQ. A nice shot from the perimeter, really fundamentally sound handles, and a smart defender makes Talya a name to keep in mind. On a team loaded with shooters from beyond the arch her ability to create could make her a nice balancing piece for this offense.   Taylor Hoxeng - Gayville-Volin - Guard   Hoxeng plays the game with passion and intensity. She has college-level range from deep and is capable of hitting the big shot. After losing the talented Molly Larson to graduation this offense will basically belong to Hoxeng. Expect them to run a lot of sets to get her off of flare screens, lift screens, and use her often on the offensive end. She has nice handles and has a balanced attack between driving and shooting. She's a tough defender that will look to turn people over and manufacture points for her young team.   [player_tooltip player_id='421636' first='Alyvia' last='Padgett'] - Brandon Valley - Guard   Padgett looks poised for a nice season on a really good Lynx team. A lot of attention will be on her college-committed teammate [player_tooltip player_id='100467' first='Hilary' last='Behrens'] but just like her teammate (Kellenberger) above she is a really good young player who will compete to crack the lineup on a deep squad. Her ability to get to the rim, knock down shots, and be in the right spot with sound defense could allow her to move her into a marquee role this season. With Alyvia and Ava either Brandon Valley is going to be extremely deep and rotate a lot on the defensive end, or their JV squad will be stacked, and possibly both. Brandon Valley is a team to watch with the potential to be good for a number of years and Padgett is a big reason why.   [player_tooltip player_id='388883' first='Mak' last='Scott'] - Lyman - Forward   Mak is another "off the radar" type player who appears to be a stock-riser candidate. She has really good length, plays hards, snags boards, and is developing on the scoring side of the game. A great option in transitition any team is blessed to have a six-footer who runs the floor well. If she can gain some strength and physicality to go along with her 6'0", long frame, she could be a player who has a huge developmental year this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='421710' first='Bree' last='Umbreit'] - Tea - Forward/Center   Tea Titan [player_tooltip player_id='421710' first='Bree' last='Umbreit'] is another player to watch this season. She has great length, moves well, and is steadily improving her game. She played with the Network program this summer and got great experience to bring back to her hometown squad. I'm not sure where she fits into the equation that is the Tea Titans' lineup, but with her impressive length she has to be a potential contributor to the varsity squad. Keep an eye on Umbreit as she has some of the most impressive physical attributes of any players in the area.   [player_tooltip player_id='525673' first='Melina' last='Snoozy'] - Dakota Valley - Guard   Snoozy cracks the list as just an 8th-grade athlete but keep your eye on what she does this season for Dakota Valley. She projects to be an all-state athlete for multiple years in her career and has D1 talent. She can handle the ball with ease and shows off the ability to double counter with more than just your basic ball skills. I love her ability to create her own shot which is a trait that you don't see in a large number of players. The frame and skillset go hand in hand to make Snoozy a breakout player for her team and one of the best the state has to offer.

As we approach the 2022-23 basketball season in South Dakota Girls Basketball, here is a list of exciting freshmen who appear poised to play big-time minutes for their teams this year.