Middle School Names to Learn Early - Class of 2027

We focus our attention mainly on high school athletes who are getting towards the stage in their career where they have either decided their next step or are in the process of making that decision. I wanted to take some time though to recognize some middle school names to put on your radar and watch over the next few years. This list will no doubt headline our next watchlist as incoming freshmen of the 2023-24 season! Here's a snapshot of some young kids already having a big impact on South Dakota Girls Basketball!     [player_tooltip player_id='525673' first='Melina' last='Snoozy'] - Dakota Valley - 5'11" G - Class of 2027   Snoozy is an all-around talent who is already garnering attention from colleges around the area. She has the physical traits of a forward, but the handles and shot-creating ability of a point guard. She might be the most efficient scorer in terms of getting it done at all four levels (paint, mid-range, FTs, and three) in the group. She put in 11.2 points per game this year on 40% overall shooting from the floor. She connected on 38% of her 3's and made opponents pay for putting her at the line, hitting 78% of her attempts there.   Jacy Wolf - Chester - 5'5" G - Class of 2027   Jacy has already proven herself at the varsity level and is already playing vital minutes for the Flyers of Chester. She has impressive speed and uses it on both ends as a solid perimeter defender and a dynamic scorer who can get herself open for the outside shot as well as attack the basket. Chester has a young core of players that are going to be names to have on your radar for the foreseeable future.   Madelyn Nebelsick - Mitchell Christian - 5'0" G - Class of 2027   Madelyn may lack some size of some of these other guards but she has a ton of years to develop physically. What places her here is her already high basketball IQ and competitive spirit. She will play big minutes for years to come and has a nice point guard skillset.   Maia Achen - Gayville-Volin - 5'8" F - Class of 2027   Maia is a physical forward who defends hard in the paint, rebounds well on both ends and is efficient in attacking the basket to score. She uses her body well in traffic to find ways to put the ball in the basket and shows great ball security by not turning it over often. She appears to have all the physical tools necessary to be an inside-out, complete player and if she can develop consistency in hitting the three she will be a player contributing at all levels of the game.   Zoe Waln - Marty - 5'0" G - Class of 2027   If you haven't watched Zoe Waln ball out for the Lady Braves of Marty, you're missing out. She stands in at 5'0" tall but has one of the most confident, aggressive mindsets you can find. Her range is unending and she has no problem dialing it up and hitting from deep. Her ball-handling and footwork skills are well beyond her age and she uses them to manipulate herself to the rim through traffic and does a good job finishing with either hand.   Mia Reiner - Tripp-Delmont/Armour - 5'11" F - Class of 2027   Mia is a talented forward with a bright future for the Nighthawks! She has great physical attributes at 5'11" and athletic, and she is getting valuable minutes at the varsity level to develop her basketball IQ. A tough-nosed rebounder who will work hard on both ends, Mia is a great asset in holding opponents to one shot and providing more chances for her team. She moves well defensively and can guard multiple positions. She can finish in the paint and will have a big opportunity this offseason to improve her perimeter scoring game.   Jacey Jensen - Jones County - 5'6" G - Class of 2027   Jacey will vault into a much bigger role next season after the Coyotes will graduate their entire starting 5. She can attack the basket and finishes well in the paint, and she has a developing outside shooting game. With more minutes at the varsity level, I expect to see her stock rise on Jacey as she enters our 2027 Watchlist.   Isabelle Steffensen - Arlington - 5'7" G - Class of 2027   Isabelle is a dynamic guard with pure athleticism and a high IQ for a young player. On defense, she is fundamentally sound showing great lateral movement, the ability to be in the correct positioning, and is able to pressure the ball without getting beat off the dribble. She has a nice outside shot and solid ball-handling skills to round out a very complete game.   Karlie Bosma - Lennox - 5'6" G - Class of 2027   Karlie is a new name that I'm excited to watch develop! Keep your eye on this young guard and what her contributions will look like for the Orioles of Lennox over the next 4 years!   Gwen Lease - Canton - 5'9" G - Class of 2027   Gwen is aggressive on both ends and shows up for her team game in and game out. She played a ton of important developmental JV minutes and got a taste at the varsity level as well. She attacks the basket well and uses her 5'9" athletic frame to finish in the paint. She's a hard-working defender who does the little things and helps in the rebounding category as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='597299' first='Liberty' last='Trygstad'] - Sioux Valley - 5'6" G - Class of 2027   Liberty is a young prospect who continues to increase her role and develop a solid skill set. She moves well without the ball on offense and shows great floor sense. She's got speed, know-how, and a great competitive motor. As she gains more experience with the Cossacks of Sioux Valley she will be a solid prospect in her class.   Kailey Cradduck - Sioux Valley - 5'11" G - Class of 2027   Kailey is another promising prospect at 5'11" and athletic for the Cossacks. A nice duo could be formed between her and Trygstad over the next 4 seasons. I look forward to getting to see more of her skills showcased over the next couple of seasons and learning more about her game.   Jayci Trowbridge - Hamlin - 5'4" G - Class of 2027   Jayci is a really athletic prospect playing for a great program. Look for her to have a big summer and continue to increase her role for the Chargers. As she gains more experience at the varsity level on a really good team who just took home state championship honors this season, Jayci will be a name to keep an eye on.   Sydney Devries - Elkton-Lake Benton - 5'7" G - Class of 2027   Sydney is a hard-working athlete who cracked the varsity squad for the Lady Elks as just an 8th grader, and is already earning valuable varsity minutes! She is active on the defensive end and grabbed some steals this year. Her offensive game continues to develop and she will undoubtedly make strides on both ends as her experience continues to increase.   Camdyn Peterreins - Deuel - 6'0" F/C - Class of 2027   Peterreins checks in as one of a few six-footers in this class and has 4 years left to develop her skill set. She is a solid rebounder, can alter shots at the basket with her shot-blocking ability, and uses her body well to finish inside.   Ravyn Medricky - Wagner - 6'0" F - Class of 2027   Another six-foot prospect comes from the Red Raiders of Wagner. Ravyn has great length and moves well at 6'0" tall. Look for role to increase over the next couple of seasons and stock will undoubtedly be up as she gets more experience playing at the varsity level. Teammates, Braxton Nedved, and Ravyn Medricky are names to watch as well, and players I look forward to learning more about!   Berkley Ziebart - Parkston - 5'6" G - Class of 2027   Berkely has a bright future with the Trojans in Parkston. She has natural speed, athleticism, and ball skills, and looks like an athlete that will step on the floor and contribute at the varsity level at a young age. Outside shooting, ball handling, and perimeter defense are all solid attributes for this talented young lady, making her a solid future perimeter prospect.   Keeara Oakley - Parkston - 5'9" G/F - Class of 2027   Keeara will team up with Berkley over the next 4 seasons and form a talented duo. Oakley has a lot of physical attributes that translate well to today's game. She has length, athleticism, physicality, and an already solid basketball IQ. At 5'9" and quick she is great off the drive and finishes well around the basket. She has a nice outside shot and if she develops consistency in shooting the three is going to be a very complete, talented scorer. She works hard on the boards and can defend multiple positions. Oakley looks like a name to have on scouting radars for the next 4 seasons.   Brea Austin - Centerville - 5'4" G - Class of 2027   Brea played big minutes alongside teammates Izzie Eide, featured in the Class of 2028, and twin sister Lydia Austin for the Tornadoes from Centerville. She's a great defender and was often tasked with guarding the other team's best players for extended minutes off the bench this year. Her ball pressure and ability to keep her girl in front are really solid, making her one of the most consistent defenders in the group. She can hit the three and demonstrates a really solid shot selection for a young player. She has a game that is somewhat of a lost art in her ability to hit shots off the dribble in the mid-range. Brea will be a big piece of the recipe for success at Centerville over the next 4 seasons.   Lydia Austin - Centerville - 5'4" G - Class of 2027   If it wasn't for wearing different jersey numbers, twin sisters Brea and Lydia Austin would be impossible to differentiate as the game goes on. Her skill set is very similar as well and it is a lot of fun to watch them play side by side. Lydia can hit the three and is a great scorer in the dribble drive as well. If she picks it up before she gets to the basket she does a great job being secure with the ball and creating shot opportunities for her teammates. Point guard skills in great vision and ability to handle round out her solid offensive game. On defense, she moves well, puts pressure on the basketball, and doesn't let her size keep her from staying aggressive and keeping people off their spots. Lydia will factor in as a vital piece of the Tornadoes identity for the next 4 years.   Brandi Surat - Kimball/White Lake - 5'7" G/F - Class of 2027   Brandi is a developing guard prospect for Kimball/White Lake. She looks poised to take on a bigger role over the next 4 seasons and is another young promising guard to watch!   Leah Landry - Rapid City Central - 5'9" G/F - Class of 2027   Leah is a talented prospect that shows off a variety of skills. She can score, she rebounds hard, moves the ball well with a high IQ for a young age, blocks shots, and is very active on the defensive end. She's a hard-working athlete on both ends and shows up all over the stat books for RC Central. Physical attiributes, high IQ, and a solid skill-set places Landry as a must watch athlete in this young, up-and-coming class.   Colee Kruse - Douglas - 5'2" G - Class of 2027   Just 5'2" but with zero fear, a whole lot of intensity, and a passion for the game, Colee is a lot of fun to watch! She has a smooth, high-arcing shot which she can dial up from a long way from the basket. She creates space well to get off her shot and looks like a really pure scorer in this class. Effective in both beating presses and applying her own pressure, she has really nice handles and a knack for finding the basketball in her hands. Another exciting young guard who has a lot of years to continue developing her game.   Lauryn Burckhard - 6'1" F/C - Class of 2027   Lauryn is an impressive prospect coming in as one of four 6' or above athletes in the group. She is a promising paint presence. She is a shot-blocking machine and changes the game on defense altering attempts at the rim. A nice back-to-the-basket game, footwork, and aggressive mentality make her a threat to score inside and she rebounds hard. She will undoubtedly have a ton of double-doubles over the next four years.

We focus our attention mainly on high school athletes who are getting towards the stage in their career where they have either decided their next step or are in the process of making that decision. I wanted to take some time though to recognize some middle school names to put on your radar and watch over the next few years. This list will no doubt headline our next watchlist as incoming freshmen of the 2023-24 season! Here's a snapshot of some young kids already having a big impact on South Dakota Girls Basketball!