Class of 2025 Stock Risers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The South Dakota's girls' 2023-24 basketball season is underway! Across the state, several juniors are seeing a rise in their stock early in the season. In this article, we'll delve into the stories of these emerging athletes who are trending up in our rankings!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='329047' first='Althea' last='Gust'] - Centerville - 5'10" G/F</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Centerville's [player_tooltip player_id='329047' first='Althea' last='Gust'] has been a big reason why her Tornado squad sits at number 2 (tied) overall in the latest polls in South Dakota's Class B. She is averaging 16.5 PPG on a balanced team where she could score 20+ per night but doesn't have to. Numbers tell all in this young lady's early story as she is shooting a breathtaking 60% overall from the floor and 33% from deep. She is making teams pay for putting her at the line as well, shooting 75% from there. Add in 3.0 RPG, 3.5 APG, 3 SPG, and 1 BPG and you have a very complete player. She scored her 1000th point of her career earlier this season and continued Stock is up and pushes Althea close to the Top 5 in this class!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='390514' first='Jasmine' last='Nash'] - Timber Lake - 5'10" F</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another rising player in this class is [player_tooltip player_id='390514' first='Jasmine' last='Nash'] from Timber Lake. She is a double-double machine who is capable of scoring 15+ points and grabbing 10+ rebounds per contest. A great blend of physicality, athleticsim, and basketball IQ, Jasmine is climbing the ranks as one of the better post options in this class. She runs the floor well in transition, uses her body to get to the rim and finish, and is an intense rebounder on both ends of the floor. Throw in her ability to protect the paint on the defensive end and you can see her stock rising as you read!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Katelyn VanRoekel - Elk-Point Jefferson - 5'3" PG</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Katelyn is a versatile guard with an impressive skill set, who has been turning heads with her athleticism and relentless defense on the perimeter. Her all-around game, marked by quickness, ball-handling toolkit, and perimeter defensive abilities, has set her apart as a rising talent helping her Huskie squad on a nice start to their season. In a win over Parker, she put up 20 points, 2 assists, and 5 steals. Her quick hands fit nicely in her team's full-court pressing style and she converts a lot of forced turnovers into easy transition points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='613978' first='Katelyn' last='Schroeder'] - Hitchcock-Tulare - 6'0" G</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Katelyn has a unique blend of length, height, and athleticism that can contribute at the next level. She has a great ability to post up, catch, face, and finish with ease. She has no problem playing physically and can score in traffic. She does an excellent job running the floor in transition both with and without the basketball and finishes well when she gets to the rim. To kick off the season this talented junior is averaging 18.0 PPG on 41% overall FG% and 81% from the FT line. Add in 7.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 0.5 BPG and you have a very productive athlete with all the physical attributes to go with her skill.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='613987' first='Kylie' last='Haiar'] - Hanson - 5'9" G/F</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kylie is a talented athlete for the Beaverettes of Hanson. She has helped her team off to a hot 4-0 start out of the gates and her contributions are a major piece of what this team does! This young lady gets it done on both ends and at 5'9" and athletic she is a very versatile player. On the offensive end, she has a nice blend of driving and shooting ability. She finishes well around the paint and rewards her teammates for getting her touches inside. An excellent rebounder, she positions herself well when a shot goes up to help clean up that area of the game for her squad. In her latest outing, she showed off her scoring ability in a 73-56 win over Avon and dropped 22 points! She showed off her defensive ability as well and contributed 3 steals on that end. Stock is up on the talented G/F from Hanson!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='613970' first='Ella' last='Pollreisz'] - Ethan - 5'7" G</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ella plays guard for Ethan under the tutelage of legendary girls basketball coach Tom Young and she is making strides in this class as one of the top guards across the state. She has a high basketball IQ and demonstrates great decision-making with the basketball. She can score off the dribble and does a nice job creating for herself and her teammates. Pair this with the ability to knock down jump shots and you have a nice skillset. On defense she is intense and anticipates well, leading to forced turnovers and a tough day for opposing guards in her area. Look for Ella to have a big junior year and aid in attempting to push her squad back to the Class B state tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These stock risers exemplify the depth of talent emerging early in the season in South Dakota girl's basketball. More big things to come for these juniors and their squads this winter!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->