Class of 2026 Stock Risers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The South Dakota's girls' 2023-24 basketball season is underway! Across the state, several sophomores 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>[player_tooltip player_id='658986' first='Anna' last='Binde'] - Tea - 5'7" G</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Anna spent a lot of time on her game this summer. She traveled with the [program_tooltip program_id='715768' first='Sanford' last='Basketball'] Academy to multiple tournaments and put a lot of effort in improving her game. Her role is expanding in her program and she will continue to gain invaluable experience as she heads towards the last two years of her high school career. She has a high basketball IQ and does a lot of the little things right that lead to big successes on a basketball floor. She can get in the paint and finish off the drive and has an expanding toolkit of weapons to score offensively. A high motor on defense and on the boards, she does a lot of things to contribute to helping her team get stops. Stock is up on the sophomore Titan!</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='678436' first='Abbi' last='Thornton'] - West Central - 5'10" F</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Abbi is an improving asset for the Trojans and has a nice inside-out game on both ends. Her shooting ability continues to improve and she has a nice physical approach to attacking the basket and finishing when she gets there. Defensively she can guard multiple spots and brings an aggressive mindset to her team on that end. A solid perimeter rebounder she gets a lot done for her team!</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='616250' first='Hylton' last='Heinz'] - Huron - 5'8" G</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Hylton can score on all levels whether it's knocking down the 3, creating off the dribble, or making space and hitting jump shots in the mid-range. She makes great reads off the drive and does a great job finding the open girl within the offense. She's an active defender who grabs multiple steals per game and makes life tough on opposing guards. Look for this young lady to continue climbing the rankings as her role only gets larger for Huron.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='615389' first='Liz' last='Boschee'] - Sanborn Central - Woonsocket - 6'0" F</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Liz has great physical attributes at six-feet tall and athletic. She does an excellent job getting to the basket both off the dribble and on paint touches. She's a talented finisher who has an instinct for finding openings to score the basketball. A talented rebounder on both ends and a versatile defensive game, this young lady gets it done in all areas of the game. She is a double-double machine who is capable of putting up 20 and 10 nights and has her squad off to a nice 5-1 start to the season!</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ashlan Blount - Red Cloud - 6'0" G</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Ashlan is a do-it-all guard for the Crusaders and is an excellent athlete with loads of potential. She is getting it done in the scoring department averaging 19.0 PPG on 55% shooting from 2 PT, 33% from 3 PT, and 65% from the FT line. She's a high energy athlete and possesses a strong basketball IQ and overall grasp for the game. She has a variety of moves to get to the basket and finish and reads defenses extremely well. She can score on all levels and demands a lot of attention from opposing defenses. An all-around athlete she throws in over 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals per game as well! She has her Red Cloud squad off to an excellent 6-0 start this year and will look to help them be a contender come late February into March!</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='488327' first='Aubrie' last='Van Beek'] - Sioux Falls Christian - 5'7" G</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Aubrie is an athletic guard with a high basketball IQ. She is electric off the dribble and does a great job getting the ball in the paint to score or set up her teammates. A great passer with natural offensive instincts she consistently makes the right play through effective reads and decision-making. Solid ball handling, she is a true combo guard who can orchestrate the offense from multiple positions. Look for Aubrie to be a big reason why this Chargers squad makes a postseason run as the season winds down.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='347876' first='Kate' last='Scharf'] - Spearfish - 5'7" G</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Kate is a talented guard from Spearfish that does a lot of things well for her team. She's a physical guard with an explosive skillset that aids her on both ends of the floor. On defense she is an active athlete with a high IQ who can defend multiple spots and rebounds well from the perimeter. Offensively she has a great first step to the rim, gets there in a hurry, and finishes well in traffic. She has great court sense and a high IQ and consistently makes the right play in her ability to create shots for herself and others. A true student of the game she puts a lot of effort into relentlessly bettering her game and stock looks to continue to rise on this talented guard.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- 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 sophomores and their squads this winter!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->