Players of Year JT Rock, Isaac Bruns and Joe Sayler lead boys' All-State teams

Roger Merriam, Watertown Public Opinion
·5 min read
Sioux Falls Lincoln's JT Rock (35) handles the ball against Mitchell's Charlie McCardle during their semifinal game in the state Class AA boys basketball tournament on Friday, March 17, 2023 in The Monument at Rapid City.
Sioux Falls Lincoln's JT Rock (35) handles the ball against Mitchell's Charlie McCardle during their semifinal game in the state Class AA boys basketball tournament on Friday, March 17, 2023 in The Monument at Rapid City.

Players of the Year JT Rock of Sioux Falls Lincoln (Class AA), Isaac Bruns of Dakota Valley (Class A) and Joe Sayler of White River (Class B) lead the South Dakota Basketball Coaches Association's 2022-23 All-State boys basketball teams.

Bruns, a three-time Class A first team selection, earned Class A Player of the Year honors for the second-straight year.

Other three-time All-State honorees include Lincoln Kienholz of Pierre (two first-team selections, one second team) in Class AA; Vincent in Class A (three first team); and Sayler (three first team), Malek Wieker of Aberdeen Christian (one first team, two second team) and Daniel Mitchell of Gregory (one second team, two third team) in Class B.

Representatives from state championship teams include Yankton senior Rugby Ryken in Class AA, Dakota Valley seniors Bruns and Randy Rosenquist in Class A and De Smet senior Damon Wilkinson in Class B.

2022-23 All-State Boys Basketball Teams

South Dakota Basketball Coaches Association

Sioux Falls Jefferson's Kaden Year blocks a shot by Sioux Falls Lincoln's Elliot Whitney during the third-place game of the state Class AA boys basketball tournament on Saturday, March 18, 2023 in The Monument at Rapid City.
Sioux Falls Jefferson's Kaden Year blocks a shot by Sioux Falls Lincoln's Elliot Whitney during the third-place game of the state Class AA boys basketball tournament on Saturday, March 18, 2023 in The Monument at Rapid City.

CLASS AA

First Team

JT Rock, SF Lincoln, 7-1, jr., F (18 ppg, 10 rpg, 81 blocks)

Lincoln Kienholz, Pierre, 6-3, sr., G (18.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.3 apg)

Rugby Ryken, Yankton, 6-0, sr., G (12 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 7.5 apg)

Taylen Ashley, SF Jefferson, 6-1, sr., G (17.3 ppg, 4 rpg, 3 apg)

Kaden Year, SF Jefferson, 6-5, sr., G (17 ppg, 5.2 rpg)

Spencer Barr, Aberdeen Central, 5-11, sr., G (18.5 ppg, 2.4 apg)

Yankton's Rugby Ryken (4) drives against Mitchell's Dylan Soulek during the championship game of the state Class AA boys basketball tournament on Saturday, March 18, 2023 in The Monument at Rapid City.
Yankton's Rugby Ryken (4) drives against Mitchell's Dylan Soulek during the championship game of the state Class AA boys basketball tournament on Saturday, March 18, 2023 in The Monument at Rapid City.

Second Team

Ethan Determan, Harrisburg, 6-3, sr., G (18 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.5 apg)

Dylan Soulek, Mitchell, 6-3, sr., G (13.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.4 apg)

Reilyn Zavesky, Huron, 6-3, sr., G (23.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.1 apg)

Jacoby Mehrman, Harrisburg, 6-4, jr., G (15 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.2 apg)

Steele Morgan, Mitchell, 6-5, sr., F (11.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.2 apg)

Matt Eng, SF O'Gorman, 6-2, sr., G (18.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.9 apg)

• Repeat Selections — 2022 (Kienholz, first team; Determan, Eng, Year and Ashley, second team); 2021 (Kienholz, second team).

• Player of the Year — Rock.

CLASS A

First Team

Isaac Bruns, Dakota Valley, 6-4, sr., G (26.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg)

Caleb Hollenbeck, St. Thomas More, 6-3, sr., F (24.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.1 apg)

Oliver Vincent, Sioux Valley, 6-1, sr., G (20 ppg, 6 rpg, 7 apg)

Randy Rosenquist, Dakota Valley, 6-1, sr., G (13.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 8.8 apg, 80 steals)

Porter Ihnen, Lennox, 6-6, jr., G (21.6 ppg, 7 rpg, 4 apg)

Ethan Bruns, SF Christian, 6-6, sr., F (17 ppg, 7 rpg)

Dakota Valley's Isaac Bruns puts up a shot against Hamlin's Brennan Keszler during their semifinal game in the state Class A boys basketball tournament on Friday, March 17, 2023 in the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center at Sioux Falls.
Dakota Valley's Isaac Bruns puts up a shot against Hamlin's Brennan Keszler during their semifinal game in the state Class A boys basketball tournament on Friday, March 17, 2023 in the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center at Sioux Falls.

Second Team

Blake Volmer, Winner, 6-3, sr., G (19.2 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 4.1 apg)

Brayden Pankonen, Dell Rapids, 5-10, sr., G (20.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.9 apg)

Reed Rus, Mount Vernon-Plankinton, 6-4, sr., G (18.6 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 7.8 apg, 3.3 spg)

Aiden Jensen, Madison, 6-9, sr., F (20.9 ppg, 9 rpg, 60 blocks)

Alec Squires, Sioux Valley, 6-10, jr., C-F (15 ppg, 11 rpg, 60 blocks)

Ethan Cheeseman, Hanson, 6-3, sr. F, (19.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg)

Third Team

Damon Opdahl, Waubay-Summit, 6-1, sr., G (19.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.7 apg, 103 steals)

Easton Kempf, Elk Point-Jefferson, 6-5, sr., F (15 ppg, 7 rpg, 3 apg)

Easton Neuendorf, Hamlin, 5-11, so., G (13.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.9 apg)

Blake Thompson, Tea Area, 5-11, sr., G (13.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 5.2 apg)

Tyson Stevenson, Hamlin, 6-2, jr., G (14.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.3 apg)

Tate VanOtterloo, Beresford, 6-5, sr., G (18.8 ppg, 6 rpg, 3.5 apg)

• Repeat Selections — 2022 (I. Bruns, Vincent, Rosenquist and Volmer, first team; Ihnen, Rus, Hollenbeck, Pankonen and E. Bruns, second team; and Opdahl, Class B second team); 2021 (Bruns and Vincent, first team).

• Player of the Year — Isaac Bruns.

White River's Joe Sayler hauls in an alley-oop pass during a first-round game against Faith in the state Class B boys basketball tournament on Thursday, March 16, 2023 in the Barnett Center at Aberdeen.
White River's Joe Sayler hauls in an alley-oop pass during a first-round game against Faith in the state Class B boys basketball tournament on Thursday, March 16, 2023 in the Barnett Center at Aberdeen.

CLASS B

First Team

Joe Sayler, White River, 6-4, sr., G (30.8 ppg, 5.6 rpog, 3.7 apg)

Damon Wilkinson, De Smet, 6-10, sr., C (22 ppg, 13 rpg)

Brian LaRoche Jr., Lower Brule, 6-1, sr., G-F (24.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.4 apg, 83 steals)

Ethan Russell, Aberdeen Christian, 6-7, sr., G-F (16.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg)

Gavin Thigh, Lower Brule, 5-11, sr., G-F (18.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.2 apg, 65 steals)

Sutton Arend, Bridgwater-Emery, 6-4, sr., G (22 ppg, 9 rpg)

Second Team

Malek Wieker, Aberdeen Christian, 6-1, sr., G (15 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.4 apg)

Keegan Hett, Harding County, 6-1, sr., G (19.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.3 apg, 96 steals)

Nick Hanson, Viborg-Hurley, 6-6, so., C (16.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 55 blocks)

Bryon Laue, Castlewood, 6-8, so., C (14.7 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 62 blocks)

Lane Tvedt, Castlewood, 6-0, jr., G (16.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 64 steals)

Jackson Schauer, Faith, 6-1, jr., G (20.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 66 steals)

More:Five-time honoree Broughton leads SDBCA's All-State girls basketball teams

Third Team

Daniel Mitchell, Gregory, 6-7, jr., F (15 ppg, 8.4 rpg)

Tage Ortman, Canistota, 5-11, jr., G (18.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4.5 apg)

Riley Endres, Ethan, 6-0, sr., G (15.2 ppg, 7 rpg)

Nicolas Marshall, White River, 6-1, jr., G (17.8 ppg, 4 rpg, 5.3 apg, 82 steals)

Layne Cotton, Faulkton Area, 6-3, jr., F (23.1 ppg, 10.2 rpg)

Tray Hettick, Herreid-Selby Area, 6-2, sr., G (18.8 ppg, 5 rpg, 7 apg)

• Repeat Selections — 2022 (Sayler and Wieker, first team; Wilkinson, Mitchell and Russell, second team; LaRoche Jr., third team); 2021 (Sayler, first team; Wieker, second team; and Mitchell, third team).

• Player of the Year — Sayler.

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on Twitter @PO_Sports.

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Dakota Valley's Bruns repeats as Class A Player of the Year.