Winner's Brady Fritz named to Class A boys basketball all-state first team

Apr. 7—Winner's Brady Fritz has closed his high school basketball career as one of the top players in Class A, earning a selection from the state's coaches to the boys basketball all-state first team.

The team, as selected by the South Dakota Basketball Coaches Association, was announced Wednesday. Fritz is joined on the Class A first team by a pair of brothers from Dakota Valley — senior Paul Bruns and sophomore Isaac Bruns — along with Vermillion senior Jakob Dobney, Dell Rapids senior Colin Rentz and Sioux Valley sophomore Oliver Vincent.

Fritz averaged 25.6 points per game for the 20-5 Warriors, along with 4.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and two steals per game. His senior season scoring ledger included a career-high 41 points on 17-of-25 shooting on Jan. 26 in a win over Bennett County, and Fritz scored 20-plus points in 22 games during the season. He is Winner's all-state first team selection since Brendan Harter in 2015.

Winner coach Brett Gardner said Fritz's accolades are hard-earned by the 6-foot-2 guard, who was Winner's team leader by example.

"He is a hard worker, who has extreme passion for the game of basketball. Brady has put in a lot of time to better his craft," Gardner said. "One thing that has helped our program is Brady not only puts in time himself, but made sure his teammates were held accountable, and brought them to the gym as well. Brady will be the first to thank and acknowledge that this wouldn't be possible without his teammates."

For his career, Fritz had 1,912 points in a Warrior uniform, which concluded with eighth place at the Class A tournament. Fritz intends to play college basketball at Dakota Wesleyan University.

The rest of the Class A all-state first team fills out an all-guard lineup, all with players at 6-foot-4 or shorter.

Paul Bruns, a 6-foot-4 guard, was the state's most prolific scorer on a game-by-game basis for the 23-3 Panthers. He scored 716 points for the season, or 27.5 points per game. That included a season-high 44 points, and eight games of 30 or more. He also had 19 double-doubles as he averaged 13 rebounds per contest, along with 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game. He shot 50% from the field, was a 39% 3-point shooter and hit at an 84% rate at the free-throw line. He has signed to play Division I basketball in the Summit League at the University of North Dakota.

Bruns was named the Class A player of the year for a second consecutive year. (All three players of the year in 2021 — Bruns, Yankton's Matthew Mors in Class AA and De Smet's Kalen Garry in Class B — are the first back-to-back winners selected by the SDBBCA since the association changed its criteria in 2020 to allow non-seniors to win the award.)

Bruns is a three-time member of the all-state first team and the only member in 2021 to repeat on the top team. Bruns is the first Class A player to be on the first team for three straight years since Custer's Paige Paulsen from 2001 to 2003.

Dobney, a 6-foot guard, helped the Tanagers (23-2) to the No. 1 seed in Class A and an undefeated season until being knocked off in the state quarterfinals by a Dell Rapids buzzer-beater. He averaged 20.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game and 69 steals for the season, while shooting 54% from the field, 37% on 3-pointers and 82% on free throws.

Rentz, a 6-foot senior, shot a first-team-best 55% from the field during the season for the Quarriers, who finished the season 17-8 and in fourth place in Class A.

Vincent, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, posted 20.7 points per game for the Cossacks, who reached the Class A championship game and finished second with a record of 23-2. He shot 48% from the floor, was 39% on 3-pointers and 83% on free throws. He also pulled in 49 steals.

Isaac Bruns, a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard, averaged 22.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, shooting 54% for the Panthers. He had eight games with 30-plus points, helping Dakota Valley finish in third place in Class A.

The Class A all-state second team includes two members from the state champions Sioux Falls Christian, with seniors Xavier Van Beek and Noah Van Donkersgoed selected to the team. They are joined by Flandreau junior Tash Lunday, Chamberlain senior Drayton Priebe, Sioux Valley senior Kelton Vincent and Tea Area junior Cael Lundin.

Priebe, who helped the Cubs to a sixth-place finish at the state tournament and an 18-6 record, averaged 18.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and four assists per game, shooting 42% on the season. He is the first Cub selected to a Class A all-state team since his brother, Tiegen, was selected in 2017 and Seth Friesz made three all-state appearances from 2015 to 2017.

The third team includes Custer senior Jace Kelley, Vermillion senior Dillon Gestring, Tiospa Zina junior Juron Adams, St. Thomas More senior Ryan Wojcik, Sioux Falls Christian senior guard/forward Tyler Prins and Aberdeen Central senior forward Gray Imbery.

There are numerous new faces on the all-state teams this year after the 2020 representation was heavy on seniors, who accounted for 14 of the 18 selections a year ago. Fritz and Lunday were both members of the second team in 2020, while Lundin was a third-team selection a year ago.

CLASS A

First Team

—Paul Bruns, Dakota Valley, 6-4, sr., guard (27.9 ppg, 12.7 rpg, 3.9 apg, 53 steals)

—Jakob Dobney, Vermillion, 6-0, sr., guard (20.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.1 apg, 69 steals)

—Brady Fritz, Winner, 6-2, sr., guard (26.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.5 apg, 47 steals)

—Isaac Bruns, Dakota Valley, 6-3, so., guard (22.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg)

—Oliver Vincent, Sioux Valley, 6-1, so., guard (20.8 ppg, 3.9 apg, 51 steals)

—Colin Rentz, Dell Rapids, 6-0, sr., guard (17 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 5.3 apg, 54 steals)

Second Team

—Tash Lunday, Flandreau, 6-5, jr., forward (21.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 3.1 apg)

—Xavier Van Beek, Sioux Falls Christian, 6-0, sr., guard (16 ppg, 3 apg)

—Cael Lundin, Tea Area, 6-2, jr., forward (18.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.6 apg)

—Noah Van Donkersgoed, Sioux Falls Christian, 6-5, sr., forward-center (16.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.8 apg, 39 blocks)

—Drayton Priebe, Chamberlain, 6-1, sr., guard (18.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4 apg)

—Kelton Vincent, Sioux Valley, 6-0, sr., guard (15.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 5.1 apg. 57 steals)

Third Team

—Jace Kelley, Custer, 6-2, sr., guard (23.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.3 apg)

—Dillon Gestring, Vermillion, 6-4, sr., guard-forward (13.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg)

—Juron Adams, Tiospa Zina, 6-1, jr., guard (24 ppg, 8 rpg, 3 apg, 93 steals)

—Ryan Wojcik, St. Thomas More, 6-2, sr., forward (13.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.2 apg, 2.1 spg)

—Tyler Prins, Sioux Falls Christian, 6-3, sr., guard-forward (14 ppg, 4 rpg, 5 apg)

—Gray Imbery, Aberdeen Roncalli, 6-5, sr., forward (18.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.2 apg)

Notes

—Player of the Year — Paul Bruns.

—Repeat Selections — 2020 (Paul Bruns, first team; Lunday, second team; Lundin, third team); 2019 (Paul Bruns, first team).