The Race for Mr. Basketball
Across the nation Prep Hoops is kicking off “The Race for Mr. Basketball” feature as the season is starting to progress into being a couple weeks old. Favorites in South Dakota? We run you through them.
Early Favorites
Cole Bergan of Aberdeen Central. Cole’s team is 2-1. They started the season as the preseason top ranked squad but lost to Watertown in the second game. Bergan. who is the top unsigned senior in the state had 14 points and eight boards in the opener and then had 17 points in the loss to Watertown. Over the weekend on the road at Sturgis, Central survived a battle with a 40-38 victory. Bergan had more than half of his team’s points scoring 21.
AJ Plitzuweit of Vermillion. AJ had 13 in the loss to Bon Homme in the opener as his team was upset 51-50. After a struggle in the opener the future Augustana guard exploded for 20 points in the second quarter and totaled 37 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and five steals in an 88-66 win over Flandreau Indian. Vermillion dropped another game losing to Irene-Wakonda last week but in the loss AJ put up a double-double of 30 points and ten rebounds.
Dylan LeBrun of Flandreau. At 2-1 the Fliers are a game less than they hoped to be (lost to Hamlin, beat Chester Area and Beresford) but LeBrun has been incredible to start the season. He opened with 32 points and 21 rebounds beating Chester followed by 14 points, six rebounds, and six assists in the loss. Against Beresford Dylan topped his opening night total by scoring 35 points with eight boards.
Aaron Fiegen of Madison. The Bulldogs are 3-0 at the start of the year beating EPJ, Tri-Valley, and Lennox all by double figures. The 6-foot-7 future SDSU forward had 20 in the opener and then 23 points and a dozen boards to beat Tri-Valley. To end last week Feigen had 19 in the Lennox victory.
Mason Larson of Langford Area. The Lions went with a Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday opener to the season last week and it was a week long of outstanding Mason Larson performances for a 3-0 record. Mason had 22 points and 8 boards in the opener, 25/9 on Thursday, and then a massive 38/9 over the weekend. Among those 38 points was Mason’s 1,000th point of his career.
Diang Gatlauk of SF Lincoln. With Dillon Barrow injured more falls on the shoulders of Gatlauk and right now the team is undefeated with wins over Brandon Valley and O’Gorman (plus a team from Nebraska). Gatulak made every shot he took scoring 21 against Brandon Valley and then had another 21 in the win over South Sioux City. The big performance from Gatlauk was his 24 as Lincoln got a three point win over O’Gorman.
Top Contenders
Trevor Olson/Trevor Hanson of Sioux Valley. The Cossacks have crushed a pair of opponents but lost to Clark/Willow Lake so far for a 2-1 record. Olson had 24 in the loss to the Cyclones while everybody was able to get some numbers while playing less minutes in the blowouts. Sioux Valley plays Parker tonight.
Lincoln Jorde of Sully Buttes. Jorde opened the season with two dunks and 27 points as the Chargers defeated Lyman. In a tougher game Jorde had 19 in a win over Winner.
Koln Oppold of Sioux Falls Christian. Oppold and his team are 4-0 handling an easier early season schedule with numerous blowout victories. Three of the four wins were by 50 plus points and the other by 34 points so Oppold has only played in partial games this year but is scoring at a high percentage.
Gus Reede of Aberdeen Roncalli. Gus put up 28 points in his season opening win led by six three-pointers made. Reede then had 24 in a win over Millbank.