Overview SD Class of 2023: Rankings Update

This article is an overview and introduction to the updated 2023 South Dakota Prospect Rankings. These were just updated this morning! Many of these players have been busy with AAU ball all spring and most or all of these guys will be busy in June with their high school teams. The next Rankings update will come out in the early fall. 

Sweet 16 - 2023 Prospects

#1 Joe Sayler Joe Sayler 6'4" | SG White River | 2023 State #295 Nation SD |6’3 SG| White River

#2 Isaac Bruns Isaac Bruns 6'4" | SG Dakota Valley | 2023 State SD |6’5 SG| Dakota Valley

#3 Lincoln Kienholz Lincoln Kienholz 6'3" | PG Pierre | 2023 State SD |6’3 G| Pierre

#4 Oliver Vincent Oliver Vincent 6'1" | PG Sioux Valley | 2023 State SD |6’1 PG| Sioux Valley

#5 Kaden Year Kaden Year 6'2" | SF O'gorman | 2023 State SD |6’6 SF| Sioux Falls Roosevelt

#6 Damon Wilkinson Damon Wilkinson 6'10" | C De Smet | 2023 State SD |6’9 C| De Smet

#7 Jackson Edman Jackson Edman 6'7" | SF Pierre | 2023 State SD |6’7 F| Pierre

#8 Gavin Muirhead Gavin Muirhead 6'7" | PF O'gorman | 2023 State SD |6’7 F| O’Gorman

#9 Ethan Russell Ethan Russell 6'6" | SF Aberdeen Christian | 2023 State SD |6’6 SF| Aberdeen Christian

#10 Matt Eng Matt Eng 6'0" | PG O’gorman | 2023 State SD |6’2 PG| O’Gorman

#11 Taylen Ashley Taylen Ashley 5'11" | PG Sf Roosevelt | 2023 State SD |6’0 PG| Sioux Falls Roosevelt

#12 Ethan Determan Ethan Determan 6'2" | SG Harrisburg | 2023 State SD |6’2 SG| Harrisburg

#13 Blake Volmer Blake Volmer 6'0" | CG Winner | 2023 State SD |6’3 SG| Winner

#14 Spencer Barr Spencer Barr 5'11" | PG Aberdeen Central | 2023 State SD |5’11 G| Aberdeen Central

#15 Reed Rus Reed Rus 6'3" | SG Mt. Vernon/Plankinton | 2023 State SD |6’3 SG| Mt. Vernon/Plankinton

#16 Malek Wieker Malek Wieker 6'0" | CG Aberdeen Christian | 2023 State SD |6’0 G| Aberdeen Christian

Full 2023 SD Prospect Rankings

https://prephoops.com/dakotas/rankings/south-dakota-rankings/2023-rankings/

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROSPECT RANKINGS

How do you guys decide where a player gets ranked? Let me tell you.

North Dakota’s Prep Hoops prospect rankings are compiled by our writers with input from high school, AAU, and college coaches who watch a ton of North Dakota basketball. We put a lot of time and energy into it — probably too much! — and we are as diligent as we can possibly be to get it right. We never intentionally set out to bury a kid or leave them off the list. We try not to be biased — other than favoring kids with talent, grit, and a desire to get better. We work hard at being fair. But at the end of the day, not everyone will be happy, and that’s OK. Rankings are updated three times a year, in October, February, and June. Here are some other important things you should know.

– College coaches have a lot of influence. If there is no clear consensus on the top players in each class, we give them the last word.

– AAU matters. In the winter update, we are obviously adding players who are having great high school seasons. This is the primary opportunity for athletes who don’t play AAU ball to make their mark. It is a reality, however, that players who do not play AAU are greatly diminishing their opportunity to make the prospect rankings. They are also limiting their opportunities to play college basketball since being seen by 10 coaches is statistically less likely to yield the desired result than being seen by 100.

– Most importantly, this list is about college potential, not current performance. Let me repeat that. THIS LIST IS ABOUT COLLEGE POTENTIAL, NOT CURRENT PERFORMANCE. This is the big one, the factor that causes the most consternation, the most misunderstanding, especially among keenly interested parents.