Before we begin, I just want to make note of a big play from one of the teams that isn’t in the Top 10. The Watertown Arrows took down #5 Washington in the biggest upset of the season, thanks in part the clutchness of Dylon Rawdon:
That’s a huge win for the Arrows, and it only confirms that every matchup in the AA Sodak 16 is going to be a thriller!
#1 Jefferson Cavaliers (14-0)
Rank+: 160
Best Win: #2 Lincoln (71-57)
Wins: Roosevelt (x2), Lincoln, Orono (MN), RC Central, Stevens, Washington, Yankton, Harrisburg, Huron, Brandon Valley, O’Gorman, Mitchell, SFC
Last Week:
- Tue vs. #4 Mitchell (W 61-54)
- Fri @ SFC (W 70-66)
Weekly Schedule:
- Tue vs. Watertown
- Fri vs. Brookings
There really isn’t much left to say about the Cavaliers at this point…They just keep winning!
Friday night’s matchup was a great test as they came into a tough environment against a team that can really shoot the ball. But Jefferson has show this season that they are one of the top defenses, and this game solidified that notion.
#2 Lincoln Patriots (13-1)
Rank+: 157
Best Win: #3 Yankton (60-54)
Wins: Washington (x2), Harrisburg, Pierre, Aberdeen, Huron, Roosevelt, O’Gorman, Mitchell, Yankton, Watertown, Brookings, Minneapolis North (MN)
Last Week:
- Tue vs. Watertown (W 74-60)
- Thu vs. Brookings (W 71-44)
- Sat vs. Minneapolis North MN (W 67-59)
Weekly Schedule:
- Tue vs. #9 O’Gorman
- Fri @ #7 Brandon Valley
Lincoln had another stellar week, finishing off a great three-game run with a fantastic win over Minneapolis North…But something else may have be a little more noteworthy:
#3 Yankton Bucks (7-4)
Rank+: 138
Best Win: #6 Pierre (56-51)
Wins: Harrisburg, Brookings, Watertown, O’Gorman, Roosevelt, Aberdeen, Pierre
Last Week:
- Tue @ Aberdeen (W 59-47)
- Thu vs. #6 Pierre (W 56-51)
Weekly Schedule:
- Mon @ Huron
- Fri @ Stevens
- Sat @ RC Central
The Bucks put together an impressive week, taking down a trending Aberdeen team before a marquee victory over Pierre.
Defense was the name of the game for Yankton over this stretch. First, Mac Ryken came back from injury and held Spencer Barr to just 8 points. Then, the Bucks defense again held strong in the final minutes of the Pierre game, and capitalized on the Govs’ mistakes. If they can keep that defense up with their excellent guard play, this could be a really dangerous team come March.
#4 Mitchell Kernels (11-3)
Rank+: 136
Best Win: #3 Yankton (49-44)
Wins: Huron, Campbell County (WY), Thunder Basin (WY), Yankton, Huron, Brookings, Roosevelt, Stevens, RC Central, Sturgis, Spearfish
Last Week:
- Tue @ #1 Jefferson (L 61-54)
- Fri vs. Sturgis (W 57-31)
- Sat vs. Spearfish (W 56-39)
Weekly Schedule:
- Tue @ Aberdeen
The Kernels battled it out with Jefferson to the end, before taking down a pair of West River teams late in the week. It was a good bounce back stretch of games for the Kernels, and they will have another fun matchup against Aberdeen on Tuesday.
#5 Washington Warriors (6-6)
Rank+: 135
Best Win: #6 Pierre (63-57)
Wins: Huron, Aberdeen, Pierre, O’Gorman, Marshall (MN), Brookings
Last Week:
- Tue vs. Brookings (W 68-63)
- Fri @ Watertown (L 57-54)
Weekly Schedule:
- Tue @ #7 Brandon Valley
- Fri @ #9 O’Gorman
The Warriors are going to try and show some resilience this week with two tough matchups after a loss to Watertown.
Washington has show they can play with the best this season, and they already have a victory against O’Gorman to their credit. This is going to be the toughest stretch of their schedule, with Mitchell, Roosevelt, Jefferson and Yankton next up, so two wins this week would bring them a lot of momentum heading into the Sodak 16.
#6 Pierre Governors (8-6)
Rank+: 132
Best Win: Winner (66-32)
Wins: Stevens, RC Central, Watertown, Spearfish, Sturgis, Winner, Douglas, Harrisburg
Last Week:
- Thu @ #3 Yankton (L 56-51)
Weekly Schedule:
- Tue vs. Huron
- Fri vs. Bismarck (ND)
Just one game for the Govs, but it was a battle to the end. Pierre again showed their athleticism, and were a few shots away from taking home a win in the River City.
#7 Brandon Valley Lynx (10-4)
Rank+: 127
Best Win: #6 Pierre (53-52)
Wins: O’Gorman, Brookings, Watertown, Spearfish, Douglas, Marshall (MN), Pierre, RC Central, Stevens
Last Week:
- Fri vs. RC Central (W 78-58)
- Sat vs. Stevens (W 51-43)
Weekly Schedule:
- Tue vs. #5 Washington
- Fri vs. #2 Lincoln
A successful weekend for the Lynx, Brandon Valley is playing well after their loss to Aberdeen. I’m excited to see if they keep trending upward with two big matchups in the metro this week.
#8 Harrisburg Tigers (8-6)
Rank+: 125
Best Win: #5 Washington (59-57)
Wins: LeMars (IA), Roosevelt, Mitchell, Douglas, Spearfish, Washington, Brookings, Aberdeen
Last Week:
- Fri vs. Aberdeen (W 66-33)
Weekly Schedule:
- Tue @ Marshall (MN)
- Fri @ RC Central
- Sat @ Stevens
Another team that had a quiet week, the Tigers took care of business against the Golden Eagles.
The rest of the schedule looks really good for the Tigers, with a couple of tests that should prepare them for the postseason.
#9 O’Gorman Knights (6-8)
Rank+: 119
Best Win: #6 Pierre (68-64)
Wins: Tea Area, Watertown, Brookings, Pierre, Stevens, RC Central
Last Week:
- Fri vs. Stevens (W 57-44)
- Sat vs. RC Central (W 76-60)
Weekly Schedule:
- Tue @ #2 Lincoln
- Fri vs. #5 Washington
It was a great weekend to build momentum for the Knights, as O’Gorman was coming off a win against the Pierre Governors. Now, they have a chance to really make some noise against two solid opponents.
#10 Roosevelt Rough Riders (8-6)
Rank+: 115
Best Win: #9 O’Gorman (58-50, 62-54)
Wins: O’Gorman, Brandon Valley, Stevens, RC Central, O’Gorman, Washington
Last Week:
- Tue vs. Huron (W 63-53)
- Sat @ Marshall MN (W 64-53)
Weekly Schedule:
- Tue vs. Brookings
- Fri vs. Watertown
The Rough Riders have some must win games this upcoming week, as Lincoln, Washington and Pierre loom at the end of the season.
If Roosevelt can win these next two, they will have won 6 of their last 7 with just a 3-point loss to Jefferson, and will be a dangerous matchup for any team in AA.
Additional Reading
