Matchups to watch in inaugural Sioux Falls Presidents Bowl Basketball Classic
Washington girls basketball coach Jamie Parish had a different sense of appreciation for everything it took to put together the Inaugural Presidents Bowl Basketball Classic.
He sat in on Zoom meetings in the fall as Washington's representative as the Presidents Bowl board started making real strides toward establishing the Classic.
Basketball coaches in the Sioux Falls School District had wanted to replicate the success of the football Presidents Bowl, which helps fund student activities across the district. On Wednesday, those same coaches and the Presidents Bowl Classic board filled Blue Rock Bar and Grill’s "The Tailgate" room to preview and celebrate the inaugural Presidents Bowl Basketball Classic.
“It's a huge sense of appreciation for what the committee did," Parish said at the media day luncheon Wednesday, "Not only are you creating a new event, but you're trying to hold an event that's not at your venue ... it was really awesome to see how all of those people had to work together to make this happen.”
The Presidents Bowl Basketball Classic will take place from Dec. 28-30 and will showcase matchups between some of the higher-ranked high school basketball teams in AA and will also feature sub-varsity games, a youth basketball tournament along with youth basketball and cheer clinics.
Here are a couple of the best matchups to watch:
Girls basketball
No. 2 Washington vs No. 3 Jefferson
When: Friday, Dec. 29
Day 1 of the Presidents Bowl Basketball Classic will feature a Class AA State semifinal rematch between last year’s champion Washington, and third-place Jefferson.
Washington is led by junior forward Grace Peterson, who was voted second-team all-state last season and is the lone returning starter for the Warriors. Washington graduated a senior class that had won two state championships in the past three years. Still, the Warriors haven’t missed a beat yet, earning early wins over Lincoln and Yankton to start the season. Seniors Isabel Carda and Ava Brink have helped steady the ship after losing many key pieces, while sophomores Dana Harpe and Rylan Kennett have flashed potential early.
Jefferson has three senior returners, five seniors total, from last season when the team went 19-5. The Cavaliers roster features SDSU commit Jaidyn Dunn, who is a strong presence in the post and the paint as a rim protector on defense. Dunn and Jefferson senior point guard Aliyah McGovern-Harrington have taken a larger leadership role for the Cavaliers, who have started the season just as strong, posting early season wins over Roosevelt and Brandon Valley.
They’ll have their hands full with the reigning state champs.
“With any Sioux Falls team, you gotta be ready to go,” Jefferson girls basketball coach Shaunteva Pruett said. “We have to focus on what we can do, how we can continue to play the defense that we want to play, kind of create some havoc … that's always our main focus.”
Boys basketball
No. 1 Roosevelt vs Lincoln
When: Friday, Dec. 29
Roosevelt has been the best team in AA to start the 2023-24 season.
After opening the preseason media poll as the No. 2 team, they jumped up to the No. 1 spot after a nine-point win over Jefferson, the preseason favorite.
The Rough Riders return plenty of depth from a team that finished seventh in the state tournament last year. Roosevelt will rely on a deep veteran group of seniors including Hayden Goff, Jackson Brouwer, Naser Ismail and Garang Kuol to lead their team.
Lincoln opened the preseason poll receiving votes, nearly cracking the top five. The Patriots are now without J.T. Rock, who graduated early to attend Iowa State, but Lincoln coach Jeff Halseth said they’ve rebounded well.
“Not quite the wingspan that J.T. has, but we're still trying to get out and guard guys tight,” Halseth said of sweet-shooting center and post presence Garry Crowe, who will be looked at to mimic Rock’s impact. “With Gary helping us in the paint. We don't think it changes a whole lot.”
Overall, the Patriots are led by a few football state champions including Jack Smith and Tate Schafer. At 6-foot-4, Braxton Mohr is another key player for Lincoln, who helped the Patriots open the season with a 29-point win over Washington.
Full Presidents Bowl Basketball Classic Schedule:
Friday, December 29th | Afternoon Session | SF Lincoln at SF Roosevelt girls' and boys' basketball doubleheader
Friday, December 29th | Evening Session | SF Washington at SF Jefferson girls' and boys' basketball doubleheader
Saturday, December 30th | Afternoon Session | SF Jefferson at SF Lincoln girls' and boys' basketball doubleheader
Saturday, December 30th | Evening Session | SF Roosevelt at SF Washington girls' and boys' basketball doubleheader
How to watch
Tickets can be bought at the Sanford Pentagon each day of the tournament and will cost $10 for adults and $5 for students each day.
Midco Sports will broadcast all varsity games live on television as well as on the Midco Sports Plus mobile and connected TV apps.
Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. Contact him at jfernandez1@argusleader.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JFERN31
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: What to know about the inaugural Presidents Bowl Basketball Classic
