McClemans: "Now the question is, what are you going to do when you get there, right?"
After Watertown's SoDak 16 boys basketball win over Sioux Falls Lincoln on March 2, Watertown coach Pat McClemans spent a lot of time acknowledging how tough it was to get to the state Class AA and how big of a step it was for the Arrow program.
His comments certainly carried meaning and were followed by another thought.
"Now the question is, 'What are you going to do when you get there, right?'" he asked. "That'll be the message but we'll enjoy this because it's hard."
After nearly two weeks off, the seventh-seeded Arrows (13-8) will return to action by facing second-seeded Harrisburg (18-3) at 6 p.m. Thursday in the opening round of the state Class AA tournament at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls.
It'll be Watertown's first state-tournament appearance since 2015 and only the second since 2009. And by the way, the Arrows went 0-3 and took eighth in 2015 so it's been 15 years since the program's last state-tournament victory.
Don't worry about the draw
Harrisburg has only lost two games to South Dakota teams and owns the only victory over top-seeded Mitchell along with a 53-37 win at Watertown late in the season in a game that was much closer than that.
"We played them really well but down the stretch they were able to take advantage of some fouls and everything to build a bigger lead," Kohen Kranz, one of eight Watertown seniors, said.
It's likely that No. 1 Mitchell (20-1) and No. 2 Harrisburg are considered the two teams to beat in the tourney. The Kernels and Tigers were No. 1 and No. 2 in the final AA poll, followed by Brandon Valley, Sioux Falls Washington and Sioux Falls Washington. The Arrows received votes.
Watertown has recorded wins over Brandon Valley, Roosevelt, Washington and Huron (twice) and they are the No. 3, No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 seeds in this weekend's state tourney.
"Harrisburg is a team that causes some problems with their athleticism and height," McClemans said. "They only lost a couple of games. We'll get some rest and get ready to go down there and see what we can do."
More: How Watertown's boys basketball team ended its state-tourney drought
Watertown vs. Harrisburg
The Arrows aren't the biggest team in the state, but they've definitely competed with most of the they've played especially when they have received balanced production.
Senior guard Dylon Rawdon leads the team by averaging 13.4 points per game but fellow seniors Caden Beauchamp (10.8 ppg), Kranz (10.8 ppg) and Jake Olson (9.2) are all at or close to double figures. Senior reserve Will Engstrom adds 6.7 off the bench. Starter Marcus Rabine and reserves Brody Torgerson and Peyton Buisker are see plenty of action.
"Again, we're not very big and we're probably not very athletic but I think as a team both offensively and defensively there are times where we've played very well," McClemans said.
Harrisburg leaders include 6-4 senior Jacoby Mehrman (17.2 ppg), 6-3 senior Braeden VanBockern (16.6 ppg) and 6-6 senior Camden Phipps (12 ppg).
Kranz and his classmates are excited and ready to go.
"This whole crew has b een working on this for a long time. We've all dreamt of it as kids and I'm just glad we get the opportunity to go there," Kranz, a four-year performer and son of assistant coach Matti Kranz, said. "It's been fun four years for me and I'm glad we can finally play in the statre tournament."
Other Things to Know About the Tourney
Other First-Round Games — No. 1 seed Mitchell (20-1) vs. No. 8 Sioux Falls Jefferson (12-9) at noon, No. 4 Roosevelt (15-6) vs. No. 5 Washington (14-7) at 1:45 p.m. and No. 3 Brandon Valley (16-5) vs. No. 6 Huron (13-8) at 7;45 p.m.
Mitchell beat Jefferson 71-58 and Brandon Valley topped Huron 64-43 during the regular season. Washington and Roosevelt split two games.
All-ESD Basketball Teams: Watertown's Thury and Rawdon join Aberdeen's Hermansen and Fritz on all-league teams
Tourney Notes — Roosevelt is making playing at state for the sixth-straight year. This is five in a row for Washington and four in a row for Mitchell, Harrisburg and Jefferson. Brandon Valley is back for the first time since 2021 and Huron for the first time since 2020.
Mitchell finished second, Jefferson third, Harrisburg sixth, Roosevelt seventh and Washington eighth in last year's state tournament. Yankton, the defending champion, did not qualify.
Players to Watch — 6-5 sophomore Colton Smith (17.7 ppg, 8.9 rpg), 6-1 junior Markus Talley (17.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 4.1 asssits per game) and 6-3 senior Gavin Soukup (12.1 ppg) of Mitchell; 6-1 senior Dawson Sechser (12.0 ppg) and 6-4 junior Mason Payne (9.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg) of Jefferson; 6-3 senior Garang Kuol (12.5 ppg), 6-0 senior Hayden Goff (10.7 ppg) and 5-8 senior Naser Ismail (11 ppg) of Roosevelt; 6-2 junir Tommy Hoffman (13.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and 6-3 sophomore Jhace Woods (10.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg) of Washington); 6-8 senior Josh Olthoff (12.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and 6-2 junior Aiden Zerr (10.1 ppg) of Brandon Valley; and 6-8 sophomore Blake Ellwein (17.8 ppg), 6-3 freshman Anderson Porisch (10.7 ppg) and 6-1 senior CJ Gainey (9.3 ppg) of Huron.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Preview of the state Class AA boys basketball tournament in Sioux Falls
