Advertisement

Winner's Shawn Hammerbeck, Hanson's Jayce Slaba among Class A all-state boys basketball honorees

Blake Durham, The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D.
·4 min read

Mar. 28—MITCHELL — A pair of Mitchell-area standouts earned all-state recognition in Class A boys basketball for the 2023-24 season, as voted on by the South Dakota Basketball Coaches Association.

Junior Shawn Hammerbeck (Winner Area) and senior Jayce Slaba (Hanson) were both named to the Class A third team for their strong campaigns.

Hammerbeck, a junior center who's listed at 6-foot-7, averaged a double-double for the year, posting marks of 15.5 points and 10.8 rebounds per contest. He also shot 62% from the field this season, helping lead the Warriors to a 15-7 mark on the year, making it to the Region 7A semifinals. Hammerbeck has also received multiple NCAA Division I football offers this year from schools including North Dakota State, Texas Tech, and University of South Dakota.

"Shawn is a great kid who has worked really hard in the weight room and on the basketball court," said Winner coach Brett Gardner. "Shawn is a big physical post player who continues to progress his footwork, shooting touch and overall basketball skill. We are so proud of Shawn for the basketball player, athlete and young man he is."

Slaba, a senior guard, led the Beavers in scoring with a 20.4 points per game average. He averaged 5.3 rebounds and four assists per game as well, as Hanson posted a record of 14-9 en route to the Class A SoDak 16. Slaba also shot 36.1% from the 3-point line for the season.

"Jayce evolved into a complete basketball player this season," said Hanson coach Josh Oltmanns. "He did a tremendous job of involving his teammates in games and was our leading scorer."

The Class A all-state first team is comprised of Sioux Falls Christian junior forward Griffen Goodbary, Dakota Valley senior forward Jaxson Wingert, Sioux Valley senior forward/center Alec Squires, Hamlin junior guard Easton Neuendorf, Pine Ridge sophomore guard Marvin Richard III, and Groton Area senior guard Lane Tietz.

Goodbary, who was named the Gatorade South Dakota boys basketball player of the year and Class A player of the year, led the Chargers to a near perfect season and the Class A title game. He finished the year averaging 20.2 points and seven rebounds per game, and has received Division I offers to play basketball at South Dakota State and USD.

Wingert was a dominant force underneath for the Panthers this season, finishing his final prep season averaging 27.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He led Dakota Valley to a 22-4 record and a third-place finish this year at the Class A state tournament.

Squires averaged a double-double on the season, posting marks of 21 points and 10 rebounds per game. Committed to play basketball for South Dakota State in the 2024 class, Squires led the Cossacks to a fifth-place finish in the state tournament and a record of 23-3.

Neuendorf averaged 15.1 points, 7.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.2 steals per game for the Class A champion Chargers. He was instrumental in Hamlin ending Dakota Valley's 62-game winning streak, and scored 12 points in the title game to help the Chargers outlast Sioux Falls Christian.

The lone sophomore named to the first team this season, Richard posted game averages of 23.8 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds, as the Thorpes finished in sixth place at the state tournament. In their quarterfinal game against Dakota Valley, Richard scored 30 points to lead all scorers.

Groton Area qualified for state in part due to the performance of Tietz, who averaged 21.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and three assists per game. He also shot 38.5% from long range on the year. Tietz, who plans to play at Dakota State, was also the Class A boys Spirit of Su award recipient.

The Class A second team includes Lennox senior guard Porter Ihnen, Hamlin senior guard Tyson Stevenson, Dell Rapids senior guard Jack Henry, Dakota Valley junior guard Luke Bruns, Canton senior forward Matthew Anderson, and Rapid City Christian junior forward Julius Frog.

Joining Hammerbeck and Slaba on the third team were Baltic senior forward Jack Erickson, RCC junior guard Benson Kieffer, Sioux Valley senior guard Maxwell Engebretson, and Tiospa Zina senior forward Carvin Fish.