Pairings set for boys Class AA Dakota 16 basketball playoff

Jefferson's Kaden Year (23) makes a move as Lincoln's Jack Hilgenberg (15) and JT Rock (35) defend during Feb. 17, 2023 boys high school basketball game at the Lincoln gym in Sioux Falls.

By Matt Zimmer

March 02, 2023 at 3:31 PM

SIOUX FALLS — The Class AA boys state tournament field will take shape Saturday.

The boys 'AA' SoDak 16 games are set, with Sioux Falls Jefferson earning the No. 1 seed despite losing two of their final three regular-season games.

The Cavaliers are 18-2, having opened the season with 17 straight wins. Sioux Falls Lincoln (17-3) is the No. 2 seed and Mitchell is third.

This year's boys state Class AA tournament is set for March 16-18 in Rapid City.

Class AA boys basketball SoDak 16
All games on Saturday, March 4. All times Central.

Upper bracket

First quarterfinal

No. 16 Rapid City Stevens (5-15) at No. 1 Sioux Falls Jefferson (18-2), 4 p.m.

No. 9 Harrisburg (13-7) at No. 8 Brandon Valley (13-7), 3 p.m.

Second quarterfinal

No. 13 Aberdeen Central (6-12) at No. 4 Yankton (15-5), 2 p.m.

No. 12 Huron (7-13) at No. 5 Sioux Falls Washington (14-6), 2 p.m.

Lower bracket

Third quarterfinal

No. 15 Rapid City Central (6-14) at No. 2 Sioux Falls Lincoln (17-3), 3 p.m.

No. 10 Sturgis (10-9) at No. 7 Sioux Falls Roosevelt (12-8), 3 p.m.

Fourth quarterfinal

No. 14 Watertown (7-13) at No. 3 Mitchell (16-4), 6 p.m.

No. 11 O’Gorman (7-13) at No. 6 Pierre (13-7), 3 p.m.

Class AA state tournament

Thursday, March 16 — at Summit Arena in Rapid City.

All times Central

Quarterfinals

Upper bracket

RC Stevens/SF Jefferson winner vs. Harrisburg/Brandon Valley winner, 1 p.m.

Aberdeen Central/Yankton winner vs. Huron/SF Washington, 2:45 p.m.

Lower bracket

RC Central/SF Lincoln winner vs. Sturgis/SF Roosevelt winner, 7 p.m.

Watertown/Mitchell winner vs. O'Gorman/Pierre winner, 8:45 p.m.

By Matt Zimmer

Matt Zimmer is a Sioux Falls native and longtime sports writer. He graduated from Washington High School where he played football, legion baseball and developed his lifelong love of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. After graduating from St. Cloud State University, he returned to Sioux Falls, began a long career in amateur baseball and started working as a sports freelancer. Zimmer was hired as a sport reporter at the Argus Leader in 2004, where he covered Sioux Falls high schools and colleges before moving to the South Dakota State University beat in 2014.

Pairings set for boys Class AA Dakota 16 basketball playoff

S.F. Jefferson is the No. 1 seed with S.F. Lincoln, Mitchell and Yankton rounding out the top four.