More than 40 years ago, a tradition was born to honor the top high school basketball players in South Dakota, regardless of class: The Argus Leader First and Second Five.

Here are the 2023-24 First and Second Five teams for boys basketball, which celebrate those athletes who made individual impacts and lifted their teams to new heights.

Read more about Jacoby Mehrman, the 2023-24 Argus Leader Player of the Year here.

Jacoby Mehrman

Harrisburg | 6-4 | Sr. | G

Mehrman is one of the great scorers in state history and a standard bearer for the Harrisburg boys basketball program. His 1,209 career points ranks 17th all-time in Class AA. Mehrman led the Tigers to four consecutive state tournaments and will play for the University of Sioux Falls next season.

The senior guard averaged 17.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game and had 56 steals on the season.

“Jacoby has raised the expectation of our program and been part and led us to 4 straight AA state tournaments. Jacoby was a great example of what work ethic, competitiveness and commitment is all about,” Harrisburg boys basketball coach Scott Langerock said.  “He gave everything he had to our basketball team being as good as we could be.  We are proud of what he represented for our program and community, excited for his future, and thankful we had the opportunity to compete with him on a daily basis for four years.”

Markus Talley

Mitchell | 6-1 | Jr. | G

Talley and the Kernels had a fairytale season.

Mitchell went 23-1 en route to winning their first state championship since 2005 and their junior guard was right at the center of it. Talley doubled or tripled all of his statistical categories from his sophomore to his junior season.

He led the Kernels in points and assists per game, averaging 17.3 points and 4.1 assists per game. He also ranked second on the team in rebounding, averaging 6.3 rebounds per game.

“I have seen very few kids in my career who can affect the game the way that Markus Talley consistently does every single night. He is impossible to guard in 1 on 1 situations and is an incredibly unselfish player,”  Mitchell boys basketball coach Ryker Kreutzfeldt said. “Markus is going to be the type of player the community of Mitchell is saying ‘remember when’ about long after his career is over. He has earned all the accolades he is receiving but his priority has always been putting the team first. We would not have been in the position we were in at the end of the year if it were not for Markus Talley’s efforts."

Griffen Goodbary

Sioux Falls Christian | 6-10 | Jr. | F

The Chargers’ unicorn nearly led them to a state championship as a junior. After winning their first 25 games of the season, it took an overtime period for the Hamlin Chargers to knock off Sioux Falls Christian in the Class A state championship.

Goodbary was dominant in every sense of the word during his junior season. He averaged 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal, and 1.6 blocked shots per game.

“God has blessed Griffen with a natural ability to play basketball. Griffen has expanded that blessing through a lot of hard work to make him the player he is today,” Sioux Falls Christian boys basketball coach Mike Schouten said. “For all of the awards he has won, he remains humble and is a team-first kind of guy which says a lot about his character. Griff had a tremendous junior season but I believe he hasn’t reached his full potential and that more blessings lie ahead for him.”

Nicolas Marshall

White River | 6-1 | Sr. | G

Marshall has been a staple on this White River basketball team for years. He’s captained the Tigers for the past three seasons, but this year might have been his most impressive.

After breaking his clavicle playing quarterback in football and being cleared for basketball the week of White River’s first game, Marshall averaged 26 points on 59.4% from the field, 3.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2.7 steals. He led the Tigers to the semifinal of the state tournament and a 22-4 record.

The senior scored 1,454 career points and holds the school record for most assists in a game with 18.

“Nic has been a great leader for us, sets the example and is also very vocal,” White River boys basketball coach Eldon Marshall said. “He understands the importance of being a role model and takes this responsibility very seriously.  Nic is the epitome of what a coach wants in a student-athlete.”

Alec Squires

Sioux Valley | 6-10 | Sr. | F-C

Squires ends his Sioux Valley career with quite the legacy. He’s the Cossacks' all-time leader in rebounds, blocked shots, dunks, and holds the school record for FG% in a season, shooting at a 75.8% clip. Squires also holds the school records for dunks in a season and most rebounds in a game, with 22. He ended his career with 1,127 points.

The senior big man led Sioux Valley to two state runner-up finishes and two consolation championships. This year the South Dakota State commit led Sioux Valley to a consolation title and averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds per game.

"Alec has a great 'big-man' motor and ability to run the floor,” Sioux Valley boys basketball coach Bill Vincent said. “He dominated the paint on the offensive and defensive end for us. Special kid to coach, he will leave as one of our all-time greats."

SECOND FIVE

Tage Ortman

Canistota | 6-0 | Sr. | G

One of Canistota’s best in football is also one of their best in basketball.

Tage Ortman is a case study in hard work and dedication. He drastically improved his perimeter shooting and ball handling. He typically faced the opposing team’s best defender and still produced with regularity. He was also a two-way threat, often guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player.

This season Ortman averaged 23.5 points per game and set a school record for most points in a single season. He finished his high school basketball career with 1,180 points, good for sixth all-time in Canistota history. Ortman also tied the school record for most 3-pointers in a season with 64.

“Tage has been one of the most dedicated players I have coached,” Canistota boys basketball coach Patrick Jolley said.

Jackson Schauer

Faith | 6-1 | Sr. | G

Schauer has always been a great scorer, but he became a prolific scorer in his senior season at Faith. He averaged 26 points per game and ended his career as the number-one scorer in Longhorn's history with 1,827 points scored.

Schauer led the Longhorns to the state tournament twice in his varsity career. Faith qualified in 2020 and in 2023, when the team ended the season with a 23-3 record and a seventh-place finish.

“I have never had or seen a player that has been as committed to improving as much as Jackson. Each season he would take any weaknesses on his exit evaluation and turn them into strengths the next season.  His dedication is second-to-none,” Faith boys basketball coach Travis Grueb said. “Jackson has always been a team-first type of guy and took pride in the Longhorn he put across his chest.  He viewed his hours in the gym as doing what he could do to help the team win.”

Lane Tietz

Groton Area | 5-11 | Sr. | G

The Groton Area boys' basketball team had largely been dormant before Tietz’s arrival. The Tigers hadn’t qualified for the state tournament in 25 years, but since Tietz joined the team, they’ve made the state tournament twice and he’s led the team in scoring in both appearances.

Tietz averaged 20.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2.7 steals per game in his senior season. He finished his career as the second-leading scorer in Groton Area history, tallying 1,500-plus points. Tietz also holds the single-game record for points with 47.

“Lane is one of the hardest working young men I have ever had the honor to coach,” Groton Area High School boys basketball coach Brian Dolan said.  He has dedicated himself to becoming one of the basketball high school players in the state of South Dakota.  Along the way, he has developed into a leader for his teammates and a mentor for younger kids in our community.  Lane is deserving of receiving this honor.”

Jaxson Wingert

Dakota Valley | 6-7 | Sr. | C

Wingert leaves behind an impressive statistical mark but will be remembered most as a winner. In his four years on the Dakota Valley varsity team, the Panthers went 98-7, only losing one home game his entire career.

Wingert averaged 25.9 points, and 8.3 rebounds per game in his senior season and totaled 1,384 points and 562 rebounds in his career. The 6-foot-7 center is committed to Briar Cliff University.

“Jaxson has a passion for basketball and is always playing and working on his game which has allowed him to dramatically improve every year,” Dakota Valley boys basketball coach Jason Kleis said. “He has been a joy to coach, we are sad but also excited for him as he continues his career at the college level!”

Nick Hanson

Viborg-Hurley | 6-6 | Jr. | C

Hanson has been a staple in the Viborg-Hurley lineup for the past two seasons, starting every game in that timeframe. During that time, he's led the Cougars to back-to-back State B Tournament appearances.

The junior averaged 21.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while shooting 57% from the floor. He holds school records for most points and blocks, both in a single game and over a season.

“Nick has been a major factor in our team’s success over the past two seasons,” Viborg-Hurley boys basketball coach Galen Schoenefeld said.  “He is a dominant presence inside.  The attention he draws from opposing defenses and his willingness to share the ball makes his teammates better.”

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: Argus Leader First/Second Five: Meet South Dakota's best boys high school basketball players