All-SEC Boys Basketball

State third-place Spring Grove (20-0, 31-2) won the SEC-East over Schaeffer Academy (14-6, 16-11), Lanesboro (13-7, 17-10), Mabel-Canton (8-12, 12-16), and Houston (4-16, 5-22) while Lyle/Pacelli (18-2, 23-5) won the SEC-West over Southland (13-7, 15-11), Kingsland (11-9, 13-14), Glenville-Emmons (5-15, 8-20), LeRoy-Ostrander (2-18, 3-24), and Grand Meadow (2-18, 2-25). The Lions thus lead all teams in the SEC with three first team picks, Tysen Grinde (6’3” Sr. G), Elijah Solum (6’1” Jr., and Jaxon Strinmoen (6’4” Jr. F). Grinde and Solum each repeat as 1st team All-SEC. Both went over 1,000 career points this past year. Solum led the Lions averaging 16.1 PPG while chipping 4.0 RPG, 3.1 APG, and 2.1 SPG. The junior hit 50% of his field goals and 40% of his threes (52 of 130). He heads to his senior year with 1,200-plus points. He scored in double figures 26 times, topping 20 11 times. Solum notched a ridiculous 24 charges (of his teams’ 33). Grinde was a defensive menace, as he averaged 14.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.0 APG and an impressive 3.6 SPG. With 4.0 per game, he led the SEC in steals (league contests). Grinde shot 46% overall, hit 44 threes, and a team-best 78 of 115 free throws (68%). He scored in double figures 23 times. Grinde finished his excellent career with 1,106 career points. Strinmoen moved up from not being All-SEC anything to All-SEC 2nd team. The long junior gave the Lions a three-headed monster, as he averaged 12.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 3.0 SPG. The Solum-Grinde-Strinmoen triplet each hit double figures 14 times on the year. The Lions’ All-SEC HM pick is Caleb Griffin (6’0” Sr. G > 7.2 PPG, 1.7 SPG, 38 threes at a 40% clip). Said guys led the Lions to maybe their best season ever, a 31-2 record, an undefeated SEC-East title, the Section 1A title, and a state third place finish. Lanesboro gets one first team pick in John Prestemon (6’1” Sr. G) and a second team pic in Mason Howard (6’0” Jr. G). Prestemon has thrice prior been All-SEC 2nd team. He averaged a team-best 17.6 PPG and 3.0 SPG while finishing second on the squad with 6.0 RPG and 3.7 APG. Prestemon scored in double figures in every game but one. He hit 43 of 124 threes (35%). For his excellent five-year career, Prestemon finished with 1,420 points (third in Lanesboro history), 655 rebounds (first in Burro history since 1990), and 485 assists (first since 1990). Howard was a strong back-court mate, as he made All-SEC 2nd team a second time. The junior averaged a team-second best 13.9 PPG hitting a team-best 65 of 176 threes (37%) with 2.8 APG. The Burros All-SEC HM pick is Storhoff (5’10” Sr. G > 9.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, team-best 4.3 APG, 1.9 SPG). Said guys helped the Burros to a solid 17-10 season. Mabel-Canton gets a first team pick in Cayden Tollefsrud (5’9” Jr. G). He has been All-SEC 2nd team the past two years. Tollefsrud again led the Cougars in scoring at 21.3 PPG, rebounding at 8.4 RPG, and steals at 2.6 SPG. He was third on the team with 2.6 APG. The fast-twitch junior scored in double figures in all but two games (and had eight in those contests). He scored 20 or more in a game 18 times with eight double-doubles. He shot 45% from the field including make 49 threes. Tollefsrud also made 83 free throws (though at a 52% clip). At 21.7 PPG, he was the SEC’s top scorer (league games only). The Cougars All-SEC HM pick is repeat selection Jordan Larson (6’0” Sr. G > 8.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, team-best 3.0 APG, 2.0 SPG, team-high 52 made threes). Kingsland gets a second team pick in Jayden Brink (6’0” Jr. G). The Knights prolific shooter led the team in scoring at 19.3 PPG while adding 4.1 RPG. He hit 96 of 272 threes (at a solid 35% clip) and 76 of 97 free throws (at a very good 78% clip). Brink scored in double figures in all but four games, and he had nine in all those contests. He hit a three in every game, multiple threes in every game but two, and three or more in contest 20 times. In the last game of the year, he scored his 1,000th career point. The Knights All-SEC HM pick is Ayden Howard (6’1” Jr. F > 3.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG). Grand Meadow gets a second team pick in Jace Kraft (6’1” Sr. G). Kraft averaged roughly 16.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 2.5 APG. He led his team in all three categories and averaged 17.5 PPG in SEC contests. The Larks’ All-SEC HM pick is Caleb George (6’3” Sr. F > roughly 7.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG). GM stats are short four games. LeRoy-Ostrander and Houston only get All-SEC HM picks. The Cardinals choice is Camden Hungerholt (6’1” So. G > team-leader with 17.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.6 APG, and 2.5 SPG). The Hurricanes choice is Conner Porter (6’3” Sr. F > team second-best 9.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG). First-team All-SEC picks from outside the “Journal 11” schools are L/P’s Buay Koak (6’4” Sr. G) and Jake Truckenmiller (6’1” Sr. G), Schaeffer Academy’s Ethan Van Schepen (6’2” So. G). Other second team All-SEC picks are L/P’s Mac Nelson (6’0” Jr. G) and Trey Anderson (6’0” Sr. G), G-E’s Marshall Baseman (6’4” Jr. F), Southland’s Nick Edland (6’6” Jr. F), and SA’s Evan Miller (6’3” Fr. G). Koak repeated as SEC Player of the Year.