Spring Grove guards Tysen Grinde and Elijah Solum were named to the 2022 All-Southeast Conference Basketball Team while Lion forward Carson Gerard received Honorable Mention.
Photos by Lee Epps
Among the 16 All-SEC honorees, Solum and Grinde were among the eight First Team selections. SEC West Division champion Lyle/Pacelli led with three players named All-SEC, including Player of the Year Buay Koak. East Division champion Spring Grove was among five teams with two selections.
Grinde, a 6-foot-3 junior, was the SEC steals leader with 5.4 thefts per conference game. Averaging 17.9 points, he was the league’s fourth leading scorer and tied for fifth in assists with 3.5 helpers per game. Grinde led the Lions in six statistical categories – the three just noted plus rebounding (5.4 per game), SG hustle points (43) and 3-point field goals with 29 treys in 14 conference contests. He had an excellent 2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Solum, a 6-1 sophomore, is a First Team selection this year after receiving Honorable Mention a year ago as a freshman. This season, he led Spring Grove with 44 made free throws during SEC games. He was the Lions’ second leading scorer (16.2 ppg) and also ranked second in assists (3.0 apg) and 3-point baskets (25). Solum also had more assists than turnovers and shot 75% from the free throw line and a good 40% beyond the 3-point arc.
Gerard, a 6-4 senior forward led the Lions in blocked shots (11 in 14 games) and ranked second in rebounding (4.9 rpg) and field goal percentage (57%). He was the third leading scorer (8.7 ppg) while hitting 71% of his free throws. Gerard passed out 11 assists with only six turnovers. It was his second season to earn conference acclaim after being a Second Team selection in 2021.
The honor squad featured seven seniors, five juniors three sophomores and one freshman. There were six repeat First or Second Team honorees, including a third year for both Koak (L/P) and Lanesboro junior guard John Prestemon, both first honored as freshmen. Looking ahead, there will be three All-SEC performers retaining eligibility at Lyle/Pacelli with two still eligible at both Spring Grove and Lanesboro for 2023.
All- Southeast Conference Boys Basketball 2022
Player of the Year – Buay Koak (Lyle/Pacelli)
>>>FIRST TEAM
Buay Koak Lyle/Pacelli 6-5 junior 3rd yr.
Eli Wolff Southland 6-2 senior…………. 2nd yr.
Harrison Hanna Southland 6-2 senior ………… H.M. ‘21
Tysen Grinde Spring Grove 6-3 junior
Elijah Solum Spring Grove 6-1 sophomore…. H.M. ‘21
Jake Truckenmiller Lyle/Pacelli 6-1 junior
Tanner Olson LeRoy-Ostrander 6-3 senior ………. 2nd yr.+ H.M. ‘20
Roman Warmka Grand Meadow 6-2 senior
>>>SECOND TEAM
John Prestemon Lanesboro 6-1 junior……… 3rd yr.
Walker Erdman Kingsland 6-4 senior…. H.M.’21
Cayden Tollefsrud Mabel-Canton 5-10 sophomore .. 2nd yr.
Taylor Glynn Grand Meadow 6-0 senior ……….. 2nd yr.
Ethan VanSchepen Schaeffer Aca. 6-2 freshman
Levi Royston LeRoy-Ostrander 6-3 senior
Mac Nelson Lyle/Pacelli 6-2 junior
Mason Howard Lanesboro 6-0 sophomore
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HONORABLE MENTION
Tanner Kubitz Houston 6-3 senior
Matthew Gingerich Schaeffer Academy 6-3 senior
Brendan Kennedy Southland 5-9 senior
Jackson Ellingson Glenville-Emmons 6-6 senior
Carson Gerard Spring Grove 6-4 senior……All-SEC ‘21
Kaden Rath Kingsland 5-10 senior
Chase Johnson LeRoy-Ostrander 5-6 senior
Jace Kraft Grand Meadow 5-11 junior
Stephan Schultz Lanesboro 6-3 junior
Trey Anderson Lyle/Pacelli 6-0 junior
Jordan Larson Mabel-Canton 6-1 junior
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SEC Leaders
SCORING: ppg
1 tie Harrison Hanna (Sou) 23.0
1 tie Buay Koak (L/P) 23.0… *also scoring leader in 2021
- Eli Wolff (Sou) 22.3
- Tysen Grinde (SG) 17.9
- Tanner Olson (L-O) 17.7
REBOUNDS: rpg
- Buay Koak (L/P) 9.0
- Walker Erdman (K’land) 8.3
- Matthew Gingerich (SA) 8.2
4 tie Tanner Kubitz (Hou) 8.0
4 tie Roman Warmka (GM) 8.0
ASSISTS: apg
- John Prestemon (L’boro) 5.1
- Taylor Glynn (GM) 4.4
3 tie Brendan Kennedy (Sou) 4.0
3 tie Jake Truckenmiller (L/P) 4.0
5 tie Eli Wolff (Sou) 3.5
5 tie Levi Royston (L-O) 3.5
5 tie Harrison Hanna (Sou) 3.5
5 tie Tysen Grinde (SG) 3.5
STEALS: spg
- Tysen Grinde (SG) 5.4
- John Prestemon (L’boro) 3.1
3 tie Jake Truckenmiller (L/P) 3.0
3 tie Trey Anderson (L/P) 3.0
- Jaxon Strinmoen (SG) 2.8