Three guards from Spring Grove, the league’s dominant boys basketball team in 2023, were honored by the Southeast Conference coaches on the All-SEC Team. Senior Tysen Grinde and junior Elijah Solum are two-time honorees, joined this season by junior Jaxon Strinmoen – all First Team selections while senior Caleb Griffin received Honorable Mention. The Lions (31-2) extended their SEC winning streak to 36 games during an undefeated 20-0 SEC campaign on the way to the state semi-finals before bringing home the state third-place trophy.
Photos courtesy of Ross Himlie Photography
Grinde, a 6-foot-3 senior guard, was the conference steals leader for the second straight season, averaging 4.0 thefts per SEC game this winter. He also averaged 14.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in conference action. Grinde and Solum both averaged 3.1 assists, placing them among the league’s top eight. Grinde shot 48% from the field and 72% from the free throw line. He graduates with 1,106 career points and 292 steals.
Solum, a 6-2 junior guard, was All-SEC in 2022 after receiving Honorable Mention as a freshman in 2021. This year, he was the league’s seventh leading scorer with a 17.3-point average along with 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 steals and those 3.1 assists per SEC game. That was more than twice as many assists as turnovers. Solum shot 52% from the field, including a Lion-high 41% from 3-point range. He scored in double figures in 26 of 33 games, surpassing 20 points 11 times. Solum will head into his senior season having already scored 1,214 points.
Strinmoen, a 6-5 junior guard, averaged 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.1 steals. Averaging 2.7 assists, he had more than three times as many assists as turnovers. Strinmoen shot a Lion-best 55% from the field, including a good 34% beyond the 3-point arc. He shot 66% from the foul line.
Griffin, a 5-10 senior guard, hit more than 40% of his 3-point shots and netted a team-high 72% of his free throws. In SEC action, he averaged 6.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.2 assists.
West Division champion Lyle/Pacelli led with four All-SEC selections, including two-time Player of the Year Buay Koak. Nine of the 16 First Team and Second Team honorees are repeat selections, including four-year selections Koak and Lanesboro guard John Prestemon. Cayden Tollefsrud of Mabel-Canton, the league’s leading scorer at 21.7 points per game, was named for third season with another season of eligibility remaining. East Division champion Spring Grove and runner-up Schaeffer Academy are the only two teams that have two All-SEC players who retain eligibility for 2024.
—————————————————————–
All- Southeast Conference Boys Basketball 2023
Player of the Year – Buay Koak (Lyle/Pacelli), 2nd year
FIRST TEAM
Buay Koak Lyle/Pacelli 6-4 sr. G 4thd yr.
Tysen Grinde Spring Grove 6-3 sr. G 2nd yr.
Elijah Solum Spring Grove 6-2 jr. G 2nd yr., H.M. ‘21
Jake Truckenmiller Lyle/Pacelli 6-1 sr. G 2nd yr.
Cayden Tollefsrud Mabel-Canton 5-9 jr. G 3rd yr.
John Prestemon Lanesboro 6-1 sr. G 4th yr.
Jaxon Strinmoen Spring Grove 6-5 jr. G
Ethan Van Schepen Schaeffer Aca. 6-2 so. G 2nd yr.
SECOND TEAM
Jayden Brink Kingsland 6-0 jr. G
Marshall Baseman Glenville-Emmons 6-4 jr. P
Nick Edland Southland 6-6 jr. P
Mac Nelson Lyle/Pacelli 6-2 sr. F…….…………2nd yr.
Mason Howard Lanesboro 6-0 jr; G………………2nd yr.
Evan Miller Schaeffer Academy 6-3 fr. G
Trey Anderson Lyle/Pacelli 6-0 sr. G.………………..H. M. ‘22
Jace Kraft Grand Meadow 5-11 sr. G.…… ………..H. M. ‘22
———————————————————————————-
HONORABLE MENTION
Jordan Larson Mabel-Canton 6-1 sr. G 2nd yr.
Caleb Griffin Spring Grove 5-10 sr. G
Weston Anderson Glenville-Emmons 6-2 jr G.
Caleb George Grand Meadow 5-11 sr. G
Conner Porter Houston 6-3 sr. C
Ayden Howard Kingsland 6-1 jr. C
Parker Storhoff Lanesboro 5-9 sr. G
Camden Hungerholt LeRoy-Ostrander 6-1 so. G
Hunter Bauer Lyle/Pacelli 6-3 sr. F
Levi Ouren Schaeffer Academy 6-1 jr. G
Cale Wehrenberg Southland 6-0 sr. G
———————————————————————————————
Repeat honorees: First/Second Teams – 9 (of 16) repeat; 2 move up from H.M.
By team: First Team/Second Teams: L/P 4, SG 3, Schaeffer 2, Lanesboro 2, M-C 1, Kingsland 1, G-E 1, Southland 1, GM 1,
By grade: First/Second Team – 7 seniors, 7 juniors, 1 sophomore, 1 freshman
With eligibility remaining (First/Second Teams): SG 2, Schaeffer 2, M-C 1, Kingsland 1, G-E 1, Southland 1, Lanesboro 1