Tigers strive to finish strong at state tourney

by Benjamin Chase

of the Plainsman

HURON –– The 2025-2026 boys’ basketball season began with the Huron Tigers ranked third in the media poll in Class “AA”. When they take the court on Thursday, they will hold the third seed in the AA tourney. While it seems like a straightforward path from preseason expectations to postseason seeding, that’s not exactly the way it worked for Huron.

Returning starter Anderson Porisch had a football injury that delayed his start to the season, and he eased into minutes as the season wore on. Key reserve Ty Kleinsasser also had a football injury that delayed the start to his season. Fellow key reserve Oakley Anderson was injured early in the season and struggled to get back on the court.

That led to just three Tigers appearing in all 21 games this season, but Huron coach Tim Buddenhagen believes his team is at full strength and playing its best basketball of the season in the past few weeks.

“I think right now, we are where we wanted to be on day one,” Buddenhagen expressed. “We’ve got a top four seed, we’re healthy, we’ve got a good team who we think we can play well with heading into the state tournament.”

Buddenhagen stated that a fully healthy team could allow his team to bring more to every moment on the court, even if it’s different players involved.

“We can find some times to get some guys rest,” he noted. “We have to run up and down for 32 minutes, so we need to keep everyone up all game by getting them breathers at different times.”

He continued, “Defensively, we need to be focused, and I know I couldn’t keep my focus full speed for 32 minutes, so in order for us to do what we want to do on defense, we have to get some of those guys a break now and then.”

Talking with the Huron Tiger senior players, Oakley Anderson, Blake Ellwein, Mason Jurgens, and Nolan Stahly, the response was immediate when asked how this team differs from previous teams that could give them an edge heading into the tournament.

“Brotherhood,” each responded. Stahly added, “We get along and spend time off the court, and that translates to games.”

The Tigers are keyed by senior Blake Ellwein, ranked as the top boys’ recruit in the senior class by multiple publications. While that put a target on his back throughout the season, he’s produced, to the tune of 21.8 points per game on 50.2% shooting from the field to go with team-high totals of 7.7 rebounds per game, 3.8 assists per game, 31 steals, and 15 blocks. He became Huron’s all-time leading scorer during the season to put another feather in a brilliant high school career.

The 6-foot-10 Ellwein’s length and ability to handle the ball makes him a difficult matchup for any team in the state, leading to 8.6 free throw attempts per game, the most on the team. He converted 79.1% of those charity shots this season. Most important is that Blake is able to stay on the court, averaging nearly 31 minutes per game.

“He’s the number one enemy of all teams,” Buddenhagen observed about his leading scorer. “You have to put him into situations where he can be successful because the other team is keying on him from opening tip. He’s worked hard enough that he’s seen it all now.”

“The things Blake does on the court are not by accident; it’s because he’s worked on them,” Buddenhagen continued. “When he’s not at practice, he’s still working on parts of his game to get better, which makes him the player that he is.”

Junior Davis Chase has been a steady “second man” this season, finishing second to Blake in most major categories, averaging 13.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 58.5% from the field. The 6-foot-8 forward partners with Ellwein to give the Tigers the two tallest players in AA this season.

“If they double me, then Davis is wide open,” Blake indicated. “If they focus on the two of us, we kick out to guys to hit their shot.”

Senior Mason Jurgens may play the fewest minutes of any of the starters, but he has been a steadying influence throughout the year, averaging 3.3 points and 1.9 assists per game. Sophomore Myles Ellwein has more than double the number of three-point shots made this season of any other player on the team, averaging 6.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.

Junior Anderson Porisch and freshman brother Carter add additional length to the Tigers’ lineup at 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-5, respectively. Anderson came on late in the season as his knee gained strength to average 7.6 points and 5 rebounds per game, along with finishing second to Blake in assists on the team. Carter transitioned into a sixth man role once his brother returned to the starting lineup and has provided 6.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game off the bench.

Junior James Shoultz, Jr. (1.9 ppg) and junior Chase Schuchhardt (1.9 ppg) have been consistent players off the bench as well.

This year’s team had turnover on Buddenhagen’s staff as Jim Noyes and Brice Anderson left the assistant coaching crew, replaced by Jay Ellwein and Dawson Schmidt. Throughout the year, Buddenhagen has praised his assistant coaches’ game plans.

“The assistant coaches have been great about finding mismatches all season,” he said. “They’re manipulating the other team’s defenders and then getting it to a guy on the block with a mismatch.”

He added, “(The assistant coaches) have taken ownership of the offense, which allows me to focus on the defense.”

The Tigers, who are 17-4 on the season, open the state tournament Thursday evening playing O’Gorman (13-8) as the final game of the first evening of play. Huron defeated the Knights 61-57 in the final home game of the season on Feb. 24.

If successful, the Tigers will play the winner between second-seeded Roosevelt (17-4) and seventh-seeded Brandon Valley (13-8), the defending state champion.

In the afternoon session on Thursday, top seed and undefeated Sioux Falls Lincoln (21-0) faces Tea Area (13-8), and Harrisburg and Watertown, both 16-5, match up in the 4/5 game to close out the afternoon session.

After two seasons playing in the afternoon after losing the opening round, the Tigers have one distinct goal.

“We’re in a favorable game this year,” Ellwein stated. “We don’t want to be in the sunshine bracket,” Jurgens added, indicating the consolation bracket.

When asked which team they hope to face during the tournament, the Huron seniors and Coach Buddenhagen had different answers.

“Roosevelt,” answered each of the seniors, with Ellwein adding, “They’re not going to shoot 60 percent against us again.”

Buddenhagen had a different take. “Is there a way to have another turn with everyone who’s beaten us?” he laughed. “That would make for a great story, but right now our main focus is on O’Gorman. We have to get over that first round hurdle first.”

This is Huron’s 56th trip to the state tournament. The Tigers have secured 11 championships, the last being in 2004.

The players and their coach all echo one main sentiment – fan support from Huron is second-to-none.

“We don’t ever have to question it,” Blake stated, to the nods and agreement of his fellow seniors. “They show up, and they have all season.”

“I can’t forget to mention Tiger Nation – the band, the student section, we’ve just had wonderful support,” Buddenhagen stated. “We really appreciate that. We’re going to play our tails off for this community.”

Buddenhagen is excited to finish the year with this team.

“This has been a team that’s been a blessing to coach,” he expressed. “They come to work, they’re coachable, and they’re willing to do the extra stuff that makes a big difference.”