A new week, which means new number ones on the latest South Dakota Prep Media Basketball Polls.

It's here! The 2025-2026 South Dakota Prep Media Preseason Basketball Polls.

South Dakotans might be split on this year’s WNBA Finals as the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury are set to tip off in a seven game series that begins Friday night. The Aces are coached by Becky Hammon, while the Mercury are coached by Nate Tibbetts. It’s west river versus east river, but on a national stage.

Basketball is more than a game to the people of Pine Ridge. We meet several community members who tell us more about how it has expanded over the years and impacted the lives of players and their families.

The state of South Dakota lost a good one last month with the passing of Denis ‘Deny’ Lather. Not only was he quick-witted, funny, and extremely sociable, but his knowledge of sports in the state and his passion for coaching – it’s obvious there can only ever be one Deny Lather.

This week, Nate Wek and Jason Andera outline several basketball classics over the next couple of weeks, including the epic Lakota Nation Invitational and the newly formed Midwest Miracles Classic.