Govs take leap forward under Kusler, lose key contributors
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Whether it was because of jaw-dropping dunks or capturing their seventh consolation championship in program history, the Pierre boys basketball team enjoyed the journey in 2022-23.
I think it was a lot of fun, Governors senior guard Jacob Mayer said Thursday. I mean, for me, it was my last organized sport that Ill ever play in high school. And I think all those guys had a really good bond. So it was a really fun season, and I'm definitely gonna be looking back on it for years to come.
The Govs ended their season with a bang after a thrilling, two-overtime win over Harrisburg in the Class AA Boys State Basketball Tournament Consolation Championship Game on Mar. 18 at The Monument.
Pierre squeaked by the Tigers, 68-67, for its first fifth-place finish in eight years.
It was a bumpy start to the Govs first state tournament since 2017 following a 60-51 loss to eventual state runner-up Mitchell in the opening round on Mar. 16. But Pierre rebounded with a 56-46 victory against Sioux Falls Roosevelt in the consolation semifinals.
In addition to becoming the first female head coach to send a boys team to the AA tournament, Govs head coach Brianna Kusler also became the first to pick up a win at the eight-team event.
It was certainly a goal for all of these kids to go to the state tournament. And not just go to the state tournament, but make some noise at the state tournament, Kusler said. While we ended up with a first-round loss, I think their response the next couple of days was outstanding. And, you know, you really saw what kind of competitors they are and that they were going to fight for one another, with one another each and every night.
Pierre's Christian Busch during Mar. 17's matchup with Sioux Falls Roosevelt in the Class AA Boys State Tournament Consolation Semifinals at The Monument. The Govs topped the Rough Riders, 56-46.
Campea Photography
In Kuslers second year at the helm, the Govs finished with a 16-8 record, their most wins since 2014-15 when they tallied 17. Pierre also placed sixth in the AA standings.
A big turnaround from last season when the Govs went 9-12 and ended in 11th place in Kuslers first year as head coach.
So how did Pierre take this considerable leap forward in year two under Kusler?
Well, notable improvements on both sides of the floor is a good place to start.
In 2021-22, Kuslers team averaged 59.7 points and 12.2 assists per game. This year, they scored 63.9 points and dished 14.2 assists per contest.
The Govs head coach credited some of this to her eight seniors.
Five started every game for Pierre forwards Jackson Edman and Benjamin Heisler, guards Lincoln Kienholz and Brecken Krueger and Mayer. The others forward Carson Ahartz, center Christian Busch and guard Joshua Switzer combined for quality minutes off the bench and still found ways to make an impact, on and off the floor.
We returned a lot of kids with a considerable amount of experience, and that helps to kind of ease that transition and the comfort level for all the kids that are playing, Kusler said. And so, I think that statistically, that's something that can be reflected there in those improvements.
Kusler, who joined assistant coach Brevin Kaiser as the 2023 South Dakota Basketball Coaches Association Region 3 Boys Coaches of the Year, added that getting high-percentage looks and creating some simple offense from their defense played a part in these higher numbers as well.
Defensively, the story was the same. The Govs racked up 42 blocks last season but exploded for 66 blocked shots this year.
There was certainly an improvement from just the level of aggressiveness that we had defensively this year, Kusler said. A lot of that was their anticipation improved, their recognition and awareness of various things defensively was improving each time that they stepped on the floor. And then along with that, there was just a trust that they had. When you have kids out there who are trusting one another really good things happen.
Jackson Edman led the Govs with 27 blocks this season.
Tom Plooster
Even though these stats led to increased success, there was another aspect that made Kuslers team stand out even further from the rest their 71 dunks, which led Class AA, both according to Kusler.
We certainly had a high-flying, athletic bunch this season at the varsity level, she said. That was something that was very fun to be around, and it was a really fun environment when you got to games Everybody talked about how much fun it was to watch these guys.
Mayer was on the court for many of these throw-downs and even assisted on a few. He explained what it was like being a part of these thrilling moments throughout the season.
It's just a lot of fun, Mayer said. Obviously, there's a lot more excitement on the floor. I mean, one dunk there, and (everyone thinks), Well, I guess the other teams going on a run. And then Jackson (Edman) goes up and throws down a dunk, and its just a momentum swing immediately in our direction. So that part of it is a lot of fun.
The senior guard also noted that Pierres jams energized not only the Govs but those in the stands as well.
In recent years, we definitely had one of the most exciting teams to watch in the state, just from our pure athleticism and the ability to jump and dunk, Mayer said. It keeps the crowd and the bench players on the edge of their seat, ready to see what's gonna happen next.
Mayer ended his senior campaign averaging 4.8 points and 1.9 assists per game. He also finished third on the team in three-pointers made (20), and Mayer did so efficiently, shooting 20-of-50 (40 percent) from behind the arc.
This season, Pierre was led by what Mayer called its Big Three in Edman, Heisler and Kienholz.
Kienholz built quite the resume in his senior year, landing All-State First Team, All-Eastern South Dakota Athletic Conference (ESD) and All-Tournament honors and winning the Spirit of Su Award.
The Ohio State University football signee averaged 18.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He led the Govs in total steals (42) and three-pointers made (32).
Kienholz ended his Pierre career with 1,464 points, the 10th-most in AA history and second-best in team history. He sits behind former Gov Lane Severyn in both categories, who is the programs all-time scoring leader with 1,471 points.
Pierre's Benjamin Heisler finished second on the team in scoring this season with 14.3 points per game.
Todd Thompson
Right behind him offensively was Heisler, who tallied 14.3 points per contest, along with 5.6 rebounds. He also recorded 23 blocks.
Edman also proved to be a force this year. The Black Hills State University signee put up 13.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals in his final season for Pierre.
He also led the Govs in total rebounds (217), assists (101) and blocks (27). Edman earned himself on the All-ESD Team for the second-straight year, along with Kienholz, as well as the All-Tournament
Friday, April 7, 2023 at 5:00 pm