Castlewood will start the current boys’ basketball season the same place it finished it as the defending champs are atop the Class B field in the preseason Prep Media basketball polls.

The Warriors received 10 of a possible 18 first-place votes in the poll. Wessington Springs is rated second with two first-place votes. Third-rated Dell Rapids St. Mary received four first-place votes.

Sioux Falls Christian received 16 first-place votes and tops the Class A poll. Sioux Falls Lincoln is the pre-season number one in Class AA with 11 first-place votes. Second-rated Brandon Valley received six of the other seven first-place votes.

Clark-Willow Lake is rated fourth, Hamlin is fifth, and Groton in eighth in Class A, while Aberdeen Christian is eighth in Class B.

Area teams receiving votes include Mobridge-Pollock in Class A, and Sully Buttes, Leola-Frederick, and Wolsey-Wessington in Class B.

The Preseason South Dakota Prep Media Basketball Poll has been released. Teams are ranked by points received and first-place votes are in parentheses. 

Boys

Class AA

1. Lincoln (11) 78

2. Brandon Valley (6) 58

3. Huron 43

4. Mitchell 38

5. O’Gorman (1) 15

Receiving votes: Jefferson 13, Harrisburg 12, Washington 6, Roosevelt 3, Spearfish 2, Tea Area 2. 

Class A

1. SF Christian (16) 176

2. Lennox 135

3. West Central (2) 127

4. Clark-Willow Lake 103

5. Hamlin 86

6. Pine Ridge 68

7. St. Thomas More 62

8. Groton 46

9. RC Christian 40

10. Dakota Valley 37

Receiving votes: Dell Rapids 29, Vermillion 21, Winner 17, Madison 16, Baltic 12, Flandreau 5, Hill City 4, Mobridge-Pollock 4, Cheyenne-Eagle Butte 1, Mahpiya Luta 1.  

Class B

1. Castlewood (10) 149

2. Wessington Springs (2) 124

3. St. Mary’s (4) 110

4. Wall (1) 109

5. Viborg-Hurley (1) 108

6. Freeman 98

7. Lyman 54

8. Aberdeen Christian 50

9. De Smet 37

10. Parkston 35

Receiving votes: Sully Buttes 31, Bridgewater-Emery 25, Howard 17, Leola-Frederick 14, Gregory 9, Wolsey-Wessington 7, Lemmon 6, Estelline-Hendricks 5, Deubrook Area 2.