High school basketball: Isaac Bruns of Dakota Valley headlines Small Town All-America Team

After leading Dakota Valley (North Sioux City, S.D.) to two straight 26-0 seasons and a pair of Class A state championships, Isaac Bruns is the MaxPreps Small Town All-America Player of the Year.

Bruns, who is headed to play at the University of South Dakota, averaged 23.9 points per game for the Panthers, who finished on top of the Small Town Top 25 for the second straight year. Bruns was also the MaxPreps South Dakota Player of the Year and finished his career with 2,309 points.

Read on for a look at all 25 players who have been selected by MaxPreps as the best high school basketball players in the nation who play in small towns. MaxPreps defines small town schools as those with an enrollment under 1,000 from towns with a population of less than 10,000 people.
Small Town All-America Team

First Team

Travis Perry, Lyon County (Eddyville, Ky.)
6-2 | Guard | Junior
With a senior year still left to play, Perry is already the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky history. He passed "King" Kelly Coleman in the final game of the season to finish with 4,357 points including 1,170 points this year and an average of 31.6 points per game. He led the state of Kentucky with 175 3-pointers and as a result Lyon County had the highest scoring average in the state at 82 points per game. Perry earned all-state first team honors for the second year and he was the MaxPreps Kentucky Player of the Year.

Jamaria Clark, Doyline (La.)
6-2 | Guard | Senior
Clark finished as one of the leading scorers in the nation at 36.9 points per game. He scored 50 or more points six times with a high of 70 points in a 93-30 win over North Webster. Clark finished his career with 3,412 points, including 997 as a senior.

Jarin Stevenson, Seaforth (Pittsboro, N.C.)
6-10 | Center | Junior
Stevenson led the Hawks to an 18-9 record and the second round of the Class 2A playoffs. Averaged 21.5 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game. The five-star prospect has scored 1,230 points in his two varsity seasons.



SMALL TOWN ALL-AMERICA PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Isaac Bruns, Dakota Valley (North Sioux City, S.D.)
6-5 | Forward | Senior
The MaxPreps Player of the Year for South Dakota, Bruns led Dakota Valley to its second straight 26-0 season and Class A state championship. He averaged 26.3 points per game as a senior with 9.2 rebounds. He also finished his career with 2,309 points. He will play at the University of South Dakota next year.

E.J. Paymon, Raymond (Miss.)
6-9 | Forward | Junior
Named the Class 4A Player of the Year by the Mississippi Association of Coaches, Paymon led Raymond to the Class 4A state championship game, where it fell to Yazoo City. Paymon also earned first team all-state, regardless of classification, by Capitol Sports. Paymon averaged over 21 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

Second Team

Fischer Brown, Fergus (Lewistown, Mont.)
6-5 | Guard | Junior
In leading Fergus to an undefeated season (24-0) and a Class A state championship, Brown averaged 23.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. MaxPreps recognized Brown as the state player of the year and he had a career high of 54 points during a win over Hardin.

Kase Wynott, Lapwai (Idaho)
6-6 | Forward | Junior
Wynott set a state record for points in a season with 952, which comes out to 35.3 points per game. With 1,991 career points, Wynott needs just 545 points to become Idaho's all-time leading scorer. Wynott led Lapwai to the state final and 52 straight wins after winning a state title as a sophomore.

Jeremy Lorenz, Brillion (Wis.)
6-8 | Forward | Senior
Lorenz led Brillion to a 29-1 record and a state championship. He averaged 21.4 points per game, 11.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. A four-year starter at Brillion, Lorenz is headed to play at Wofford next year. He finished his career with 1,992 points, 1,113 rebounds and 238 blocked shots.

Joey Hart, Linton-Stockton (Linton, Ind.)
6-4 | Guard | Senior
The Miners went 98-14 during Hart's four years on the varsity. He scored 1,901 career points and averaged 23.7 points as a senior while leading Linton-Stockton to a 29-2 record and a berth in the state final. Hart is headed to play at Central Florida.

Ty Pence. St. Joseph-Ogden (St. Joseph, Ill.)
6-6 | Forward | Senior
Pence became the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,328 points after averaging 26.6 points during his senior year. He led St. Joseph-Ogden to a 27-5 record and a No. 6 ranking in the final Associated Press polls. He made the AP All-State team for the third straight season and he will play at Illinois State next season.

Third Team

Grayson Rigdon, Benjamin (Texas)
5-11 | Guard | Sophomore
One of the leading scorers in the nation at 40.1 points per game, Rigdon earned Class 1A All-Tournament honors after leading Benjamin to the semifinals. He had five games of 50 or more points with a high of 55. One of the top six-man football players in Texas, Rigdon scored 36 touchdowns and earned state MVP honors after leading Benjamin to a 15-0 record and a state championship.

Jaxson Brandl, Greeley County (Tribune, Kan.)
6-3 | Guard | Senior
Brandl earned state MVP honors after leading Greeley County to a Class 1A Division II state championship and a 42-1 record. He averaged 25.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 3.2 assists per game, finishing his career with 2,162 points.

Dayton Forsythe, Dale (Okla.)
6-2 | Guard | Senior/Junior
The MVP of the Tournament of Champions last December, Forsythe has received offers from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Wake Forest. He has led Dale to back-to-back state championships, 41 straight wins and a 32-0 season in 2022-23. He averaged 17.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists and he has 1,642 career points through his junior year.

Colin Roberts, Graford (Texas)
6-8 | Center | Senior
Roberts earned Class 1A Tournament MVP honors after leading Graford to a 37-3 record and its second straight state championship.

Layne Taylor, Farmington (Ark.)
5-11 | Guard | Junior
A repeat selection to the Small Town All-America Team, he averaged 26 points, 5.6 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game. Led Farmington to a 68-3 record over the past two seasons and has 2,404 career points entering his senior year.



Fourth Team

Alex Odam, Piedmont (Ala.)
6-3 | Guard | Senior
A candidate for Class 3A state player of the year in Alabama, Odam averaged 24.9 points for the season and he had 3,229 points for his career. The Jacksonville State signee had a high game of 59 points and he ends his career 10th on the all-time state career scoring list.

Bede Lori, Caldwell (Ohio)
6-4 | Guard | Senior
A four-time all-state player in Ohio, including two first team selections, Lori finished his career with 2,330 points in 95 games. He averaged 28.8 points per game as a senior and he has the second, third and fourth longest consecutive free throws made streaks in state history at 64, 62 and 62.

Connor Millikan, Platteview (Springfield, Neb.)
6-1 | Guard | Senior
Millikan completed his career as the state's No. 2 all-time leading scorer and the Class B all-time leader with 2,639 points. He averaged 25.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.4 steals per game in leading Platteview to the Class B state finals.

Luke Smith, Plainview (Rainsville, Ala.)
6-4 | Forward | Senior
Smith earned Class 3A all-state honors for the second straight season. A second team pick as a junior, Smith is a finalist for state player of the year honors. He led Plainview to back-to-back Class 3A championships and was the 3A tournament MVP.

Jadis Jones, New Madrid County Central (New Madrid, Mo.)
6-5 | Forward | Junior
Jones led the Eagles to a Class 3 state championship and was named the class player of the year by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association. He averaged 23.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 2.4 assists per game. He has 1,485 career points heading into his senior year.

Fifth Team

Carter Sievers, Newell-Fonda (Newell, Iowa)
6-1 | Guard | Senior
Sievers made the Associated Press Class 1A all-state team after leading the state with a 28.1 point scoring average. He scored 1,543 points in his career and he led Newell-Fonda all three years he was a starter.

Jah Short, Farmville Central (Farmville, N.C.)
6-3 | Guard | Senior
Short was first team all-state by the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association after leading Farmville Central to a 30-1 record and a Class 2A state championship. He averaged 23.3 points per game and has signed to play at New Orleans.

Michael "Isaia" Howard, Plattsburg (Mo.)
6-4 | Forward | Junior
Howard led Plattsburg to a third-place finish in Class 2 with the Tigers posting a 31-1 record. Howard earned Class 2 player of the year honors from the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association after averaging 26.4 points, 13.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 4.5 steals per game.

Jake Proctor, Hesston (Kan.)
6-3 | Guard | Senior
Proctor led Hesston to three straight state championships and was named the Class 3A state player of the year as a senior. The Swathers finished 25-1 with 25 straight wins. He also made the Top 5 all-classes team by Sports in Kansas while averaging 21 points per game.

Colby Collison, Bondurant-Farrar (Bondurant, Iowa)
6-4 | Forward | Senior
Collison is a two-time all-state player in Iowa, earning Class 3A player of the year honors after leading Bondurant-Farrar to a 24-0 record and a state championship. He averaged 19.3 points per game and 6.4 rebounds.