Led by MaxPreps South Dakota Player of of the Year Isaac Bruns, Panthers went 26-0 en route to second straight state title.
For the second year in a row,
Dakota Valley (North Sioux City, S.D.) is the No.1 small town basketball team in the nation, according to the MaxPreps computer ratings.
The Panthers went 26-0 last year to claim the top spot in the Small Town Top 25 and did it again this season with another 26-0 record and Class A state championship. Dakota Valley has won 53 games in a row (they also won a third-place game in 2020-21).
Isaac Bruns, the MaxPreps South Dakota Player of the Year, led Dakota Valley with 26.3 points per game. He was a MaxPreps Small Town All-American third team selection last year.
The Panthers edged out
Fergus (Lewistown, Mont.) for the top spot. The Golden Eagles won the Montana Class A state championship over
Beaverhead County (Dillon).
Farmville Central (Farmville, N.C.) comes in at No. 3 after winning the North Carolina Class 2A state championship.
The Small Town Top 25 rankings are based on the MaxPreps computer ratings and they include schools with an enrollment of less than 1,000 students from a town of fewer than 10,000 people.
Farmville Central captured its eighth state title in North Carolina since 1989 and fifth since 2016. (Photo: Matthew Plyler)
1. Dakota Valley (North Sioux City, S.D.)
Record/Rating: 26-0, 33.1
Finish: Class A state champion
2. Fergus (Lewistown, Mont.)
Record/Rating: 24-0, 31.1
Finish: Class A state champion
3. Farmville Central (Farmville, N.C.)
Record/Rating: 30-1, 30.2
Finish: Class 2A state champion
4. Bondurant-Farrar (Bondurant, Iowa)
Record/Rating: 24-0, 29.6
Finish: Class 3A state champion
5. Branson (Ross, Calif.)
Record/Rating: 28-4, 29.2
Finish: North Coast Section Division 3 champion
6. NorthWood (Nappanee, Ind.)
Record/Rating: 28-2, 29.0
Finish: Class 3A state champion
7. Dale (Okla.)
Record/Rating: 32-0, 28.9
Finish: Class 2A state champion
8. Wahoo (Neb.)
Record/Rating: 24-2, 28.2
Finish: Class C1 quarterfinalist
9. Albany (Minn.)
Record/Rating: 31-1, 27.8
Finish: Class 2A state champion
10. Port Allen (La.)
Record/Rating: 30-4, 27.8
Finish: Div. III Non-Select
11. Ashland-Greenwood (Ashland, Neb.)
Record/Rating: 27-2, 26.6
Finish: Class C1 state champion
12. Ottawa-Glandorf (Ottawa, Ohio)
Record/Rating: 26-4, 25.9
Finish: Division III runner-up
13. Central Cass (Casselton, N.D.)
Record/Rating: 27-0, 25.8
Finish: Class B state champion
14. Freeman (Adams, Neb.)
Record/Rating: 29-1, 25.8
Finish: Class C2 state champion
15. Hesston (Kan.)
Record/Rating: 25-1, 25.8
Finish: Class 3A state champion
16. Manhattan Christian (Manhattan, Mont.)
Record/Rating: 24-1, 25.7
Finish: Class C state champion
17. Brillion (Wis.)
Record/Rating: 30-1, 25.6
Finish: Division 3 state champion
18. Southeast of Saline (Gypsum, Kan.)
Record/Rating: 24-2, 25.4
Finish: Class 3A semifinalist
19. New Madrid County Central (New Madrid, Mo.)
Record/Rating: 24-7, 25.0
Finish: Class 3 state champion
20. Cascade (Turner, Ore.)
Record/Rating: 23-3, 24.8
Finish: Class 4A state champion
21. Davenport (Wash.)
Record/Rating: 27-2, 24.7
Finish: Class 2B state champion
22. Central Lyon (Rock Rapids, Iowa)
Record/Rating: 22-1, 24.6
Finish: Class 2A state champion
23. Sugar-Salem (Sugar City, Idaho)
Record/Rating: 23-3, 24.5
Finish: Class 3A state champion
24. Hugoton (Kan.)
Record/Rating: 23-2, 24.4
Finish: Class 4A state champion
25. Western Christian (Hull, Iowa)
Record/Rating: 24-5, 24.4
Finish: Class 2A state runner-up
