Primetime performer: Kernels' Markus Talley is Mitchell Republic's 2025 boys basketball player of the year

Apr. 4—MITCHELL — As humble and even-tempered on the basketball court as he is off of it, Markus Talley prefers to let his actions and accolades do much of the talking for him. For good reason, too.

Over three seasons as a varsity starter for Mitchell High School, Talley crafted a resume capable of speaking volumes on its own, filled with individual and team successes.

Among the highlights: State champion. Class AA player of the year. Spirit of Su award winner. Two-time state runner-up. Two-time first-team all-state selection. Two-time Eastern South Dakota Conference champion. 1,000-point scorer.

"He's exactly what you want. In my opinion, he's the most skilled high school player in the state, but you would never know it talking to him or watching his mannerisms," said MHS head coach Ryker Kreutzfeldt. "It's just so rare to find a kid who's so good, who's accomplished so much, but is still humble and wants to be coached and is OK being held accountable. He's just special."

This season alone, Mitchell's 6-foot-1 lead guard posted 17.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, three assists and 1.8 steals per game, as the Kernels went 20-4 and made a third straight appearance in the Class AA state championship game. Along the way, he collected all-state, all-conference and all-tournament honors for the second consecutive year, also earning class player of the year for his efforts.

"This season just kind of meant more," Talley said. "Just knowing it's my last time playing with the guys, I tried to give it 100% every time and not take anything for granted."

For cementing his legacy as an all-time Mitchell great with another standout season as a senior, Markus Talley earned the Mitchell Republic's 2025 boys basketball player of the year award.

The award is selected by the newspaper's sports staff via a point-based voting system that awards five points to the top player, four points to the second player on the ballot and so on. Talley garnered all four first-place votes and 20 total points, becoming just the third player to be recognized as Mitchell Republic boys basketball player of the year multiple times, joining fellow Kernel Mike Miller (1997 and 1998) and Bridgewater-Emery's Sawyer Schultz (2017, 2018 and 2019).

Kernels have now won four of the past five Mitchell Republic boys basketball player of the year awards, with Zane Alm in 2021 and Caden Hinker in 2022 alongside Talley. Overall, Mitchell student-athletes have now claimed the award nine times — Talley (twice), Mike Miller (twice), Hinker, Alm, Jade Miller (2012), Tucker Volesky (2011) and Jordan Miller (2008).

Other players receiving consideration for the 2025 award were Talley's Mitchell teammates Colton Smith and Gavin Hinker, Wessington Springs' Colby Flowers, Freeman's David Walter, Winner's Carter Craven and Parkston's Brycen Bruening.

On the same stage where his high school career came to a close — at the Class AA state tournament in Rapid City — Talley established his reputation as a player who performed his best when the lights were brightest.

"I'm calm, composed," Talley said of what defines his game. "I just try to make the right play every time."

Though not yet a focal point of the offense as a sophomore, Talley scored 41 total points across three tournament games in 2023. He eclipsed double digits in all three and paced Mitchell with 16 points in the state title game, a narrow loss to Yankton. Of course, he had much more in store as a junior in helping boost the Kernels to the 2024 Class AA state championship.

But sporting his trademark stoic demeanor and a subtle swagger, Talley saved some of his absolute best for his final go-around in black and gold.

"He wasn't afraid of anybody. There have been so many times where it hasn't mattered who they put across for him or what the odds are," Kreutzfeldt said. "I thought we saw a growth in that he understood in certain situations, it was on him or we were going to lose. And he stepped up to that moment time and time again."

At the Hoop City Classic in December, Talley poured in a career-high 30 points against Orono (Minn.), trading basket-for-basket against Nolan Groves, the eventual Minnesota Gatorade player of the year and Yale University men's basketball commit. It was one of 10 outings during which Talley dropped in at least 20 points this season. Mitchell won 61-60.

With the Kernels surging in mid-February, Talley put up 23 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to help fend off a stern challenge from Sioux Falls Washington at the Corn Palace. On the back of Talley's rare triple-double, Mitchell won 67-59.

In the state semifinals, Talley took over the first half, connecting on five 3-pointers as part of a 17-point outburst in the opening 16 minutes. He finished with a game-high 22 points, as the Kernels held on to defeat top-seeded Sioux Falls Lincoln for a second time by a 55-51 final. Rewinding further to the first meeting between the two schools in January, the Kernels knocked the Patriots from the ranks of the unbeatens, winning 69-58 behind Talley's team-high 19 points.

"If a big game is coming up, I'm more focused and just feel more energized and ready to go," Talley said. "I just knew the state tournament was my last chance to get out there and play, so I tried to force the issue and just give it everything I had."

"Markus had the freedom to do anything he wanted at any time, and he always contributed in every way. You just give him freedom, let him go and then sit there and watch," Kreutzfeldt added. "There were a lot of times where I just looked back at our assistants, raised my eyebrows and said, 'Wow, that's crazy.' You can kind of feel when he's in that zone. At that point, we're not going to change anything. We're going to let him do what he does, try to keep everyone pulling in the same direction and enjoy the show."

Already riding high off a 2024 Class AA state championship, Talley and the Kernels continued to push the present-day program standard to new heights.

Talley's steady hand helped guide Mitchell back to a third-consecutive state title game appearance, a program first in the Class AA era. During his three seasons as a varsity starter, the Kernels amassed a 62-10 record, a win percentage of 86%.

There's a permanent reminder of the Kernels' winning ways in the form of the 2024 championship banner hanging from the north wall of the Corn Palace.

"It's a pretty cool feeling, just looking at it, remembering what happened," Talley said. "You see that they (the two most recent banners) are 19 years apart, and to be part of it just feels good."

Individually, Talley ended his career sixth on Mitchell's career scoring charts with 1,135 points on 52.6% shooting to go with 324 rebounds, 200 assists and 97 steals. During his middle school years, Talley looked up to former Kernel great Caden Hinker, who graduated in 2022. As it turned out, Talley effectively took the baton from his predecessor and continued to carry it forward for the program.

"Markus is an all-timer," Kreutzfeldt said. "He's just been the rock of the program for a while now."

While Talley's proud of his and the Kernels' many accomplishments, he hopes those are only part of what he leaves behind.

"For the younger kids that came to watch, I wanted to make them more interested in basketball," Talley said. "I just tried to be a good role model and show how people can act on the court. I hope that had a big impact."

Now, two of Mitchell's best are set to join forces in Sioux Falls. Like Hinker before him, Talley chose to sign with the Augustana University men's basketball program. Hinker, who missed all of 2024-25 due to injury, will be in his fourth season with the Vikings next year. Writing the next chapter of his basketball career is something Talley is anxious for, as he's set to report to campus in June for a month of summer training.

"I'm just excited to see how college basketball is like, how I can adapt," Talley said. "It'll probably take a little bit, but I think it'll be fun."

But while Talley may have played his last game in black and gold, his place in Kernel lore is secure.

Kreutzfeldt offered the definitive word on Talley's legacy at the state tournament welcome-home event: "With Mitchell basketball, we talk about the past a lot, all the great players, and you can start naming them. But I want to make sure people remember that you can never talk about the history of Mitchell Kernel basketball again without mentioning the name Markus Talley."

Here's a look at the other players who received consideration, with their vote-point totals in parentheses:

Colton Smith, Mitchell (14): The vocal leader behind the Kernels' third-straight push to the Class AA state title game, Smith posted 15.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. The 6-foot-5 junior forward was named second-team all-state in Class AA, his second career all-state nod.

Colby Flowers, Wessington Springs (10): Helping power Wessington Springs to a 22-4 record and a berth in the Class B state semifinals, Flowers was good for 15.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. The 6-foot-4 junior forward was tabbed to the Class B all-state second team.

David Walter, Freeman (5): A driving force in Freeman's first state tournament appearance since 1999, Walter notched 18.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a freshman. The Flyers finished in sixth place with a 20-6 record, as the 6-foot-4 guard garnered a Class B all-state third-team pick.

Gavin Hinker, Mitchell (4): Emerging as a force down low for the Kernels, Hinker averaged 10 points per game on 62.4% shooting, along with 6.3 rebounds per contest. The 6-foot-5 center also earned his first all-ESD Conference selection and was a Class AA all-tournament pick for Mitchell.

Carter Craven, Winner (2): One-half of the Warriors' formidable starting frontcourt, Craven recorded a double-double average at 21.7 points and 11.3 rebounds per game to earn a Class A all-state third-team selection. The 6-foot-6 sophomore forward helped propel Winner to the Class A SoDak 16 and a 16-6 record.

Brycen Bruening, Parkston (2): Recognized as honorable mention all-state in Class B, Bruening averaged 17.7 points and 4.1 assists per game. With the 6-foot-1 sophomore guard on the leading edge, Parkston pieced together a 16-6 record and maintained a top-10 position in the Class B standings.

Past award winners: 1995: Chris Janssen, Emery; 1996: Cody Volmer, Lyman; 1997: Mike Miller, Mitchell; 1998: Mike Miller, Mitchell; 1999: Doug Hall, Scotland; 2000: Jared Reiner, Tripp-Delmont; 2001: Matt Jones, Alpena-Wessington Springs; 2002: Ben DeWaard, Stickney; 2003: Nathan Graves, Mitchell Christian; 2004: Mike Steffen, Mount Vernon; 2005: Preston Broughton, Corsica; 2006: Danny Fathke, Avon; 2007: Matt Malloy, Parkston; 2008: Jordan Miller, Mitchell; 2009: David Maxwell, Parkston; 2010: Jesse Tolsma, Mitchell Christian; 2011: Tucker Volesky, Mitchell; 2012: Jade Miller, Mitchell; 2013: Jesse Taylor, Kimball/White Lake; 2014: Coby Johnson, Platte-Geddes; 2015: Taylor Nichols, Hanson; 2016: Seth Friesz, Chamberlain; 2017: Sawyer Schultz, Bridgewater-Emery; 2018: Sawyer Schultz, Bridgewater-Emery; 2019: Sawyer Schultz, Bridgewater-Emery; 2020: Reggie Slaba, Hanson; 2021: Zane Alm, Mitchell; 2022: Caden Hinker, Mitchell; 2023: Reed Rus, Mount Vernon/Plankinton; 2024: Markus Talley, Mitchell; 2025: Markus Talley, Mitchell.