Grant Wilkinson, Brady Schroedermeier ready to turn to SDSU football after all-state basketball careers
Apr. 9—BROOKINGS — For two of South Dakota's standout boys basketball talents, last month's Class B tournament in Aberdeen marked the end of one chapter of their athletic journey and the beginning of another.
De Smet's Grant Wilkinson and Viborg-Hurley's Brady Schroedermeier are soon to set aside their sneakers and shorts and pick up helmets and pads as signees in South Dakota State football's 2026 recruiting class.
But in their final acts as basketball players, the pair of soon-to-be Jackrabbits couldn't have asked for a much better sendoff than the one provided by the Class B boys basketball tournament, a stage both grew familiar with during their prep careers.
This season marked Viborg-Hurley's third-straight season qualifying for the Class B quarterfinals, and the Cougars entered with the No. 1 overall seed. Schroedermeier, a 6-foot-2 forward, was a first-team all-state selection, powering Viborg-Hurley with 22.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and three steals per game.
Meanwhile, third-seeded De Smet was back in the fold for 2026 after a one-year absence, having previously qualified in seven straight seasons. A 6-foot-10 wrecking ball at center, Wilkinson was named Class B player of the year after averaging 24.4 points and 18.8 rebounds per contest. In the Class B quarterfinals, he posted a monstrous game of 40 points, 19 rebounds and three blocks.
"He is amazing," Schroedermeier said of Wilkinson after the tournament. "I have never seen somebody get triple-teamed like that on a basketball court before, but he gets triple-teamed a lot, and he handles it well, too. It's just crazy."
In an ultra-competitive bracket, Viborg-Hurley and De Smet were both knocked to the consolation bracket with quarterfinal losses, but that didn't prevent Wilkinson or Schroedermeier from enjoying the experience.
De Smet bounced back to win each of its final two contests and take home fifth place.
"Even though we lost the first night, we got back at it and got a couple of wins. This last one was just special," Wilkinson said following De Smet's victory in the fifth-place game. "I'm going to remember the competition. Athletic guys, great shooters, better defenders; it's just better competition all around. When you get here, all eight teams have a chance at winning it all."
Further, Wilkinson said he'll always have fond memories of competing at Wachs Arena in Aberdeen, particularly being a part of the Bulldogs' title-winning team in 2023 alongside his older brother, Damon, who is now the starting center for the SDSU men's basketball team.
Viborg-Hurley also ended on a high note with a victory in the seventh-place game. Putting a symbolic exclamation point on his season and career, Schroedermeier came away with a breakaway dunk in the final moments of the seventh-place victory to the delight of the Wachs Arena crowd on hand, a moment he said will stick with him for quite a while.
"We went out on a win, and that's super fun," Schroedermeier said.
For a bit of bonus basketball, Schroedermeier and Wilkinson were teammates on the Class B all-star squad at the Three-Class Shootout last month, and they're set to be on opposite sidelines at the Sanford Pentagon all-star game on April 12.
Both Wilkinson and Schroedermeier committed to SDSU football during the 2025 calendar year, and shortly thereafter, added each other on social media and began forming a friendship. Wilkinson is an offensive lineman, while Schroedermeier signed as an athlete and is listed on the Jacks' early 2026 roster as a linebacker/safety.
When they weren't on the basketball court at this season's state tournament, some of the downtime was spent hanging out together at the team hotel. Playing Call of Duty was a common pastime at this year's tournament, and the duo also shares other hobbies such as hunting and fishing.
"We get along super well, and moving forward, I've got his back, and I know he's got my back," Schroedermeier said. "I feel like its going to be a great future for both of us at SDSU."
This spring, Wilkinson is competing in golf as well as track and field for De Smet, while Schroedermeier said he plans to forego his senior track and field season to get a head start on football training.
With football futures in Brookings looming, both players are anxious to get on the gridiron, this time as teammates.
"I'm just looking forward to going out and having fun competing, because that's what I like to do," Wilkinson said. "I like basketball, too, but I just like football more. Going out and blocking people, running them over, I mean, you can't get much better than that."
