Basketball players foster new friendships at combine

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Over the last two days, Sanford Sports hosted a Who’s Next Combine for the top boys and girls basketball players in the area.

More than 100 high school aged basketball players from South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota participated in the camp at the Sanford Pentagon.

“The whole idea of this event was to try to get the region’s best players in one facility and one afternoon to be able to compete against one another,” Sanford Sports Basketball Coordinator Nate Kaeding said.

“It’s exciting to play against the best girls in Sioux Falls and around this area,” O’Gorman rising junior Sadie Mehrman said. “It’s another good opportunity to get in front of college coaches.”

The players showed their skills for numerous area Division II and NAIA coaches, all in hopes of working towards playing at the next level.

“I’m really excited to play in front of them to like show them how to play and communicate, play with new people,” O’Gorman rising junior Sydney Terveen said.

“It’s really cool,” Viborg-Hurley rising senior Nick Hanson said. “It’s nice to get exposure for all these young players that haven’t had anything like this, and especially to be invited to something like this. It’s really, really cool.”

Aside from skill development and the opportunity to work out in front of college coaches, the players fostered new relationships and friendships.

“It’s cool because a lot of the girls here,” Mehrman said. “We play against in high school or they play for the same AAU program. But you just get to know girls better when you’re in the same gym and working towards the same goal.”

In addition to running various drills, the players also scrimmaged against one another.